2025 - The year-end Review

What this episode covers

In this year-end episode of All for the Kingdom, Ben Smith is joined by two special guests—his wife Dana Smith and his father, Ben Smith—for an extended conversation reflecting on the sermons preached throughout 2025 and the role of expository preaching in the life and health of the church. Drawing from their shared experiences as listeners, teachers, and family members shaped by years of faithful biblical instruction, the discussion centers on what it means to let Scripture speak for itself and why that commitment remains essential in every generation. The episode begins with reflections on how each guest was first introduced to expository preaching and how their understanding of Scripture has grown through consistent, verse-by-verse teaching. Dana shares how expository preaching has helped her see the Bible as a unified story of redemption, while Ben’s father reflects on his decades of Sunday school teaching and the realization that faithful exposition—teaching the text as it is given—guards against cherry-picking passages and ignoring difficult truths. Together, they emphasize that the main idea of the biblical text must shape both the message and structure of the sermon. The conversation then turns to the broader landscape of preaching in the church. The guests reflect on shifts they have observed over time, including the prevalence of topical preaching and the growing pressure on pastors to prioritize comfort, relevance, or performance over faithfulness. They address the unique challenges of expository preaching, including the necessity of preaching through difficult passages, confronting uncomfortable doctrines such as sin, judgment, and God’s wrath, and trusting that God uses His Word—even when it causes conviction or discomfort—to sanctify His people. As the episode looks back on the podcast’s 2025 sermon series—Thessalonians, Genesis 1–4, and John 1 during Advent—the guests reflect on how these texts reveal the unity of Scripture and God’s redemptive plan from creation to Christ. Particular attention is given to how preaching through entire books helps believers see theological continuity, grow in discernment, and develop a deeper appreciation for grace, truth, and obedience. The discussion also highlights how preaching extends beyond the pulpit into discipleship, family life, and personal Bible study. The episode concludes with a reaffirmation of the central conviction behind All for the Kingdom: when the church allows Scripture to set the agenda, God’s Word does the work. Rather than bending the Bible to fit personal preferences or cultural expectations, faithful preaching calls both preacher and congregation to bend themselves to the truth of God’s revealed Word, trusting Him to shape His church for His glory.

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