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 this homily titled “Autobiography: The Middle,” Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the reality that while every life is a story with a beginning and an end, we often struggle with “the middle.” He uses the life of Michael Reagan—the adopted son of Ronald Reagan who faced childhood abuse and undiagnosed learning disabilities—as an example of how the middle of a story can be defined by pain, shame, and a sense of being unwanted. Fr. Mike notes that in the middle of our own struggles, we often feel like the Israelites in the desert: we are thirsty and cannot see the end of the story, leading us to question if God is actually present in our midst.
Fr. Mike highlights how we often look at the difficult parts of our lives—whether they are rooted in grief, regret, or personal wounds—and think, “I hate that this is part of my story.” He draws parallels to the woman at the well, who lived a life of isolation and shame after five failed marriages, and the Prodigal Son, who sat among swine after squandering his inheritance. For many, the middle of the story feels like a shipwreck or a mess, leading to self-condemnation and a desperate wish that our lives looked different than the reality we are currently facing.
To move forward, Fr. Mike introduces the essential virtue of acceptance, citing Fr. Romano Guardini’s teaching that holiness is impossible without it. Acceptance does not mean liking the situation, but rather acknowledging the reality of our grief, our bad decisions, and our wounds. He illustrates this with the story of the book Hatchet, where the protagonist realizes that crying about his situation does not change the fact that he is still cold, wet, and hungry. It is only when we accept that “this is my story” that we can take the next necessary step toward healing.
The final theme of the homily is redemption, where Fr. Mike emphasizes that God does not waste our wounds. When we give our messy, painful middle to Jesus, He uses it for His glory, just as He used the woman at the well to bring her entire village to Him. Referencing St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” Fr. Mike explains that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. The homily concludes with the encouraging message that God is indeed in the middle of our stories, and if we offer Him every part—even the parts we hate—He can use them for help, healing, and a beautiful ending.
Listen to the full version here.
Buckhead Church
Joel Thomas explores the inherent tension between our desire for autonomy and the invitations of Jesus. He begins by examining the human tendency to want to be the “boss” of our own lives, a drive that starts in childhood and persists into adulthood as we seek to control our schedules, finances, and relationships. Thomas suggests that while we often view submission to God as a loss of freedom, living as our own ultimate authority frequently leads to exhaustion, anxiety, and a “shattered” sense of peace when life doesn’t go according to our plans.
The core of the message focuses on Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11 to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened.” Thomas explains that the “yoke” Jesus offers is not a heavier set of rules, but a different way of carrying the weight of life. He contrasts the heavy yoke of self-reliance—the constant pressure to perform, succeed, and sustain our own happiness—with the “easy” yoke of following Christ. By submitting to Jesus’ leadership, Thomas argues, we aren’t losing our identity, but rather placing our lives in the hands of a leader who is “gentle and humble in heart,” providing a soul-level rest that the world cannot offer.
Thomas further discusses the practical implications of choosing this “better way” in everyday decision-making. He acknowledges that following Jesus often feels counterintuitive, especially when it involves forgiveness, financial generosity, or putting others first. However, he maintains that these “limitations” actually lead to a more expansive and resilient life. He encourages the congregation to identify the areas where they are currently struggling to maintain control and to consider if their “boss-ship” is actually working for them or if it has left them feeling burdened and depleted.
In conclusion, the sermon serves as an invitation to trade the exhaustion of self-rule for the rhythm of grace. Thomas emphasizes that the Christian life is not about trying harder to be better, but about abiding in a relationship with a Savior who has already done the heavy lifting. He challenges listeners to take a step of trust by surrendering one specific area of their lives to God’s direction. By doing so, they can move from a life of constant striving to one of peace, discovering that the “better way” of Jesus is not a burden to be carried, but a life-giving path that sustains them through every season.
Listen to the full version here.
Cathedral of Christ The King
Deacon Sam Fraundorf’s homily for the Third Sunday of Lent centers on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. He begins by framing this scene as a “wedding scene,” noting that to a first-century Jew, the meeting of a single man and woman at a well immediately signaled a marriage proposal, much like the biblical unions of Moses, Jacob, and Isaac. He suggests that Jesus is presented here as the bridegroom who has come to seek out and “marry” His people, specifically reaching across social and religious boundaries to claim those who have been ostracized.
The Deacon explains that the Samaritan woman represents all humanity—both Jew and Gentile—and that her life of sin and social isolation makes her an unlikely candidate for such a divine encounter. By drawing water at noon, the hottest part of the day, she was likely avoiding the judgment of other women in her village due to her history of five husbands and her current illicit relationship. Despite her disgrace, Jesus initiates a conversation, demonstrating that God knows our sins intimately yet chooses to call us by our names rather than our transgressions.
