Do you have a title? Do you want one? Have you found that people identify with their titles and cling to them? Have you noticed that most of the characters in the Bible didn’t have titles, and many that you consider to be operating in a particular office were not recognized as such till after their lifetimes? Who has the authority to confer titles? The generally recognized rule is that one with greater rank can promote those below him, but the church is not a traditional power hierarchy.

Are you eager to die? What do people cling to more than dear life itself? Keep this in mind when I ask you to lay down your life and pick up your cross and follow me. What could I ask that is more extreme, shocking and demanding than this? Yet you know that I came to give you abundant life. Can these things be reconciled? Both are real, and there is a connection between them. You will eventually die, but you have to die before you die if you want to really live. Haven’t you already been through this cycle, and found that letting go of dead things opened the door for a larger life for you?

Does your church have designated teachers and preachers who expound scripture and doctrine to the congregation? Do they have credentials specific to your denomination? How effective are they at reaching audiences outside your church? This is a more difficult task, for those outside are not versed in your theology and terminology. They have not already made a commitment to your principles and to your community. Paul was a pioneer, and had to adapt the presentation of the gospel to connect with an audience for whom it was unfamiliar. How well does your pastor do this? How well do you?  

I taught you to pray, and promised results. Does that mean that you are in charge? Do you ever wonder how your petitions interact with my sovereignty? You are my child, so the example of parents and children is appropriate. Parents are in charge of their children, and responsible for their provision, and care, and character development. Yet every parent knows that the desires of their children are a powerful influence, and parents will go to great lengths and make sacrifices to fulfill them.