Preaching as Theology
Nicole Martin
Episode Ten of Preaching and the Pastor Theologian –
In this final episode of the Preaching in the Pastor-Theologian series, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim are joined by Nicole Martin—pastor, preacher, and President/CEO of Christianity Today—for a wide-ranging conversation that brings the series’ central themes into sharp focus. Drawing on her own preaching journey and her book Nailing It, Martin reflects on preaching as a theological act of proclamation rather than performance, emphasizing surrender, simplicity, and a God-centered vision of the pulpit. Together, they explore the difference between preaching and teaching, the dangers of human-centered and culturally driven sermons, and the urgent need for theological formation shaped by the cross rather than triumphalism. The episode closes with a candid and pastoral word to preachers: true faithfulness lies not in success or spectacle, but in dying to self, trusting the sufficiency of God’s grace, and letting the Word of God do its work among a listening church—and a listening preacher.
Nicole Martin is the President and CEO of Christianity Today. She is the author of Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender (IVP, 2025). She holds degree from Vanderbilt University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
