Sermon and Worship Resources

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2 Corinthians 6:3-13

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

It's time to update your resume! If you're a part of the workforce of the early twenty-first century, that's a common-sounding statement. Job security is almost nonexistent. Competitive wages might mean a couple dollars above minimum wage. Advancement could very well propose that for your good efforts you would be awarded more work for the same salary. Benefits rarely include 100 percent paid ins...

2. A Holy-wood Ending

1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

A couple from Minneapolis decided to go to Florida for a long weekend to thaw out during one particularly icy winter. Because both had jobs, they had difficulty coordinating their travel schedules. It was decided that the husband would fly to Florida on a Thursday, and his wife would follow him the next day. Upon arriving, as planned the husband checked into a hotel. He settled into his room and d...

3. Abraham Believed God

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

Abraham believed God. What more powerful statement of faith can there be than those three simple words? Abraham believed God. Let's make a very important distinction about this statement. It doesn't say that Abraham believed in God. It says, "Abraham believed God," and because of his belief in what God said, Abraham was credited with righteousness. It wasn't just that Abraham believed "in God" as ...

4. Access Denied

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

We live in a world of secret passages. We need keys, and perhaps more than one, to get behind locked doors. We need photo ID's to get past security guards. We need passwords to access computer files. We need PIN numbers to get money out of our own bank account or to charge groceries on our bankcards. Some buildings are so sophisticated that you have to use your handprint to get clearance to enter ...

5. Adam's Legacy

Romans 5:12-19

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye is the Jewish father of five girls living in a Russian village who finds himself going through a period that is continually challenging his traditions. First, his oldest daughter, Tzeitel does not want to accept the man picked for her by the village matchmaker. But Tevye has already struck up a deal with this man to marry his daughter. And so Tevye goes th...

6. After Good Friday

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

Obsolete. Superceded. Null and void. Those are words that could be used in a court of law to describe legal contracts or agreements that are no longer in effect. Stipulations become obsolete with the passing of time or when two partners break off their partnership, whether it's a business or a marriage. Procedures can be superceded by new practices when old stipulations become obsolete. Whole con...

7. Because

1 Peter 1:1—2:3

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

A middle-aged man was on a Caribbean cruise enjoying his first real vacation in years. On the first day out to sea he noticed an attractive woman about his age who smiled at him in a friendly way as he passed her on the deck. This pleased the man greatly. That night he managed to get seated at the same table with her for dinner. As the conversation developed, he commented that he had seen her on t...

8. King of the Mountain

1 Peter 3:13-22

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

In a large stone cathedral in Europe there was a grand, magnificent pipe organ. On a particular Saturday afternoon, the sexton was making one final check of the choir and organ loft high in the balcony at the back of the church. As he was making his inspection, he was startled to hear footsteps echoing up the stone stairway behind him. He thought the doors were all locked and that no one else was ...

9. Light Is as Light Does

Ephesians 5:8-14

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

If you saw the movie, Forrest Gump a few years back, you will remember how Forrest always had a quote from his mama to sum up just about any situation that a person might find himself or herself in. And if Forrest were to comment on this text from Ephesians, he might have this to say: "It's like my mama always used to say, 'Light is as light does.' " Light is as light does. And what light does is...

10. Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3-9

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

11. Sheep that Count

1 Peter 2:19-25

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

Once upon a time there was a lamb named Edgar. Edgar lived with his family and friends in a large flock that roamed the countryside under the leadership of a kind and protective shepherd. Edgar followed his mother, along with the others, from one grazing spot to another, and seemed perfectly content with his life. He would play games with the other lambs, chase butterflies in the meadows, and nuzz...

12. Taking You Up with Him

Colossians 3:1-4

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

"If I go down, I'm taking you down with me." We've all heard that line. It's been used in movies and on television shows. We've seen it written in books and even in real-life news articles. Maybe we've even had it said directly to us. Somebody is in big trouble, and they are not going to face the punishment without involving someone else in their suffering. Sometimes there's even a line that follo...

13. Temptation of the Palms

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

A couple of years ago a popular slang expression came out that said: “Give it up.” To show you that like someone who is being introduced or a piece of music that’s about to be played, the person making the introduction will indubitably instruct you to “Give it up for..." And you applaud. You scream and yell and jump up and down. You do whatever it takes to show that you really are excited to see t...

14. The Church that Jesus Built

1 Peter 2:2-10

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

In the Old Testament, kings believed that God gave them direction in their dreams. If they wanted to know what they were supposed to do in their administration, they would try to receive a direct word from God in their dreams. If they weren't getting any messages in their dreams while lying in their own beds, then they would sleep in the Temple, where they believed it would work better. And thus ...

15. The Eyes of Your Heart

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

John Edward believes that people don't just die, but that they "cross over." That's nothing earth shattering to Christians because we believe that, too. We believe Jesus taught it and promised it. We believe scripture tells us that is what happens to us when we die. Before Jesus left his disciples he told them he was going to his Father's house to prepare a room for them. He told the thief on the...

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