A significant portion of the homily focuses on the concept of “living water.” Deacon Fraundorf notes that in Jewish tradition, living water was the water a woman would bathe in for her nuptial bath before her wedding. In this context, Jesus offers the woman living water not just as physical sustenance, but as a spiritual cleansing that claims her as His own. The Deacon emphasizes that this invitation is extended to every individual; Jesus seeks to “marry” each person by washing them clean of their sins and restoring their worthiness through His love.
In conclusion, the homily serves as a call to mission and a reminder of the transformative power of God’s love. Just as the Samaritan woman went back to her village to preach about the man who “told me everything I ever did,” believers are encouraged to respond to Christ’s grace by sharing their faith with others. The Deacon warns against “settling for too little” by holding onto sin or feelings of unworthiness, urging the congregation to use the season of Lent to be washed clean in the living waters and present themselves pure before the bridegroom.
Listen to the full version here.
Passion City Church
In his sermon “The Collateral of Sin + The Covering of God,” Grant Partrick explores the cautionary tale of Achan from Joshua 7 to illustrate the devastating consequences of hidden sin. He begins by noting that believers are often most vulnerable immediately following great victories, as seen when Israel faced a surprising defeat at Ai shortly after the miraculous fall of Jericho. Partrick explains that this defeat was rooted in Achan’s secret greed; by taking “devoted things” forbidden by God, Achan lowered his spiritual shield and allowed pride and independence to replace the community’s dependence on the Lord.
Partrick emphasizes that while sin may be committed in private, its effects are never purely personal. He uses the term “collateral of sin” to describe how Achan’s individual choice led to the death of 36 soldiers and brought fear and judgment upon the entire nation of Israel. This serves as a reminder that the “sin in your tent” inevitably taints the “entire camp,” impacting families, marriages, and church communities. He urges the congregation to stop managing their sins and instead work to extinguish them, warning that “pet sins” can lead to spiritual annihilation if left unchecked.
The sermon also addresses the futility of trying to hide from an omniscient God. Partrick describes the methodical process God used to uncover Achan’s guilt—moving from tribe to clan to family—to demonstrate that what we attempt to cover will eventually be laid bare. Using a personal anecdote about a lost pet and a replaced parrot, he highlights the often-absurd lengths humans go to in order to conceal their tracks. He presents a sobering reality: unconfessed sin causes a “shatter” in our lives that we are incapable of repairing ourselves, regardless of whether the sin seems small like a BB or large like a bowling ball.
Finally, Partrick pivots to the hope found in the Gospel, asserting that while God will uncover what we choose to hide, He will mercifully cover what we choose to uncover through confession. He illustrates this with the concept of substitutionary atonement, explaining that Jesus lived the perfect life we could not and died the death we deserved to offer us a completely new life rather than a simple repair. The sermon concludes by referencing the Valley of Achor, which was transformed from a place of “trouble” into a “door of hope” through Christ, inviting listeners to bring their hidden burdens into the light to receive God’s purifying grace.
Listen to the full version here.
Trinity Anglican Church
In his sermon based on Psalm 95, Kris McDaniel explores the vital importance of being present and moving toward God with one’s entire self. Drawing from his personal recovery after a significant injury, he reflects on the difficulty of staying in the “now” rather than living in the past or the future. He suggests that God primarily meets people in the present reality, and that ancient practices like singing, shouting, and physical gathering are essential tools to help individuals get “unstuck” by involving their whole bodies—not just their minds—in their spiritual lives.
McDaniel emphasizes that God “holds it all,” including the depths, the mountains, the wet places, and the dry. Using the imagery of a super bloom in Death Valley, he illustrates how life can emerge from places that appear completely devoid of it. He highlights that while darkness may feel overwhelming to humans, it is not dark to God, who possesses the ability to see and guide through seasons of brokenness, relationship challenges, or global volatility. This perspective encourages believers to trust in a larger story where God remains present even when his nearness isn’t felt.
A significant portion of the message focuses on the practice of surrender and coming under the care of God as a shepherd. McDaniel challenges the modern myth of autonomy and the lie of control, arguing that humans must practice “dying” to their own agendas in small ways to be prepared for the ultimate surrender of death. He suggests practical ways to exercise this, such as not needing to have the last word, being okay with not being understood, and learning to receive help from others without the need for immediate reciprocation.
The sermon concludes with a call to immediate response, noting that the past does not have to dictate the future. McDaniel invites the congregation to identify where they need something new to take root and to participate in God’s ongoing process of restoration. He acknowledges that while growth often feels slow and operates in stages—likening it to the gradual steps of physical rehabilitation—there is always a way forward for those who are willing to listen and take even a small step of trust today.
Listen to the full version here.
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