This document discusses the pursuit of excellence from a biblical perspective. It begins by summarizing a passage from Ellen White about God's ideal for humanity being higher than our highest thoughts and the goal being godliness. It then discusses that the pursuit of excellence is not about competition or being limited to certain tasks, but rather about doing our best work, walk, and worship as unto the Lord. The pursuit of excellence should lead us to know, love, and be more like Christ. A story is shared about violinist Paganini continuing to play even after strings on his violin broke to illustrate the power of attitude in pursuing excellence. The goal is for our pursuit of excellence to lead us to Jesus.

2. GCAS Trans-Asia Pacific Seminar
January 26-29, 2015

4. Ellen G. White, Education: 18.2
Higher than the highest human thought can reach
is God's ideal for His children. Godliness--
godlikeness--is the goal to be reached. Before the
student there is opened a path of continual
progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard
to attain, that includes everything good, and pure,
and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as
possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his
efforts will be directed to objects as much higher
than mere selfish and temporal interests as the
heavens are higher than the earth.

5. Our PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE must
never stop until we become Godly
and God-like.

6. 1. The PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is not a Quest
for Superiority.
WHAT THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS NOT
• In The American Heritage Dictionary, excellence is
defined as “The state, quality, or condition of excelling;
superiority. The word excel is defined as, “to do or be
better than; surpass; to show superiority, surpass
others.
• This is NOT Biblical because it encourages
COMPETITION.
• We are not here to surpass and outdo each
other but to be like Christ.

7. “Success means being the best. Excellence
means being your best. Success, to many,
means being better than everyone else.
Excellence means being better tomorrow
than you were yesterday. Success means
exceeding the achievements of other
people. Excellence means matching your
practice with your potential.”
SUCCESS vs. EXCELLENCE
Brian Harbour , Rising Above the Crowd:

8. 2. The PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is not Limited
to a Certain Task or Position
WHAT THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS NOT
• Everyone can be excellent in any given task at any level
or position.
• Ecclesiastes 9:10- “Whatever your hand finds to do,
verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity
or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where
you are going.”
• Whether we are CEO or president or just an intern, we
must do our best because in doing so we give glory ad
honor to God. 1 Corinthians 10:31/1 Corinthians 15:58

9. 1. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WORK
• Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it
heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that
from the Lord you will receive the reward of the
inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
• Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man who excels in his
work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand
before unknown men.”
• "Good enough never is." – Debbi Field, founder, Mrs.
Fields Cookies
• 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, immovable, always abounding (excelling)
in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not
in vain in the Lord.”

10. 1. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WORK
• The following sign was posted in a farm
equipment repair shop: "We do three types of
jobs--Cheap, Quick, and Good. You can have
any two.
• A good, quick job won't be cheap.
• A good, cheap job won't be quick.
• A cheap, quick job won't be good."
(Reader's Digest, February 1994, p.127)

11. 2. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WALK
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NASB) “Finally then, brethren, we
request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you
received from us instruction as to how you ought to
walk and please God (just as you actually do walk),
that you excel still more.”
• God hates mediocrity. God told the Laodicean church
that their halfhearted, lukewarm lives disgusted Him.
(Revelation 3:15) He expects us to live lives that exalt
Him.
• Colossians 1:10 (NASB) “… walk in a manner worthy of
the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in
every good work and increasing in the knowledge of
God ;”

12. 2. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WORSHIP
• Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the
sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit
of our lips giving thanks to his name.
• In worship, excellence is offering the very best to God,
and striving to become better. It is taking that which
we have been given and, with hearts focused on the
one who gave everything, returning the gift to God as
an act of worship. It is not about being the best. It is
about offering our best.

13. THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS A
PURSUIT TO KNOW CHRIST, TO LOVE HIM
MORE AND MORE AND TO BE LIKE HIM.
Through faith in Christ, every deficiency of
character may be supplied, every defilement
cleansed, every fault corrected, every
excellence developed.
—Education, 257.

14. The Excellence of Christ—Manuscript 10, 1889

15. There is a colorful illustration in the life of the great
violinist, Paganini, which shows the value and
power of attitude on the pursuit of excellence.
The colorful, nineteenth-century showman and
gifted violinist Nicolo Paganini was standing before
a packed house, playing through a difficult piece of
music. A full orchestra surrounded him with magnificent support.
Suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung gloriously down
from his instrument. Beads of perspiration popped out on his
forehead. He frowned but continued to play, improvising beautifully.

16. To the conductor’s surprise, a second string broke.
And shortly thereafter, a third. Now there were
three limp strings dangling from Paganini’s violin as
the master performer completed the difficult
composition on the one remaining string. The
audience jumped to its feet and in good Italian
fashion, filled the hall with shouts and screams,
“Bravo! Bravo!” As the applause died down, the violinist asked the
people to sit back down. Even though they knew there was no way
they could expect an encore, they quietly sank back into their seats.
He held the violin high for everyone to see. He nodded at the
conductor to begin the encore and then he turned back to the crowd,
and with a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and shouted, ‘Paganini…and
one string!’ After that he placed the single-stringed Stradivarius
beneath his chin and played the final piece on one string as the
audience (and the conductor) shook their heads in silent amazement.
‘Paganini…and one string!

18. May your Pursuit of
Excellence LEAD you
to the MOST
EXCELLENT ONE, our
LORD JESUS CHRIST.
And may we all
become like Him
more and more each
day.