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.

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• Fr. Mike Schmitz
• Buckhead Church
• Cathedral of Christ the King
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Fr. Mike Schmitz

This homily, “Inheritance,” by Fr. Mike Schmitz, opens with compelling stories of people who possessed immense wealth without realizing it. He shares the example of a man who used a painting worth $1.25 million to cover a hole in his wall, another who bought a photo of Billy the Kid worth $5 million for just two dollars, and a fisherman who used the world’s largest pearl, valued at $100 million, as a doorstop under his bed for ten years. These anecdotes set the stage for the central question: what if you were unaware of a life-changing inheritance already in your possession? The homily notes that a windfall leads to two common thoughts: “That would solve so many problems,” and “I could do so much with that.”

This desire for “more” to solve problems is mirrored in the Gospel when the apostles ask Jesus, “Lord, increase our faith.” Fr. Mike points out that we often wait for our problems to disappear, but problems are not a “bug” but a “feature” of life—they simply mean something needs our attention. He introduces the idea of lasting satisfaction, which is achieved not by inefficiently having more, but by securely wanting less. Citing the prophet Habakkuk, who faced life-and-death problems, the homily affirms that when God answered him, the problems didn’t vanish, but Habakkuk realized, “If I have him, I have everything I need.”

Jesus’s response to the Apostles—that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could move a mulberry tree—shows they don’t need more faith, but need to use what they have. The true message is that we have already been given our inheritance: everything we need to be a saint. St. Paul tells Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God.” This inheritance is defined as being a child of God with access to the Father’s heart, having the Spirit of power, love, and self-control, and being brought into the Church, which includes the fullness of the 73 books of Scripture and the Seven Sacraments. For fear of future problems, Fr. Mike offers the secular-turned-spiritual advice: “Trust your future self to handle your future problems,” which for a Christian means trusting the eternal God who will give us the grace we need in the moment of trial.

To claim this inheritance and “fan into flame” the gift we’ve been given, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit through the three infallible and indispensable means of grace, as taught by St. John Paul II: Confession, the Eucharist, and Prayer. Confession is the essential way back home to claim God’s forgiveness and repent of sins. The Eucharist is the “highway to heaven” and is not merely an obligation but a part of our inheritance, where we encounter God Himself. Finally, Prayer—which can include praying with Scripture or the Rosary—connects us to the family of God, including our mother Mary. The homily concludes by challenging the listener to ensure their story is not the tragedy of living an entire life without realizing the immense inheritance they possess.

Listen to the full version here.

Buckhead Church

Joel Thomas’s sermon, “Waiting Is Not Wasting,” concludes the “Worth The Wait” series by focusing on the most frustrating element of any delay: uncertainty. He notes that in prolonged seasons of waiting—whether for a financial, relational, or professional need—people invariably ask how, when, and will their circumstances change. For a Christian, this waiting inevitably leads to questioning God: Why doesn’t God do something? This feeling of being stuck and God’s perceived inactivity naturally triggers deeper doubts about God’s reality, His care, and His ability to intervene. Thomas acknowledges these feelings are normal but asserts they are not logical, comparing it to his children questioning his existence or love when he delays granting their screen time requests—he sees the requests, he has the power, but there is a wise reason for his inactivity.

Thomas then explains the non-rational nature of this thinking by examining the neurological effects of prolonged uncertainty. He reveals that the brain interprets uncertainty as a threat, causing the amygdala to become overactive and release stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This chronic stress elevates the base level of cortisol, making a person overreact to small, non-threatening events. Furthermore, the excess chemicals overwhelm the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational thought, decision-making, and emotional regulation. This effectively leaves the brain “impaired” or “drunk” on stress hormones, causing indecision and impulsivity, which further complicates attempts to rationally process the season of waiting and trust in God.

To combat this neurologically-driven anxiety, Thomas turns to the Biblical narrative of Lazarus’s death (John 11). When Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, was sick, Jesus deliberately waited two more days, arriving four days after the burial—past the point when the Jewish people believed the soul had permanently left the body. This delay caused disappointment and anger in Mary and Martha, who confronted Jesus with the same question: If you had been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus’s response—”I am the resurrection and the life”—forces them to confront their belief. The waiting was not a sign of indifference or inability, but a necessary setup for a miracle: the raising of Lazarus.

The sermon’s ultimate conclusion is that God’s will and His way are always worth the wait, a truth woven into the fabric of faith from Abraham to King David. The story of Lazarus and the later resurrection of Christ serves as a certain, unshakable truth to hold onto when the mind is raging with uncertainty. The resurrection proves that Jesus is who He claimed to be, is able to act, and loves humanity so much that He conquered death itself. The message is that waiting is not wasting; God is actively working during the delay, conforming the believer to His image and guiding them toward His good and perfect will.

Listen to the full version here.

Cathedral of Christ The King

​​This homily by Fr. Frank McNamee begins by addressing the common human misunderstanding of faith, a topic often admired in others and desired as something measurable and accumulable. Referencing the Gospel reading where the Apostles ask Jesus to “increase our faith,” Fr. McNamee explains that they mistakenly viewed faith as a quantity, hoping that a larger amount would make life easier and miracles more frequent. Jesus corrects this misconception by teaching that faith is not about size but authenticity. The tiniest bit of genuine faith, symbolized by the mustard seed, is enough to accomplish the seemingly impossible, such as uprooting a mulberry tree and planting it in the sea, because its power is drawn from God, not from human strength.

The key to understanding the mustard seed analogy lies in surrender and trust. Fr. McNamee asserts that authentic faith is not about being free from doubt or having impressive spiritual accomplishments; rather, it’s about entrusting one’s entire life to God and relying on His grace. This principle is demonstrated throughout Scripture by figures such as Abraham, who acted on a small seed of trust to become the father of faith, and the widow, whose offering of two small coins was deemed greater than all others because it was a humble and authentic gift of trust. These examples underscore the truth that God is moved by the genuineness and humility of a steadfast heart.

For our own lives, the homily encourages listeners not to be discouraged if their faith feels small, acknowledging that moments of doubt and questioning are normal. Fr. McNamee illustrates that a mustard seed of faith can be found in simple, sincere actions: whispering a prayer like “Lord, help me” in the morning, attending Mass even when not in the mood, or taking a leap of faith to forgive someone or deal with a difficult situation. God delights in these small, authentic acts of trust. The danger is not in having little faith, but in failing to plant and nurture it with prayer and action, thereby preventing its growth and multiplication.

Finally, Fr. McNamee ties the nurturing of this small seed of faith to the Holy Father’s call to dedicate the month of October to the Blessed Mother and the Rosary. In light of ongoing global violence, terrorism, and war, the priest criticizes the tendency to become emotional and then simply “get back to normal” instead of engaging in continuous prayer. He presents the Rosary as the “great armor against evil,” encouraging individuals and families to dedicate 20-25 minutes to this simple yet powerful meditation. It is through the quality of sincere prayer and surrender that the faithful can make what seems impossible—like world peace—possible through the power of God.

Listen to the full version here.

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