From High Schooler to Pastor
God loves to take ordinary people and do extraordinary things through them. The story of going from high schooler to pastor shows how God can transform a life when someone is willing to follow Him.
This Bible study is built on two powerful passages: 1 Timothy 3, which gives the character traits of a pastor, and Mark 1:17, where Jesus calls His first disciples with just a few words: “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
The Call of Jesus is Always Personal
In Mark 1:17, Jesus called Peter and Andrew to follow Him. He didn’t ask them to fill out a form or go to Bible school first. He simply said, “Follow Me.” That’s exactly what He does today. He calls regular people, often in simple moments, and says, “Come with Me. I will change you.”
That’s what happened to one young man. He was just a high school student sitting in church when God touched his heart. He stood up, walked to the front, and gave his life to Christ. That moment changed everything.
The path from high schooler to pastor started with just one step of obedience.
God Looks for Open Vessels
That young man didn’t just stop at salvation. He got involved in the high school ministry. He showed up, listened, served, and started going on missions. SWAT trips—short for Students With A Testimony—took him all over the world. On those trips, he led others to Jesus.
God often chooses people who are open. That’s what Paul meant in 1 Timothy 3. The chapter lays out the qualities of someone who desires to be a pastor. He must be above reproach, faithful, humble, wise, gentle, and grounded in God’s Word. These are not things you get from a classroom—they grow in your life as you walk with Jesus daily.
From high schooler to pastor, the shaping happens in the small, faithful steps.
Mentorship Makes a Big Difference
That young man didn’t grow alone. Someone poured into him. He had a spiritual mentor who prayed with him, taught him, and took him under his wing. At the time, no one knew that young man would marry the mentor’s daughter and become family. But God knew.
That young man became a pastor at Harvest. Later, he and his wife moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where he planted a church called Jesus City Church just two blocks from Martin Luther King Jr.’s church on Dexter Avenue. From a storefront, they’ve reached so many people with the gospel.
God Still Calls and Equips
If God could take a young man from a church seat and send him into full-time ministry, He can do it again and again. Maybe He’s calling you. Or maybe you’re the one called to pour into someone else.
The journey from high schooler to pastor is never about ability—it’s about availability. Say yes to Jesus and see where He leads.
To watch the full message and bible study on this topic, CLICK HERE.
To view on YouTube, CLICK HERE.