EXCELLENCE IS OUR STANDARD | JEFF WALLACE

all right good morning 10: a.m. can we

make some noise for Jesus in this

place well if we have not had the chance

to meet my name is Jeff and I I have the

privilege and honor of being a steward

here at uh life Bridge Church and I'm so

excited to be hanging out with my

friends and my family thank you for all

of you who are watching online as well

we are so grateful for you um listen I

cannot believe already it is February

you know uh we are here and so just God

just know that means that in a couple of

days there is Valentine's Day um it is

the same day every year and uh and so

make sure that you know that you

eliminate any excuses ladies if you need

to do like my wife just send pictures

that's the best way uh to get what you

want just to s a picture and say you

know what if the Lord puts this on your

heart get

this and if he ignores you just say you

need to make sure you're at the men's

event on the 21st so that they can pray

over you um but seriously guys I'm

excited to be here with you today we're

going to continue through um our

collection that is entitled The

Renaissance and and this discussion and

conversation that we've been navigating

through the last couple of weeks Pastor

Luke has taken us through uh this

discussion that really the two

overarching themes of this particular

collection is centered around Revival

and revitalization and and this word

renaissance as as you've heard has been

taken from a particular period of time

time that was a very formative and

transformative period of time between

the 14th through the 16th century and we

know that this was a time when we saw

things like art and literature and

science begin to flourish if you've ever

been to uh Paris and you have a

opportunity to go to uh the Lou the Lou

is the largest museum on the planet it

is a really really cool place where you

get to go and see many amazing pieces of

Art and pieces of literature uh that is

there in the um in the Lou there it's

also the home of the Mona Lisa now

listen let me just because I love you so

much let me go ahead and just debunk a

couple of minutes when you get to see

the Mona Lisa I'm just telling you

you're going to be disappointed because

um you walk literally you're walking

down this Corridor where it's all of

this beautiful amazing art all around

you up on the ceiling or whatever you

turn into this room and you walk into

this massive room and there's beautiful

portraits and pictures all over and then

you see a little stanion right here and

then you see the this small little

picture and it is the Mona Lisa and you

can't even get close to the Mona Lisa

just by the way you know my wife and I

we were there and we wanted my wife

wanted to get a picture with the Mona

Lisa I was like babe I'm telling you

it's like it's gonna be like the

miniature Lisa and uh and so but anyway

so so I digress and so but but but the

the Renaissance was a time where you

know things flourish it was a time when

we saw especially in the culture it

really shaped the culture of Europe it

really had a significant impact uh in

the local church but by definition that

word renaissance simply just means

Revival uh or renewed interest in

something and when we think about this

whole idea of Revival outside of the

historical time of the Renaissance in

modern day time we think about that

there are so many moments that we are

seeing across our country where we're

seeing Revival breakout uh whether it's

breaking out in churches it's breaking

out in college campuses and we believe

that God's hand is uh there and that God

is at work in these places around the

world where we're seeing Revival break

out but we also believe just as the Lord

is doing some significant things around

the world we also believe that the Lord

is doing something right here in our

midst and so as we step ladies and

gentlemen into this defining moment in

our Church's history I want to suggest

that this conversation this collection

that we're having it is beyond just

talking about a name change I think

that's not what if if we're thinking

that this collection is about a name

change I think we're missing the whole

point of this conversation this this is

about understanding that in this point

of our lives in our ministry it's a

defining moment to help us realign our

hearts and our mind around some core

values and principles and ideas which is

why we are are walking through this

collection this is also a time when you

walk through these core values and ideas

that there is change that is going on

there is some change that is there in

life if I don't care where you are

whether whatever the phase and stage of

your life is in life there's always

going to be change change is inevitable

and so how you approach change you

should always do it prayerfully

strategically methodically uh and and so

for me personally if I'm being just

honest I have uh a background in

organizational leadership and so I love

moments when organizations or entities

or Ministries go through through uh

change um experiences and I I think

about great leadership uh uh thought

leaders and and and Scholars like John

carer and he has a principle called

leading change and he did a book in 1996

that is a great book that really kind of

helps organization walk through change I

think about uh uh Peter Ducker and Peter

Ducker has a book that's entitled five

questions every organization uh should

ask themselves and so so this idea of of

walk walking through change it is really

really amazing and significant but I I

appreciate the way that we're we're kind

