allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

The God Who Raises the Dead

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

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus meets a funeral procession in the town of Nain and restores life to the dead son of a widowed mother. This account reveals the very heart of our Lord: He is the God of power, who can raise the dead; the God of compassion, who sees our grief and acts in mercy; and the God of grace, who comes to help us before we even ask.

Just as Jesus spoke life into the young man—“Young man, I say to you, arise”—so He speaks life into us. By nature we are spiritually dead in sin, but through His Word and Holy Baptism Christ raises us to new life with Him. We are united to His death and resurrection, forgiven, and made alive to live by faith in the Son of God.

This new life transforms how we face suffering and death. Even in trials, we trust that God’s love is at work, shaping our faith and fixing our eyes on the greater promise: eternal life with Christ. The miracle at Nain points us forward to the final resurrection, when Jesus will again speak the life-giving word and raise all the dead to be with Him forever. Until that day, we live in the comfort of His compassion, His victory over death, and His abiding presence with us. Listen to the whole sermon below.

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

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.