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
Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the profound significance of the Resurrection as the ultimate restoration of all things. He begins by referencing the narrative arc of Holy Week: on Holy Thursday, everything was given; on Good Friday, everything was taken; and on Easter Sunday, everything is restored. To illustrate the historical credibility of this event, he shares the stories of investigative journalist Lee Strobel and world-record-holding defense attorney Sir Lionel Luckhoo. Both men set out to objectively examine the evidence of the Resurrection—Strobel with the intent to disprove it—and both concluded that the evidence was so overwhelming that it left no room for reasonable doubt.
Fr. Mike emphasizes that the Resurrection is not just a myth or an inspirational story, but a historical fact with absolute importance. He argues that if Jesus did not rise, Christianity is irrelevant; but if He did, it must define one’s entire life. However, he clarifies that Jesus did not rise simply to win an argument or prove a point. Rather, He rose to address the “logic of death” that touches every aspect of human existence—from broken relationships and shame to the decay of joyful moments and the finality of the grave. Because death has touched everything, humanity needs something stronger than advice or even simple forgiveness; it needs a power that can undo death from the inside.
The heart of the message is that through the Resurrection, Jesus introduces a new reality where death no longer has the final word. Fr. Mike explains that this isn’t just a future hope but a present reality for believers. By the power of the Holy Spirit—the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead—God begins the work of restoration in the lives of people today. This means that places in our lives that feel “dead,” such as permanent shame or irreparable relationships, can be recreated by grace. We are invited not just to believe in a true thing, but to live the truth of the Resurrection in our daily lives.
Finally, Fr. Mike touches on the persistence of wounds. He notes that even after the Resurrection, Jesus kept His wounds, showing them to His disciples. This reveals a powerful truth for the faithful: the Resurrection does not mean that the pain never happened, but that what wounded you no longer defines you. Our wounds, which were once reminders of the power of death, become testimonies to the power of restoration. By handing everything over to Jesus—the given and the taken—we allow Him to begin the process of making all things new.
Listen to the full version here.
Buckhead Church
In his Easter 2026 sermon, Andy Stanley addresses the practical significance of the Resurrection, asking whether the event actually matters in the “real world” for our futures and our families. He points out that the original eyewitnesses were “show me the receipts” skeptics who fully expected Jesus to stay dead, illustrating their honesty by recording their own confusion and disbelief. Stanley emphasizes that the men initially hid in fear while the women took action, but even then, no one anticipated a resurrection until they were confronted with the physical reality of the empty tomb and the living Christ.
A central part of the message focuses on Thomas, whom Stanley rebrands as “Rational Thomas” rather than “Doubting Thomas.” He argues that Thomas was simply a reasonable person who refused to succumb to wishful thinking or superstition, famously declaring he would not believe unless he could physically touch Jesus’ wounds. This skepticism serves as a point of intersection for modern listeners who may be unconvinced or driven away from faith by negative experiences. Stanley suggests that if Jesus did indeed pull off the impossible by predicting and achieving His own resurrection, it validates His outlandish claims to speak and act on behalf of God.
The sermon further explores how the Resurrection functions as a “pivot point” for understanding God’s character, particularly through the Apostle John’s declaration that “God is love.” Stanley explains that John didn’t believe this because the world was a loving place, but because he had “stared into the eyes of love” in the person of Jesus. For Thomas, this realization was so profound that it led him to move from unbelief to a life of radical devotion, eventually traveling to India to plant churches and ultimately facing martyrdom for his conviction that Jesus was “my Lord and my God.”
Stanley concludes by addressing the congregation directly, reminding them that Jesus “saw us coming” when He spoke of those who would believe without seeing. He encourages listeners to consider that the Resurrection is not just a Bible story but a historical event that changed how the world views human value, compassion, and hope. By anchoring faith in the testimony of those who risked their lives to share what they witnessed, Stanley invites his audience to move from being “unbelieving to believing,” emphasizing that if the Resurrection is true, its implications are universally good and life-changing.
Listen to the full version here.
Cathedral of Christ The King
In his Easter Sunday homily at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Monsignor Frank McNamee presents the Resurrection as a transformative journey that begins in the “shadow of Good Friday.” He observes that the first Easter did not start with immediate clarity or light, but in the dim threshold of dawn, while the world was still heavy with grief and confusion. This setting serves as a metaphor for the spiritual life, which is often lived in the “space between what has been lost and what has not yet been revealed.”
A primary theme of the homily is the courage to seek God in moments of darkness and silence. Using Mary Magdalene as an example, Monsignor McNamee notes that she approached the tomb out of love and fidelity rather than a certain expectation of the Resurrection. He suggests that a mature faith is one that perseveres even when God seems absent or prayers feel unanswered. By remaining present at the “sealed tombs” of our own lives—whether they be tombs of grief, sin, or broken relationships—we position ourselves to witness the unexpected ways God is still moving.
