Teamwork Series

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Illustration – The modesty survey

I. Going it alone

A. Some hard things are too big to be accomplished alone.

B. When we try to do big hard things alone, we generally give up before we even start

C. People who try to “go it alone” miss out on the relational advantages

II. There is strength in numbers

A. Collaboration means “working together”

B. Illustration about the horse: 1 can pull an average of 2,500 pounds, 2 can pull an average of 12,500 pounds together

III. Ten things about teams

A. Start with Questions

1. What is God saying to me about this idea?

2. What is the advice of my parents and others I trust?

3. Am I the one to lead? If not, can I be a catalyst and help get things moving?

4. What are my personal strengths and weaknesses?

5. Which people I know can help fill the gaps where my ability or knowledge falls short?

6. Do I care enough about this issue to not just start something big, but to see it through no matter what?

B. Walk with the wise

1. Spend time with those who are older, more experienced and Godlier than you are

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. – Proverbs 13:20

2. Be friends with some of the older members of our church

C. Don’t overlook home field advantage

1. Family is the God-designed vehicle for collaboration

2. For those who do not have an ideal family life, there is always your family at church that you can reach out to.

D. Use technology to grow your team

1. The Internet is more than just My Space, Facebook and You Tube

2. We can get together online

a. www.gbclifeline.org

b. www.therebelution.com

E. Treasure constructive Criticism

1. Getting corrective input doesn’t always feel good at the time

2. We must take every opportunity to learn something from the situations we face everyday

F. Credit is free if you give it away

1. When we seek personal credit for our tasks, we can ruin a project

2. Our “team code” should be – “Credit is free, and we freely give it away.”

3. We must make sure we keep our pride in check

G. Other people are sinners too

1. “working” with other people means you actually have to WORK with them

2. We must show patience, humility and an endless supply of forgiveness to each other when working together

H. Expect a nightmare or two

1. Nightmares happened….don’t be surprised

2. Satan will always attack when we declare war against him through Jesus Christ

3. Don’t panic and rely on God

a. It’s the nightmares that grow our faith

b. Work through the problem

I. Don’t give up

1. Working on a project can take a lot of time

a. Don’t expect instant results

b. Learn to persevere

2. Remember to take time to learn all you can

3. Have fun

J. Success happens (in more ways than one)

1. We don’t always have to win to be successful

a. We can gain experience

b. Make new friends

c. Grow in ways we can’t even imagine

2. When we stretch ourselves by tackling big hard things we become successful

Final Thought: When God calls you to accomplish something for Him, He always bring the help you need to get the job done.