Andrew J.W. Smith

What is a bad sermon and how do I recover from preaching one?

Pastor, you are a Christian first. If you did not carry out your calling effectively, rest in the finished work of Christ and in the knowledge that you are a child of God by faith alone.

226 years ago today, Baptist missions was born

In May of 1792, William Carey powerfully argued that the clear teaching of the New Testament was that Christ had accomplished everything necessary for the ingathering of the nations.

We persevere in the faith because of God’s preserving grace

In my prayers, I rarely fail to be grateful for God’s saving grace in Christ, but I realized that I seldom thank him for the daily grace that keeps me saved.

Seven habits of long-term pastors

These habits are not unique to long-tenured pastors. But they do seem to be most consistent among those pastors who have been at one church for at least ten years.

Messy lives don’t appear on Facebook

Only a life fully exposed to God’s Word and soaking in the community of Christ can bring to light the mess our social media feeds seek to avoid, and properly develop our growth in Christlikeness.

Reflections on 15 years of revitalization at my church

The first five years were brutal. There were three different movements to get me fired. In the midst of all the hostility and adversity, God was still building his church.

Let your church hear you sing

Do you love the members of your church enough to minister to them through song?

4 ways to undermine your Christian witness on social media

Jesus laid out a good rule of thumb for all of our online interactions when he said, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Pursue God, not pornography

If you’ve got areas in your life that you are intentionally keeping in the dark, you’ve not only got to confess your sin, but you’ve got to attach yourself to people who can help keep you accountable.

How do pastors fight pornography?

Don’t think that because you are a pastor you’re beyond using the common means that porn strugglers typically use.

Don’t miss God’s grace in heavy providences

When people look at us, do they see a people gloriously uneasy in this world because we’re longing for another?

Center your preaching on Spurgeon’s 3 R’s

Spurgeon called the 3 R’s “three doctrines that must be preached above all else,” and they draw from three different chapters of Scripture that “deal with the things in the fullest manner:” Genesis 3:14-15 (Ruin), Romans 3:21-26 (Redemption), John 3:1-8 (Regeneration). Why do I think it makes a good preaching or evangelism method? Because each of…

Three ways to show church members the value of regular church attendance

What if you miss something bigger than missing out on a sermon or singing when you don’t gather with your church body?

5 Reasons Church Revitalization is Risky

Church revitalization leaders should be consummate students of risk-taking.

Pastor, God may lavish you with uncomfortable grace

The pages of Scripture overflow with the doctrine of uncomfortable grace.

Two-time Super Bowl champion and SBTS donor lives out a public faith

Chris Maragos, a donor to Southern Seminary, won the Super Bowl (twice) — but that’s not his highest goal.

How the Lord’s Prayer will turn the world upside down

R. Albert Mohler Jr. explains how Christians have understood the Lord’s Prayer for centuries — and why it matters more than ever today

Unhappy Holidays? How Brokenness Leads to True Joy

Grandpa was sitting by himself, and what might have been idyllic in different circumstances turned heartbreaking.