Read 1 Peter 5:1–3
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as
overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God
wants you to be. 1 Peter 5:2

Pastors must walk with God and grow in their spiritual lives. Paul
admonished young Timothy: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself
wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress” (1 Tim. 4:15). If
the leaders of the church are not moving forward, the church will not move forward.

“We love our pastor,” a fine church member said to me during a
conference, “but we get tired of the same thing all the time. He repeats
himself and doesn’t seem to know that there are other books in the Bible
besides Psalms and Revelation.” That pastor needed to become a spiritual pioneer and move into new territory so that he might lead his people into new blessings and challenges.

Sometimes God permits trials to come to a church so that the people will
be forced to grow and discover new truths and new opportunities. Certainly Peter grew in his spiritual experience as he suffered for Christ in the city of Jerusalem. He was not perfect by any means, but Peter was yielded to Christ and willing to learn all that God had for him.

Something to Ponder
Think of some recent trials that have helped you or your church grow
spiritually. How did God use those trials for His glory?