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:
Host Ben Smith
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
Host Ben Smith 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
Still to come
Dr. Robert Smith, Jr., retired Distinguished Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Birmingham, AL.
Brian Carroll, pastor of Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church, Flintstone, GA
Noah Oldham, church planter and executive director of the North America Mission Board Send Network.
Dr. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, SC
Chris Roberts, pastor, elder, and founding pastor of Bridge Church, Blackshear, GA.
Dr. Heath Lambert, pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL
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 25: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Smith
In episode 25 of The View From the Pulpit, host Ben Smith talks with Dr. Robert Smith, Distinguished Professor of Divinity and preaching at Beeson Divinity School, in Birmingham, AL. Dr. Smith describes his approach as an "exegetical weaver," interweaving explanation and application throughout the sermon. A notable aspect of his delivery is preaching without notes, relying on "internalization not memorization," which allows for improvisational, Spirit-guided expression. Dr. Smith emphasizes that "what counts is content," not just style, and teaches a 10-step Christocentric method that heavily focuses on deep textual study, including reading the text "50 times". He advocates for the sermon's form to reflect the text's genre, distinguishing between deductive and inductive approaches. Dr. Smith stresses the importance of unity in diversity within the church, encouraging preachers to learn from various cultural preaching traditions and for congregations to value faithfulness to the text over performative dynamics, warning against "emotionalism" that overshadows exegesis.