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Got a chance to sit down with Keith Deloria, our pastor from Ilo Ilo who is doing a phenomenal job.  Our topic?  “Your only as good as your team.”

It’s unfortunate sometimes that the leader is the only one that gets the credit when none of the achievements can really be realized without the team.

I got the chance to catch the last 2 quarters of game 4 of the PBA finals (Alaska vs. Purefoods).  Tim Cone is now a legend.  He has won 12 championship rings for Alaska and that’s such a difficult feat to achieve.  An awesome coach but this past championship series was a disappointment for him, I’m sure.

On the other hand, the young mentor of Purefoods, Ryan Gregorio looked really, really good.  How come?  Not only because they won the championship, but his whole team pitched in and stepped up… as in everyone.  From Caneleta to Kerby, J.Yap to R.Yap, Maierhofer to MarcPing, Artadi to Allado.  His team made him look good.

At the end of the day, it really isn’t JUST about the coach.  In fact, the coach is only as good as his team.

We have too many leaders with “messianic complex” and with an “all-star attitude.”

There’s no “I” in the word team.  Remember, it takes five to complete your starting line up.

Leadership lesson moment with Keith – “You’re only as good as your team.”

Our Tuesday staff meetings have been fun for me.  When 25-30 people come together to regroup, download, upload, report, celebrate wins, it’s always a good thing.

But what makes it more fun is when you have someone cracks a joke, someone buys pizza, someone tells a story about their week that makes us bust out laughing, manny makes a comment, miko gets lost in outer space, ganns gives a witty remark with his evil laugh, bernard chides and blows us away with a story… stuff like these make staff meetings fun.  Now include LA MUMAR’s clapping invention when we celebrate a win.  Ask him about it when you see him.

Mark Batterson said, “I cannot cite a verse or a study, but I honestly believe that the healthiest churches are churches that laugh the most. I’d also add cry the most to that. They are churches that feel deeply, feel freely. The gospel isn’t just in their heads. It’s in their hearts.”

I believe that.

I’m just so glad I serve with a team of fun people.  We have every reason to rejoice – we have JESUS.  That’s more than enough.

For our date night, Jenn and I watched “From Paris With Love”.  It was not your typical chick flick love story to say the least.  I don’t think she enjoyed the movie.  (But I did… )

One of the main characters turned out to be a suicide bomber (sorry to ruin the plot for those of you planning to see it).  She said she has found her purpose in life.

While not most of us will not agree with her found purpose in life, I dare say, at least she found one.

Too many simply exist.  They walk through life without purpose.  They live like everything’s just about them.  Wake up… Go to work/or school… come home… surf on the Net… have some bit of fun… sleep and the same rut happens again the next day.

Reading from the book of Judges, 2 names popped out – Tola and Jair.  The Bible says that they were born, they lived, they led and they died.  That’s it.  While I’m sure they did more than just live, lead and die, the Bible didn’t think it was enough to make it into the book of Judges.

Got me thinking.  Got me praying.

“Lord, I don’t want to just live, lead and then die.  I want to make a difference.  I want to make a dent in this nation’s history – not by my strength or abilities (knowing that I really don’t have lots) but by Your grace and power!”

“I don’t know if I can…”

“Maybe I’m not the person for this…”

“How do you know I can…”

These are a few questions that may run through our mind when God asks us to accomplish a task for Him.

This was God’s statement to Gideon.

The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12)

The funny thing is this – he hasn’t even gone to war yet!

None… nada… zilch.

But God declared way before the first battle, ‘you are a mighty warrior.’  You are the man!  You can do it.

The key was the next statement God gives him,

“I WILL be with you…” (Judges 6:16)

This only says one thing – we can’t but God can.

Then that settles it.

Watch the video and learn theses lessons from the dancing guy…

1. Remember the importance of nurturing your first followers as equals.
2. Make it clear that it’s about the movement and not you.
3. Be easy to follow
4. Leadership is over glorified.  Sometimes, the leader gets all the credit.  But it’s the first follower the transformed the lone nut into a leader.