Good News for the Desperate

This Sunday at Cornerstone, we continue our July series, “The Kingdom Is Everything,” by exploring one of the most dramatic moments in Jesus’ early ministry: His return to Nazareth.

In Luke 4:16-30, Jesus stands in the synagogue of His hometown and boldly announces that the kingdom of God has arrived. He reads from Isaiah and declares that He has come to bring good news to the poor, freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, and healing to the oppressed. The people are amazed at first, but within moments, their admiration turns into rage.

Why?

Because Jesus didn’t just preach grace, He extended it to those who were considered unworthy. He reminded them that God had often bypassed the “insiders” to show mercy to outsiders, such as a Gentile widow in Sidon and a leprous Syrian general. The message was clear: God’s kingdom is not for those who think they deserve it. It is for those who know they don’t.

On Sunday, we’ll see that the kingdom of God comforts the humble but confronts the proud. It reveals that spiritual pride is far more perilous than we realize. And it forces us to ask: Will we receive the kingdom like the desperate, or reject it like the entitled?

We want you to be our guest as we walk through this unforgettable encounter and discover how the same message that divided a synagogue in Nazareth still divides hearts today.

The kingdom is everything, but only for those who know they have nothing.

Come hungry. Come humble. Come ready to meet the King.

Those Serving
CALL TO WORSHIP/PRAYER
Matthew Ringle
SONG LEADER
Jim Grushon
LEAD LORD'S SUPPER
Wes Grushon
ASSIST LORD’S SUPPER
Nathan Armstrong
Richard Jacobs
Drew Triplett
SCRIPTURE READING
Mark Ringle
Luke 4:16-21
PREACHING
Matthew Allen
CLOSING PRAYER
Roger Robins
CLOSING COMMENTS
Mark Ringle
WELCOME CENTER
Randy Mullins // Kevin Shanesy
USHERS
Rich Walker // David Williams
COMMUNION PREP
Hannah Walker
CLOSING THE BUILDING
Paul Braden