All for the Kingdom with Ben Smith

As we have lived through the COVID-19 pandemic and all difficulties that it has brought to the church, we have had to think critically about what it means to be a church gathered for worship. Can the gathering of the church be substituted with a virtual alternative? Is it required for the church to be together? What is the difference between hearing preaching live from the pulpit and watching or l...

In this passage, Paul encourages the church to rid itself of sinful rebellious members. I think this passage is instructive to us as individuals as well. Each of us must constantly work to rid our lives of the corruption of sin. As we begin 2022 let us consider how we can make a fresh start towards righteousness.

The birth of Jesus is an amazing event. His birth is why we celebrate Christmas. As Matthew retells the birth story, he repeatedly reminds us that these events were the fulfillment of the prophecies that foretold of the coming messiah. Even the family’s escape to Egypt and return to Nazareth (2:13-23) were part of God’s perfect plan. But amazing as the birth and all the events around it are – the...

When the angel revealed to Joseph that Mary was pregnant with the Messiah, he was declaring that the long wait was over. The long-anticipated Messiah was coming. The Christ has arrived. The name that the prophet Isaiah gives the messiah is Immanuel. As Matthew recounts the encounter Joseph had with the angel, he reminds us that this name means “God with us.” God stepped out of the glory of heaven...

Habakkuk knew that the judgment of God was coming. He knew there was no way to avoid it. He would likely die before God restored the people to the land. These were hard days. They were not going to get better in his lifetime. And yet Habakkuk ends this book with some of the most hopeful and joy-filled words in all of scripture. Habakkuk had joy even in the brokenness of his present situation becau...

Sometimes all you have is a few minutes. With this in mind I am excited to announce that I am working on a new podcast channel called “Sermon Shorts”. I will be posting 5 min or less clips from recent sermons. I hope you will subscribe and listen. The channel is already available on Apple podcast and will be coming to Google podcast, and other podcast sites very soon.  The following is an exa...

The desire of every generation is world peace. Since the fall of man, there have been attempts, plans, and efforts to create lasting peace. There have been historic periods where there was reduced open hostility and conflict but not since Adam and Eve walked out of the garden has there been a moment of true lasting peace. The very first sin recorded in scripture after leaving the garden is murder....

God made a promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth through him. God added to this promise when He promised king David (a descendant of Abraham) that his kingdom would last forever with a descendant of his on the throne. These promises, and many more, were fulfilled in Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, a member of David’s family, and the lamb of God who would take away the sin of th...

Thanksgiving and generosity are inseparable. One produces the other. Thanksgiving produces generosity. Generosity produces thanksgiving. And both thanksgiving and generosity bring glory to God.

Psalm 115 calls us to behold the glory of God and understand that all things in heaven and earth are for God’s glory. From this foundational truth flows the encouragement and response to trust the Lord alone for help and salvation and to praise the Lord.

In this episode of All for the Kingdom , host Ben Smith sits down with his wife, Dana Smith , for a candid and thoughtful conversation about life as a pastor’s wife. Drawing from more than two decades of ministry together, Dana shares personal reflections on the joys, challenges, and spiritual realities that often remain unseen by the congregation. Dana discusses how her understanding of ministry...

The greater context of chapter 40 is a call to behold the glory of God (vs. 9) and know (vs. 21, 28) that God stands alone in His glory and power, and in Him alone is hope. Here is the whole sermon in one sentence: If you turn your attention to God, the problems of this world become small, but if you give your attention only to the problems of this world, they will overwhelm you. Through the proph...

This passage is a familiar passage to most Christians. Most Christians know that they should be sharing the gospel. However, many Christians approach this passage more with inaction and guilt than obedience and enthusiasm. I hope, through this sermon, you will wrestle with the command of Jesus and take hold of the power that God provides for our obedience.

We could certainly find much to point to in our current cultural context that would testify to the dysfunctional and delusional elevation of personal autonomy over truth. However, all of us have a natural inclination to preference our desires and autonomy over others. Thus, what Paul teaches in this passage is certainly radical in contrast to our present-day, but truthfully it has always been coun...

For Christians, the most important thing about you is that you have been saved from sin by the power of God. Your salvation and your relationship with the Lord should be the first thing and the most significant thing that defines you. There are some professing Christians who keep their faith under wraps. They recognize that it as a liability in this increasingly secularized culture. They justify i...

When you understand the biblical understanding of heaven, you will discover that it is exponentially greater than anything from the mind of man.. From John 14:1-3 I want you to see two simple, but eternally profound, truths about heaven: 1. There is real hope because heaven is a reality 2. The focus and glory of heaven is dwelling in the presence of God

If you fear the wrong thing, you will pursue the wrong thing. If you fear the right thing, you will pursue the right thing. In Luke 12:1-7, Jesus warns His disciples against fearing man and that they should fear the judgment of God.

The consequences of the pandemic have made the fleeting nature of life inescapably exposed. Every day there seems to be news of someone you know who has become very sick or has died from the virus. All biblical sermons are gospel-focused. Some are more explicit than others. Recognizing the perilous times we are experiencing I want to spend the next several weeks being as explicate as I can about t...

In these final chapters of the book of Esther, we see how the Lord delivered His people from the murderous threats of Haman and provided for Esther and her cousin Mordecai. We see how God historically worked through the people and events of the day to bring about His will and provide for His people. This testimony gives us present reason to rejoice, knowing that God is equally working in our day....

In Esther chapter 5, events begin to come quickly. Esther approaches the king, and Haman advances his plans to annihilate the Jews with special attention to the murder of Mordecai. All the while the deliverance of God is being brought about and will come quickly and (I think) unexpectedly to all those involved. Most of these things will happen in chapters 7-10, which we will consider next week. In...

There is no sermon podcast this week as I am my family we visiting family this past weekend but I will be continuing the Esther sermon series next week.

Chapter 4 has one of the best-known verses in the entire book of Esther: “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV) Looking back at this passage, we can see the grace of God and the faith of Mordecai and Esther. In the moment, it may not have felt like they were acting out of great faith but more out of desperate self-preservation. Even so,...

Esther chapter 3 is a very unsettling moment. In practical terms, things have gone from bad to worst. Yet, in this very bleak moment, there is a beautiful testimony to the providence of God. Even while Mordecai and Esther may be unaware, God is providing for the deliverance of His people. In this passage, we see how God is providentially working through His perfect timing, the opportunities to pro...

This is not a fairy tale. This is not a happy-ever-after story. This is a story of a subjected people being used without regard by the king according to his whims. Esther is not an autonomous actor. She is trying to survive in a hostile place. In this very broken and dark moment, we see both the ugliness of living in a broken world and the hope of God’s sovereignty to make a way for His redemptive...

Using the example of the lamp I want you to see to fundamental truths about following Christ. When you believe in faith on Jesus for salvation you are forever changed – you are irreversibly transformed.  The humble oil lamp demonstrates two ways this transformation changes you - transformed nature and transformed obligation.