In this introductory episode of View From the Pulpit, Ben Smith invites listeners to think carefully about the place, purpose, and priority of preaching in the life of the church. Preaching is familiar to most Christians, yet it is rarely examined or thoughtfully considered by anyone other than the preacher himself. This episode seeks to recover a deeper understanding of why preaching is not simply one ministry among many, but the central ministry of the church from which all others flow.

Drawing from nearly twenty-five years of pastoral ministry and a lifetime spent under the sound of sermons, Ben reflects on how God has reshaped his understanding of faithful preaching. Through three formative lessons—conviction over education, substance over performance, and faithfulness over size—he explains how assumptions about style, personality, and numerical success can subtly distort what we value in preaching.

This episode is not only for pastors. It is for church members, leaders, and anyone who loves Christ and His church and desires to better understand how God uses the preaching of His Word to save sinners, sanctify the saints, and sustain the church. Ben also introduces the vision for the podcast: thoughtful conversations with pastors and church members about the labor, joy, struggles, and spiritual weight of preaching.

Listeners will hear why preaching is essential to the identity of the church, why crowd size is an unreliable measure of faithfulness, and why a recovery of preaching is vital for the health of the church today.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to Jim Gibson for granting permission to use his recording of “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” for this podcast. In this episode, Ben shares his personal connection to Jim’s parents, James and Ella Gibson, and reflects on how their example and testimony of honoring the preaching of God’s Word had a profound impact on his own life and ministry.

Ben chose the hymn “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” because its lyrics emphasize the centrality of preaching, both for the salvation of the lost and for the ongoing ministry to the church.

Music Credits

Music by Jim Gibson
“Brethren, We Have Met to Worship”
Songs of the South III
© 2003 Hickory Cove Music

More information about Jim Gibson’s music and additional recordings can be found at Hickory Cove Music.

New interviews begin March 17. Subscribe to View From the Pulpit to be notified when new episodes are released.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.”