Question 19: How do you decide what you are going to preach about at each service?

Answer: As the pastor of the church, it is my responsibility to get alone with God and ask Him for the message that He has for me to preach to our church. Having put me into the position of being the under-shepherd of the Columbia Road Baptist Church, God will give me the specific sermons and/or series of sermons that He wants me to preach. In conjunction with this, I also have to have a “listening ear” as to what is going on in the lives of our church members. The Lord may use a situation like a death or illness to speak to me and inspire a message for the entire congregation. Finally, I would also say it is the church members responsibility to also ask God to give their Pastor the sermons, wisdom, vision, direction, power, etc. required to fully perform the awesome responsibility of the pastorate. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”