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Religion & Spirituality

The Everyday Pastor

by Matt Smethurst, Ligon Duncan

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Latest episodes

  • Pastoring Difficult Sheep

    October 12, 2026 · 40 min

    How do you pastor people who consistently drain your time, create relational tension, or seem to make every issue their issue? Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan talk candidly about the challenge of shepherding difficult sheep. They discuss…

  • The Pastor and Discouragement

    September 28, 2026 · 42 min

    Pastoral ministry can be deeply joyful, but it can also be profoundly discouraging. What happens when the church isn’t growing, conflict won’t resolve, your family is hurting, or one difficult relationship begins to overshadow everything…

  • Planning a Preaching Calendar

    September 7, 2026 · 36 min

    How should a pastor decide what to preach next, and how far ahead should he plan? Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the pastoral wisdom behind planning a preaching calendar, from choosing books of the Bible and balancing the Old and…

  • Planting a Church

    June 22, 2026 · 41 min

    What does it actually take to plant a healthy church?  Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the joys, challenges, and realities of church planting. Drawing from Matt’s experience planting River City Baptist Church in Richmond…

  • How to Preach the Gospel

    June 8, 2026 · 35 min

    How do pastors faithfully preach the gospel in every sermon without forcing Jesus into passages where he doesn’t belong? Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan tackle one of the most important questions in pastoral ministry: How do you preach…

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  • The Power of the Pulpit (with H. B. Charles, Jr.)

    May 25, 2026 · 41 min

    What keeps a pastor preaching faithfully when ministry feels discouraging? In this episode, H.B. Charles joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to talk about expository preaching, sermon preparation, pastoral application, grief…

  • How to Use Confessions and Church Covenants in Ministry

    May 11, 2026 · 34 min

    Confessions of faith and church covenants can sound outdated—but they may be more important than ever.  Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan explore the historic role of confessions, how they protect churches from theological drift, and why…

  • How to Talk About Jesus in a Post-Christian Age (with Glen Scrivener)

    April 27, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

    How do you talk about Jesus when people don’t share your assumptions anymore? Glen Scrivener joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to help pastors navigate evangelism in a post-Christian culture. They explore how secular people are still…

  • What Is the Gospel?

    April 13, 2026 · 55 min

    What is the gospel—really? In this episode, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan tackle the confusion surrounding one of the most important words in Christianity. They explain why the gospel isn’t self-help advice or vague spiritual…

  • How to Preach Evangelistically (with Garrett Kell)

    March 30, 2026 · 32 min

    Should Sunday sermons be evangelistic—or focused on believers? In this episode, Matt Smethurst, Ligon Duncan, and Garrett Kell tackle a false dichotomy: faithful preaching should do both. They explore how pastors can preach in a way that…

  • Practical Effects of 'Big God' Theology

    March 16, 2026 · 47 min

    What practical difference does a high view of God’s sovereignty actually make in everyday ministry? In this episode, Ligon Duncan and Matt Smethurst reflect on the doctrines of grace—often associated with Calvinism—and explore how a “big…

  • How to Handle Conflict and Controversy in Ministry

    March 2, 2026 · 43 min

    Conflict is inevitable in pastoral ministry—but how pastors handle it shapes the health of their church. In this episode, Ligon Duncan and Matt Smethurst explore theological controversy, denominational tension, and local church conflict…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

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. Tune in for wisdom, encouragement, and practical insights to help you navigate the trenches of ministry with fortitude and joy.