Challenging Comfort Zones

Several things presented themselves to me as I began my journey of taking a deeper, closer look at the faith walk that I had been on for what seemed like my entire life.
I will form these thoughts as questions, because that is how they presented in my mind.
1) Did Jesus really come to start a new religion?
2) Did Paul start a new religion or teach something different from what Jesus had taught?
3) If neither of the two questions above could be answered as "No", then why did the religion I followed look and sound and feel so different from the "religion" I read about in the Bible?

Please note: I despise the term "religion" as used to describe a faith-based, personal experience with Who I believe to be a living Creator Who has made Himself known to His creation. The Webster's definition: "an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods" does not accurately define the relationship that I am describing as my own experience.

Another question:
4) If either question 1 or question 2 could be answered "Yes", then how did that fit with a belief system that claimed a God Who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever"?

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? -Numbers 23.19

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1.17

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13.8

I have recently started reading a book written by a (surprise, surprise) Southern Baptist preacher, The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel which (thus far) has been describing much of my frustration and dilemma with having been raised in the church. I have been surrounded by, and have myself been what I would consider to be a "cultural Christian" for most of my life.

Hear me: I am in no way wanting to disparage the countless MANY wonderful, kind, good people who have influenced my life over the years. I am just waking up to the reality that there is so much more to having a relationship with a living God. Much as there is so much more to a marriage that a wedding ceremony.

Let that sink in if you will. Imagine a marriage that got no further than the wedding ceremony. Both parties kiss, exchange rings, walk back down the aisle and out the church door, going their separate ways - and then go on living their lives having little interaction except perhaps a weekly conjugal visit... if they weren't too busy going skiing, playing golf, watching the bowl game. Sure, you dress up nice for the occasional date and tell everyone you are husband a wife, but where is the relationship?

Have I just described the average "Christian" relationship with the Father of heavenly lights? The same one who so desired a restored relationship with his prodigal child that He sent his only son to die for us?

I'm sorry if that description offends you or puts you on the defensive. But I know exactly how you feel, because those are the same challenges I have been wading through for the past 13 years as I have tried to come up for air as I found myself drowning in a sea of religion.