All for the Kingdom with Ben Smith

The only hope of salvation is in Jesus Christ. There is no hope in the wisdom of man or the works of man. However, since Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, the common struggle of man is to attempt to attain righteousness apart from God. The question that this psalm is wrestling with is the relationship between God and man. How are you to understand the relationship of man with God? Psalm...

Originally preached in September 2020. This passage comes in the greater context of understanding who God is, who you are, and what your attitude toward the Lord should be. James teaches that one with a true and living faith will have two defining attitudes toward the Lord. First, they will be humble before the Lord. And secondly, they will recognize their frailty and the power of God. These attit...

Feelings are not facts, and emotions often obscure the truth. However, this does not negate the seriousness of feelings and the dramatic impact emotions have on how you see the world. God created you with emotions; however, because of the fall and the corruption of this world, emotions can be destructive and deceptive. Psalm 13 is a psalm of David that deals with his feelings of spiritual abandonm...

The desire and will of God is for you to be in right relationship with Him and be in His presence. The testimony of this is that God has provided the way for the defiled to be made holy and those separated from Him by sin to draw near in confidence through the offering of His son, Jesus Christ. The offering of Jesus reveals God's will, which calls for a response of faith. This passage teaches thre...

Some tasks are restricted from you because of a lack of ability. Other tasks are restricted from you because of a lack of qualification or authority. The pride of sin produces the lie that your own efforts can achieve righteousness. The arrogance of sin can convince you that you do not need Jesus. However, the testimony of scripture is that you can never achieve righteousness before God through yo...

Show Notes: Reflections on Advent and the Book of Hebrews Episode Highlights: Christmas Greetings from Pastor Ben:  Warm wishes for a blessed Christmas and 2025. Advent Sermons from Hebrews:  Pastor Ben shares his thoughts on the Advent season, focusing on Jesus in the book of Hebrews: The Glorious Son:  Hebrews Chapter 1. The Faithful Son:  Hebrews Chapter 3. The Perfect Son:...

It is possible to be near the gospel and miss salvation. It is possible to have some knowledge of the gospel and not believe it. It is possible to be close to salivation and not be saved. Proximity does not equal possession. Beyond making a comparison between Moses and Jesus, Hebrews 3 warns that it is not enough to simply know who Jesus is. Like the people that Moses led, there will be many who m...

God has used many things to reveal himself to man and testify to his glory, but these things must not distract you from the glory of Jesus Christ. We are people who are easily distracted. The first chapter of Hebrews identifies some of the good things God has used to reveal himself to man, testify to his glory, and accomplish his will. God used these good things to point to his glory, but they are...

Psalm 95 is about how and why you must worship. The psalm calls believers to worship and warns against disobedience. Christians must worship God wholeheartedly in response to who He is and in obedience to His word. Psalm 95 teaches three ways you are to worship.

In a day when words are used to confuse, distort, manipulate, and misdirect, hope is found in the eternal, never-changing word of God and His faithfulness to keep His word to every generation. The foundation of the Christian faith is that God is truth, and the Bible is His inspired inerrant word. Every believer is called to believe in faith and stand firm in God's truth. Psalm 12 teaches three req...

In this closing greeting from Paul to Titus, we get a glimpse into the efforts of first-century saints to carry out the gospel mission in their churches and around the globe. Some were traveling to preach the gospel and teach sound doctrine. To support these efforts, the churches generously offered what they had. Paul, his fellow laborers, and the churches were doing all they could to advance the...

From the archives. Originally preached in September 2020. In this passage, James identifies the cause of conflict in the church and the resulting broken relationship with God and gives a clear solution – draw near to God through repentance.

What is required for a church to be healthy? As the collapse of cultural Christianity has taken its toll on weekly attendance, churches have had to reevaluate what it means to be a healthy church. The blessing of this reevaluation is renewed attention to biblical models and metrics of church health. The disappointment of this reevaluation is an awareness that many have abandoned the biblical funda...

The whole testimony of scripture is how God provided salvation for sinful man. From the first sin and the first pronouncement of the curse of sin in Genesis 3, God has been working to bring salvation for man’s sin (Genesis 3:15). God revealed His holiness and man’s need for the atonement of sin through the shedding of blood through the Law. Speaking through the prophets and writings, God declared...

The transformation of the gospel transforms more than your relationship with other Christians; it also transforms your relationship with the secular world. The instructions in Titus 3:1-3 focus on the outward signs of a grace-filled life and how God's grace affects your relationship with the world.

In verses 13-18, James contrasts two kinds of wisdom. One is from the Lord and produces the qualities of God’s character. The other is demonic and produces brokenness. It would seem that the choice between the two would be simple and obvious. But James makes this contrast to implore the church to recognize and choose godly wisdom, knowing that worldly wisdom often seems more appealing and is a dan...

Your speech is a reflection of and a testimony to the reality of your hearts. If your heart has been transformed, then so will your speech. Conversely, if your speech remains unrestrained by the gospel, it indicates that your heart has not been transformed.

The gospel transforms believers into people who live righteously in the present world with anticipatory hope of Christ's return, proclaiming the gospel's good news with authority and boldness until then. In this passage, Paul connects the instructions for how Christians are to live (2:2-10) with the why and how. The hope of the gospel transforms Christians before God. It also transforms how Christ...

Belief that does not transform behavior is worthless. Theology that does not bear out in your ethics is pointless. Doctrine that does not inform and motivate your duty is meaningless. Sound doctrine is more than academic or theoretical; it is transformational. Every Christian must bear evidence in their behavior and character of believing and becoming sound in truth. The teaching and preaching of...

The church's weapon against false teaching is the faithful teaching of scripture. When threatened by false teachings, the church must respond by preparing more men who can teach and preach sound doctrine. When faced with such threats, there is a temptation to feel defeated and powerless. There is tremendous pressure to bend to the secular culture's demand to keep silent and respect everyone's righ...

The church's health and effectiveness depend on its faithfulness to the word. Faithfulness to the word depends on biblical church order and qualified leadership. The church's health, well-being, and ability to guard the gospel that has been entrusted to it depend on being biblically ordered and led by qualified elders. This is not an issue only for church leaders. Every church member must be inves...

To be a faithful servant of God, you must know who you are, who God is, what he has done, and the people you are called to minister among. Paul and Titus knew each other well, but though Paul addressed his letter to Titus, he intended his words to be instructive for the churches. Thus, in these opening words of greeting, Paul is doing more than greeting his friend Titus; he also provides introduct...

When death is near and your days are coming to an end, trivial concerns will prove to be of no importance. However, for faithful Christians, the gospel hope and the glory of God will be the singular hope and concern. Reflecting on his present trials and the fullness of his ministry, Paul points those who will now carry on the ministry to God's power, provision, and glory. His life has been lived a...

As Paul concludes his letter, he reflects on his ministry and the cost he has endured. His recounting of these things is not to brag but to pass the baton on to Timothy and those who will continue to preach the word.   The gospel requires total sacrifice and faithful endurance, knowing that whatever the cost, the hope of heaven is worth it all. Those who have given their lives for Christ desi...

Preach the word. Three simple words. One powerful command. The message of the passage is straightforward. You must faithfully proclaim God's word and sound teaching regardless of the world's acceptance or hostility. So, how can you faithfully obey this command to preach the word? This passage teaches three things that are required of you to be faithful to preach the word.