of navigating this as a Ministry

together and so over the last couple of

weeks last couple weeks Pastor Luke has

kind of introduced a couple of ideas

that we're saying are the core values of

our ministry first and foremost is the

most important thing is that Jesus is

our purpose that is that should not

catch anybody off guard that Jesus is

the one that we should always not just

individually but collectively Jesus is

the one that we fix our eyes on we also

understand this truth that within this

body that we believe that belonging is

our heart that every Everybody matters

and how we express that is through being

intentional How We Gather and cultivate

a community we believe that everyone

should be a part of a community and then

on last week we talked about uh

stewardship being our responsibility

that we are called as faithful stewards

not just to give money if we think that

it's about money we've just missed the

moment it's not just about moment it's

about our our time our talents our tent

but also our ability to walk alongside

our fellow brothers and sisters and and

help them as they're learning how to

Steward their lives well and so that's

what this collection is all about and

this week this week I'm really really

excited because we're going to step into

uh the next core value that we're going

to talk about that's simply entitled

Excellence is our standard Excellence

Excellence is our standard and and and

to reinforce this idea we're going to

look at a very familiar passage of

scripture in um Matthew Chapter 5 this

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

is a part of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount

And if you've ever read The Sermon on

the Mount The Sermon on the Mount really

kind of goes through uh Matthew Chapter

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

5 through chapter 7 and I believe that

uh The Sermon on the Mount is kind of

like a spiritual Manifesto if you will

that Jesus he he provides for The

Listener for the pro to the uh the

believer to understand the core values

and principles that we as followers of

Jesus should Implement in practice and

so what I love to do today which is a

little different uh than just a normal

sermon that I'll I'll preach typically

but what I love to do is I love to have

this particular conversation today that

if we can look uh at this conversation

to through two very unique Frameworks

the first framework that I would love to

talk about is through kind of like what

we obviously know is a theological

framework we're going to look at God's

word because we're talking about

Excellence being um the standard through

the lens of scripture obviously but then

secondly through a theological uh excuse

me through a theoretical framework so

we're going to go through the

theological first through looking at

God's word but then through a

theoretical perspective and framework

where we look at how can we leverage

certain leadership principles uh and and

and insights as we marry God's word to

this whole idea that Excellence is our

standard and so so I want to dive into

this and before we do that I just I'm

praying that we open up our hearts and

that we we open up our minds and that we

say to ourselves first and foremost hey

God help me be uh a person who embodies

a spirit of Excellence having a desire

to uh be a person who's excellent in all

things why because we we want to embody

Excellence not for our Glory it's not

about our Glory but it is it's about his

glory we want to make uh the gospel

known to everybody we come in contact

with so we're going to look at Matthew 5

and verses 40 uh excuse me

38-42 and I'll be honest with you like

you know for some of you uh if you've

never heard this page scripture um it's

going to be a little tough uh some you

might have heard this passage scripture

and you conveniently like to pass over

it because the application of the word

uh is a little tough for you because of

what Jesus is very clear and what he

says right here but we're just going to

kind of go right through because we

believe here we're not going to shy away

from doing the hard things can we say

Amen even when it's uncomfortable to our

flesh so are we ready for the word today

all right well let's look at Matthew 5

Matthew 5 verse

Matthew 5:38–42

38-42 this is what Jesus says says

you've heard that it was said an eye for

an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I

tell you don't uh resist an

evildoer on the contrary if anyone slaps

on your right sheet then turn the other

to him also let's just pause right there

I mean I just how many of you how I mean

let's just let's pause right there I

don't ever want to rush through that I

mean so Jesus is saying I'm not saying

this we're all reading this together he

says Hey listen somebody slaps you just

got it here's the other cheek right it

is literally I mean okay all right I'm

just telling all right and so it gets

even better it gets 40 is even better he

says as for the one who wants to sue you

and take away your shirt let them have

your coat as well so so let me get this

straight Jesus somebody slaps me give

them the other cheat somebody wants to

sue me take my shirt hey cool I'mma give

you my jacket too let's throw the jacket

in the lawsuit that's what he's

saying

41 oh I love your faces right now um if

anyone forces you to go one mile go with

them

too give to the one who asks you

and don't don't turn away from the one

who wants to borrow from you let's pray

because I think we need

to Father God I just thank you so much

