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allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Let Thy Holy Angel Be With Us

Yesterday (Sept. 29) was the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel. The holy angels aren’t something we give a lot of thought to, and when we do, often our imagination is informed more by popular culture than God’s Word. God’s angels are warrior ministers—creatures who are deployed to comfort and protect God’s people, fighting the spiritual battle that is being waged against Satan and his fallen angels. This war, highlighted in the Feast of St. Michael, is real and affects Christians, as the devil works subtly to tempt us, to destroy us, and to cast doubt in God’s Word and promises. God be praised that, though Satan’s wrath is great, it is not too great for our Lord. Satan’s time is short; he and his angels are already conquered in Christ. Therefore, rather than fearing, despairing, and losing heart, we thank God for his angelic protection, as he deploys these warrior ministers to defend and guide us, preserving us from danger and finally directing us to Christ. Listen to Father Suelzle’s entire sermon below.

allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Sinners Called by Christ

On the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Sept. 21), Fr. Jerome Leckband reminded us that Matthew’s story is not one of a flawless saint but of a sinner called by Christ. Sitting at his tax booth, Matthew heard Jesus’ words, “Follow me,”—words that are spoken to every sinner, including us.

Matthew’s Gospel begins with a genealogy full of sinners, showing how God works through the broken to fulfill His promises. It also proclaims Jesus as Immanuel—God with us, a promise repeated at the Gospel’s end: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Fr. Leckband reflected on Caravaggio’s painting The Calling of Saint Matthew, where the tax collector wrestles between clinging to his money and rising to follow Christ. This moment captures discipleship: leaving behind false masters to follow the true Lord. Following Jesus means daily dying to sin and rising with Him—a journey lived out in our vocations as spouses, parents, workers, citizens, and members of Christ’s Church.

Just as Matthew was called into a unique service as apostle and evangelist, we too are called to serve Christ where God has placed us. And through it all, Jesus remains God with us—in His Word, in Baptism, in the Supper, and in His Church—until He comes again. Listen to the entire sermon below.

allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Yesterday was the annual feast day for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On the cross of Christ, what looks to our physical eyes like defeat is in truth the victory of God. By His willing sacrifice, Jesus destroys the power of sin, death, and the devil, and draws us into communion with Himself and with one another. The cross alone restores us to God, rescues us from the prison of self, and makes us members of His holy family. Through the Word, the Sacraments, and the life of the Church, the fruits of the cross—light, life, love, and forgiveness—are given to us again and again. Listen and rejoice in the power of the cross, which gathers us together as the children of God.