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’s homily, “I Got Nothin’,” addresses the fundamental question of how we approach God, both in prayer now and at the final judgment, asking: “Why should we let you in?” He contrasts our common, faulty approach—a “resume faith”—with the humility demonstrated by the Publican in the Gospel. Many people believe the right answer involves listing good deeds: “I go to Mass, I pray, I follow the commandments,” but these answers are ultimately wrong because they rely on self-reliance. Such a self-reliant approach mirrors the Pharisee, who lists all his accomplishments to God, and inevitably leads to self-condemnation when we inevitably fail to meet our own standards.
The homily teaches that we should instead approach God in this life, and at the end of it, with three key declarations, the first being “I got nothing to offer.” This is not a statement of despair, but of humble confidence, recognizing that our merit is insufficient. The second declaration is “I’ve got nothing to prove.” Citing Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6, Fr. Mike explains that we do not have to “audition for acceptance” by God or convince Him to listen, because our Father already sees and knows what we need even before we ask. Being convinced of God’s love means having been “conquered with victory” (con vincere) by the truth that we are already loved and have nothing to prove to Him.
The third way to approach the Lord is to declare “You got nothing to hide.” The temptation is to hide our weakness, sadness, or sin from God, speaking only of what we think He wants to hear. This hiding creates a painful distance in the relationship, as illustrated by the story of a young woman whose prayer was hollow because she kept her real fears secret. Crucially, we must hide not even our sin, because the only sin God cannot forgive is the one we refuse to allow Him to forgive—the sin we hold onto and hide from Him. To have a relationship with God, we must bring all of our “good stuff and all the bad stuff… all the strengths and all the brokenness.”
Ultimately, the correct answer to the final question, “Why should we let you into heaven?” is not found in our own actions, but in the saving action of Christ. The only reason to be accepted is “because of what Jesus Christ has done for me.” This is the one answer that encompasses the three declarations: Jesus offered it all, so we have nothing to offer; Jesus purchased us at a price, so we have nothing to prove; and Jesus conquered sin and death, so we have nothing to hide. The proper way to live and approach God is by recognizing this truth: “Jesus has died for me, and now I live for him.”
Listen to the full version here.
Buckhead Church
Andy Stanley begins by asking the audience to reflect on the best news they have ever received—the kind of news that is so wonderful it’s impossible to keep to oneself, such as a great job opportunity or the news of a child’s arrival. He then introduces the term “good news” and its Greek equivalent, “gospel.” He notes that over time, the term has become almost exclusively associated with salvation, or what he calls the “asterisk”. This “asterisk” represents the conditions of faith, such as if you stop this or if you start going to church, which turns the message into a list of requirements. Stanley asserts that when the message of the gospel is presented this way, it loses its emotional power and irresistible appeal.
Stanley argues that the core problem is confusing the “announcement” with the “application.” The “asterisk”—what a person has to do—is the application, and it is merely a means to an end, not the good news itself. He stresses that when the application is presented as the main thing, the emotional connection to the message is lost, and the faith inadvertently undermines the very thing the good news is meant to produce. The original good news was a simple, world-altering announcement that led to the application, which in turn leads to salvation.
The true content of the good news is the announcement of a historical event, as summarized by the Apostle Paul: “that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures”. Stanley emphasizes that the resurrection is the cornerstone, because if Jesus had remained dead, his teachings would be irrelevant. Since he was resurrected, all he said and taught has undeniable significance. This is the good news: God has done something for humanity that humanity could not do for itself, and he did it so that we would respond.
Jesus’s resurrection validates everything he taught, providing proof that death is not the final chapter and is not the most powerful force in the universe. This announcement requires a response, and the application is simply faith. The moment a person responds to the good news by faith—by saying, “I believe it, and I’m gonna follow Jesus”—their life begins to be shaped by his teaching, leading to a “new life”. Stanley concludes by inviting the audience to respond to the announcement, reiterating that the gospel is “just good news” with no asterisk.
Listen to the full version here.
Cathedral of Christ The King
Deacon Bruce Goodwin’s homily focuses on the Gospel of Luke’s parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, highlighting the stark contrast between their approaches to prayer and life. He begins by setting the scene for these two figures in the community: the Pharisee represented the top of the temple hierarchy, walking around in fine robes, respected, and often boastful of his position. Conversely, the Tax Collector was despised because he worked for the Roman Empire, collected taxes, and often dishonestly added a surcharge, making him one of the most disliked people in the community. Both came to the temple to pray, but their internal dispositions could not have been more different.
The Deacon characterizes the Pharisee’s prayer as being “all about me,” noting the repetition of “I, I, I” in his boastful address to God. The Pharisee listed his virtues—fasting twice a week and paying tithes on his whole income—while proudly proclaiming he was not greedy, dishonest, or adulterous, “or even like this tax collector.” His attitude was one of arrogance and self-exaltation, constantly telling God and the community “Look at me, look who I am,” based on his achievements and status. The Pharisee focused entirely on what he had done and what he possessed, never once expressing gratitude to God for giving him everything in the first place.