for being so good to us God I just pray

right now that as we are walking into

your word God that we won't just be

hearers of your word but doers of your

word and God I thank you for what you're

doing in this house and I pray right now

that as we uh rally around uh this new

season of ministry God that we uh God

will not just um um hear these words

that are preached but we will allow

these words to be our own personal

Manifesto a declarative uh thought and

mindset and attitude and disposition

that we will hold collectively as the

body of Christ thank you for uh what

you're doing in this place now bless uh

your word in Jesus name we pray amen

amen um well I know for many of you you

are there's a lot of coffee connoisseurs

in this place and and that some of you

you know you like those Niche coffee

ples places are those small little

coffee places that are not really kind

of like the big coffee brand but if you

allow me to talk about a brand of coffee

that many people are familiar with and

that is Starbucks and and on February

26th uh 2008 Starbucks actually closed

across the US for several hours all of

their Starbucks uh stores and they took

135,000 of their Baristas and they

retrained each one of those Baristas on

how to create a high quality cup of

coffee this effort this effort and

decision uh was led by the CEO at the

time which was Howard Schultz and and

and for for Howard this was a part of

the company's uh intentional Focus to

try to reshape the mindset and to

realign uh our all the baras to

understand that their core value was to

deliver a premium cup of coffee uh this

move came came at a time when the sales

and the the uh the the um the stocks of

Starbucks was actually in Decline and

and many of the shareholders and the CEO

at the time believe that the reason why

they were in Decline is because they

kind of went away from what they were

initially known for and what was their

true core purpose and and and what I

love about this particular uh story is

that it was a radical move that uh

Howard Schultz did and it actually cost

them obviously several thousands of of

dollars in this time because for several

hours there was no Revenue coming in but

because of the move it also was a

defining moment in the company's uh uh

existence because it really kind of

catapulted them back into you know

prominence as being a place that really

created an incredible experience and

also a good cup of coffee when asked why

would you shut this down why would you

do this what's the reason for the

shutdown Howard Schultz he gave three

very important principles that I want to

share with you number one he said that

they wanted to focus on the quality they

wanted to they wanted to refocus rather

on the quality he said that Starbucks

had had began to face a lot of criticism

uh because the quality of the coffee had

diminished some and the shift in the in

the coffee and what had diminished uh

what was they could equate to what

diminished the coffee's uh quality was

the fact that they were trying to pump

out coffee really really fast and and

they introduced the automatic uh

automated EXP espresso machine and with

the automated espresso machine while it

was faster it took away the Artistry of

the handcrafted coffee so they said hey

you know what we want to kind of refocus

on the quality the second thing that

they wanted to do is they wanted to

focus on the customer experience uh

Schultz would he believed that uh

Starbucks had lost its theater he lost

his his um his it experience that

connection with the customers and so

that's what made Starbucks before the

shut down so important so they wanted to

revitalize the inore experience for

every customer but then the third thing

that he would say was that it was a

cultural reset it was a cultural reset

and by retraining every Barista the

retraining was a symbolic gesture to

remind every employee and every customer

that will come to their commitment to

their craft and a commitment to

Excellence this was a very defining

cultural moment also for Starbucks and I

love what Schulz would say about the the

uh shutdown this is a quote he said he

says we will Elevate the Starbucks

experience by both doing things

differently and going back to the core

of what made Starbucks special the

uncompromising quality of our coffee and

the connection we make with our

customers this statement this statement

was a a vision statement that really

helped the company return back to Roots

it helped the company focus on quality

and authenticity of the experience and

it served as a leadership reminder that

the company must never get off course

from their commitment to being excellent

in all things it was a bold move that a

Howard Schultz had actually made

regarding uh this move and it was a

strong defining leadership moment in his

life similar to what Starbucks uh did in

that moment also because I'm a person

who believed that you should eat more

chicken and I'm a fan of Chick-fil-A uh

Chick-fil-A they have like three core uh

principles to really kind of help

reinforce this idea that they want you

and I to be Raven fans and so uh

Chick-fil-A just as a fun fact if in

case you care or not you know

Chick-fil-A uh they actually adopted

Robert Green leafes Robert Green Leaf he

has a a 1970 principal that he

introduced to uh the social science is

called student uh servant Hood

leadership and so star uh Chick-fil-A

uses uh Robert greenleaf's servant Hood

leadership and a lot of the materials in

which they they put out in the way that

they train their employees but to make

Raven fans through servant leadership uh

