Building great teams isn’t just something that happens on the football gridiron, basketball court, or baseball diamond.

Whether in the office, at home, classroom, boardroom, or field, great teams can be built anywhere. One building block of all great teams is great team chemistry.

And I know what you are thinking, “what is this mysterious thing called, ‘team chemistry’?”

In the words of Pat Bloom Head Baseball Coach/Wisconsin-Stevens Point, team chemistry, “can be defined as a group dynamic that occurs when members of the team work together and make a united effort to accomplish the goals and objectives of the collective whole.
A team’s ability to stick together can prevent the team from falling apart in times of great distress and turmoil, and can also be the “X factor” that propels a team to victory over an evenly matched opponent.”

I would add that great teams with great chemistry can often beat teams with vastly superior talent (Duke over UNLV in 1991 NCAA Tournament is great example).

But great team chemistry doesn’t happen by accident. It happens on purpose. Though great teams can be reproduced anywhere, truly great teams are extremely rare. The time and effort that is neccessary to create a great team is difficult.

So how are great teams created?

How do you get great chemistry?

Great teams have three components that produce team chemistry and establish foundation where greatness can be accomplished.

Component #1:

Great teams communicate HONESTLY in times of conflict.

This is often a challenge for us. External conflict is one thing (every team deals with external conflict, that is why a team is formed), but internal conflict is something else entirely. We would rather avoid internal conflict than embrace it.

But great teams can’t neglect internal conflict. Internal conflict is inevitable.

Misunderstanding, miscommunication, the idiosycracies of different teammates are common causes of internal conflict. This conflict will either destroy the team (or dramatically limit its effectiveness) or propel the team to a much higher level.

Great teams are gut-level honest with each other. And as uncomfortable as conflict resolution can be, when done with honor and respect it brings teams closer together.

Question: Does the team that you lead or you are a part of engage conflict honestly?

“…Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”
-Rev. 2:4

Have you ever missed the first button on a shirt you wearing? If you have, it doesn’t matter how well you button the other buttons. If the first button is out of whack, the rest will be too.

Our love for Jesus is the first button in our relationship with Him.

When it is ‘out of whack’, then everything else is too.

Jesus has not just called us to serve Him, but He has called us to love Him. In all the hustle and bustle of life, it is easy to allow our passion for Jesus to wane. But our love for Jesus is the foundation for a life with Jesus.

I know this isn’t easy.

But we MUST prioritize our relationship with Jesus.

But Jesus never said it was going to be easy.

He just said it would be worth it.

“Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I’m about to call each conqueror to dinner. I’m spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from God’s orchard.”

-Rev. 2:7

To hear my recent talk on having a passion for Jesus, click here.

You and I have issues.

You and I have idiosyncracies.

You and I have different habits.

Some of them are cute.

Some of them are annoying.

Some of them are destructive.

The biggest issue of course, is us.

We are often our very worst enemy and villain.

We get in our own way.

We sabatoge our own success.

We regularly throw monkey wrenches in the engine of our lives.

We can’t help it.

We can’t avoid it.

It is in our nature.

This “nature” is at the root of our “issue”.

The issue of you (and me).

God is well aware of our issue, and the toxic circumstances it often brings.

These circumstances of toxicity anger us.

Frustrate us.

Drive us nuts.

We desperately want God to change it.

God is just as desperate to change it too.

But the “it” that He wants to change is different than the “it” we want changed.

Our “it” looks like “them”.

His “it” looks like us.

The trouble is, most of us don’t like change.

Especially when it concerns us.

We would rather God just clean up the mess that our “issue” brings and leave us alone.

But God isn’t as concerned with changing the circumstance.

He determined to change us.

In fact, He will use the circumstances that we (and others) create to transform us.

Though we beg God to change our circumstance He often delays (or denies) outer change, to address the urgent issues of change inside us.

