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

Father Mike Schmitz emphasizes that the Church is not merely an optional institution but is, in fact, essential to Jesus’s mission on Earth. He introduces this concept by referencing Rabbi Jacob Neusner’s question regarding why he, a 21st-century rabbi, would not have believed Jesus to be the Messiah in the first century. Neusner concluded that Jesus did not restore the kingdom to Earth as prophesied, leading him to doubt Jesus’s messianic claims.

Father Mike counters this by citing Pope Benedict XVI, who argued that Jesus did establish a kingdom—the Catholic Church. This kingdom, as prophesied in scripture, has spread globally, embracing all peoples. Father Mike further supports this by tracing Old Testament prophecies about God’s kingdom and their fulfillment in Jesus. He highlights how Jesus, by beginning his public ministry in Capernaum (the land of Zebulun and Naphtali) and calling 12 disciples, symbolically reconstituted the 12 tribes of Israel, demonstrating the establishment of his kingdom.

A crucial point in the homily is the interpretation of Matthew Chapter 16, where Jesus questions his disciples about his identity. Upon Peter’s declaration, “You are the Christ,” Jesus renames Simon to Peter, meaning “rock.” This renaming, set against the backdrop of a massive rock formation in Caesarea Philippi, visually underscores Jesus’s statement: “Upon this rock I will build my church.” Furthermore, Jesus grants Peter the “keys to the kingdom of heaven,” signifying Peter’s unique role as the “al-habayit” or prime minister, holding the king’s authority in his absence, a direct reference to Isaiah 22. This role of being a “father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” is why the Pope is referred to as “Holy Father.”

Finally, Father Mike references Luke Chapter 22, where at the Last Supper, Jesus specifically prays for Peter, despite Satan demanding to sift all the disciples. Jesus tells Peter that his faith will not fail and that once he has turned back, he must “strengthen your brothers.” This reinforces Peter’s singular role in serving and strengthening the faithful. Father Mike concludes by reiterating that the Church, established by Jesus Christ, stands as the “pillar and foundation of truth.”

Listen to the full version here.

Buckhead Church

​​​Andy Stanley delves into the profound meaning of the phrase “God is love,” distinguishing it from “God loves everybody.” Stanley explains that while “God loves everybody” signifies a choice God makes, “God is love” speaks to God’s very essence, emphasizing that His love is not a reaction but an inherent quality. He underscores that God is not merely a being, but the necessary source and sustainer of all existence, unlike everything else which is contingent. This concept is supported by biblical declarations such as “In the beginning God,” God’s self-identification as “I Am” to Moses, and Paul’s sermon in Athens.

Stanley further elaborates that John, having experienced Jesus, concluded that Jesus was God in human form, making Jesus the ultimate personification of love. Therefore, the declaration “God is love” is deeply rooted in the experience of Jesus. The sermon stresses the unconditional nature of God’s love, asserting that it is not dependent on human behavior or performance, but flows from His very being. The cross is presented as the supreme testament to this love, serving to bridge the gap between contingent humanity and the necessary God.

The sermon extends an invitation to believers to allow God’s complete and unconditional love to manifest in and through them by following Jesus and submitting to His authority. This active surrender, Stanley suggests, contributes to the betterment of the world as the Kingdom of God is revealed and experienced.

The sermon concludes with a poignant reflection on the song “God is Love,” reinforcing the idea that God’s love transcends human comprehension in its height, width, and depth, and that His arms are perpetually open to all.

Listen to the full version here.

Cathedral of Christ The King

Archbishop Hartmayer details Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, transforming him from a persecutor of Christ into the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul’s ministry involved extensive evangelization through visits and letters to early Christian communities, serving to teach, reprimand, and encourage them, particularly when their faith wavered. His letters were crucial in keeping the Gospel alive in their hearts and minds.

Peter’s faith journey, though marked by weaknesses and doubts, is presented as remarkable. He courageously confessed Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” and, despite denying Christ three times, did not despair, unlike Judas. Peter’s ministry is characterized by “standing firm” and “hoping resolutely,” preaching the authenticity of the Gospel with unity and authority, as Jesus declared him the “rock” upon which the Church would be built.

The Archbishop concludes by emphasizing that the question “Who do you say that I am?” resonates within each heart, shaping our lives, identity, and hope as disciples of Jesus Christ. He stresses God’s boundless mercy and transformative power, noting that God calls us not for our perfection but because of His love and the grace He can bestow through sacraments and charity. Peter and Paul’s lives serve as powerful examples that no one is beyond God’s mercy, and no past mistake is greater than His forgiveness, promising that if we confess Jesus as Christ, He will transform our weaknesses into glory and our brokenness into channels of grace.