Chick-fil-A they strive to do three

things number one they want to execute

operational excellence through meeting

the quality requirements of their

customers every day so they want they

they want every day that they uh ask you

to eat more chicken that there is and

execution of excellence in all that they

do the second thing that they want to do

is they want to activate emotional

connection marketing by investing in

others they're they're trying to they're

very intentional uh Chick-fil-A in

investing in others but the third thing

I love is that they want to always

deliver a second mouth service by going

above and beyond your expectations so

what do these two companies have in

common well if you really study them

what they have in common is that

Excellence is truly the standard and you

see friends Excellence doesn't happen by

accident it requires a committed focus

and it requires consistency if you're

going to be excellent in all things you

must understand that that you have to

have uh three things you got to have

head heart and hustle being Excellence

requires being excellent requires us to

make sure that our head is in the game

that we have a mind we have the mind in

in this context we have the mind of

Christ and that we're trying to be

excellent in all things so we we have

the mind of Christ and our head is in

the game but then we have heart heart

first we got a heart connection with God

but then secondly we got a heart for

God's people and so there is this heart

that we have but then third if we're

going to be ex in all things especially

in this house there has to be a hustle

there has to be grit that's within us to

understand that going after lost people

takes uh it's going to cost us some

things it takes a sense of hustle making

sure that we're excellent in all things

from the parking lot to the platform

means that there has to be a sense of

hustle and so we have to understand if

we're going to talk about Excellence

being a standard then the over the

overarching mindset that we must

collectively say together is that if

Excellence is our standard the

mediocrity is not an

option mediocrity is not an option we we

we we can't subscribe to a mindset of

mediocrity if we're going to be

excellent in all things and so when we

look at this text here and Jesus is

talking talking about going the Second

Mile what he's basically really

introducing to us is what it means to

have a kingdom mindset on how to be

excellent in all things see we're called

to be excellent in all that we do and

the call to follow Jesus friends is not

merely just doing what is required

that's easy but if we're going to be

fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ

then we must embody excellence and

embodying Excellence means that we

reflect the character of Jesus and here

in this text with Jesus with Jesus he

challenges every follower who's

listening he says listen I need you to

believe I need you to live beyond the

minimum stop stop doing what's

comfortable if you're going to represent

me then you got to live beyond the

minimum he says you got to number two

you got to rise above

retaliation there's going to be moments

in your life that you're flesh you're

going to want to get at people but if

you're going to exemplify and embody

Excellence you got to rise up above

retaliation but then he also talks about

in this text that we're going to break

down in a moment he says we got to

pursue sacrificial love and grace see

this is not a command that Jesus is

making here at this por this portion of

the of the sermon on the mouth it's not

a command it's a calling and there is a

difference see going the second mount

isn't an act it's an expression of who

we are as

Believers also is who we call to

be as a church and so there's four

declarations four declaration that I

believe that I I think is so important

that we can extract from this particular

text here in Matthew um and and I want

to share these four declarations I think

that they're not just significant for us

here in this house I think that there

there they're significance to us as as

individuals who are following Jesus and

so so there's four four declarations I

want to share the first the first I'm

going to give you and tie my shoe at the

same time um is the Second Mile number

one is a reflection of Christ's

excellence

and so I love this because what Jesus is

doing because I'm going to fall

um I love this because what Jesus is

saying right here he's saying listen he

said if if if the Second Mile reflection

of his Excellence he's teaching this

because he's saying Hey listen going the

Second Mile means that you have to

oppose this Messianic law that says an i

for an i and a two for a two he calls us

to to ex uh to share radical love

instead instead of trying to retaliate

he says go the Second Mile because going

the second mile is a reflection of who

he is see Jesus calls his followers to

transcend this standard of Justice by

rejecting personal

retaliation he goes on to really kind of

talk about the importance ladies and

gentlemen this is where it gets a little

it's get a little funny because he talks

about the importance of living a

countercultural life he talks about the

importance of adopting a countercultural

mindset and ethic because what we know

is when he says don't resist an evildoer

and he talks about how you know if

somebody slaps you he says listen your

your job is not to

retaliate your job is to refuse to re uh

to to uh seek revenge for anyone who's

wronged you and let's be honest how many

of us have a hard time doing that

