Monday Motivation | I Want Jesus Just Not The Church

Why did Jesus build the church if you don't actually need it? In this Monday Motivation, DJ tackles the growing mindset of "I want Jesus, just not His people" — and why that thinking, while understandable, leads somewhere dangerous.

It started with a real conversation. Someone told DJ, "I'm religious, but I'm not spiritual. The church doesn't represent the Jesus I read about in the Bible." And honestly? DJ didn't push back in the moment. He gets why someone would feel that way. He's seen judgment where grace should have been. He's watched people say the right things and live a completely different life.

But here's the problem: the conclusion that person came to — that you can separate Jesus from His church — doesn't hold up when you ask one simple question. Why did Jesus build the church at all?

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, "I will build My church." That wasn't accidental. It was intentional. Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey — not because we're strong enough to go it alone, but precisely because we're not. We drift. We justify. We lose focus. And God knows that.

DJ walks through Hebrews 10:24-25, Ephesians 4:11-13, and 1 Corinthians 12:27 to show that the church isn't a hotel for saints — it's a hospital for sinners. It's where patience, forgiveness, and love are learned in the mess of real community. And if you step away because of imperfections, you're stepping away from one of the primary ways God designed to help you grow.

This video challenges a hard question: Do you want Jesus as He actually is — or a version of Him that asks less of you? Because those are two very different things.