At your baptism, you are given an identity as a follower of Jesus. For the past thirty years or more, the church has tried to find its identity, not in baptism, but in leadership. Leadership is a function. Being a disciple is an identity. Let’s explore this morning why this confusion of categories is so important, and so debilitating to the body of Christ.

“What’s in your wallet”?

That is the take-away line for a credit card company that wants their card to be front and center in your wallet. Forget the advertising pitch. It’s a good philosophical question. “What IS in your wallet” is a reflection of who you are, where you are, and where you are headed in your journey of life.

Remember getting your first nice leather wallet as a kid? I know my first wallet made me feel more “grown up.” …