Tag: jonesboro church

A sermon for the Third Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Dan Suelzle.

The sinful human nature is plagued by a constant temptation to refashion God into our own image—to turn His Word into an a la carte menu where we pick what is comfortable and discard what is convicting. Whether through world religions that demand rigorous submission or modern idols like wealth, comfort, and self-righteousness, left to ourselves we will always gravitate towards a self-made religion of human effort. But as the prophet Micah warns, the true and almighty God cannot be compromised or tamed by our manufactured spiritualities; He exposes these empty, impotent idols for what they are, and invites us to cast our cares upon him, for he truly cares for us.

But his care for us is not vague. What sets the true God apart from every false, human-made religion is that He does not demand we climb a ladder of perfect submission to earn His favor; instead, He descends to us in the flesh. Jesus Christ makes all the difference, drawing a sharp, exclusive line between the religions of human effort and the Gospel of divine grace. On the cross, God poured out His just judgment upon Christ instead of us, paying the ultimate price so that we can know exactly where we stand with Him. We are left not with an anxious hope for mercy, but with the absolute certainty of being fully pardoned, loved, and redeemed by a God who has no equal.

You can listen to Father Suelzle’s full sermon audio below to hear the complete sermon.

A sermon for the Second Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Jerome Leckband

What does it mean to “fear the Lord”? In his sermon on yesterday’s Gospel from Luke 14:16-24, Father Leckband guided us through the Master’s invitation in the parable of the Great Banquet, reminding us that true fear of the Lord is not the terror of a slave, but the faithful, expectant love of a child.

Too often, we juggle our spiritual lives with the demands of work, home, and family, treating the Gospel as just another obligation. But the Gospel is not merely one treasure among many—Christ is our very life. We come to His table not because we have it all together, but because we are beggars in desperate need of His righteousness.

The Father has borne all the expenses of this feast through the cross. No matter your sins or past failures, Christ says to you today: “Come, for all is ready.”

You can listen to Father Leckband’s full sermon audio below to hear the complete sermon.

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.