allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Rich in Christ: The Rich Man, Lazarus, and the Treasure of Faith

A sermon for the First Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Josh Leigeber

In the Gospel for Trinity +1, Jesus tells the sobering account of the rich man and Lazarus. The contrast between the two is not simply one of wealth and poverty, but of faith and unbelief. The rich man receives abundant gifts from God but sees them only as instruments for his own comfort. Lazarus, though afflicted and destitute, trusts in the mercy of God and clings to Him as his true treasure.

This sermon explores how faith changes the way we view both our possessions and our neighbors. The Christian learns to see earthly goods not as treasures to be hoarded but as gifts entrusted by God for the service of others. At the same time, we learn that the deepest poverty is not material want but life without Christ and the riches of His Gospel.

Above all, this sermon points to Jesus Christ, who though rich became poor for our sake, taking upon Himself our spiritual poverty and giving us the riches of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Having received such treasures from Him, Christians are freed to love their neighbors in both body and soul.

Listen to the full sermon below as we consider the warning of the rich man, the faith of Lazarus, and the surpassing riches that God has given us in His Son.

frsuelzle Sermons

No Other God Will Do

A sermon for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, by Fr. Dan Suelzle

On Holy Trinity Sunday, it can be tempting to view the doctrine of the Trinity as a vague, intellectual, esoteric idea meant only for theologians. However, obsessing over the “how” of the Trinity misses the point entirely. The true danger of denying the Trinity isn’t about failing a theological quiz; it’s about rejecting the very way God has revealed Himself to us. When we look at scripture—from Isaiah’s vision of God’s holiness to Jesus explaining the mystery of rebirth to Nicodemus—we see that to confess the Trinity is to confess God in action.

Ultimately, we confess the Triune God not because we fully comprehend Him, but because there is no other God to confess. We need the Father who loves the world, the Son who offers Himself as a substitutionary atonement on the cross, and the Holy Spirit who creates faith within us. No other god will do. When human reason fails and our minds spin, the gospel invites us to step back from trying to comprehend the infinite and instead rejoice in His saving deeds.

Listen to the sermon audio below.

frsuelzle Sermons

You Need The Holy Spirit

A sermon for the Day of Pentecost, by Fr. Dan Suelzle

The power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost turned a group of uneducated disciples into courageous preachers who proclaimed the mighty works of God in Christ. Just as the Spirit transformed Peter from a man who denied Christ into a bold witness of the resurrection, God continues to perform his works wherever His Word is proclaimed. This divine power is not a vague energy we tap into for a quick boost; rather, it is a concrete, life-giving force that meets us in our absolute helplessness. Like a physician administering CPR, the Holy Spirit raises us from spiritual death to life through the Gospel, initiating a saving faith that we could never achieve on our own strength or reason.


As baptized believers navigating a broken world, we continually need the Spirit’s ongoing work as our helper, comforter, and teacher. In the midst of our daily struggles against sin, temptation, and a culture that rejects the truth, the Holy Spirit actively silences the devil’s accusations by pointing us back to the cross and unburdening our consciences through forgiveness. He does not deliver this teaching through isolated, individual experiences, but through the tangible gifts of Word and Sacrament within the gathering of the Church. By anchoring us to Christ’s truth, the Holy Spirit grants us a divine, lasting peace, ensuring that the same miraculous work that began at Pentecost continues to sustain and keep us in the one true faith today.

Listen to the sermon audio below.