This morning we continued our current sermon series, The Word of God & the People of God. Pastor Thomas Terry preached a sermon titled “A Good Shepherd” from 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

In this sermon we learned about God’s design for those who lead the church—pastors. This role is to be fulfilled by qualified men who are both pastors and members of the church. Pastors are not to do all the work of the church but are to equip the church for the work of its ministries. We see the pastoral qualifications through five categories: calling, character, conduct, competency, and consistency. We can be thankful for pastors knowing that Jesus is the chief Shepherd of the church and has delegated specific authority to pastors. We should all desire to submit to our pastors knowing they are accountable for our souls as men who give an account to God.