The Everyday Pastor

Teach People How to Read Their Bibles Apr 14, 2025

It’s the most important book in the universe, but it can also be intimidating. Many of our members may be discouraged to admit that their resolutions have sputtered out—again. As pastors, how can we prepare and motivate our members to dive into God’s Word for themselves?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan share practical tips for promoting a culture of biblical literacy in the local church.

Recommended resources:

For a full list of recommended resources on this episode, visit our website.

When the Pastor's Family Suffers (with Garrett Kell) Apr 07, 2025

Pastors are called to walk alongside suffering saints, but what about when the pastor is the sufferer?

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, pastor Garrett Kell joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to share about a season of family hardship—and what it looked like to receive care from his church community. He testifies to the beauty of Christ’s body and the faith-fortifying role of pain, encouraging shepherds to remember that they, too, are among Christ’s sheep.

The Praying Pastor Mar 31, 2025

Every pastor affirms the importance of prayer and likely excels at it publicly, but consistency in private prayer is hard. And it isn't easy to foster a congregation-wide culture of prayer.

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss practical tips for improving your prayer life—and the praying habits of your whole congregation. After all, a church that will be found faithful is a church that will be found praying.

Recommended resources:

A Way to Pray by Matthew Henry
5 Things to Pray for Your Kids by Melissa Kruger
5 Things to Pray for Your Spouse: Prayers That Change and Strengthen Your Marriage by Michael and Melissa Kruger
I'm Praying for You: 40 Days of Praying the Bible for Someone Who Is Suffering by Nancy Guthrie
Prayers on the Psalms by David Calhoun (ed.)
Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation by Don Carson

How Pastors Should Lead (with Paul Tripp) Mar 24, 2025

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

Toward a Theologically Minded Church Mar 17, 2025

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.

The Pastor and Purity Mar 10, 2025

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

Teach Gospel Assurance Mar 03, 2025

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).

Prepare Your People For Sunday Feb 24, 2025

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.

Supporting Women in the Church Feb 17, 2025

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.

The Value of Theological Triage Feb 10, 2025

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:

Don’t Underestimate Ministry Philosophy Feb 03, 2025

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.

Build a Culture of Discipleship Jan 27, 2025

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

The Art of Pastoral Care Jan 20, 2025

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

The Soul of the Pastor Jan 13, 2025

“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

Top Theology Stories of 2024 Dec 27, 2024

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)