"Striving for Excellence"

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
- Colossians 3:23-24

Excellence is a Journey

3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
- Daniel 6:3

Anything we do for God is worth giving our best

Excellence honors God

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Excellence Inspires People

25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
- 1 Corinthians 9:25

14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
- Acts 24:14-16

#EXTRAMILE

"Relational Unity"

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
- 1 Peter 3:8-9

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:
- 1 Peter 4:8-10  

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
- Matthew 4:18-19

Three F’s

• Follow God

• Fish for men

• Fellowship with the church

Above All… Love one another

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
- 1 Peter 4:8

Show hospitality to one another

9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
- 1 Peter 4:9

Serve one another

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:
- 1 Peter 4:10

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
- John 13:34-35

 #BETTER TOGETHER

"Spiritual Fervor"

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
- John 4:7-10

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
- John 4:13-14

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
- Psalm 34:8

SPIRITUAL FERVOR IS SUPERNATURAL

14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
- John 4:14

Greek word for “drink” means “deriving from vines”

HOW DO WE GET SPIRITUAL FERVOR?

Not by being religious

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- John 4:21-24

We position ourselves and we simply ask

THE SECRET TO SPIRITUAL HUNGER AND FULFILLMENT

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
- John 4:34-36

We receive spiritual sustenance and fulfillment by doing God’s work

WE MINISTER TO OTHERS FROM THE OVERFLOW OF CHRIST

28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
- John 4:28-30

We will go from satisfied to becoming a spring gushing with life

THE FINAL RESULT OF RECEIVING SPIRITUALLY AND SHARING SPIRITUALLY

39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
- John 4:39-42

#STAYHUNGRY

"Missional Passion"

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:4-6 (ESV)

MISSIONAL CULTURE

• Missional simply means to think like a missionary

• Missional means to think outward, beyond ourselves and our comfort zones

• Missional means to think globally

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

The mission and responsibility of the church includes both the proclamation of the Gospel and its demonstration. From Jesus, we learn the truth is to be proclaimed with authority and lived with grace. The church must constantly evangelize, respond lovingly to human needs, as well as “seek the welfare of the city” (Jeremiah 29:7). By living out the implications of the gospel, the missional church offers a verbal defense and a living example of its power.
- Ed Stetzer

OWN THE MISSION

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
- Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV)

“If you love me you will obey me…”
- John 14:15

MISSION OF EVERY NATION

To honor God by establishing Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, socially responsible churches and campus ministries in every nation.

CHURCH PLANTING

History suggests that church planting remains the most effective form of evangelism.

CAMPUS MINISTRY

Campus Manifesto by Pastor Rice Brooks

• The future leaders of society are on our campuses.

• Major movements, bad or good, start on the campus.

• The majority of those who become Christians do so as students.

• International students impact their nations.

• The values on campus become the values in society.

• The most available and trainable groups of people are on our campuses.

• When we reach a student, we reach a family.

• God promised to pour out his Spirit on sons and daughters. (Acts 2:17)

WORLD MISSIONS

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

5 CORE VALUES OF EVERY NATION

1. Lordship

2. Evangelism

3. Discipleship

4. Leadership

5. Family

#ALL IN

We accomplish this by connecting at the top to God, connecting to others at the bottom and reaching one life at a time. Brick by brick.