Sermons on Ian Ferguson:

The Power Of The Cross

Contributed by Ian Lyall on Mar 14, 2009

A consideration of the power of the Cross; those for whom is is God’s power, those for whom it is folly. Shows what God did for us when Christ died on th Cross

I want to turn this morning to look at the passage from 1 Corinthians chapter 1, which places before us the power of the Cross, and as we journey through Lent toward Holy Week it is surely fitting to do so. The Cross is central to our faith as Christians- but I ask, do we always know and appreciate ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Ten Commandments

Contributed by Ian Lyall on Mar 14, 2009

Many today take little account of the ten commandments. We do well to be reminded of them, and be aware of our failure and need of a Saviour

THE COMMANDMENTS Some years ago the ‘Times’ carried an article by Charles Bremner under the heading ‘Sense and Sensitivity’ In it Bremner observed: The Politically Correct culture….chimes with the way the country (the USA) is fleeing from risk and moral judgment into the realm of ‘victim logy’ ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:6-21

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus, High Priest Of The New Covenant

Contributed by Ian Lyall on Mar 14, 2009

Jesus came as High Priest of the New Covenant. What this means for the Christian believer’s security is here explained

Our reading from Hebrews chapter 10 this morning is headed ’Christ’s Sacrifice once for all’ What the mystery writer of Hebrews is really telling us is that Christ fulfilled, made complete all that was foreshadowed in the Old Testament Covenant. I want to spend a little while just appreciating what ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:1-24

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Obey God Or Man?

Contributed by Ian Lyall on Mar 14, 2009

The early apostles, arrested for a second time boldly declared that they should obey not man but God.

There was an item in the news recently, concerning the Bishop of Hereford. The Bishop had turned down a man for an appointment in his diocese because of his gay lifestyle, and found himself in court being charged under the new Sexual Orientation Regulations. Actually, as the Bishop explained to the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:27-32

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Captives Free

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Apr 29, 2019

Just as God was faithful to Israel by returning them to the land and restoring the nation when all hope had seemed lost; so today, Christ is faithful to transform ashes into a beautiful headdress, a spirit of mourning into the oil of gladness, and a faint spirit into a garment of praise.

A PEOPLE IN EXILE I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Now imagine with me that you are an Israelite during the Babylonian Exile around 2,500 years ago, standing on the bank of the Euphrates River. You look downstream as two priests and a small crowd gather to perform an “Opening of the ...read more

Denomination: Nazarene

The Wonder Of The Risen Lord

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Apr 29, 2019

Experience the wonder and awe the women must have felt on finding the empty tomb this Easter morning.

In everyday speech, we tend to use words like “wonderful” and “awesome” quite a bit. “That cake was wonderful.” “I got out of work early today and had an awesome afternoon.” “What a wonderful service.” Usually we just mean something was nice, or convenient, or was pleasing to the senses. But I ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:1-8

Denomination: Nazarene

Staying In The Fight: Spiritual Warfare In The 21st Century

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Mar 26, 2019

Do you believe there are forces around us, influencing our lives, which are battling for control of our world? This sermon makes the case that spiritual warfare is very real, and that at the end of the day we all serve one side or the other, whether we want to admit it or not.

INTRODUCTION Do you believe in spiritual warfare? Do you believe there are forces around us, influencing our lives, which are battling for control of our world? It sounds sort of conspiratorial doesn’t it? It sounds like something that drives the plot of a movie, or maybe a sensationalist blog ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18, Ezekiel 28:13-19, Isaiah 14:12-15

Denomination: Nazarene

Finding Our Worth In Christ

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Mar 26, 2019

In a culture obsessed with self-image, how do we find our self-worth and redefine ourselves in the image of Christ?