So the next time we are in a “circumstance” beyond asing God to change “it”, we must ask if God is using “it” to change us.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

-Romans 8:28

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
-Malachi 3:10-12 (New International Version)

8 Steps to Financial Breakthrough:

1. Make life decisions that are led by God, not by money.
2. Give: Tithe First (Make this the 1st check you write. Before taxes and anything else.)
3. Live with integrity in all that you do. (If you get extra change at the store, give it back!)
4. Adjust your Life to make room to honor God (Sell stuff, get out of debt, educate yourself, speak to a financial advisor)
5. Speak like God (Speak God’s word over you, your family, and your finances.)
6. Get God’s words in you (Let the reality of the Word become your reality)
7. Journal your dreams and things that God has promised you (Dreams for your family, dreams for your ministry, dreams for your future)
8. Worship like you have won. (Surrender everything before you get anything. Do it today)

To hear my recent talk on breakthrough called, “We Will Worship”, click here.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
- 1 Cor. 3:11-15

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
-2 Cor. 5:10

“…man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”
-Hebrews 9:27

Every one of us has a death sentence. One day our life will come to an end.

Though we all know this, we often live as though we don’t.

And because we don’t keep our death sentence in view, we put a strain on our life sentence.

Though this earthly life will end, followers of Christ are promised a eternal life with Jesus. But before entering into eternal life, we will be judged.

Not judged whether we are going to heaven or not, but evaluated on how we lived our lives on earth.

Were we faithful? Were we loving? Were we about the Father’s business? Were we good managers with what we have been given? Were we servants? How did we spend our money? How did we invest our time? How did we use our talents?

Did we honor God?

One Day we will give a throrough account to King Jesus for the life that He gave us on loan.

Creative excuses won’t be enough.

Only what is founded in Jesus will stand the test of fire.

With this knowledge, it would be wise to prepare for the fire.

Because the fire is coming.

Whether we are ready or not.

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
-1 Corinthians 11:1

Would you take swim lessons from someone who didn’t know how to swim?

I wouldn’t either.

But when we attempt to point our followers to places we’ve never been, we become swim teachers that don’t get in the pool.

We preach on prayer but rarely pray.

We teach on serving but never serve.

We tell others to share their faith in Jesus but don’t follow our own advice.

We talk about worship but never spend time in the presence of God.

We speak about generosity but keep our cash to ourselves.

When our leadership is not rooted in reality, it has no power to change lives.

We don’t have to be perfect, but we must be reaching.

Reaching for obedience.

Reaching for His presence.

Reaching for God.

Those that reach for God will find Him, and can lead others there too.

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
-Psalm 8:1-4

The Newman family is visiting relatives that live about 20 minutes outside San Diego. These relatives (Tiffany’s Aunt and Uncle), have a beautiful home that is located in a small mountain range. Though this housing development has all the newest technological bells and whistles, you are still able to hear coyotes howling at the moon at night.

We are having a great time swimming, relaxing, and hanging out.

Today we did something really cool. Early this morning (at exactly 4 am!), we all woke up to look at the stars. Because of the elevation and the lack of artificial light, the clarity in which you can see the stars from this place is truly breath-taking. They shined so bright it scarcely seems real.

Gazing at this cosmic masterpiece, I thought about the God that made it. Falling stars, meteors spinning through the sky, lights sparkling like Christmas right before my eyes.

Wow.

I shuddered while considering the expanse of the countless galaxies, innummerable planets, and ever increasing span of space itself.

I serve a God that did all this?

And more?

It kinda scared me to think about how awesome and amazing God really is.

It also humbled me to think about how easy it is for me to doubt Him. To worry about the details of my day-to-day life.

But I think a God that can hang the sun on its hook, is a God that can take care of me.

If I can trust Him to keep gravity working on planet earth, I think I can trust Him with my future.

Whoa.

Our God is an amazing God.

Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.”

-Exodus 4:2-3

What do ya got?

