How Do I Know If God Is Calling Me to Be a Pastor?

Summary

The transcript discusses the discernment of a calling to pastoral ministry. It emphasizes the importance of a persistent desire for the role, which is not a fleeting impulse but a recurring and unshakeable aspiration. Key qualities to look for include teaching gifts and wisdom in dealing with people, as per First Timothy. Additionally, seeking confirmation from others is crucial; if one's ministry is not recognized or supported by the church, it may indicate a disconnect. Positive feedback and people being drawn to one's presence are signs of a life-giving ministry. Lastly, circumstances and opportunities that align with one's sense of calling should be considered, with prayer and immersion in the word of God guiding the journey.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Look for a strong and recurring desire to confirm your calling as a pastor.
• 📖 Aspire to the eldership according to First Timothy.
• 🎓 Seek gifts needed in pastoral ministry, such as teaching and wisdom with people.
• 🌱 Cultivate and exercise the gifts you find within yourself.
• 🗣️ Look for confirmation from others in the church community.
• 👥 Pay attention to how people respond to your ministry efforts.
• 🔔 Seek opportunities and circumstances that confirm your calling.
• 🙏 Soak your life in prayer to guide your path.
• 📚 Immerse yourself in the word to develop spiritual aroma.
• 🌬️ Follow the direction the spiritual aroma leads you.

Q & A

What is the first sign to look for when considering a calling to be a pastor?

A strong and continually recurring desire that cannot be shaken, indicating a persistent aspiration to the eldership.

According to the transcript, what biblical reference is given for the need of certain gifts in pastoral ministry?

First Timothy is mentioned as a reference that requires gifts such as teaching for pastoral ministry.

What type of wisdom is suggested as necessary for pastoral ministry?

A certain kind of wisdom with people is needed, which implies an understanding of how to interact and communicate effectively with a congregation.

How can one cultivate and exercise the gifts needed for pastoral ministry?

By looking for those gifts, doing what you can to exercise them, and seeking opportunities to practice and develop them.

What role do other people play in confirming a calling to be a pastor?

Confirmation from others is important; when people are helped by your ministry and express their appreciation, it can be a sign that you are on the right path.

Why is it significant if people start to drift away from someone considering a pastoral calling?

If people are not drawn to you for guidance or conversation, it might indicate that your presence is not life-giving, which is a crucial aspect of pastoral ministry.

What does the transcript suggest as a method to confirm a sense of calling?

Look for circumstances that confirm the calling, such as opportunities that emerge and positive feedback from your efforts in leading and sharing the word.

How does the transcript recommend immersing oneself in preparation for pastoral ministry?

By soaking one's life in prayer and immersing oneself in the word of God, which can help guide and direct one's path.

What is the metaphor used in the transcript to describe the process of confirming a calling?

The metaphor of a pot with an aroma that blows in a direction is used to describe how one should follow the spiritual signs and nudges that confirm a calling.

What exception is mentioned in the transcript regarding the church's role in confirming gifts?

There are exceptions where a prophetic voice may rise up and not be recognized by the church, indicating that not all gifts are immediately confirmed by the congregation.

What is the importance of leading a small group and sharing the word according to the transcript?

Leading a small group and sharing the word are ways to exercise and confirm one's gifts and calling, as well as to receive feedback and confirmation from others.

Outlines

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🌟 Confirming a Pastoral Calling

The paragraph discusses the process of confirming a calling to be a pastor. It emphasizes the importance of a strong and recurring desire to serve in this role, which is not a fleeting impulse but a persistent calling. It also highlights the need for specific gifts, such as teaching and wisdom in dealing with people, which are essential for pastoral ministry. The speaker suggests cultivating these gifts and looking for confirmation from others, such as positive feedback from leading a small group or sharing the word. The paragraph concludes with the advice to seek opportunities and circumstances that affirm this calling, and to immerse oneself in prayer and the word of God to discern the direction one should follow.

Keywords

💡calling

A calling refers to a strong inner desire or urge to pursue a particular career or vocation, often with a sense of divine or spiritual guidance. In the context of the video, a calling to be a pastor is a recurring and persistent desire that cannot be easily shaken off. It's an inclination towards serving in a religious or spiritual leadership role, which is a central theme of the video.

💡desire

Desire in this context is a deep-seated longing or aspiration. The video emphasizes looking for a 'strong and continually recurring desire' as a sign of a true calling to pastoral ministry. It contrasts with a fleeting impulse and suggests a profound, enduring motivation.

