There is a difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. It is the difference between reading a biography and sitting across the table from a friend. And according to Jesus, that difference is everything.

In this week's message from Mark 12:28–44, Pastor Rob Hamby opens in the tension of Jerusalem — where the religious experts of Jesus' day could recite the greatest commandment word for word and still be told, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Not far. But not in.

It is a quiet, unsettling phrase — and Rob doesn't let it pass too quickly. Because the scribes didn't miss the kingdom for lack of information. They missed it because somewhere along the way, they stopped seeking. They stopped asking. They assumed they had arrived, and in that assumption, they stopped growing close to the King himself.

This is a sermon that asks us to close the gap — not between our beliefs and our behavior, but between our knowledge of Jesus and our nearness to him. The community around us is not starving for more information. They are starving to be seen, heard, loved, and pursued. And if we know the King — if we truly know and love him — that is exactly what we will do.

Takeaways to carry into your week:

• Read Mark 12:28–44 and sit with the phrase "You are not far." Where does it land for you?
• Reflect honestly: Do I possess what I profess?
• Share this episode with someone who is quietly searching — someone who has all the right answers but isn't sure they've found the right King.