That was essentially the question that God asked Moses after sharing a glimpse of the destiny that he had created him for:

To free a nation from slavery and bring them into God’s promise.

And as is the custom of unbelieving human beings, Moses questions his qualifications, skills, and resources to accomplish the task.

Rather than get into a lengthy debate, God asks “What is in your hand?”

Moses answers, “A staff.”

After the Lord tells him to throw it down, his eyes are opened to the power of God.

Taking Moses’ common staff, God performed uncommon miracles, signs, and wonders.

As a result, a nation bound in slavery for 400 years was freed.

A magic stick wasn’t neccessary. Bulging muscles weren’t needed. A million bags of gold couldn’t help.

A yielded staff in the hands of God was more than enough.

So what has God called YOU to do?

What edict of greatness did He create YOU for?

Yeah I know, I know….

You aren’t smart enough. You aren’t networked enough. You aren’t wealthy enough. You come from the wrong family. You went to the wrong school (or didn’t go to school at all!). You live in the wrong neighborhood. Your skin is the wrong color. You are too old. You are too young. Too much of this. Not enough of that.

Excuses, excuses, excuses…..

When exposed to God’s vision we are all tempted to do exactly what Moses did:

Make excuses why we aren’t the one that God is looking for. And the root of our excuse can be summed up in one sentence:

We don’t believe we have what it takes to accomplish the task.

But if God’s destiny relied on our resources, then we’re all in a ton of trouble.

God is not asking for extraordinary things to do extraordinary stuff.

He is just asking for extraordinary willingness. Extraordinary obedience. Extraordinary abandonment. Extraordinary surrender. Extraordinary worship.

He is simply asking for what is in our hands and our heart.

If we will zealously commit ourselves to His task and the little we have to Him, He will bless and empower us beyond our wildest dreams.

God has created you for greatness.

God has destined you for an amazing calling.

Stop making excuses.

He already knows what you DON’T have.

He wants to see what you DO have.

He is asking, “What do Ya Got?”

Now take what you’ve got and give it to Him.

When you give God what you’ve got, you get to see what He’s got.

And He’s got ALOT.

Just wait and see.

He used a dude with a stick and transformed a nation.

He’ll use what you have to do wonders too.

So…What do Ya Got?

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
-Hebrews 11:6 (New International Version)

Pastors, your faith must be rooted in God. Rooted in His word. His truth. His ideas. In His leadership.

“Of course”, you say (and so do I!).

But saying the right things isn’t nearly enough. Living the life of faith is where preaching becomes real.

As a Pastor this principle is vitally important.

We can’t allow our faith to be rooted in how many people show up during Sunday services.

We can’t allow our faith to be rooted in how many people showed up on time for Sunday services.

We can’t allow our faith to be rooted in how much money people gave in the offering.

We can’t allow our faith to be rooted in how many “amens” we got during the morning message.

We can’t allow our faith to be rooted in whether the sound system squealed or not.

We can’t allow our faith to be rooted in how many people responded to the altar call.

We can’t allow our faith to be rooted in how many people think we are cool.

Our faith must to rooted, grounded, and based in God.

And God alone.

When we walk this way, we can properly lead our people in the path of faith.

Most of us have forgotten how to play.

We have forgotten how to play because we have lost our passion.

Love and joy don’t motivate us anymore. We now make decisons based on profit (how much money can I make?) or product (what is this going to do to get me ahead?).

This is the language of survival, but not the language of play.

When we are in survival mode we can’t play. We can’t live according to God’s purpose when surviving is our primary aim.

God’s purpose for our lives is found in the godly passions He created us with.

Part of our purpose to inspire wonder and beauty in the world in which we live.

This both honors God and points others to Him.

Walking in our strengths and serving in the place of our passion is awesome. It makes God smile and brings joy to His happy heart.

And it makes our heart happy too.

For this week’s message on creativity and passion, click here for ‘Finding Neverland’.