Here’s a repost of his article which you can also read on Brad’s website:

I’ve been reminded recently of the constant tension on a team. And…. the Tension is Good. We talked about this and leaned into this phrase at our Catalyst event earlier this fall in Atlanta. The right kind of tension is important for teams, as well as for individuals. It stretches and shapes and allows for growth.

But there are other things that can creep into a team and poison it quickly. Things that sneak up fast and before you know it, start to define the team and take everyone off course. In the wrong direction. Headed the wrong way.

Here are a few of the poisons to make sure and avoid:
1. Arrogance- Pride comes before the fall, and for teams, the same holds true. Jim Collins talks about this at length in his book How the Mighty Fall. Humble confidence is the ticket.

2. No communication- this one is the most common poison for all teams to have some form of. The remedy? Overcommunicate. Be intentional and make sure folks are in the know. For team leaders, this one is tough. I struggle at this.

3. Me first, vs. We first- see this alot on high profile sports teams. Or with celebrities. As they say, there’s no “I” in team. A WE first mentality starts at the top with the leader who has to set the tone in word AND deed. If you are hearing “it’s not my job,” then it’s time for a gut check.

4. Jealousy and Cynicism- many times these go hand in hand and one follows the other. The remedy? Confronting it head on. Don’t allow jealousy or cynicism or cliques to form. Stomp it out immediately.

Hopefully this is as helpful to you as it was to me. I wholeheartedly agree with Lomenick. We need to fight off these poisons at all costs.

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There is some stuff I just cannot comprehend. Try as I may to get it…it doesn’t make any logical or Scriptural sense. Here is a partial of things I do not understand.

1. Folks that show up to church only a few times a year but expect the pastor to drop everything to provide them with his undivided attention.
2. People that put nothing in the offering plate but still have the stones to expect that their opinions on the church should count.
3. Parents who ground their children from church or the youth group…the very things that could help them with their behavior, future and afterlife.
4. People that expect the pastor to tolerate their political views…but leave the church because of his.
5. The occasional volunteer that expects the church to throw a parade in their honor just because they finally did what the Bible commanded.
6. People that have basked in the grace of God…but fail to give grace to anyone else.
7. Pastors that leave one church for another…for better pay.
8. The need for church growth plans, programs, books, conference, seminars and resource kits…when we already have the Bible
9. Women that tolerate their husbands having multiple affairs…”for the sake of the kids”.
10. Pastors that would rather be political pundits or civil rights leaders…instead of just preaching the life-saving message of the Word of God.
11. People that have one spiritual standard for their pastor…and another for themselves.
12. Folks that think the word ‘disciple’ is a noun…and not a verb.
13. People that make comments about needing to go “deeper” in God’s Word…as if there is a Scripture in the Bible that isn’t deep.
14. Pastors that think accountability means never asking them the tough questions or taking the hard line when it comes to their failure to follow Scripture.
15. Men that think being the head of the household has something to do with the amount of money they are bringing in or the title they acquire at work.”
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Again – I don’t necessarily sign off on all of these. But they made me evaluate some things. What about you?

What resonated with your spirit? What did you disagree with? Did this make you think?

A few months ago a firehouse in Hawaii responded to a call and rushed to the scene of an accident. The problem was, they forgot something important back at their own station… Read on:

Oahu firefighters have been issued a reminder to be sure to turn off cooking equipment when responding to emergencies. The advice comes in the wake of a May 22 blaze at the Waipahu fire station that caused about $25,000 damage.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig said food was inadvertently left cooking on a stove when the firefighters responded to an emergency call involving a traffic accident.

He said after finishing the call, the firefighters responded to a call at their own station house. Seelig said like everyone else, firefighters need to be careful and attentive when cooking.

According to Seelig, the fire caused smoke and heat damage, primarily to kitchen areas that had been scheduled for renovation. He said the damage has been repaired. (Associated Press)

I looked over this story the other night, and at first glance, I saw it as just another interesting news read. For whatever reason, I decided to skim through it again. As I read, God gripped my heart and reminded me of something that so many pastors/ministers forget – myself included.

