The Welsh preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, "Superficial views of the work of Christ produce superficial human lives." That's a powerful statement that's painfully true. People who don't understand what Christ has done for them won't have lives that are stable or substantive.

Yet the reverse is equally true. Those who are grounded in their understanding of Christ's work are bound to lead sure, satisfying lives. And the place where we fully see and understand what Jesus has done for us is at the Cross of Calvary.

At the foot of the cross we're able to see the culmination and completion of Christ's ministry. We could spend the rest of our lives unpacking everything that happened there. But for our purposes, we'll set aside this next month to pore over and ponder the power of the cross.

We'll witness how the cross fulfills God's prophetic plan, how it redeemed God's creation, how it gives us a sense of mission in life, how it destroyed the power of sin and Satan, how it reconciled us to God and our fellow-man, how it became our benchmark for forgiveness, how it demonstrated God's love, and a whole host of other things that are all a part of Christ's work.

The cross is the hinge and the heart of our faith; it's the "critical core" of our Christianity. Imagine a wheel without a hub and you'll understand where we'd be without the cross. You'll notice that this month's cover reflects this idea by zeroing in on that one thing that holds everything together.

How well we understand the cross will have a direct impact on how well we live. I pray this series of devotional studies not only deepens your understanding but transforms your life to God's glory as He continues His good work in you.

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...
(Galatians 6:14 NKJV)

Until the whole world hears,