Leadership is an art, and many pastors get it wrong—sometimes with devastating results.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Paul Tripp joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to discuss how a pastor can lead well for the flourishing of the whole church. The conversation touches on the importance of fostering a healthy leadership community, the gift of limits, responding to criticism and praise, the difference-making role of gospel grace, and more.

Recommended resources:

• Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp
• Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church by Paul David Tripp
• Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp

Theology is vital for life. We know this as pastors, but do our members? Are we helping them to grow in thinking theologically?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss practical ways to promote deeper love for God’s truth. After all, how our people view him will make all the difference in their lives.

When Paul lists elder qualifications, he mentions Satan twice (1 Tim. 3:6–7). Why? The devil loves to stalk and destroy shepherds. And one of his main strategies is tempting us toward little compromises—which never remain little—in the realm of sexual purity.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Garrett Kell joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to discuss lessons he’s learned the hard way, how to foster transparency among leadership, practical tools for pursuing purity, and more.

Recommended resource: Pure in Heart: Sexual Sin and the Promises of God by Garrett Kell

Assurance of salvation is a deeply precious gift, but many Christians struggle to experience it. Pastors have the unique privilege—and challenge—of being “soul doctors” in our people’s lives.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss how to apply the gospel to nominal Christians (who shouldn’t have assurance), struggling Christians (who should), and all Christ’s sheep who are meant to revel in marvelous news: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

Do your members prioritize the Lord’s Day? Are they maximizing their time at church? In a hyper-busy age, we can serve our people by preparing them to come on Sundays ready to grow, ready to serve, and ready to launch.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Ligon Duncan and Matt Smethurst offer practical tips for helping your congregation get the most out of corporate worship.

Men and women aren't interchangeable, and God’s gendered design is a beautiful thing. How can pastors encourage and equip the godly women that the Lord entrusts to their care? It has been said, after all, that there’s no such thing as a healthy church in which the men flourish but the women don't.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss how pastors can better support the women in their churches, highlighting the vital role women play in the overall health of the congregation.

Doctrines are more like an interconnected web than an itemized list. So how do we determine which matters are debatable in a church—and which are not? Not all beliefs are equally important, after all. 

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan encourage pastors to think carefully about the respective “weight” Scripture assigns various doctrines—and the implications for unity grounded in truth and love.

Recommended resources:

• Westminster Confession of Faith
• The New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith 1833
• Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund

Have you ever wondered why two churches can be so similar in their doctrinal beliefs but so different in their practices? How can we make sure our methodology is rooted in theology, not mere pragmatism?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan are joined by Michael Lawrence to discuss the underrated importance of ministry philosophy in our churches.

If pastors are the supply line, members are the front line. How can pastors equip their sheep to take responsibility for one another’s spiritual well-being? How can pastors foster a culture of relational initiative and deliberate discipleship?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan share practical ideas on how to shepherd your congregations to have a discipleship mindset. 

• “I Was Discipled by … the Church” by Brian Bowman
• The Compelling Community: Where God’s Power Makes a Church Attractive by Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop
• Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures by David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
• Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D.A. Carson

Pastoral ministry is far more than preaching. Pastors are fundamentally shepherds, which means we’re called to care for particular sheep. How do we do that well?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan consider specific ways pastors can care for their congregation.

Recommended resources:

• Jordan Stone, Love to Christ: Robert Murray M’Cheyne and the Pursuit of Holiness
• Jordan Stone, A Communion of Love: The Christ-Centered Spirituality of Robert Murray M’Cheyne
• Jordan Stone, A Holy Minister: The Life and Spiritual Legacy of Robert Murray M’Cheyne