Better Together The Power of Team Work

My junior year of college at College of the Ozarks we went further in playoffs than any other team since that year. I remember key pieces to that year. Coach told me about recruiting a guy who was very talented to come play with us.

I told the coach not to do it because the guy was lazy and had a rough character. Coach recruited him and a few other guys with rough character.

These guys throughout the year at different times got kicked out of the college. You would think losing great talent would effect the team. It did not. It helped us come together as a team and often the most talented teams do not always win.

The teams that come together as a team win. Like mind and like values help teams win. The result for us was that we made it to regionals that year as a team.

One of the core values for us moving forward is that we are a TEAM and we are

better when we are together and together we make a difference.

In John 13 Jesus washes the disciples feet and then instructs them to do likewise.

He tells them to wash feet. Serve each other. He then tells how he will betrayed.

Following this, Jesus says in John 13:34

John 13:34–35 HCSB

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus instructs his disciples and says, “a new commandment I give you love

one another.

Teamwork is Love for one another at all times in all situations.

Jesus instructs his disciples to love one another.

The source of Love is God himself. 1 John 4:8 God is love. If we struggle to love others perhaps the problem is not others but the problem is that we have fallen out of love with the source of Love.

Standard for our Enemies

Luke 6:27–36 HCSB

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from one who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Love One Another

1 Corinthians 13

This chapter is between two chapters on gifts in the Body of Christ. The chapter is not addressed to a couple of youngsters who have fallen madly in love and for the purpose of their wedding.

This chapter is written for the Body of Christ that is the church.

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 HCSB

1 If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

v.1

Some probably had the gift to speak other tongues but Paul says you can

speak the most beautiful tongue but if you don’t have love then the rest

is meaningless.

Love Is

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 HCSB

4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, 5 does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

8 Things Love is

1. v.4 Patient:

a. The capacity to be wronged and not retaliate

2. Kind:

a. It is kind to those who wrong you.

b. Gentle in behavior

3. Rejoices with truth

a. Authentic and is not a front but an overflowing love that

rejoices with the truth.

b. Truth personified as opposed to unrighteousness

4. Always protects

a. It keeps out resentment as the ship keeps out the water, or the roof the rain.

5. Always trusts

a. Has faith in men

6. Always hopes

a. Sees the bright side of things

7. Always perseveres

a. Remains steadfast in the face of unpleasant circumstances

b. holding its ground when it can no longer believe nor hope.

8. Never Failing

a. It will never come to an end

b. Love survives everything

8 Things Love is not

1. It does not envy

a. Jealous

2. Does not boasting key wii w

a. Sounds his own praise

3. Is not proud

a. Puffed up on the inside

4. Does not act improperly

a. behave indecently, act improperly, to be rude, behave disgracefully, dishonorably

5. Is not self-seeking

a. Seeks not its own interest

6. Is not easily angered

a. To cause irritation or annoyance

b. Not easily provoked

7. Keeps no records of wrongs

a. to count up, to take account of as in a ledger or note-book, “the evil”

(το κακον [to kakon]) done to love with a view to settling the account.

8. Does not delight in evil

a. There are people as low as that whose real joy is in the triumph of evil

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.

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If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.

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But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless-it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation.

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The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.

C.S. Lewis