I'm becoming more and more convinced that there are unchangeable, universal truths about God, but when it comes to a intimate relationship with God, everything is personalized -- what salvation means and looks like, how prayer sounds, what a certain Scripture means.  God has very definitely put spiritual leaders in our lives to teach us about God, Jesus, and the Bible.  But none of that really matters to us deep down except the things that make a difference in our lives, that bring us love, hope, acceptance, and redemption on a very personal level.  Otherwise, Christianity is a religion, and I want no part of it, because religion is what kept me from God, even when I practiced it.