Focus Scripture: Galatians 6:11-16

11Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting. 12Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised are doing it for just one reason. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.

14As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also long dead. 15It doesn’t make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. 16May God’s mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle. They are the new people of God.  Galatians 6:11-16

SALVATION COMES ONLY THROUGH THE ____________________ OF JESUS!

¹¹Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting. ¹²Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised are doing it for just one reason. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save.  Galatians 6:11-12

THOSE WHO TEACH A LEGALISTIC FAITH ONLY WANT ADDITIONAL ____________________!

¹³And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.  Galatians 6:13

AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS OUR ONLY REASON TO BOAST IS THE ____________________!

¹⁴As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also long dead.  Galatians 6:14

NEWNESS OF LIFE IS THE ____________________ THAT THE POWER OF THE CROSS IS AT WORK IN US!!

¹⁵It doesn’t make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. ¹⁶May God’s mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle. They are the new people of God.  Galatians 6:15-16

Answers:   Cross, Converts, Cross, Confirmation

Although telephone poles are being replaced by cell phone towers and antennas, they still play a crucial role in developed countries. They support lines of communication that enable people to "reach out and touch" others in just about any corner of the globe. And in many communities, telephone poles carry power lines that make it possible for people to use lights and appliances.

Think about these poles and the vast roadside forest they form. What is their shape? They look like crosses, don't they?  Do they remind you of the old rugged cross of Jesus? 

Think of the "lines" of communication and power the cross carries. Because of that cross, God listens to the prayers of any believer on the face of the earth. And because Jesus shed His blood on that cross for lost humanity, believers in Him have a deep desire to "reach out and touch" others with the message of the gospel.

For the apostle Paul, the cross was everything. He had one message when he wrote to the Corinthian believers: "Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Calvary was the heart of Paul's communication and the basis of his power.

The next time you see a telephone pole, think about the cross of Jesus and how much it means to you.