We are called as pastors to serve people and minister to the world we live in. We are called to help others in spiritual need, mediate in difficult conflict situations, and challenge people to walk closely with Christ. But herein lies the problem: we are often so concerned with others that we neglect our own spiritual growth and well-being.

I have heard it said that “the mechanic has the worst car in the shop.” As I hear stories from around the country about pastors and ministers that have had significant moral failures and burnouts, I fear that this is true in our context. Pastors work so hard “fixing” everyone else’s spiritual problems that they forsake their own spiritual health. It may seem like the natural thing to do in ministry, but all it leads to is an atrophy of the soul.

Reading this story brought to light a passage of scripture I’ve been meditating on recently. Paul instructed Timothy in many things, and one of those things makes more sense now:

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

1 Timothy 4:15-16

While we’re called to shepherd the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2), we must remember to be sheep ourselves as well as tend to the lives of those around us. We need our Shepherd as much as anyone else in our churches.

There are a few introspective questions that this story and this verse made me ask myself. Be careful if you read this – conviction ensues:

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First: Am I walking closely with my Shepherd and growing in my walk with Him?

Second: Is there any sin in my life (or the temptation of any such sin) that will, if not addressed and repented of, lead to destruction?

Third: Am I honest/accountable with Christian brothers so as to avoid disaster?

Fourth: Am I busy attending to the needs of others while neglecting my own soul?
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Here’s the moral of the story: if we aren’t careful and intentional about this, our “firehouse” will burn down while we’re out on call.

But the ‘Leadership Guru’ got roasted… and roasted real good.

Watch the parody video below:

We try our best, but even then, our efforts seem fleeting. We are so easily puffed up! And even if I’m not struggling with pride at the moment, it is probably creeping at my door, waiting to overtake me.

Check out this short Mark Driscoll clip from a message he recently preached on this:

HT: The Resurgence

Well… That’s for each of us to answer in our own minds and hearts. Tim Elmore, an incredible Christian writer and leader, wrote a little poem for us to reflect on as ’08 comes to an end…

FINISHING WELL

As 2008 now comes to a close
I’m tempted to measure the cons and the pros;
How did I grow and improve and seek change?
Were my yearly goals just too out of range?

My guess is-some of your goals were achieved,
While others were tougher than you had believed.
And now your emotions are mixed up at best,
Not knowing if you really have passed the growth test!

I think the best way to close a year well
Is not to punish yourself where you fell;
The best way to redeem those regrets and those fears
Is to lay a good plan for the upcoming year…

I wrote out a complicated formula to explain what I am talking about:

ME+H=ATCTA
{Musical Excellence + Humility = A Tough Combination To Achieve}

I hope that didn’t go over anyone’s head . But, in reality, it does seem complicated and difficult for all of us – any instrument, any talent. One of the people I respect most in the world is a man named Bob Kauflin. He is the Worship Pastor/Director at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD. He has been doing this stuff for a long time, and he has really influenced me as a worship leader. He has a blog dedicated to helping other worship leaders. It’s called Worship Matters and you can get to it here.

Bob wrestles with the same issue I discussed above. He seeks to answer the question that I made the title of this blog entry:

What does God want from us as worship leaders?

And how do we make sure we keep our pride in check while providing musical excellence for our Savior and our church? Here is a video of Bob talking about it:

One thing I love about Bob (and this video blog) is that he emphasizes where it all has to start for us as leaders – TIME in God’s Word. The closer we stay to the Word, the better we’ll do in the roles God has for us. But he also emphasizes taking the necessary time to get better on our instruments. This is such a healthy balance.

Let’s get in the Word and use it to kill the pride we struggle with. But let’s also sit down with our guitars, pianos, voices, drums, mandolins, banjos, kazoos, etc. and strive to play to the best of our ability for our incredible God.