What Makes a Good Pastor? – June 17, 2026

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260617fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: 1 Corinthians 4:1-7 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 What Makes a Good Pastor? In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. John the Baptist ate bugs. Real bugs! The Bible says he ate locusts—kind of like giant grasshoppers—and wild honey. Elijah wore strange clothes. Instead of nice soft clothes, he wore a rough coat made from camel’s hair and a big leather belt. Moses stuttered. When God told Moses to speak to Pharaoh, Moses said, “I’m slow of speech and tongue.” That makes us wonder: What kind of person does God use to preach and teach his Word? People in the city of Corinth were wondering the same thing. Some people were starting to pick their “favorite pastors.” Maybe some liked the smartest preacher. Maybe others liked the funniest one. Maybe some liked the preacher who told great stories or spoke really loudly and confidently. People still do that today, don’t they? But Paul said the most important thing to look for in a pastor or teacher is this: Are they faithful to God’s Word? Of course, it’s wonderful when pastors and teachers are kind, interesting, funny, or good speakers. But the most important thing is that they teach what God says faithfully and truthfully. Why? Because God describes his message as a mystery. A mystery is something we could never figure out on our own. We need someone to reveal it to us. So God sends us pastors, preachers, teachers, elders and other leaders to share this message that we could never figure out unless God had told us. No one would ever guess on their own that God loves sinners so much that he sent Jesus to save them. We might think we have to earn God’s love by being good enough. But God reveals the wonderful truth: Jesus already did everything needed to save us. Forgiveness and heaven are gifts from God. And who does God use to share that message? Sometimes surprising people! People who eat bugs. People who aren’t fancy speakers. People who have weaknesses and sins. But when they faithfully teach God’s Word, they are exactly the kind of preachers and teachers God wants his people to have. Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for revealing the mystery of your love to me. Bless us with pastors and teachers and help them be faithful in their work. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children What strange things did John the Baptist, Elijah, and Moses each have? Why do you think God sometimes uses surprising people to serve him? Questions for Elementary Age Children What are some things people sometimes care about too much when picking favorite leaders or pastors? According to Paul, what matters most about a preacher or teacher? Questions for Middle School and Above Why is the message of Jesus called a “mystery”? When people criticize us or we are upset at our leaders, why is it important to remember that God works through imperfect people? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.