American Individualism I want you to take a moment, as we reflect on this verse, to think about the culture we find ourselves in today. At its heart, it is a very individualistic, self-centered and image obsessed culture. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love this country and the people in it. But we ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Denomination: Nazarene

The Call To Holiness

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Mar 26, 2019

The call to holiness is one which we all share. But none of us are called because we are good enough. In fact, by our own efforts none of us could ever be good enough. And yet each of us is called to a purpose greater than any of us could imagine.

A Strange Encounter Imagine for a moment a young woman waking early, just before dawn to begin her daily chores. Still groggy with sleep though the morning is cold and quiet, she feeds the animals, and gathers water for the day’s washing. As she fills her bucket at the well, she imagines the life ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Denomination: Nazarene

A Light In The Darkness

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Mar 29, 2019

The beautiful truth of Christ's mission is that God was not just content to contain darkness or to hold it at bay for a while. Instead, he pierced the heart of it and conquered it on our behalf.

INTRODUCTION The passage just read is probably one of my favorite Christmas passages from one of my favorite books of the Bible. In fact, it is one of the reasons Isaiah has sometimes been called the “fifth gospel”, because between this, 7:14, 11:1-9, and chapter 53, we have an almost complete ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7

Denomination: Nazarene

Dressing In Layers

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Mar 30, 2019

Being prepared to face the elements! This sermon gets the congregation involved by (comically) demonstrating the need to "dress in layers", clothing ourselves in true virtue, bearing one another up in love, and worshiping together as a community.

OPENING STORY My freshman year of college, I was blessed with the opportunity to take a quarter class in Denver learning about urban development and strategies for alleviating poverty. Now, I could claim that my motivations were noble, and they somewhat were. I mean, I really did want to help ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17

Denomination: Nazarene

Taking The Journey

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Apr 1, 2019

God’s call to take the journey to worship the newborn king isn’t just for those born to privilege, or those born in the church. It isn’t just for pastors, scholars, and religious leaders. No, God’s call to worship is for anyone who will listen.

OPENING STORY An old king sat uncomfortably on his throne, fingernails dug into well-worn grooves in the wood as he waited nervously for the mysterious travelers to approach. All Jerusalem was abuzz with the rumors that these men were searching for a new heir which had just been born, yet neither ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Nazarene

Fidelity To God's Call

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Apr 1, 2019

When we hear the word “prophet”, we often think of someone whose primary job is to tell the future. But prophets had a much more important job: they were called to bring the hard truth to God’s people, so that they would realize their need for reconciliation with God.

INTRODUCTION When we hear the word “prophet”, we often think of someone whose primary job is to tell the future. We might equate the term with “soothsayer”, “seer,” or even in a non-Christian context, “fortune teller”. We most often judge a prophet by whether or not their words come true. There is ...read more

Scripture: Amos 7:7-15, Amos 2:6-8

Denomination: Nazarene

The Spirit Of Hope

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Apr 3, 2019

If there are two things which are universal to the human condition, it’s that we all hold hope dear to our heart, and we all have to face disappointments and some time or another. Though many may not realize it, hope isn’t just a universal experience, it’s a universal need.

OPENING STORY On this Armed Forces Day weekend, I am reminded of one of the persistent dreams of my childhood. When I was a kid, there was nothing I hoped for more than to one day be a Soldier like my dad. In fact, both my parents had served, and some of my earliest memories were putting my dad’s ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:22-27

Denomination: Nazarene

Finding Rest Among The Crowds

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Apr 10, 2019

We often pride ourselves in our work ethic, but we are addicted to work! This sermon takes a look at our need to find rest in the midst of a chaotic world and a myriad of responsibilities; using Jesus' practice of finding rest as our example.

IMMEDIACY IN MARK When we read the Gospel of Mark, we read a story moving at breakneck speed. Mark is the shortest gospel, and in it we don’t find a genealogy, or narratives from his childhood, or even much of a prelude before Jesus is baptized. And once he is baptized, it seems like he is ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:30-34, Mark 6:53-56

Denomination: Nazarene