because we want to get people told we

want to let people know oh I know what

you said about

me and and we we love we love Facebook

bullies being the people who will get

online and just go to type and let me

tell you

something and what Jesus is saying Hey

listen as followers of Jesus Christ

you're called to live countercultural to

that that it isn't about trying to get

people told it's about having an

authentic witness in front of the people

that you are interacting with and that's

hard because we love to get in our our

flesh but he's saying hey we got to

adopt the mind of Christ I love what

Paul says in Philippians 25 and 7 he

says this adopt the same attitude as

that of Christ

Jesus who possed in the form of God did

not consider equality with God as

something to be exploited instead he

emptied himself by assuming the form of

a

servant so when we talk about going the

Second Mile going the Second Mile starts

within of saying Hey listen we recognize

that Jesus ultimately he did the

greatest Second Mile he gave us the

greatest Second Mile example when he

died on calvary's Cross so he went he

went the Second Mile so when Excellence

friends when Excellence is our standard

you know what happens we choose Grace

over

grudges when Excellence our standards we

choose service over self when Excellence

is our standard we choose love over

limits and as we reflect Jesus we show

the world that our standard is not based

on human effort but our our standard is

based on Divine

transformation that we are we are men

and women who are we're saying Hey

listen you know what I'mma let you have

it because I don't want anything to

damage my

witness what happens you flip somebody

off cut somebody off cut somebody out at

the at the gas station and then next

next week they're visiting the

church and and God with a sense of humor

allows y'all to sit next to one

another and you sit up here Lord I Lift

Your Name on High but you just gave

somebody the middle

finger and so we must understand that

when we think about this

idea of of of of not retaliating and and

and when ex is our standard it starts

with our willingness to say God I want

to reflect your character in everything

every aspect of my life CU then that

moves us to number two number two is

simply this that the second mile is a

mark of our identity see the second mile

is not optional it is fundamental

because it defines who we are as

Believers it defines us as Believers

individually but it will ultimately

Define us collectively as the body of

Christ see the first mile is just simply

an obligation but the second mile is our

identity and it reveals that we

represent a higher Kingdom I love with

first Peter 2 and 9 says it says but you

are a chosen race a royal priesthood a

holy nation a people for his possession

so that you may declare the Praises of

him of who called you out of Darkness

Into His Marvelous

Light can I tell you friends we go the

extra mile not because we have to we go

the extra mile because it's who we are

it's our

identity and when we understand who we

are as Christ followers can I just tell

you there should be some things that

should shift within you as a follower of

Jesus Christ there are some things that

you should just not do anymore or if you

do it it should be harder for you to do

it because there's a spirit of

Contrition that is within you now when I

was in the world hey I got it went

before before my encounter with the

gospel before I had a life altering

situation when I went from Death To Life

yes I operated this way but when I cross

the threshold from Death To Life there

should be some change in my life

so I should easily want to go the Second

Mile because it is my identity is who I

am see when the world expects us to do

the bare minimum friends we are called

to exceed

expectations going the Second Mile means

forgiving somebody who doesn't deserve

your

forgiveness going the Second Mile means

serving when you feel like you don't

have time go on the extra mile means

given in a very sacrificial moment see

see going to Second Mile friends it

reflects our identity as follows of

Jesus but it also impacts and

authenticate our

witness and so man you got to be willing

to go to Second and sometimes it just

doesn't feel

good because we got this thing called a

flesh we have to understand that going

to Second Mile friends it is the mark of

our identity but number three going to

Second Mile it's the testimony it's a

testimony to the world see the second

mile is where people notice that we're

different when we go to Second Mile it's

at that point where they know that we're

different because people expect us maybe

or they they might expect or desire hey

you want at least go one mile but when

you go the Second Mile that's how you

differentiate differentiate yourself

between the world and Kingdom living and

so it is our testimony to the

world it is our way that we live let our

light shine is the way that God becomes

undeniable to lost people I love I love

what Matthew says in Matthew 5:16 it

Matthew 5:16

says this in the same way let your light

shine before others so that they may see

your good works and give glory to your

father in

Heaven we think about our testimony can

I just ask the question what kind of

testimony are you presenting to people

outside of this space right

here what does what does your life look

like outside the confines of this church

because when we go the Second Mile what

happens is we we give love instead of

Vengeance when we go the Second Mile

there is generosity that we give instead

