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 a homily titled “Nunc Coepi: Time to Start” delivered on the 5th Sunday of Easter, Fr. Mike Schmitz talks about how we are all running out of time and the importance of starting now.
Fr. Mike uses the example of the founding fathers of the United States to illustrate his point. Many of the Founding Fathers were very young when they signed the Declaration of Independence. Alexander Hamilton was only 21 years old and Aaron Burr was only 20 years old. Fr. Mike compares Alexander Hamilton to Aaron Burr. Alexander Hamilton is known for his motto “I am not throwing away my shot” which reflects his drive and ambition. Aaron Burr, on the other hand, is known for his motto “Wait for it” which reflects his more cautious and patient approach.
Fr. Mike applies these contrasting approaches to our own lives. We can choose to be like Alexander Hamilton and start now, or we can choose to be like Aaron Burr and wait. Fr. Mike argues that we should not wait because we don’t know how much time we have left.
Listen to the full version here.
Buckhead Church
What Our World Needs Now
Matt Noblitt, a next gen pastor and College pastor at Buckhead Church, emphasizes the importance of patience in our lives. The Bible, according to Noblitt, offers numerous examples of patient individuals, including prophets and Job. He emphasizes the importance of cultivating four kinds of patience: patience with life’s circumstances, patience with others, patience during suffering, and patience with God’s timing. The speaker suggests cultivating patience through processing disappointments with prayer, prioritizing humility, and by remembering God’s patience with us. Noblitt concludes by inviting listeners to respond to the message in a way they feel most comfortable and led.
Listen to the full version here.
Cathedral of Christ The King
Monsignor Francis’ homily reflects on the image of the vine and the pruning. The speaker says that pruning is a very traumatic experience for the vine, but it is necessary for it to grow. Just as the vine needs to be pruned to produce the best grapes, we too need to be pruned by God in order to grow in our faith.
Monsignor Francis gives examples of how God prunes us. Sometimes he does it directly, as he did with Saint Paul, who was knocked off his horse and blinded on the road to Damascus. Other times, the Holy Spirit helps us to see that we need to do some personal pruning in our lives. This may involve admitting that we are powerless over something in our lives, such as alcohol or drugs.
He concludes the homily by saying that we must be willing to let God prune us. The pruning may be painful, but it is ultimately for our own good. It helps us to grow in our faith and become more fruitful.
Listen to the full version here.
Passion City Church
All Consuming Fire
This sermon by Louie Giglio is about the importance of the church living a holy life and the encouragement that Jesus is coming soon. Giglio discusses seven letters written by Jesus to seven churches in Revelation. The message emphasizes that even though the church is not perfect, Jesus is calling them to live a holy life.
The first church addressed is Smyrna (verse 8 chapter 2). Jesus acknowledges their poverty but assures them that they are truly rich. He encourages them to stay faithful even in the face of persecution.
The second church addressed is Pergamum (verse 12 chapter 2). Jesus commends them for remaining true to him but warns them about those who are spreading false teachings.
The third church addressed is Sardis (verse 1 chapter 3). Jesus criticizes this church for being spiritually dead and urges them to repent.
The fourth church addressed is Philadelphia (verse 7 chapter 3). This is the only church without any criticism from Jesus. He commends them for their faithfulness and promises to reward them.
Giglio concludes the sermon by emphasizing three points. First, there is a spiritual battle raging on earth and it is costing people their lives. Second, the church is far from perfect, but Jesus is still calling them to be holy. Third, the name of God is important and we should live our lives for the glory of God.
Listen to the full version here.
Trinity Anglican Church
Pastor Nate Smith’s sermon is about finding peace and trusting in God. The sermon starts with a reading from 1 John 3:18 which talks about how we should love one another. Later, the sermon talks about Psalm 23, also known as the Shepherd Psalm, which describes God as a shepherd who takes care of his sheep.
The central idea of the sermon is from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter and John are arrested for healing a lame man. During their trial, Peter says that there is salvation in no other name but Jesus Christ. He says that Jesus is the Cornerstone and that everything else we put our trust in will eventually fail us. The sermon ends with a call to the congregation to come forward for prayer.
Listen to the full version here.
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