In sharp contrast, the Tax Collector stood in the back row, beating his breast, and praying with profound humility: “Oh God be merciful to me, a sinner.” The Tax Collector did not boast, mention his job, or claim any credit; he simply asked for God’s forgiveness, knowing he was a sinner. The Deacon emphasizes that this simple request for forgiveness, rather than the Pharisee’s detailed resume of good works, is what led to him going home justified. It is a powerful reminder that God already knows who we are, and we don’t need to inform Him of our perceived standing.
The Deacon connects this ancient parable to modern life, suggesting that the self-centered attitude of the Pharisee is widespread in contemporary society, often seen on social media, where “it’s always about me.” He concludes by stressing the ultimate lesson of the Gospel: it’s not about what we have, who we are, or what we do, but about humble repentance and asking for forgiveness. By comparing the Pharisee who sought to exalt himself with the Tax Collector who humbled himself, the homily points to the core Christian truth that justification is found not in personal merit, but in God’s mercy through “Him who died on the cross for us.”
Listen to the full version here.
Passion City Church
Louie Giglio’s message, delivered via video while he was on the Grace and Glory Tour, served as an encouragement to the Passion City Church gathering, emphasizing the power of the Gospel and the church’s prayers. Giglio expressed profound gratitude for the church’s support, noting that the tour was successfully sharing the message of Jesus and celebrating the “big ‘C’ church” across the nation. He testified to feeling the power of God in cities, sharing a recent experience in a community suffering from drug overdose epidemics, where the Holy Spirit powerfully moved during worship, demonstrating that “light is streaming in to the darkness” across America.
To further illustrate the power of God, Giglio shared several testimonies, beginning with the story of Jerry, a 76-year-old woman worshipping on the second row with intense passion. Jerry had been caring for her ill husband for years and relied on the online Passion City services as her spiritual connection, making her attendance at the live event a homecoming with her “people.” Her unwavering commitment and spirited worship served as a powerful reminder to Giglio—and the entire church—that “the world can take almost everything away from us, but it cannot take our worship.”
The message continued with the miraculous testimony of a father who had planned to end his life and fell into a coma. While on life support, he had a dream where Jesus said, “no,” and he immediately woke up. He awoke to find the artist Crowder singing “Somebody Prayed” on the hospital television, a song with the line about turning “hospital rooms into cathedrals.” This physical and familial salvation moved Giglio to lead a moment of prayer for anyone with a plan to take their life at a later gathering, resulting in an estimated 15 people stepping out of the dark to receive prayer and hope.
Finally, Giglio shared a “God thing” that happened in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he discovered that Billy Graham had preached a major crusade in the same arena on October 19th, 1958—the very day of Giglio’s birth. This synchronicity led him to pray for a renewed spiritual awakening across the country, asking God to “do it again.” He tied these stories to the lesson of persistent faith from the blind beggar in Luke 18, who cried out until Jesus stopped for him. Giglio concluded by encouraging the church to “cry out again” and to live their own story, knowing that God is moving and will provide for their desperate needs.
Listen to the full version here.
Trinity Anglican Church
The sermon by Kris McDaniel focuses on the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14), which Jesus told to those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.” McDaniel argues that in the modern Western context, the concept of self-reliance is so pervasive that Christians often unconsciously trust in their own hard work, income, or reputation rather than in God. He posits that this self-trust acts as a barrier, and Jesus tells the story to reveal the ways the audience tries to insulate themselves from their inherent neediness.
McDaniel analyzes the Pharisee’s approach, noting that this figure, who was pure, disciplined, and socially elite, used the act of prayer in a public service to feel powerful and secure. The Pharisee achieved this by engaging in a conversation of comparison, thanking God he was “not like other people” or the tax collector. This behavior, McDaniel explains, is a defensive posture against essential neediness, reflecting the internal conversations people have to make themselves feel better, or “more secure,” by making others feel “a little less.”
In stark contrast, the tax collector, despite his own wealth, recognized his neediness, stood apart, and prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” McDaniel highlights the profound significance of the word “mercy” used here, which specifically means “to make an atonement” or to offer a sacrifice on his behalf. This prayer reveals that the tax collector was not relying on his own resources or success, but was asking God to bridge the gap of his brokenness with a divine act of payment.
Ultimately, the sermon is an invitation to acknowledge insufficiency. Using the C.S. Lewis allegory of Eustace becoming a dragon, McDaniel illustrates that personal efforts to fix a problem, like peeling off dragon skin, only reveal more brokenness underneath. True recovery requires letting the “Lion,” Jesus, cut deep enough to heal. McDaniel concludes by challenging the audience to reject the cultural teaching of self-sufficiency, name their own “gap” or “lack,” and ask God for the atonement they cannot provide for themselves, thereby embracing the vulnerability that leads to new life.
Listen to the full version here.
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