The homily also explores the Resurrection as a “divine intervention” that decisively overturns human finality. Monsignor McNamee emphasizes that the rolling back of the stone was not just a dramatic event, but a theological statement that what humanity declares permanent, God declares temporary. This “logic of divine possibility” challenges the human tendency to believe that once a situation is beyond our control or understanding, nothing more can be done. Instead, the empty tomb reminds us that no situation is beyond redemption and no darkness is too deep for God to enter.
Ultimately, Monsignor McNamee calls the congregation to transition from being “people of the tomb” to “people of the Resurrection.” He encourages everyone to take the words “do not be afraid” to heart, as fear belongs only to a world that believes death has the final word. By living with the conviction that Christ is risen, believers are invited to let this reality change their lives today. The homily concludes with the reminder that the Resurrection is not just a past event but an ongoing process of God rolling away the stones in our hearts and lives.
Listen to the full version here.
Passion City Church
Louie Giglio describes Easter as the most significant day in history, centering on the person of Jesus Christ as “God in human skin” who came to give His life for the world. To illustrate the magnitude of this event, Giglio references the recent Artemis 2 mission and a photograph of Earth titled “Hello World” taken from the Orion capsule. He draws a parallel between this vast perspective of the world and the depth of God’s love, suggesting that just as the capsule traveled far to capture the beauty of the planet, Christ came from heaven to earth to demonstrate a love that spans the cosmos.
Giglio provides a detailed look at the biblical account of the Resurrection, focusing on the specific “clues” left in the empty tomb for the “investigating mind.” He highlights the detail of the linen cloths lying on the ground and the facecloth folded neatly by itself, arguing that no grave robber would have taken the time to fold burial clothes. He posits that the angel did not move the stone to let Jesus out, but rather to let humanity in to see the evidence of God’s work. For Giglio, these physical details serve as a sign that the King was present and is now alive, offering a rational basis for faith to those who seek evidence.
The sermon moves into personal testimonies that represent the “light bulbs” on Passion City Church’s “Jesus is Life” wall, where each bulb symbolizes a person who has moved from spiritual death to life. He shares the story of Alli, a woman who found Jesus after searching through self-help and therapy, and Tammy, who overcame eight years of addiction after finding a supportive community and the love of God. These stories are presented as modern-day parallels to the biblical account, demonstrating that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is still actively transforming lives today.
Giglio concludes with a poignant story about a 29-year-old woman named Brooke who died in a tragic accident, and how her husband, Tom, subsequently found faith in Christ. He reveals that Brooke’s parents had been praying for Tom’s salvation for years, using a light bulb as a reminder to pray for him every day. This narrative serves as a final invitation to the congregation, suggesting that if they do not yet have a relationship with Jesus, someone is likely praying for them at that very moment. He encourages listeners to make Easter 2026 the day they put their full trust in the finished work of Jesus.
Listen to the full version here.
Trinity Anglican Church
In his April 2026 Easter sermon at Trinity Anglican Church, Kris McDaniel explores the emotional landscape of the Resurrection through the lens of Mary Magdalene. He emphasizes that on that first Easter morning, Mary and the other disciples did not arrive at the tomb expecting a miracle; rather, they were defined by “grief, loss, and confusion.” McDaniel notes that while the male disciples quickly “went home” after finding the tomb empty—effectively retreating into their discouragement—Mary chose to remain in the “confusing in-between.” By staying in her place of pain and weeping, she was eventually able to “look again,” an act of courage that allowed her to witness the reality of the Risen Christ.
A significant portion of the message focuses on how Jesus identifies and calls Mary by name, which McDaniel describes as a moment of profound personal recognition. He highlights that Mary, a woman previously rescued by Jesus from a life of isolation and social stigma, was chosen to be the “apostle to the apostles,” delivering the first sermon of the Resurrection to men who had already given up. This encounter illustrates that God cares deeply about “raw emotion” and the “data of life,” using moments of suffering to excavate depth and substance in those who choose to abide rather than run away. McDaniel suggests that this transformation from fear to “sturdiness” is what allowed the early church to flourish despite intense Roman persecution.
McDaniel also tackles the “sturdy business” of the Resurrection, insisting that it was a bodily, historical event rather than a vague spiritual metaphor. He explains that Jesus’ resurrected body displayed both “continuity and discontinuity”—showing the physical scars of His murder while also being at home in both this world and the world to come. This physical reality serves as a promise for the future of all believers, suggesting that the ultimate destiny is not a never-ending church service, but a “reborn world” filled with feasting, meaningful work, and communal joy. He points to the historical rise of Christianity as evidence of this sturdiness, noting that the followers of Jesus became people who moved toward “trouble and darkness” because they no longer feared death.
The sermon concludes with an invitation for the congregation to become “resurrection people” who embody the goodness of God’s kingdom in their daily lives. McDaniel reflects on the Christian tradition’s historical contributions to society—such as care for the poor, advocacy for the incarcerated, and the founding of hospitals during plagues—as natural outflows of believing that “death is not the end of the story.” He encourages listeners to spend the fifty days of the Easter season contemplating these truths and practicing “life-affirming” habits. By anchoring themselves in the love of God, he argues, individuals can find the strength to remain brave and transformative even as the modern world “spins in chaos and brokenness.”
Listen to the full version here.
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