Dear Friends; If someone were to ask you, "Who is Jesus Christ?" surely you could tell them something about who He is and what He's done for you. But would you describe Him as your friend? It's easy to become satisfied with knowing Jesus as Savior, the One who removed the penalty of our sin. But we're also called---and blessed---to know Him as Lord, experience Him personally, and enjoy Him deeply. Paul said, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:8-10). To follow Christ with a passion like this means desiring to know Him above all else. Friend, you can know Jesus as your closest companion, the One who walks with you moment by moment with whom you fellowship and converse. You can know Him as an individual, someone you grow to understand more fully. And you can know Him through His personal love for you, poured out each day. How do we cultivate this kind of intimacy with Christ? First, understand what it means to know Him. When Paul talks about knowing Christ, he's talking about an ever-growing relationship of oneness. To know the Lord never leaves a person the way they were before. It is a continual experience that will leave you awed by who He is and constantly growing to be more like Him. Second, see His surpassing value. Paul meant, "Here's how I value this knowledge of Christ. Having anything else instead would be a total loss compared to knowing Him intimately." Nothing compares with the priceless privilege and overwhelming value of knowing Jesus Christ. Paul also wrote, "In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3).