The Acceptable Year of the Lord

Luke 4:14-19Loading...

Beloved, I want to begin this morning with a sobering reality that speaks to the desperate hunger in the human heart to be accepted, to belong, to find our place in this world. Throughout history, young people have been willing to endure almost anything to gain acceptance into groups and organizations. But the tragic cost of this desperate desire reveals something profound about our fallen nature and our deepest need.

In 1873, [Person 2] died when he fell into a gorge while blindfolded during a hazing ritual at Cornell University. This young man, full of promise and potential, lost his life in a moment of misguided tradition.

Not long after, [Person 3] met his tragic end when he was blindfolded and told to run at full speed down a main...