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
• Passion City Church
• Trinity Anglican Church
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Fr. Mike Schmitz

Fr. Mike Schmitz’s homily, “Words Fail,” explores the concept that symbols can often communicate more effectively than words. He uses examples like bathroom signs, traffic lights, and the power symbol to illustrate how a single image can convey a clear and universal message that transcends language barriers. He connects this idea to a wedding ring as a powerful symbol of commitment, highlighting that there are times when words are simply inadequate to express a full message.

The homily then ties this theme to a biblical story from the Book of Numbers, where the grumbling Israelites are punished with serpent bites. The serpent, a symbol of their sin and shame, is transformed when God instructs Moses to place a bronze serpent on a pole. Anyone who looks at it is healed. This act turns a symbol of their brokenness into a symbol of hope.

Fr. Mike draws a powerful parallel between the bronze serpent and the Christian cross. Historically, the cross was a brutal symbol of Roman power and a victim’s humiliation. He explains that early Christians were initially hesitant to depict the crucified Christ because of the cross’s horrific nature. However, it has since been transformed into the ultimate symbol of Christian love and hope, representing God’s answer to humanity’s sin and guilt. It is the place where our brokenness is directed at God, who demonstrates his immense love for us.

Finally, the homily concludes with a profound personal reflection on the cross’s significance. Fr. Mike shares a story about a seminarian who pondered whether Jesus might have died on the cross not just for all of humanity, but for one single person—the “good thief.” This thought leads to the central message that Jesus’ sacrifice was a deeply personal act of love for each individual, as if they were the only person who needed it. The cross, a symbol that words cannot fully explain, becomes a personal symbol of God’s love and hope for each of us.

Listen to the full version here.

Buckhead Church

The sermon begins with Joel Thomas addressing recent heartbreaking events, such as a subway stabbing and a school shooting, which he feels compelled to discuss. He emphasizes two of Jesus’s commands for Christians in these moments: to mourn with those who mourn and to treat all people with the same love Jesus did, regardless of their background or differences. Joel Thomas suggests that a true response to these tragedies involves a personal, inward reflection to address anything in one’s own heart that hinders seeing others as being created in God’s image. He then leads the congregation in a prayer for the nation, its leaders, the hurting, and for a personal transformation that will allow them to shine God’s light in the world.

Next, Joel Thomas introduces a new sermon series titled “Worth the Wait” by examining the challenges of waiting. He explains that our brains are naturally wired to struggle with waiting periods due to a biological phenomenon called time dilation, where a reduction in dopamine makes time feel slower. He also notes that our modern culture, with its focus on instant gratification, has made it even more difficult to tolerate waiting. He makes a distinction between expected waiting, which builds anticipation, and unexpected waiting, which often leads to frustration.

Joel Thomas then cautions against the common tendency to seek immediate, illegitimate solutions to legitimate needs that arise during seasons of waiting. He clarifies the popular biblical verse “all things work together for good,” explaining that this promise is for those who love God and that God’s “good” is not always synonymous with personal comfort. Instead, he states, God’s ultimate purpose is to conform us to the image of His son. He shares a personal story about his own career impatience, where a mentor’s words, “You are worth it,” helped him understand that God was using that time to prepare him for the future.

The sermon concludes with a call for the audience to shift their perspective on waiting from one of frustration to one of hopeful anticipation. He emphasizes that our “future self is worth the wait,” because God is actively using these periods to transform us into the likeness of Christ, preparing us for what lies ahead. He encourages listeners to act on any divine guidance they received during the sermon and closes with a final prayer for the congregation

Listen to the full version here.

Passion City Church

In his sermon titled “Desperate,” Pastor Louie Giglio begins with a personal anecdote about a terrifying flight, highlighting how desperation can lead to a raw and bold form of prayer. He uses this experience to introduce the central theme: that Christians should live a life of spiritual desperation, not just in times of crisis, but as a continuous act of worship and a means of seeking a move of God. This desperation is presented as a posture of the heart, a state of constant need for God’s presence and guidance, regardless of circumstances.

Pastor Giglio then grounds this concept in the early church, drawing on the book of Acts. He points out that from its very beginning, the church was devoted to four key practices, with prayer not as an optional addition, but as a vital “artery.” He explains that prayer is a posture of humility and hunger, echoing the sentiments found in David’s Psalm 63. This is not about a quick, transactional relationship with God, but a deep, intimate connection with Him.

The sermon goes on to discuss prayer as the primary weapon in spiritual warfare. He references Ephesians 6, explaining that the Christian struggle is not against other people but against spiritual forces of evil. Giglio emphasizes that the weapons for this fight are not physical but are divinely powerful, capable of demolishing strongholds through prayer and faith. This section reinforces the idea that prayer is an active and essential component of a believer’s spiritual life and their fight against unseen forces.

Finally, Pastor Giglio explains how prayer has the power to replace fear with faith. Citing Philippians 4, he highlights that by bringing our anxieties to God in prayer, we receive a peace that “transcends all understanding.” This peace comes from the realization that while our own lives may be full of trouble, God is in control and nothing is troubling Him. The sermon concludes with a call to corporate prayer, urging the congregation to come together and recommit to being a people devoted to prayer.

Listen to the full version here.

Trinity Anglican Church

The sermon, delivered by Bishop Brian Wallace, begins with a reading from Luke 15:1-10, which describes Jesus welcoming tax collectors and sinners, much to the dismay of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Bishop Wallace shared a personal anecdote about feeling embarrassed about his old, beat-up car in front of a Four Seasons Hotel, to help the audience relate to the feelings of not belonging. He explained that Jesus told the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in this context to show what a “normal person” would do in a practical situation, but also to reveal the heart of God towards sinners.

According to the Bishop, Jesus’s parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin teach that all people have immense worth because they are made in the image of God. He reinforced this point with a story about his grandfather, a dairy farmer who provided a home for people with physical and mental disabilities, treating them with dignity and respect by giving them meaningful tasks. Bishop Wallace highlights that Jesus is personally and emotionally invested in finding every lost person, noting the joy expressed when a lost sheep or coin is found. He states that Jesus’s investment came at a great cost: his own life and death on the cross, so that we could be found and brought back into God’s kingdom.

The Bishop explains that this message is good news for everyone—the sinner, the long-time Christian struggling with sin, and anyone who feels they are not “good enough” to come to church. He emphasizes that salvation is not something we can earn but is a gift received through humility and faith. He warns against “Phariseeism,” which he describes as forgetting how far we’ve come and judging others, and stresses that true followers of Christ should see everyone, even their enemies, as fellow image-bearers of God who are worthy of His love.

Bishop Wallace concludes the sermon by encouraging the congregation to “give away what we’ve received from Jesus,” which is to pursue others who are lost, just as Jesus relentlessly pursued us. He reminds the audience that God’s love is for everyone, regardless of their past or present state, and that there is great joy in heaven over every sinner who repents. He finishes with a prayer, asking God to help everyone believe in His love and to experience the joy of becoming a follower of Jesus.

Listen to the full version here.

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