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 his homily titled The Next Goodbye, Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the seasons of transition, specifically addressing students preparing to leave campus. He begins by noting that while first greetings are often memorable, we frequently overlook the significance of our final goodbyes. Drawing on a perspective from a divorce attorney, he suggests treating every goodbye with the weight of it being the last one, which helps reframe our interactions with loved ones and shifts our focus toward the importance of the present moment.

The core of the message centers on the necessity of an eternal perspective, which Fr. Mike defines as seeing through the temporary stressors of life. He argues that without this perspective, we are prone to let our hearts be troubled by tasks that feel overwhelming or, conversely, by a sense of apathy where nothing seems to matter. By adopting an eternal lens, we can distinguish between what is truly significant—like joy, prayer, and honest work—and what is passing, such as insults, failures, and the opinions of others.

Fr. Mike illustrates this through the moving story of Eli, a 15-year-old boy who faced terminal cancer with remarkable faith and joy. Despite his illness, Eli remained focused on his ultimate destiny, even suggesting his story be shared if it could offer others hope. Following Eli’s passing on St. Patrick’s Day, his mother’s faith provided a powerful testament to eternal perspective; she viewed her role as a parent as leading her child to heaven, realizing that despite the grief of loss, Eli had ultimately won by reaching his true home.

Ultimately, the homily serves as a call to live with the question, “What is this in light of eternity?” Fr. Mike emphasizes that for Christians, life is changed, not ended, by death. He concludes by reminding the faithful that an eternal perspective does not diminish the value of this life but rather amplifies our joy and divides our grief. By trusting in Jesus’ character and our ultimate destiny, we can follow the command to not let our hearts be troubled, even when facing the uncertainty of the next goodbye.

Listen to the full version here.

Buckhead Church

In the sermon “On Time God,” Matt Noblitt explores the profound depth of God’s grace through the lens of the Parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. He opens by discussing the modern convenience of turn-by-turn navigation, contrasting it with the feeling of being “too far gone” or lost in life’s messier seasons. Noblitt suggests that just as we can drop a pin on a digital map to find our way, we can be honest with God about our current location, no matter how far we have strayed from the path we intended to follow.

Focusing on the younger son in the parable, Noblitt highlights the extreme disrespect shown when the son asks for his inheritance early—essentially telling his father he wants his stuff but not his presence. The son eventually finds himself at an unimaginable low point, longing to eat the food of pigs, which represented the ultimate state of uncleanness and shame in that culture. Noblitt uses this imagery to illustrate how sin often leads people to “lie down in the mud” of regret, shame, and unhealthy patterns.

The turning point occurs when the son “comes to his senses,” prompted not by his own strength but by the memory of his father’s goodness. Noblitt emphasizes a powerful detail in the text: while the son was still “a long way off,” the father saw him and ran to him. In that culture, for a patriarch to run was considered undignified and shameful, yet the father abandoned his status to embrace his son. This, Noblitt argues, shows that while the son was reckless with his sin, the Father was even more “reckless” with His love and grace.

Noblitt concludes by encouraging the congregation to take a “step of obedience” today rather than waiting until they feel they have “cleaned up” their lives. Using a personal story about his young son knocking over a giant game of Jenga, he explains that a loving father doesn’t stand over a mess and demand the child fix it alone; instead, he gets down on the floor to help. He reassures the audience that their “broken conditions” are the perfect environment for God’s grace to thrive, reminding them that God is “on time” and meets us exactly where we are.

Listen to the full version here.

Cathedral of Christ The King

Deacon Bruce Goodwin’s homily at the Cathedral of Christ the King focuses on the theme of preparation and finding the way to God’s “dwelling place.” He opens with a famous quote from Billy Graham, who shortly before his death remarked that he would be “more alive” than ever, having simply “changed his address.” This serves as an introduction to the Gospel message where Jesus tells his disciples he is going to prepare a place for them, emphasizing that our ultimate destination is not here, but with the Father.

To illustrate the concept of preparation, the Deacon uses everyday examples, such as the flurry of activity that occurs when a family member calls to say they are coming to visit. We clean the guest room, put out fresh towels, and plan the meals, just as Jesus is meticulously preparing a home for us in heaven. He also recalls the era before digital navigation, when people relied on paper maps and travel services like AAA to plot a course and identify landmarks. He suggests that Jesus, through his teachings and miracles, has provided the definitive map for our spiritual journey.

