Welcome to this week's Intouch Podcast with Charles Stanley.

Today we begin a study of the fundamental messages God sent us through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The encouraging message from the cross starts with a simple truth.

God loves you just as you are.

Whenever you see a cross on a church steeple, what do you think?

Whenever you see a book with a cross on the cover, what do you think?

Whenever you walk up to someone and you see a cross around their neck, what do you think?

Most people's understanding of the message of the cross is a small fraction of what God intended for us to understand.

If you ask the average person, what does the cross mean to you, they would say,

the cross means to me that my sins have been forgiven.

Or what else? Well, you know what else do you need? Many of his sins have forgiven that's it.

But that's only a very small part of what transpired of the cross.

And so I want us to look at the first message of the cross and a very encouraging message.

And that's this. The message of the cross is that God loves you and me just the way we are.

And if you recall some things that Paul had to say about the cross, look if you will in Galatians chapter 6 for a moment.

He said, I want occasion in this 6th chapter and the 14th verse.

Knowing that he was the tribe of Benjamin, a tremendous heritage in his background, great position,

everything that a man could ever want, a leader among his people, Paul said that he discovered in light that there was only one thing that he'd ever discovered that he could brag about.

Only one thing he could glory in, only one thing that he could boast of, and this is what he said it is, verse 14.

But God forbid that I should glory in anything except the cross of Al-Lor Jesus Christ, he says, by whom this world has been crucified to me,

that is, the world has lost its pull and tug. And secondly, he says an eye unto the world.

If you will examine the preaching and the teaching of the Apostle Paul, it was all centered around the cross.

...