Who do we try to outdo?

The big church with a new sanctuary? The church with a new pastor? The church with explosive growth?

The church with the right doctrine? The church with Holy Spirit fire? The church with big giving?

The church with a big youth group? The church with a TV ministry? The pastor with an expensive car?

What does the Bible say?

Excel means: To do or be better than; surpass.

1 Cor. 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

2 Cor. 8:7 But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Are we really supposed to outdo each other? In TWO areas: spiritual gifts and giving. Think about what would happen in a gathering of Christians when they try to build each other UP spiritually in ways that try to exceed or surpass previous attempts. Think of what would happen if we try to have fun giving and giving in a playful cheerful way.

As I have said in The Journey, give so that you create a ripple effect in your life and others, but if you think I’m manipulating you to give to The Journey, give somewhere else to see if giving isn’t good for you! Try it. Try using a spiritual gift to build up in a way that surpasses and outdoes one another. What will that look like?

Soon, we’ll have a fun way of doing this in the Journey community to raise funds for the Brazil mission trip.