I had a chance to visit The Magic Kingdom at Disney World and it was truly an amazing experience. Every greeting from a Disney team member, every show performed and every service given was nothing short of excellent. You can tell that hours of preparation coupled with a genuine love for entertaining guests work together to create an experience that will live in the hearts of the visitors for a lifetime. In short, everyone involved strives to give their best effort and nothing less.

However, in everyday life, when  it comes to giving our best, we often fall short. Too many times we fall into the “that’s good enough” trap and end up accepting an average, mediocre life experience. This is NOT how we were created to live! God is excellent in all that He does and He expects the same from every believer. A great example of excellence is Daniel (see the book of Daniel chapter 6). We see that Daniel stood out among his peers and was rewarded with Favor and Promotion that ultimately came from God because he had an “excellent spirit.”

This is exactly what it takes to make our lives meaningful, purposeful and above average – an excellent spirit!

I define having an “excellent spirit” in the following ways:

1. Showing up on time

2. Doing more than what the job description says you should do.

3. Finishing what you start

4. Putting the customer ahead of your paycheck.

5. Giving your best effort every day.

6. Learning new ways of becoming better at what you do.

7. Doing all that you do for the Glory of God.

8. Fully Trusting God

Just as those who are a part of the Disney Kingdom strive to impact the lives of thousands each and every day by operating in a spirit of excellence, so should God’s people. Excellence originates with God and is not expected to stop when it comes to us. It is our job to operate in excellence every day, thereby collectively impacting the lives of millions and daily expanding God’s Kingdom. There is no reason why Disney Kingdom workers should outshine God’s Kingdom workers when it comes to creating meaningful, long lasting life experiences for everyone we come in contact with, but this can only happen when we choose to operate in a Spirit of Excellence.

If you are not giving your best in all that you do, Why Not? By the way, God and all of creation are waiting for your answer. Remember, Excellence is NOT Optional!

Pastor Corey

I used to love to build model cars years ago as a child. I was fascinated by the styles and colors of the cars as they were pictured on the box, and could not wait to see the finished product.

One time, as I was eagerly trying to complete a model, I accidentally glued the front bumper to the rear of the car. I did not discover my mistake until the glued pieces were bonded tightly together. The front bumper was now stuck in a place where it did not belong.

In Genesis chapter 11, the account of a man named Terah is given. Terah is the father of the man who later would be named Abraham. Terah chose to journey to the land of Caanan, but as he and his family were on their way, they stopped in a place called Haran. Scripture then says that Terah settled there and eventually died there. Haran is defined by a Hebrew term that means to be dry and without water. Water is the key indicator that “life is present. With this understanding, Terah chose to settle in a dry place where there was no “life”. This is why God calls Abraham out of Haran and to the land of promise (see Genesis 12). God did not want Abraham to be stuck in a dry place like his Father Terah…a place where he did not belong.

Like the bumper on my model car, you may be stuck in a place where you do not belong. A place where there is no life or growth. You can choose to settle there like Terah, or hear the call of God and move towards your place of promise by faith like Abraham.

When I allowed the front bumper to get stuck in the wrong place, there was nothing I could do with that model. Its purpose and existence was ruined. However, because of God’s Grace, when you end up feeling stuck in a place where you know you do not belong, God gives you the opportunity to do something about it. You do not have to remain stuck! Your purpose and existence do not have to be ruined. Like Abraham, if you would hear God’s call, recognize your true purpose, and begin to faithfully move towards the Dreams and Goals that He has given to you, you can break free from your Haran, and eventually experience your land and place of promise!

Pastor Corey

“The Denial of Expressing Our Feelings”

It is emotionally unhealthy to ignore your feelings of Anger, Sadness, Hurt, etc. Do you realize that God has no problem showing His emotions? Scripture clearly shows God expressing His anger because of the sins of His people; expressing His grief and sorrow because of disobedience; and expressing His pleasure when receiving worship.

Genesis 1:27 indicates that we are made in the very image of God. The word image has an origin in the Greek language that serves as the foundation for the English word “icon.” An icon is a picture that represents something else. Therefore, if we are made in the image of God, then we are “icons” of God, which means that we are a “picture” of what He is like. So, if God has no problem expressing His feelings, then it is expected that we demonstrate that same attribute in “iconic” fashion.

Pastor Corey

Hebrews 13:8

PC Blog: “A Threat Against God’s Love For You”

(Luke 4:3)

When Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, He was confronted by Satan who tempted Jesus to turn a stone into a loaf of bread to prove that He was indeed the Son of God. This was an attack on the statement made by God the Father prior to Jesus being led into the wilderness when He said, “This is my Son, My Beloved, in whom I delight!” (Matthew 3:17-Amp). What the Father was saying was that His love for Jesus was “good enough!” In other words, Jesus did not have to prove anything in order to please the Father. The Father was already pleased, which was indicated by His previously stated Love for Jesus.

Since Jesus had not performed any miracles at this point, the enemy tried to tempt Him to ask, “What contribution have I made to this world? Maybe I should prove to others who I am?”

Our culture tempts us to ask similar questions of ourselves like, “What have I achieved? How have I demonstrated my usefulness? Or, Does what I do really mean anything?”

You may not consider your life worthwhile if you have not had success in work, family, school, church, or relationships. And this is exactly how the enemy wants you to think! What he does not want you to know is that regardless of any failures or lack of accomplishments in your life, God still loves you, and His love for you is good enough!

More next time,

Pastor Corey

Hebrews 13:8