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
• Want to add your church? Request that here

Fr. Mike Schmitz

Fr. Mike’s homily begins with a story from a TV show about a young man and his dad. The young man describes his dad as a superhero who could see through the darkness while driving at night. The man then reflects on Father’s Day and the role of dads. He says that good dads keep their families moving forward even when they can’t see what’s ahead.

Fr. Mike then connects this idea to the readings from the Second Corinthians. St. Paul talks about uncertainty and says that even though we can’t see what’s coming, we should be courageous. True courage is not the absence of fear, but moving forward despite fear.

Fr. Mike uses the example of the Army Rangers to illustrate courage. The Rangers have a motto “suas pante” which means “voluntarily”. They don’t fight because they are forced to, but because they choose to. In the same way, Christians are called to be courageous and walk by faith, even when it’s difficult.

The homily ends with a story about Fr. Mike’s grandma, who was a head nurse. When her workplace decided to perform abortions, she refused to participate and ended up leaving her job. Fr. Mike says that this is an example of courage – choosing to follow God’s will over the will of the world. The homily concludes by saying that we should all be courageous and walk by faith, trusting in God even when we can’t see what the future holds.

Listen to the full version here.

Buckhead Church

In the sermon, Andy Stanley talks about the expectations placed on men and fathers. Andy says that there is a script that is given to boys about how they should behave. This script is based on family, culture, and expectations. It can be about things like sports, grades, and getting a good education. The speaker says that this script can be confusing and that it is not always clear what it means to be a good man.

Andy Stanley contrasts this cultural script with the message of Jesus. Jesus, according to the speaker, is the perfect man. He was strong but also humble. He put the needs of others before his own. He calls Jesus the “Superman”.

Andy Stanley concludes the sermon by calling on men to follow the example of Jesus. He says that if men do this, they will be better fathers, husbands, and friends. He promises to give more specific guidance about how to do this in the next part of the series.

Listen to the full version here.

Cathedral of Christ The King

The Gospel reading is about a mustard seed. Fr. McNamee explains that the seed represents faith, hope, and the grace of God. These can produce something wonderful, even if we don’t imagine it. Terry Fox is used as an example. He lost his leg to cancer but was inspired to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. 

Fr. McNamee talks about the importance of perseverance. He says that God’s will can be achieved and that we should rely on God’s power. Miracles happen every day and we should not be discouraged by doubt or fear. 

The homily concludes with a reflection on the Eucharist. Fr. McNamee says that the seed of faith is always growing within us. It is like a farmer planting a seed. The seed grows even when the farmer is sleeping. We just need to provide the right atmosphere for it to grow. The Eucharist is a way to nourish ourselves and grow in faith.

Listen to the full version here.

Passion City Church

Grant Partrick starts the sermon with a story about his own father and how grateful he is for his father’s positive influence. Then he talks about a quote from pastor John Tyson that says “True masculinity is the joyful pursuit of sacrificial responsibility”. The speaker elaborates on the importance of fathers living out this kind of masculinity by sacrificing for their children.

Grant goes on to talk about Ephesians 6:4, a verse in the Bible that instructs fathers not to exasperate their children but to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. He warns that fathers should not discipline their children in a way that makes them angry or resentful.

Grant uses two examples from the Bible to illustrate his point. King Josiah was a king who did right in the eyes of the Lord even though his father was wicked. This shows that children can follow God even if their fathers don’t. King Joash, on the other hand, had a wicked father but was pointed to God by a priest. This shows the importance of spiritual fathers in the absence of biological fathers.

Grant concludes the sermon by reminding the listeners that they are loved and chosen by God. He says that even though our earthly fathers may not have been perfect, we can still be good fathers to our children because we are sons and daughters of God.

Listen to the full version here.

Trinity Anglican Church

Kris McDaniel talks about two parables that Jesus told about seeds. The first parable is about a farmer who scatters seeds on the ground and waits for them to grow. The second parable is about a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds, but which grows into a large plant.

Kris says that these parables teach us that God works in our lives in ways that we may not understand. He says that we need to be patient and trust that God is working in our lives even when we don’t see it.

Kris also talks about the importance of slowing down. He says that we live in a fast-paced world and that we often forget to take time for God. He encourages us to slow down and make time for prayer, meditation, and reflection.

Listen to the full version here.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on our site are written by our local community of contributors as a reflection of their personal experiences. All information is researched and provided in good faith, however, it does not necessarily represent the views of the organization they’re writing about nor that of the City on Purpose staff, and/or any/all contributors of this site. If there are issues with the accuracy of this piece, we want to fix them. Please contact City on Purpose to submit a request for an update. We strive to be an honest resource for all those in the city – thanks for helping us make that possible! You can also review our full Disclaimer, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policy.