Guerrieri

Nick Guerrieri
Dr. Dev Bose
English 101
10 August 2015
Gods Authoritative Figures
It is important to be thankful for what God does in our life. God puts people in our lives
everyday to help us get through lifes experiences. For those of us who attend church and who
are relatively religious, God puts people of authority in our lives who assist us with our spiritual
growth. A pastor is one of those people. Pastors play an important role in the lives of their
church members as well as in the lives of people in the community in which they live. Most
people do not know that a pastors reach can extend far beyond their own neighborhoods. The
pastor of my church, City of Grace, has literally taken his mission to ends of the earth. He is
regularly in Australia, Africa, Europe and the Ukraine helping others build churches in those
areas. What makes a person have the conviction to take Gods message to far away places? How
does one prepare to share Gods word with people who have never heard of the Gospel? Why
would someone risk their own life by going to countries where they could be killed for sharing
the Christian faith?
What makes a person have the conviction to take Gods message to far away places?
Most pastors are raised in families where the dad was a pastor. If you look at the roots of many
famous pastors, this was the case. A few examples of well-known pastors who were children of
pastors are Joel Osteen (father was John Olsteen) and Franklin Graham (father is Billy Graham).
As these children grow up, they are very aware of listening for Gods voice because they have
grown up in an environment where this is taught. Some people commit to this calling early in

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life, others may submit later in life due to a life-changing event. The pastor of my church, Terry
Crist, decided he wanted to be a pastor during his teenage years.
I was able to interview Pastor Terrys son, Tyler. Tyler is also a youth pastor at the
church. I asked Tyler, How did God show Terry what his calling was? Tyler responded, Well,
he was not sure about what he was going to do at first. His dad was already a pastor, and he felt
obligated that he had to follow in his dads footsteps. As time passed and with constant prayer,
God revealed to Terry that he wanted him to be a minister. God revealed that he was going to be
like his father and be a pastor of a church. Terry went to college and then to the seminary. I
continued to question Tyler, and I asked him about the difficulty of following Gods will. Tyler
said, Well, God is perfect, so why wouldnt you follow perfection? He created us all for a
reason, and he knows what it is. This really touched me because I am at a stage of my life where
I am almost an adult, and I have to select a career. God is revealing to me that my purpose in life
is to help others with their finances and to give back to the community by being an investment
advisor. Even though God has a purpose for everyone on this earth, it is our responsibility to
follow the path set for us.
How does one prepare to share God word with people who have never heard for the
Gospel? Most pastors go to a Bible college and to seminary school. Many of them proceed to
get their doctoral degree. I asked Tyler what route did his dad take to learning as much as he
does about the Bible. Tyler said that his dad went to Harvard, and then he got his Ph.D. in
theology. It is amazing to me to see the different routes that people take to lead a church. For
many leaders of the church, learning is merely a matter of reading the Bible, praying for insight
and wisdom, and relying on the Holy Spirit to help you interpret Gods words.

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Why would someone risk their own life by going to countries where one could be killed
for sharing the Christian faith? Many Pastors are given responsibilities where they may have to
do things they are not comfortable. After talking to Tyler about this, Tyler said, My dad is
humbled and happy to be able to serve Gods kingdom by sharing the Gospel, where ever it may
be. A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 2.18
billion Christians of all ages around the world, representing nearly a third of the estimated 2010
global population of 6.9 billion. (Global Christianity) With only a third of the population being
Christian, there is still much work to do by Christian churches. I asked Tyler, Does the task
seem too overwhelming at times with your dad trying to reach people for Christ? Tyler replied
that pastors do not work alone. They have the help of many people working together in a specific
country for a common goal. The total number of foreign missionaries is 419,000. (Missionary
Statistics) One thing I have noticed with pastors is that it is key to have a positive attitude about
what they have been called to do. Just this past Sunday at church the visiting pastor kept stating,
If we trust in faith with the Lord, He will provide for us.
There are 26 countries that do not allow Christians to evangelize. However, there are
other countries where pastors and missionaries fear for their lives. I asked Tyler if his dad
worries about going into foreign countries and speaking about God. Tyler said that
Pastor Terry is out of town at least one week every month. God has a purpose and calling for
everyone in life and God gives gifts to everyone. 2nd Timothy 1:9 says who has saved us
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity (Bible Gateway). This is one of
the hardest things to do in life, to find your personal calling and God ordained purpose. The best
way to find out what it is to pray consistently. The Bible says, With all prayer and petition pray

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at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition
for all the saints. (Bible Gateway)

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Work Cited
BibleGateway." .com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 100 Versions and 50 Languages.
The Lockman Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 July 2015.
"Global Christianity A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian
Population." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. N.p., 19 Dec.
2011. Web. 30 July 2015.
"LIVING BY The Word." Christian Century 132.16 (2015): 20. Academic Search Complete.
Web. 29 July 2015.
"Missionary Statistics." Statistic Brain RSS. N.p., 13 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 July 2015.