of being greedy when we go the second

mile is service instead of

selfishness the world needs to see not

more divisive rhetoric people the world

needs to see men and women who will

stand boldly on the way in the word of

God and live their lives accordingly to

scripture that's what it means for for

excellence to be our standard the second

mile is the witness of the Excellence of

God's kingdom friends whether you're in

the marketplace whether you're in the

nonprofit World here at the

church that we are called to go the

Second Mile because as followers of

Jesus Christ regardless the context

that you work in the second mile is

where evangelism becomes

practical it's at that moment when we go

to Second M now that's that's how we be

Evangelistic we think we think that

being Evangelistic is somewhere you got

a little Romans Road Track you know you

going from door to door hey did you know

Jesus was died on for your sins that's

that's not how you always witness and

evangelize your life the way you live

your life before people is a form of

evangelism your willingness to go the

Second Mile even when you don't feel

like it is a form of evangelism I was

coming in last night uh from Birmingham

here and and you know I was exhausted

I've been traveling a bit and so I got

on and if you ever flown and you've had

you you know that person is sitting next

to you and you just know oh they're

going to be a

talker and and I sat next to this guy

and I just felt it I was like oh gosh so

I'm be honest you guys we're family I'm

going to tell the truth Shane the devil

I'm going to give my testimony on this

one and uh or just confess my sins

actually and um and so I didn't want to

talk to the dude like I was tired man so

what I did was what every good Christian

does who don't want to talk I put on my

headphones and um and you then I try to

act like I was I was watching a movie

and stuff like I was so I had the whole

don't talk to me dude Vibes you know

what I mean but he didn't get it like he

kept talking and so I'm like God this is

going like how do I tell this guy

lovingly to shut up you know and so but

but then I was

convicted and I'm so serious Lord I was

like how are you going to preach about

going to Second Mile not even willing to

have a conversation with the dude on the

plane I was like well God can you give

me another example of how or you

know so so so I was like fine take the

head I'm going be honest I started the

conversation with an attitude I'm just

be

honest but the more we talked

Mo I began to hear his

story and then here he's going through

went through a bad layoff at work he's

in the midst of a trous marriage that he

doesn't know if it's going to work or

not and in that moment while we were

there in

there Lord used that moment for me to

minister to him and a way that was

really I just I I'm be honest I didn't

feel like it at the time but gosh man

I'm glad that I did so we land get off

everything calls me Jeff Jeff middle MCO

man it's really award comes around she

like man gives me like it was a bro hug

but it was a I was you know I'm not I

don't know you like that you know what I

mean and uh and it's like man but he's

like thank you so much man I needed that

conversation sometimes going a second

mile man is

uncomfortable sometimes it's

inconvenient sometimes it's going to

even cost us a little bit but it's

always worth it it's always worth it

which leads me to number four

but number four is this that the Second

Mile requires a heart of

sacrifice it it requires a heart of

sacrifice see see going to Second Mile

is not just this casual lasair type of

mindset that we have no it's going to

cost you some stuff that's what I'm

talking about the

hustle and so we have to understand that

man when we talk about going the Second

Mile we we have to understand that it is

a sacrificial

experience that's why Paul says in

Romans 12 and 1 he says this he says

therefore brothers and sisters in the

view of the mercies of God I urge you to

present your bodies as a Living

Sacrifice holy and pleasing to God this

is your true

worship see excellence in the Second

Mile friends is not about perfection

it's about total

surrender it's about

surrendering our Liv surrendering our

will our way to God

it's about giving ourselves fully to God

and trusting him in every aspect of our

lives and so here is the question I want

to just pose for us

today it's kind of a twofold question

it's an individual question and then a

corporate question individually my

question is this what does the Second

Mile look like in your life right now

what what are some areas in your life

very PR speaking what are some areas of

life you say hey man this is what it

looks like in my life to go to Second

Mount that's individual question but

then collectively friends I'm curious

what would it look

like if this was a church that was known

we were known for being the Second Mile

church I look for when I go to

chick-fil-et every time I go to

Chick-fil-A regardless of what I get you

know more so than the meal I'm I'm

experiencing I'm ganging you know what I

look forward to the most I look forward

to the phrase at the end of me take um

having my order taken when they say what

my pleasure you see

that it is in their manual that they

have to make that phrase even if you're

nasty and rude to them even if you

change your order 14 million

times it still has to be their pleasure

cuz I'm that dude I'm like Hey listen

I want you know a 8 count nugget meal

and I need my nuggets really hot fresh

extra crispy I want my fries no salt on

because I want them to be fresh and can