💡First Timothy

First Timothy is a book in the New Testament of the Bible. The video references it as an authoritative source for the qualities and gifts required for pastoral ministry, such as the gift of teaching. It provides a scriptural basis for the traits and skills necessary for someone considering a pastoral calling.

💡gifts

In the context of the video, gifts refer to the natural abilities or spiritual endowments necessary for pastoral work, such as teaching and wisdom with people. The video encourages individuals to look for these gifts within themselves and to cultivate them, which is integral to confirming a calling to ministry.

💡confirmation

Confirmation in the video refers to the validation or affirmation from others that one has the necessary gifts and calling for pastoral ministry. It is the external recognition that supports and corroborates an individual's internal sense of calling.

💡prophetic voice

A prophetic voice, as mentioned in the video, is a rare exception where an individual's calling and message are not immediately recognized by the church. It suggests that while confirmation from others is typical, there can be instances where a true calling is not immediately acknowledged.

💡church

The church, as used in the video, is the community or congregation that plays a role in recognizing and confirming the calling of a potential pastor. It is the social body that often provides the context for pastoral work and the validation of one's calling.

💡lifegiving

Lifegiving, in the video, describes the positive impact a potential pastor has on others. It contrasts with 'life taking' and implies that a true calling is evidenced by one's ability to bring hope, encouragement, and spiritual nourishment to others.

💡small group

A small group in this context refers to a gathering of individuals within a church setting where someone might lead, share the word, and encourage others. The video uses this as an example of a situation where one's calling and gifts can be tested and confirmed through the response of the group.

💡circumstances

Circumstances, as discussed in the video, are the external conditions or opportunities that can confirm a sense of calling. It suggests that the right set of circumstances can provide a platform for an individual to explore and validate their calling to pastoral ministry.

💡prayer

Prayer is mentioned as a means of soaking one's life, implying a deep spiritual practice that can guide and confirm one's calling. The video suggests that immersing oneself in prayer can help clarify and strengthen the sense of being called to pastoral ministry.

Highlights

Feeling called to be a pastor involves a strong and continually recurring desire.

Desire to aspire to the eldership according to First Timothy.

Pastoral ministry requires gifts such as teaching and wisdom with people.

Cultivate and exercise the gifts needed for pastoral ministry.

Look for confirmation from others in the church.

Church often confirms the gifts given to elders and pastors.

Leading a small group and sharing the word should be encouraging to others.

People seeking more from your presence indicates a life-giving ministry.

If people drift away, it might suggest a need for self-reflection on ministering abilities.

Confirmation from circumstances can validate a calling to ministry.

Soak your life in prayer to confirm your calling.

Immerse yourself in the word of God.

The direction of spiritual growth can indicate the path to follow.

A prophetic voice may rise up and be hardly recognized by the church.

Exceptions exist where a prophetic voice is not immediately recognized.

The church's role in recognizing and confirming spiritual gifts.

The importance of a congregation's response to a potential pastor's ministry.

The need for self-assessment when congregational engagement decreases.

The significance of prayer and scripture in discerning a call to pastoral ministry.

Transcripts

I feel called to be a

pastor what sorts of things should I be

looking

for to confirm this possible

calling that's a good

question number

one be looking

for a strong

and continually recurring desire

in other words this is not a flash in

the pain desire after some inspiring

speech that somebody gave this keeps

coming back and coming back and coming

back a desire that you cannot shake it's

right to Aspire to the eldership

according to First

Timothy number two be looking

for some

gifts that are needed in pastoral min

Ministry Gifts of teaching are required

for example and a certain kind of uh

wisdom with

people so look for those gifts cultivate

those gifts do what you can to exercise

those gifts and then third look for

confirmation in other

people when men put themselves upon a

church where a church is not delivering

messages of confirmation he's probably

out of touch he may not be I mean there

are a few exceptions where a prophetic

voice Rises up and is hardly recognized

by anybody in the church as a prophetic

voice but by and large the church

confirms the gifts given to uh the

elders and the pastors and so what that

means is you're leading a small group

you're trying to share the word to

encourage people and people are getting

help and they're telling you so that was

encouraging and they're coming back they

want to get more they find your presence

to be lifegiving rather than life taking

when people start to drift away from you

rather than being drawn to you to hear

or to talk or Converse then that might

be H how can I minister to a

congregation if they're not getting

helped by me so the the third thing is

uh confirmation

and then I would look for

um

circumstances to confirm that sense of

calling as well opportunities that

emerge

uh soak your life in prayer immerse

yourself in the word and stir and the

aroma that comes out of the

pot will blow in a direction and you

follow