A significant portion of the homily addresses the responsibility of parents and mentors to guide others on this path. Deacon Goodwin recounts a story from a school Mass where children were challenged to tell their parents to bring them to church. He contrasts this with personal observations of parents dropping children off for religious education and then leaving for leisure activities like breakfast or tennis. He argues that one cannot simply “prepare a place” for their children while neglecting their own spiritual path, stressing that active participation in the faith is essential for everyone.

In conclusion, the Deacon reminds the congregation that walking the path to Christ requires more than just listening to words; it requires action and adherence to the Ten Commandments. He uses a quote often attributed to a popular band to emphasize that believers aren’t required to “walk on water” themselves, but simply to believe in the One who can. By following the “map” of the Gospel and spreading the Christian life to others, the faithful can move closer to the Father, resting in the promise that where Jesus is, they may also be.

Listen to the full version here.

Passion City Church

In his message “My Trauma Is Not My Template,” Levi Lusko uses the biblical book of Haggai to address how past pain can paralyze our future. He recounts the history of the Jewish people returning from Babylonian exile to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem; however, after the death of their protector, King Cyrus, and facing local opposition, they abandoned the project for sixteen years. Lusko argues that their “trauma had become their template,” causing them to live in fear and settle for a life of spiritual stagnation because they were afraid that any new effort would only end in another failure.

To illustrate how we often accommodate dysfunction rather than fixing it, Lusko shares a personal anecdote about a broken garage door. He explains that because the door worked “sometimes,” he simply learned to live with the inconvenience rather than calling a repairman. This serves as a metaphor for the human tendency to build “self-protective mechanisms” around our wounds. Whether it is a past betrayal, a family tragedy, or a professional failure, we often limit our range of motion and live “one-pocket lives,” avoiding any situation that might trigger old pain.

Lusko identifies several ways people mishandle their wounds, including being defined by them, numbing the pain with distractions, or passing blame to others. He emphasizes that while the cross of Christ is for the forgiveness of sins, it is also for the healing of the soul. He challenges the audience to move beyond just “surviving” their history and to instead “run toward the roar”—facing their fears head-on with the assurance that God is present. He shares deeply personal stories about the loss of his daughter and his father to show that choosing beauty and hope in the midst of agony is a defiant act of faith.

Ultimately, the sermon concludes by reminding the congregation that God’s presence is the anchor that allows us to break free from the past. Just as the second Temple seemed “pathetic” compared to Solomon’s original, it was actually the Temple that Jesus himself would eventually enter and cleanse. Lusko encourages listeners to stop looking at what they have lost and start looking at what God is doing in the present. He asserts that while others may have left or failed us, God promises never to leave, providing the strength needed to rebuild our lives on His truth rather than our trauma.

Listen to the full version here.

Trinity Anglican Church

In her sermon “The Beauty of the Broken,” Savannah Ugan explores the profound biblical truth that God often does His most significant work through our fractures rather than our perfections. She opens by addressing the human tendency to hide our scars and failures, noting how society often prizes an image of wholeness that is both unattainable and spiritually limiting. Ugan argues that when we present only our “best selves,” we inadvertently close off the channels through which God’s grace and strength are most clearly displayed to others, missing the opportunity for genuine connection and transformation.

Drawing from the imagery of the “cracked vessel,” Ugan suggests that brokenness is not a disqualification from ministry, but a prerequisite for it. She explains that just as light shines most brightly through a shattered container, God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. This perspective shifts the focus from our own ability to fix ourselves to God’s ability to use us exactly as we are. By embracing our vulnerabilities, we allow the “treasure” of the Gospel to be visible through our lives, demonstrating that the source of our strength is divine rather than self-generated.

A key focus of the message is the concept of “Kintsugi,” the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, which makes the piece stronger and more beautiful than the original. Ugan uses this as a spiritual metaphor for redemption, illustrating that God does not merely patch us up or hide our past; He weaves His grace into our story so that our scars become “gold.” She emphasizes that the “cracks” in our lives are actually where the light of Christ enters, transforming our history of pain into a legacy of purpose and resilience.

In conclusion, Ugan challenges the congregation to stop waiting until they are “whole” to step into their calling. She reminds them that Jesus Himself carries the scars of the crucifixion even in His resurrected body, sanctifying brokenness as a part of the divine narrative. By letting go of the shame associated with our struggles, we are freed to live authentically and participate in God’s restorative work in the world. Her final call is one of hope: that in the hands of the Great Potter, our broken pieces are never discarded, but are meticulously repurposed for a glory that far outweighs our temporary afflictions.

Listen to the full version here.

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