I get a half and half sweet unsweet tea

and can I get just a pinch more sweet

than I do

unsweet and they say my pleasure like

yeah so

but the the the truth of the matter is

man will we be individuals in a church

who will have this second mouth

mindset so someone has wronged you go

the Second Mile and forgive

them if there's someone who owes you

something go to Second Mile if

possible let it go if there is someone

who they have done something to you that

man it's like man I just really I want

to give them the business man would you

just go to Second Mile and and let it go

so what does going to Second Mile look

like for you and then also what does it

look like for us as a church friends I

believe with everything within me that

as we step into this new season of

ministry going the Second Mile and that

really becoming a core value what we

believe here in our church it's not on

Pastor Luke alone it's not on the elders

alone it's not on the church staff alone

it's on all of us

collectively to do what needs to be done

so the Kingdom of Heaven can be

Advanced so how do we live out the

Second Mile

mindset as the body of Christ we're

we're called to rise above a Spirit of

mediocrity we're called to do more than

just the minimum we are called to live a

life of Excellence because we serve an

excellent

savior second my

mindset it's not about earning the favor

of God that's we don't do it because

we're trying to earn the favor of God we

do it because we're trying to reflect

the love of Jesus to others that we come

in contact with so it's not about doing

more it's about being more like Christ

so will that be our prayer today will

that be our prayer tomorrow will that be

our prayer as we step into this new

season I love what Galatians 6 and9 says

is this it says this let us not get

tired of doing good for we will reap at

the proper time if we don't give

up let's not get weary and well dooing

because in due time we're going to reap

the Harvest what I love about this text

here in Galatians is due time doesn't

say hey do good today and you'll reap

the Harvest tomorrow do good tomorrow

you'll reap the Harvest 1 of March says

in due time which means God's

timing and so will we not look to have

this transactional relationship between

us and God but will we commit to having

a transformational Encounter With

Jesus that dictates and determines how

we move how we act how we love and how

we live because being a follower of

Jesus Christ is not about Behavior

modifications it's about a heart

transformation that takes place so if

Excellence is going to be our

standard it starts right here in the

heart until we're willing to rise above

a spirit of mediocrity we will always be

a people and a church that is middle of

the roow and all right and I don't know

about you but I ain't interested in

being all right cuz it takes no effort

to be all right you can roll out of your

bed and be a person who does the bare

minimum you can roll out of your bed and

be a person who lives in the spirit of

mediocrity but can I just tell you

Church no the Lord is calling you to be

excellent in all

things with your personal life how you

Steward your life life be excellent how

you navigate relationships be excellent

how you operate at work or at school be

excellent how you deal with seasons of

unemployment be

excellent but most importantly how you

live and Steward your life as a fully

devoted father of Jesus be

excellent so I want to close us out in a

time of prayer and here's what I'm going

to

ask the altar is open for any who

struggle

with a specific issue that is your

hindrance from going to Second Mile

here's an example Jeff I hear you saying

I need to let go and forgive but you

don't know what they did to me and you

don't know the impact they had on my

life I get it you're right but I do know

holding on to it is not going to be

beneficial to your heart and your soul

your spirit and the only way that you

can go the Second Mile in the other

areas of your life until you is that you

got to go to Second Mile in this area of

life and so maybe the Second Mile

mindset starts with you come into the

Altar and a symbolic posture of God I'm

surrendering all I'm laying it right

here on the altar I am letting it go

that's your second mile so whatever it

is that you are dealing with man

whatever the struggle the Second Mile

struggle like the first mile I got it

but going that second mile is a struggle

if that's you man I want to pray and

then the altar be open for

you church I believe

that when Excellence becomes our

corporate standard we move from being a

church to being that church let's pray

God thank you so much for being so good

to us thank you for these amazing men

and women who I call brothers and

sisters and I pray right now God as we

have heard your word that we won't just

leave it right there God we don't want

to just be hearers of your word we want

to be doers of your word God so God I

pray that you give us all a second m our

mindset that we will go above and beyond

the expectations we'll go above and

beyond what culture says we should do we

will go beyond beyy above and beyond

what our flesh desires God that we will

go the Second Mile in every aspect of

Our Lives thank you for what you're

doing here in this church thank you for

what you're doing in our lives God as we

open up this altar I pray for a spirit

of boldness I pray for courage but just

the will God to just lay it all down at

the feet of the

altar we love you and we honor you in

Jesus name amen come on let's worship

you let's worship together