Whether you call them homilies, sermons, or talks, there’s a lot you can learn from the spiritual leaders in our community. While in a perfect world, you’d have time to listen to everyone, that simply isn’t possible for most with limited time to spare. To help, we’ve surfaced and summarized the teachings from the audio sermons of some of the most influential priests and pastors from around town and in the Christian sphere.

You can skip to a specific section by clicking the links below.

Jump to:

• Fr. Mike Schmitz
• Buckhead Church
• Cathedral of Christ the King
• Passion City Church
• Trinity Anglican Church
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Fr. Mike Schmitz

In his homily, Father Mike Schmitz discusses the importance of finding courage in the face of discouragement. He uses Saint Joan of Arc as an inspiring example. Despite facing numerous obstacles, Joan persevered with unwavering courage. Father Schmitz emphasizes that true courage doesn’t mean being free of fear or discouragement, but rather choosing to move forward despite them.

The homily dives into key points to help us overcome discouragement. The first is humility. It involves acknowledging our weaknesses and failures while simultaneously holding onto the belief that God loves us. Hope is another crucial element. It’s the conviction that things can improve, even in the darkest of times. Hope fuels our motivation to keep pushing forward.

Father Schmitz introduces the concept of “the next right thing.” This refers to the small, actionable steps we can take in the present moment to move forward. It’s not about achieving perfection, but about taking one step at a time. The homily concludes with a message of encouragement. We are not alone in our struggles, for God is always by our side. Even when discouragement weighs us down, Father Schmitz urges us to take that next right step.

Listen to the full version here.

Buckhead Church

What Our World Needs Now

Joel Thomas began by asking what the world needs most right now. He argued that the world needs more mature Christians who are led by the Holy Spirit.  Maturity in Christlikeness results in the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, and peace.

He then focused on peace. He contrasted the biblical idea of peace with the absence of conflict. Biblical peace is the presence of Shalom, which is a Hebrew word that refers to wholeness and completeness.

Joel Thomas explained how to experience peace.  He said that we need to trade whatever is pulling us apart for the Shalom of Jesus. This Shalom brings wholeness, completeness, and well-being.

He concluded the sermon with a prayer for the audience. He asked that those who are burdened by worry or anxiety would entrust those burdens to Jesus and receive the peace of God.

Listen to the full version here.

Cathedral of Christ The King

The homily centers on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Fr. Juan Carlos explains that the word for good in ancient Greek translates to beautiful. Jesus’ beauty lies in his love and care for each of his sheep.  He emphasizes that true leadership is based on love and service, not power or control.

Fr. Juan Carlos calls on the congregation to reflect on how they shepherd others in their daily lives. Whether it is in their families, workplaces, or communities, they should strive to emulate Jesus’ love and compassion.  

Jesus is the Good Shepherd according to the homily because he cares for his sheep and lays down his life for them. Unlike a hired hand who would run away from danger, Jesus protects his sheep  This is because Jesus’ leadership is based on love, not on self-interest.

He contrasted the leadership style of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, with a hired hand. A hired hand does not care for the sheep and would run away when danger approaches. Jesus, on the other hand, cares for his sheep and protects them even if it means sacrificing himself.

Fr. Juan then challenged the congregation to reflect on their leadership roles in society. They should not lead out of a desire for power or control, but rather out of love and a desire to serve others.

Listen to the full version here.

Passion City Church

All Consuming Fire

Louie Giglio talks about real churches with real people facing challenges because they are following the new way, the Jesus way. The message is for the churches, not for individuals, underlining the centrality of the church in God’s plan.

The sermon goes over two out of the seven messages to the churches: Ephesus and Laodicea. The message to the church in Ephesus is that even though they have done many good things, they have lost their first love for Jesus. Jesus is calling them to repent and open the door for him to come back in.

The message to the church in Laodicea is that they are lukewarm and Jesus would rather they be hot or cold. Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, asking them to open the door so that he can come in and have dinner with them.

Listen to the full version here.

Trinity Anglican Church

The sermon starts with a call to worship, including a prayer and a reading from 1 John Chapter 3. The message from 1 John 3:18 is that we should show love through our actions and not just our words.  This is followed by singing hymns and a reading from Psalm 23. Psalm 23 is a well-known psalm about trusting in God as our shepherd.

The main message of the sermon is delivered by  Addie Norman, Groups and Hospitality Pastor at Trinity Church.  Her message is that we should find comfort and peace by trusting in God. She relays a story from her experience as a physician working with HIV patients. She says that even though she could give her patients medicine, she could not help them if they did not believe they were sick.  Similarly, we cannot receive God’s salvation if we do not believe we need saving.

The sermon ends with singing hymns and a closing prayer. The pastor encourages people to come forward for prayer if they are seeking the Holy Spirit.

Listen to the full version here.

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