Planting a Church

How should a pastor decide what to preach next, and how far ahead should he plan? Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the pastoral wisdom behind planning a preaching calendar, from choosing books of the Bible and balancing the Old and New Testaments to determining the length and pace of a sermon series. They explain why planning ahead doesn’t quench the Spirit, how expositional preaching protects pastors from their own hobby horses, and why the goal isn’t simply filling Sundays with sermons but faithfully feeding God’s people over time. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Prepare Your People For Sunday [The Everyday Pastor - Ep. 16] When Pain Is Real and God Seems Silent by Ligon Duncan The Treasury of David by C. H. Spurgeon The Message of the Old Testament by Mark Dever The Message of the New Testament by Mark Dever If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it actually take to plant a healthy church?  Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the joys, challenges, and realities of church planting. Drawing from Matt’s experience planting River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, they explore everything from assessing a call to church planting and gathering a core team to fundraising, developing leaders, and cultivating a healthy church culture.   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Planting by Pastoring by Nathan Knight Church Planting Thresholds by Clint Clifton Why Plant Churches? by Tim Keller New Churches Podcast  | ”Zero Year” | Season 1 | Episode 655 Church Planting Journals by IX Marks If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do pastors faithfully preach the gospel in every sermon without forcing Jesus into passages where he doesn’t belong? Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan tackle one of the most important questions in pastoral ministry: How do you preach Christ from all of Scripture? They discuss preaching Jesus from the Old Testament, avoiding moralistic preaching, applying the gospel faithfully, and helping sermons move beyond information into transformation. Ligon shares lessons learned from Mark Dever about making sure every sermon clearly proclaims Christ, while Matt explains why sermons that would still work if Jesus were “still in the grave” aren’t truly Christian sermons. They explore how pastors can preach the gospel naturally from Genesis to Revelation without flattening the Bible’s storyline.   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sermon Application Grid by IX Marks CSB Connecting Scripture New Testament by Holman Preaching Christ in Every Sermon with Bryan Chapell [The Everyday Pastor - Ep. 5] The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What keeps a pastor preaching faithfully when ministry feels discouraging? In this episode, H.B. Charles joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to talk about expository preaching, sermon preparation, pastoral application, grief, perseverance, and why the power for ministry is still found in the Word of God. From becoming a pastor at 17 years old to preaching through seasons of pain and pressure, H.B. offers wisdom and encouragement for pastors who want to faithfully “preach the Word” for the long haul. RESOURCES MENTIONED: On Preaching by H. B. Charles Jr. On Pastoring by H. B. Charles Jr. On Worship by H. B. Charles Jr. Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks Toward an Exegetical Theology by Walter Kaiser Jr. Mark Dever's Application Grid Come and See by Jonathan Pennington If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Confessions of faith and church covenants can sound outdated—but they may be more important than ever.  Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan explore the historic role of confessions, how they protect churches from theological drift, and why church covenants help Christians live together as a real spiritual family. They also discuss Christian freedom, doctrinal boundaries, and how pastors can wisely shepherd churches without demanding agreement on every issue.    RESOURCES MENTIONED: The Westminster Confession of Faith Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation by James Dennison River City Baptist Church Members’ Covenant The Wesley Covenant Prayer by John Wesley If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you talk about Jesus when people don’t share your assumptions anymore? Glen Scrivener joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to help pastors navigate evangelism in a post-Christian culture. They explore how secular people are still shaped by Christian ideas, why believers shouldn’t feel embarrassed about their faith, and how leaning into Christian “weirdness” can actually open doors for gospel conversations. RESOURCES MENTIONED: The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener  3-2-1 by Glen Scrivener Speak Life Making Sense of Us by Glen Scrivener If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What is the gospel—really? In this episode, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan tackle the confusion surrounding one of the most important words in Christianity. They explain why the gospel isn’t self-help advice or vague spiritual encouragement, but the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ to save sinners. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Before You Share Your Faith by Matt Smethurst What Is Wrong with the World by Tim Keller God Is the Gospel by John Piper The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson Knowing God by J.I. Packer If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Should Sunday sermons be evangelistic—or focused on believers? In this episode, Matt Smethurst, Ligon Duncan, and Garrett Kell tackle a false dichotomy: faithful preaching should do both. They explore how pastors can preach in a way that honors God, builds up the church, and clearly calls unbelievers to repentance and faith. From cultivating an evangelistic culture to preaching about hard truths like hell with compassion, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for pastors who want their preaching to reach both the saved and the lost. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Making Sense of God by Tim Keller The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener Evangelistic Expository Preaching by Mark Dever The Message of the Old and New Testament by Mark Dever If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What practical difference does a high view of God’s sovereignty actually make in everyday ministry? In this episode, Ligon Duncan and Matt Smethurst reflect on the doctrines of grace—often associated with Calvinism—and explore how a “big God” theology shapes assurance, prayer, evangelism, pastoral care, and suffering. They emphasize that God’s sovereignty is not a weapon for debate but a pillow for weary saints, a stabilizer in crisis, and a source of deep humility. From hospital rooms to anxiety, from Scripture’s storyline to church history, this conversation shows why knowing a sovereign, wise, and compassionate God is not advanced theology—it’s everyday hope. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Commentary on the Gospel According to John by John Calvin How to Care for Sufferers (with Joni Eareckson Tada) [The Everyday Pastor - Ep. 30] If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Conflict is inevitable in pastoral ministry—but how pastors handle it shapes the health of their church. In this episode, Ligon Duncan and Matt Smethurst explore theological controversy, denominational tension, and local church conflict, offering biblical wisdom for leading with courage, humility, and love. RESOURCES MENTIONED: When Martyn Lloyd-Jones Confronted a Pastor Who Loved Controversy and Denunciation by Justin Taylor On Controversy by John Newton The Multi-Directional Leader by Trevin Wax Forgive by Tim Keller The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit by Jeremiah Burroughs If you're ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary's PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.