Listen to the full version here.

Passion City Church

Grant Partrick challenges listeners to embrace a life of astonishing courage, drawing inspiration from Peter and John’s bold actions in Acts chapter 4. He recounts their arrest after healing a lame man and proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection. Despite being “unschooled, ordinary men,” they fearlessly declared that the healing was by Jesus Christ and asserted their inability to stop speaking about what they had witnessed. The religious leaders, unable to deny the miracle, resorted to threats, highlighting the apostles’ unwavering conviction.

Partrick then delves into the nature of courage, emphasizing that it is only necessary in the presence of fear, which he identifies as the enemy’s primary tool to hinder God’s people from living significant lives. He reframes fear not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to trust God and experience His power, referencing 2 Timothy 1:7, which states that God has given us a spirit “not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

A central theme of the sermon is the “quicksand of comfort,” which Partrick argues is the greatest threat to a courageous life. He explains that comfort can subtly trap individuals, slowly eroding their courage. He challenges the audience to examine whether they have settled for a comfortable existence that doesn’t demand courage, urging them instead to step into a “courageous, gospel-filled, spirit-led life.” He stresses that courage is meant to be both “seen” in our actions and “heard” in our words, prompting others to question our lives and allowing us to confidently proclaim Jesus Christ as the answer. He also refutes the common saying, “Preach the gospel at all times; use words when necessary,” asserting that the Gospel is inherently verbal and must be proclaimed.

Finally, Partrick clarifies that courage is not an inherent personality trait but a “careful and calculated decision” derived not from introspection but from looking upward to God. He illustrates this by referencing David’s courage against Goliath and biblical verses like Isaiah 41:10 and Joshua 1:9, which underscore God’s presence as the foundation for courage. He encourages a lifestyle where we feel “over our head,” as this dependence on God is the true source of strength. Partrick concludes with a call to action, prompting listeners to consider what they are risking for the kingdom and where comfort might be holding them back, encouraging them to obey the Holy Spirit’s leading to live a life that glorifies God.

Listen to the full version here.

Trinity Anglican Church

In his sermon, Nate Smith preaches on Galatians 5:1 and 5:13-25, exploring the profound meaning of freedom in Christ. He begins by drawing parallels between America’s Independence Day and Juneteenth, highlighting that a declaration of freedom doesn’t always equate to immediate actualization or universal enjoyment of liberty. Similarly, he explains that Christ has set us free not from political bondage, but from the spiritual slavery of guilt, condemnation, evil forces, and the burdensome, impossible-to-bear requirements of the Old Testament law. Paul, he notes, specifically referred to this law as a “yoke of slavery,” contrasting it with Jesus’s invitation to take on His “easy yoke” and “light burden.”

Smith then addresses the persistent threat of rules-based religion, even within the context of grace. He observes how people often feel judged by perceived norms within Christian communities, leading to feelings of inadequacy when their internal struggles don’t match external appearances. He reassures the congregation that Jesus has liberated us from these external pressures and the constant comparison, emphasizing that our freedom in Christ is not a license for self-indulgence. Instead, this freedom is given for a specific purpose: to love and serve one another, fulfilling the entire law through love, as stated in Galatians 5:13-14.

The sermon delves into the conflict between the “flesh” and the “Spirit.” Smith clarifies that “flesh” refers not to the physical body, which is good, but to fallen human nature—our depraved will and susceptibility to sin apart from God’s intervention. He uses the analogy of a “chocolate-covered scorpion” to illustrate how evil often disguises itself as something desirable. In contrast, “Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit working within us. He draws a crucial distinction between “works of the flesh,” which are things we do (like anger or envy), and the “fruit of the Spirit,” which results from who we are in Christ and requires cultivation through tending to our “inner garden.” The fruit, unlike works, benefits others and is a singular expression with nine descriptors, all flowing from love.

Finally, Smith emphasizes that true freedom comes when our desires align with what is truly good, leading to “perfect fulfillment.” He likens walking by the Spirit to maintaining a healthy lawn, which naturally has fewer weeds, but acknowledges the “both/and” reality that we still need to actively “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.” He concludes by offering three practical ways to “walk by the Spirit”: through prayer in its broadest sense (communion with God, including confession, meditation, and corporate prayer), through corporate worship (songs as prayers), and through communion at the Lord’s table. These practices foster a sense of forward progress, purpose, and togetherness with the Holy Spirit.

Listen to the full version here.

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