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.

Available in your favorite podcast app.

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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

Brad Waters

Dr. Jerry Vines

Dr. Gerald Harris

Dr. Danny Cochran

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 Brad Waters Dr. Jerry Vines Dr. Gerald Harris Dr. Danny Cochran

Episode 34: A Conversation with Dr. Danny Cochran
Preaching Ben Smith Preaching Ben Smith

Episode 34: A Conversation with Dr. Danny Cochran

Episode 34 of the "View from the Pulpit” podcast, hosted by Ben Smith, with guest Dr. Danny Cochran. In this episode of View From the Pulpit, Pastor Ben Smith sits down with Dr. Danny Cochran, longtime pastor, author, and former editor of The Christian Index. Together, they reflect on Dr. Cochran’s decades of ministry, the lessons learned along the way, and the challenges facing churches today.

From his early call to ministry to his leadership in preaching, writing, and denominational life, Dr. Cochran shares wisdom, encouragement, and a pastor’s heart for serving God’s people faithfully. He also offers a perspective on how pastors can navigate cultural change while staying anchored in biblical truth.

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Episode 33: A Conversation with Dr. Gerald Harris
Preaching Ben Smith Preaching Ben Smith

Episode 33: A Conversation with Dr. Gerald Harris

Episode 33 of the "View from the Pulpit” podcast, hosted by Ben Smith, with guest Dr. Gerald Harris. In this episode of View From the Pulpit, Pastor Ben Smith sits down with Dr. Gerald Harris, longtime pastor, author, and former editor of The Christian Index. Together, they reflect on Dr. Harris’s decades of ministry, the lessons learned along the way, and the challenges facing churches today.

From his early call to ministry to his leadership in preaching, writing, and denominational life, Dr. Harris shares wisdom, encouragement, and a pastor’s heart for serving God’s people faithfully. He also offers a perspective on how pastors can navigate cultural change while staying anchored in biblical truth.

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Episode 32: A Conversation with Dr. Jerry Vines
Preaching Ben Smith Preaching Ben Smith

Episode 32: A Conversation with Dr. Jerry Vines

In this episode of “View From the Pulpit”, host Ben Smith talks with Dr. Jerry Vines, who is often credited with "literally writing the book on expository preaching". Dr. Vines recounts his personal journey from topical preaching in his early ministry to embracing expository preaching and how this shift transformed his approach to teaching God's Word. He shares his three-step sermon preparation process—investigation, interpretation, and application—and discusses the importance of "passion-driven preaching" where the preacher's emotion reflects the passage's pathos. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Vines offers profound wisdom for young and seasoned pastors alike, emphasizing the primacy of preaching and the necessity of a strong devotional life.

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Episode 27: A Conversation with Noah Oldham
Preaching, Church planting Ben Smith Preaching, Church planting Ben Smith

Episode 27: A Conversation with Noah Oldham

In this episode of The View From the Pulpit, host Ben Smith talks with Noah Oldham, Executive Director of Send Network, about his extensive experience in church planting. Noah shares insights into establishing the central place of preaching in new churches, the critical role of biblical, expositional preaching, training the next generation of preachers, and cultivating a church culture that deeply values God's word.

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Episode 14: A Conversation with Clint Pressley

Episode 14: A Conversation with Clint Pressley

In this episode of “View from the Pulpit,” host Ben Smith talks with Clint Pressley, senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC, and the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, on how he has strived to grow continually as a preacher and how he prepares to preach each week. Pressley also discusses the state of preaching among Baptist pastors from his perspective as president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

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Episode 13: A Conversation with Dr. Jimmy Dale Patterson
Preaching Ben Smith Preaching Ben Smith

Episode 13: A Conversation with Dr. Jimmy Dale Patterson

Episode 13 of the "View from the Pulpit” podcast, hosted by Ben Smith, engages in an insightful discussion with  Dr. Jimmy Dale Patterson, Transitional Pastor of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, Griffin, GA, who shares his journey through various stages of pastoral ministry and how God has developed him as a preacher.

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