Cover art for the podcast 'View from the Pulpit' featuring Ben Smith, a man wearing a navy suit and a light blue patterned bow tie, smiling against a textured blue background with geometric patterns.

View from the Pulpit

Discover why preaching is fundamentally central to every church with "View from the Pulpit" hosted by pastor Ben Smith. Each episode will feature interviews with pastors and church members exploring the role of preaching, the labor of preparing to preach, the effectiveness of how one preaches, and so much more. This podcast is about preaching, but it is not just for preachers. Whether each Sunday you are behind the pulpit or in the pew, tune in for engaging conversations that will help you better understand why preaching is vital to the church's health.

New episodes every Monday. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app so you will not miss any of these great conversations.

Season 1 Guests Include:

Jarrod Everson

Dr. Levi Skipper

Freddie Smith

Rusty Grace

Bob Richardson

Dr. Patrick Latham

Dr. Don Hattaway

Dr. Jeremy Morton

Randy Ray

Trey Herweck

Dr. Jimmy Dale Patterson

Clint Pressley

Mitch Hall

Wayne Woods

Dr. Bart Barber

Mike Everson

Mitch Jolly

Randy Mullinax

Dr. Landon Dowden

Dr. Mac Brunson

Chris Fowler

John Roland

Dr. Robert Smith, Jr.

Brian Carroll

Noah Oldham

Dr. Danny Akin

Chris Roberts

Dr. Heath Lambert

Jarrod Everson Dr. Levi Skipper Freddie Smith Rusty Grace Bob Richardson Dr. Patrick Latham Dr. Don Hattaway Dr. Jeremy Morton Randy Ray Trey Herweck Dr. Jimmy Dale Patterson Clint Pressley Mitch Hall Wayne Woods Dr. Bart Barber Mike Everson Mitch Jolly Randy Mullinax Dr. Landon Dowden Dr. Mac Brunson Chris Fowler John Roland Dr. Robert Smith, Jr. Brian Carroll Noah Oldham Dr. Danny Akin Chris Roberts Dr. Heath Lambert

Still to come

  • Brad Waters, pastor of First Baptist Church, Hazelhurst, GA

  • Dr. Jerry Vines, a revival and conference preacher, former pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL. (1982-2006) and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1988-1989).

  • Dr. Danny Cochran, retired pastor from Northwest Georgia.

  • Robbie Foster, Pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Valdosta, GA.

  • Dr. David Allan, Distinguished Professor of Practical Theology and Dean of the Adrian Rogers Center for Biblical Preaching at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee.

  • Dr. Gerald Harris, retired pastor and former editor of The Christian Index.

Episode 30: A Conversation with Dr. Heath Lambert
Preaching Ben Smith Preaching Ben Smith

Episode 30: A Conversation with Dr. Heath Lambert

Episode 30 of the "View from the Pulpit” podcast, hosted by Ben Smith, with guest Dr. Heath Lambert, pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL. In this episode, Dr. Heath Lambert reflects on the unique experience of pastoring First Baptist Church, which boasts a remarkable, nearly 100-year history of strong, expository preaching. He shares how he navigates the significant legacy of his predecessors, embracing God's unique plan for his own ministry rather than attempting to replicate others.

Dr. Lambert delves into the intensely challenging period of leading his church through a major transition, which he also chronicled in his podcast "What Happened at First Baptist". He details his unwavering commitment to protecting the pulpit during this time, ensuring that sermons remained faithful to the biblical text despite immense personal and congregational pressures, including his own health crises. He shares powerful testimonies of God's grace and encouragement that sustained him and his family through these trials. The conversation touches on the distinction between faithfulness and fruitfulness in ministry, especially when dealing with declining attendance, and how God uses difficult seasons to refine and strengthen the church.

Read More