What does First B Jackson teach about knowing christ?
Drawn from the messages where it was actually addressed: the words said from the front, the passages taught, and where to hear the whole thing.
At First B Jackson, the teaching on knowing Christ starts with a sharp distinction Paul draws in Philippians 3. Across several messages, the point is pressed consistently: there is a difference between knowing about Christ and actually knowing Him. Van preached his first Sunday morning message here from Philippians 3:1-14, working through Paul's argument that every earthly credential, no matter how impressive, is rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. Paul's own resume was real and impressive, and he listed it not to boast but to establish credibility with those insisting on fleshly credentials. Then he called all of it loss, and then loss again, and then rubbish. Van noted that the Greek word translated rubbish means excrement. The repetition is intentional: Paul wants the weight of the comparison to land.
The gains Paul sets against that loss are threefold. Being found in Christ rather than in a righteousness earned by law. Receiving a righteousness that comes through faith. And knowing Christ, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. Carl, preaching from the same passage, noted that Paul was not dismissing his old life carelessly. He was showing that if law-keeping could have made anyone right with God, it would have been Paul, and even Paul said it amounted to nothing. God sent His Son in a body like ours, and in that body declared an end to sin's control, satisfying the law's requirements so we would not have to.
Florin, a Romanian-born member who preached here as a guest, brought the same question from his own life. He traced his arc from hard legalism to drifting entirely, and said neither place is where God wants anyone to be. His point, drawn straight from the text, was that material blessings are not forbidden, but they can quietly take the place that belongs to God, and the more comfortable life becomes, the easier it is to stop depending on Him. The question he kept returning to was simple: is Christ actually the center of your life, not just on Sunday?
Taught from Philippians 3:1-14 · Philippians 3:7-11 · Romans 2:29 · Colossians 1:28-29 · Ephesians 2
The passage taught · 1 Corinthians 15:10
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
World English Bible
The messages that teach on it
- January 18, 2026 Put No Confidence in the Flesh A new pastor preaches from Philippians 3 on counting earthly achievements as loss compared to knowing Christ, and pressing on toward the eternal prize.
- January 18, 2025 Whatever Gain I Had, I Counted as Loss Van preaches Philippians 3 on counting earthly gains as loss, finding true worth in knowing Christ, and pressing on toward the goal He sets before us.
- September 27, 2022 The Infinite Value of Knowing Christ Philippians 3 shows why our standing before God rests entirely on faith in Christ's work, not our own efforts, credentials, or record of good living.
- April 3, 2022 Sunday, April 3rd, 2022 - 11am Traditional Service - Guest Speaker Florin Ion on Knowing Christ Florin shares from Philippians 3 on what it truly means to know Christ personally, not just know about Him, drawing on his Romanian upbringing and faith journey.
- April 3, 2022 Knowing Christ, Not Just About Him Florin shares his journey from Romania to Wyoming, weaving personal struggle and Philippians 3 into a message about truly knowing Christ, not just knowing about Him.
Mentioned along the way
- August 16, 2026 Forgetting What Lies Behind, Pressing Forward A sermon from Philippians on finding true worth in Christ, letting go of religious pride, and pressing forward together in unity, joy, and faith.
- February 19, 2017 Shooting for the Center Colossians 2:1-15 sermon on Christ as the perfect center of faith, and why our only hope of hitting that mark is trusting what He has already done.
- September 27, 2015 The Love of Christ Compels Us A Wyoming pastor walks through 2 Corinthians 5:11-17, explaining what compels Christians to share the gospel and what it means to see people through God's eyes.