All for the Kingdom with Ben Smith

The most vicious accusers are the ones who attack your heart's motives and intentions. Such accusations are clearly prohibited in scripture because only God can know your heart, and to judge another's heart is to stand in the place of God's judgment. Ungodly accusers choose to attack your heart's intentions and motives because such attacks are impossible to defend against. The attacker says, "I kn...

Suffering is unpleasant. We do all we can to avoid it. And when we experience suffering, we often attempt to minimize the knowledge of how much it affects us to others. We are tempted to look at others who seem not to have much suffering as more greatly blessed by God. And we often wonder when suffering comes to our lives if it is evidence of God's displeasure. Paul opens this letter to the Corint...

This year has been a momentous year for the defense of life in our country. On January 22, 1972, the United State Supreme Court invented a right to abortion not articulated in the constitution in the Roe v. Wade case. It was assumed that with this decision, the question of abortion and its legitimacy would be settled. Instead, it awakened the church and those who recognized the ruling's illegitima...

Being great is a desire that is common to every generation and every culture. In Matthew 18:1-4 the disciples revealed that their concern about the kingdom Jesus promised to establish was who among them would be the greatest. The disciples were not immune to this desire to convert their relationship with Jesus into positions of importance in the kingdom He was establishing. They hoped to enjoy the...

Exercise has some benefits for the body, but it is temporary. However, when we develop lives of godliness through being nourished by the word and disciplining ourselves for God – these benefits are known for eternity. Give your minds to the word of God. Feed on it. Consume it. Let it penetrate and saturate every part of your mind and heart. Add to this a life of discipline. Be disciplined for godl...

Opportunities do not last forever. This is also true for the hope of salvation. Salvation is available today, but the opportunity will not remain forever.

I was out of the pulpit on New Year's day, so this week's podcast is from the archives. I preached this sermon on January 4, 2020. Surveys reveal that almost half of all American adults plan to make New Year's resolutions, the most common being exercising more. However, an analysis from Strava found that many give up on their resolution to exercise more as early as mid-January. Almost 11% of all g...

In the days of Jesus’ birth, Israel was not a free nation. They were unhappily under the control and rule of Rome. But God was doing more than bringing political relief. Jesus the Messiah brought freedom from the enslavement of sin. Let us rejoice that Jesus, the Messiah, has come to set us free from the bondage of sin so that we might be transformed from slaves to sons and have the assurance of h...

Scripture declares Jesus as the King of kings. But what does this title mean? In the Old Testament, the title of king of kings is used three times to reference an earthly king with no equal. All three of these references were to indicate that the king had no earthly equal or challenger. However, though these kings had no equal in the day of their rule, they would not nor could not maintain their p...

Who you recognize Jesus to be determines how you respond to Jesus. Suppose you see Jesus as an interesting historical figure of the first century. In that case, you may give a passing interest to his life and impact on the world but will pay little attention to him beyond what your curiosity will drive. If you see Jesus as a great moral person, you may respect him for the life he lived and think i...

The first chapter of John’s gospel is packed with some of the most amazing statements in all of scripture. John 1:14-18 is one of those passages. John declares in verse 14 that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The importance of this statement cannot be overstated. - Jesus, who is all God and all man, came to dwell amongst humanity. - Jesus, who is all God and all man, lived without sin. -...

One of the marvels of modernity is the ability to push back the darkness. No longer are the schedules of our lives dictated by the sun's rising and setting. However, even with this transformational invention, man remains dependent on the presence of light. Light reveals what is. Light exposes the truth and deposes lies. One of the most basic things we rely on light for is the ability to move aroun...

Thanksgiving, in the most basic sense, is an acknowledgment of a gift or act of service. We rightly express thanksgiving when we receive gifts, no matter the quality or value of the gift. Also, we rightly express thanksgiving when receiving service – even service that we pay for. However, thanksgiving as an act of worship is entirely more significant and important. When you have a thankful heart t...

When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinth church, he knew he had to confront some serious issues of sin. There was trouble in the church. Some members were guilty of sexual sin, others of drunkenness, and others were attempting to justify their worldly living with a perverted understanding of the grace of God. The city of Corinth was well known as a place of debauchery, and the church strugg...

"And they lived happily ever after." That's how good stories are supposed to end. No matter the difficulty, challenges, and struggles a character might have faced, we long for them to overcome, be victorious, or achieve success, then live the rest of their days "happily ever after." Chapter 34 is one of the saddest and most despicable chapters in the Bible. It is such an ugly testimony that it is...

Being humble before the Lord and recognizing our frailty are truths we are quick to acknowledge but do not truly appreciate until we find ourselves humbled. In Genesis 34, we read the account of Jacob wrestling with God. This is not a testimony of Jacob's strength or tenacity but of God's power, patience, and grace. Throughout the night, Jacob thought he had been fighting to defend himself. At day...

The arrogance of youth is cute in a toddler but destructive and costly in adulthood. There is grace when God teaches you humility and the true cost of sin.

No one desires to be broken. No one wants to suffer the consequences of sin. If we had our desires, we would skip through life without consequences. However, there is grace in brokenness. In Genesis 28:10-22, Jacob is broken. He had succeeded in his schemes against his father and brother, but he had lost everything he had hoped for. We find him not as the favored son receiving his father's wealth...

Sin is destructive, and failure is demoralizing. If we are not careful, our response to sin and failure can be as destructive, if not more than the original sin. In Genesis 27, we witness how Isaac, Rebecca, Esau, and Jacob responded to their previous sinful attempts to get their way. Each of them is attempting to recover from their own failure. Through their testimony, we see in Esau the destruct...

Jacob’s family is not a model of healthy relationships. His parents are open about their partiality toward their children. The brothers have a very contentious relationship. Rebecca is willing to work against her husband’s wishes. And Isaac is willing to work against the will of God. We see in this passage four people attempting to get their own way. Some want their will in opposition to God’s wil...

The testimony of scripture is not of perfect people accomplishing God's purposes. Instead, the story of scripture is of a perfect God using imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will. The testimony of Jacob is complicated. On the one hand, Jacob's story is not easily celebrated. He is not a man of strength in character or physical ability. He is a schemer, manipulator, and liar. On the other...

In this passage, Peter encourages the church to be prepared to share the hope of the gospel with gentleness and respect. Peter was writing to a church that was well acquainted with persecution and worldly hostility. Throughout history, the gospel has been most effectively spread in times of great persecution. In the days of the New Testament church, as persecution pushed Christians to leave their...

There are some places that you long to be. Maybe for you, it is at home or being with friends. These places and people refresh your soul. They offer you an opportunity to relax and be restored. Such places and people are both needed and desired. As Paul closed his letter to the Romans, he expressed how he longed to be with his fellow believers. His longing was not just to have a meal or to be with...

Christians are called to be generous givers. In 1 Corinthians 8, while encouraging the generosity of the saints, Paul uses the phrase "excel in this act of grace." It is good and right to excel in faith, knowledge of scripture, and spiritual maturity. But let us also excel in grace, giving abundantly and generously as the Lord provides.

In scripture, there are many examples of prayer. Some are eloquent others are passionate. Some are long and detailed; others are short and simple. Though not definitively prescriptive, these examples teach us how to pray. Prayer is a fundamental part of living for Jesus. Jesus prayed. Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Paul prayed and encouraged the church to pray. The Old Testament is full of ex...