The Everyday Pastor

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

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching,” Paul exhorts the young pastor Timothy (1 Tim. 4:16). For many of us, it’s dangerously easy to guard our doctrine but not our lives. How can a busy pastor tend to his soul?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss practices for maintaining intimacy with Christ amid the demands of ministry.

Recommended resources:

• Josiah Bull (ed.), Letters of John Newton
• Jonathan Aitken, John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace
• Tony Reinke, Newton on the Christian Life: To Live Is Christ
• Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters
• David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host

Join Collin Hansen and Melissa Kruger for their annual discussion as they look back on the top theology stories of 2024. They also share their favorite books from 2024, updates on personal projects, and what they're each looking forward to in life and ministry in 2025. 

They discuss: 

• The rise in Bible sales in 2024
• Declining fertility rates worldwide
• Big changes for the United Methodist Church and the role of the Global South
• The advance of assisted suicide in the UK
• The Cass Report and the truth about transgender treatments
• Encouraging signs among Gen Z
• Trump’s election victory and a GOP shift
• Anticipating the 2025 Gospelbound season
• Book highlights from 2024
• Personal projects and updates
• Don Carson’s legacy and an important update about his life and ministry

Mentioned on this episode:

"My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2024" by Collin Hansen (article)

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

The greatest threat to Christmas isn't secularism or consumerism but our own boredom with the most thrilling story ever told.

In this special Christmas episode of The Everyday Pastor, Sinclair Ferguson joins Ligon Duncan and Matt Smethurst to marvel at the miracle of the incarnation. How can pastors help their people recapture the wonder? The trio also offers practical tips for shepherding well during this busy and emotionally complex time of year.

Recommended resources: 

• Sinclair Ferguson, Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent
• Sinclair Ferguson, The Dawn of Redeeming Grace: Daily Devotions for Advent

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

Church polity is like stretching. It seems boring until something tears—and then you wish you’d devoted more time to it. Despite their differences (Matt Smethurst is a congregationalist and Ligon Duncan is a Presbyterian), both agree Scripture has a lot to say—more than many evangelicals assume—about how a local church should be structured. This is an underrated topic, and pastors impoverish themselves by not giving careful attention to it.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Smethurst and Duncan explore why church polity matters and its overlooked biblical importance.

Recommended resource: Jonathan Leeman, Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

When it comes to the art of delivering sermons, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But Matt Smethurst and (especially) Ligon Duncan have learned helpful lessons over the years.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt and Ligon offer practical tips to help pastors reflect on and improve their sermon delivery.

Recommended resources:

• Mark Dever, Application Grid
• Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

What are your rhythms for sermon preparation? How should this be prioritized alongside other responsibilities? How can you grow more efficient and effective while remaining faithful to the task?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the rigors and joys of sermon prep.

Recommended resources:

• The Practical Works of Richard Baxter, Vol. 1: A Christian Directory
• J. I. Packer, Truth and Power: The Place of Scripture in the Christian Life
• Jay Adams, Be Careful How You Listen: How to Get the Most Out of a Sermon
• Joel Beeke, Reformed Preaching: Proclaiming God’s Word from the Heart of the Preacher to the Heart of His People
• Ligon Duncan, “How to Listen to a Bad Sermon”

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

Would your sermons make sense if Jesus didn’t die and rise again? If the answer is yes, your sermons may well be instructive, insightful, and inspiring, but they aren't yet Christian.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Bryan Chapell—a “Jedi master” on the topic of Christ-centered preaching—brings decades of experience to this conversation with Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan on why (and how) to make Jesus Christ the hero of every sermon.

Recommended resources:

• Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon
• Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Sermons: Models of Redemptive Preaching
• Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

Liturgy is all the rage—or it’s not considered at all. In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the importance of a deliberate order of service, or liturgy, for Sunday worship. God summons us into his presence by his Word, and we respond by his grace. But what does this mean practically for what you do—and don’t—include in your Sunday services?

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

What should churches do when they gather on Sunday? The answer isn’t as obvious as it may seem. In this episode, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan share how they prepare for Sunday worship in light of their pastoral role. And they discuss the “counterintuitively freeing” effect of rightly understanding the regulative principle of worship.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: 

• Greg Beale, We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

In Christian ministry, it’s difficult to think of a greater occupational hazard than pride. But of course, pride can manifest itself in both “loud” and “quiet” ways. How, then, can pastors avoid the perils of pride? This episode of The Everyday Pastor focuses on practical tips for cultivating humility in the service of Jesus Christ.

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

Pastoral ministry is hard, and there’s often plenty to be discouraged about. But amid the hardships, it’s easy to lose sight of the joys. In this inaugural episode of The Everyday Pastor, young pastor Matt Smethurst sits down with Ligon Duncan, who has pastored for two decades. Together they reflect on some specific things they love about serving the church, helping pastors in any season to find fresh joy in the work of ministry.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

• Ligon Duncan: A Tribute to My Mother
• Mark Dever, 2016 T4G: Endurance Needed: Strength For a Slow Reformation and the Dangerous Allure of Speed (“The joy of the elder’s chair”)
• Bobby Jamieson, The Path to Being a Pastor

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together

The Everyday Pastor is a new podcast from TGC on the nuts and bolts of ministry. Hosted by Ligon Duncan, with nearly 20 years of pastoral experience, and Matt Smethurst, who planted a church three years ago, it seeks to model how ministers of different generations, levels of experience, and even denominations can apply God’s never-changing Word in a fast-changing world.

It’s not an easy time to be a pastor, but it’s an exciting one—because the Lord is on his throne and his Word is enough to help us navigate the trenches of ministry with fortitude and joy. So join Matt and Lig (and special guests along the way) as they seek to help you think wisely about nitty-gritty issues of everyday ministry.

Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together