There are days that a team just feels a bit out of synch.  That was our locker room yesterday.  It started with an unusually large number of our team being gone on various trips for a variety of perfectly normal and legitimate reasons.  But there is a tangible difference when many of your teammates are missing.  The energy level is different, the level of enthusiasm is somewhat diminished.  The environment created for guests is effected.  Then, as the service unfolded, our music was a little of kilter.  We weren’t quite as sharp as we needed to be.  Then we had teammates that had a very challenging week and many were near exhaustion.  It all added up to a less than stellar effort in the locker room this week.

But…..

That doesn’t mean God wasn’t there and wasn’t blessing.  Here are a few of the good things..

• We had a photographer with the Journal Star show up to grab some pics for an upcoming article on the church.  I was totally unprepared and unaware of the article or the arrival of the photographer.  But it’s yet another affirmation of what God is attempting to do through our ministry.
• Those of us who were there truly enjoyed the morning with each other.
• We touched on a plan to help us grow.  And we do need to grow if we want to live like Jesus Christ is #1 (and he most definitely is).  Here’s the process Paul touched on in Colossians 2:1-7
  • Labor - It takes work
  • Stretching - A goal requires us to move forward
    • There is an article on wikipedia about getting things done (click here to read) that contains an interesting quote that is a further incentive to write goals.
    • Getting things Done.. “GTD rests on the principle that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them externally. That way, the mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks.”
  • Learning - Knowledge must be consumed
    • Mark Twain said, “The man who will not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”
  • Focus - Getting distracted can be dangerous and drifting is ineffective
  • Accountability - Growth accelerates when someone else is watching
    • One of the compelling reasons for me to maintain this blog is for accountability.  So that anyone can see that I am trying to be consistent in my walk with God and learning to view life through a lens of faith.
  • Building on the past - Growth always builds on past truth
  • Application - Growth solidifies when you practice what you know
  • Gratitude - Let gratitude change your attitude.  Phil Gramm said last week that we have become a nation of whiners.  He may have gotten in trouble over the comment, but I believe he was right.  We have more to be thankful for than we can honestly imagine.  We need to remain grateful since it’s keeps us humble and is a constant reminder of the reliable goodness of God.

So, it may not have been the perfect locker room gathering, but anytime teammates on God’s team show up together to learn and prepare, it’s a good day.  Those of you who were traveling for various reasons, please know that you were indeed missed.

Tags: Growth, The Grove Church