1. Malachi 1:6-8

2. Something’s better than nothing? Mal 1:8 “But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil?...the lame & sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased w/you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. We think cutting corners, or “settling for” isn’t so bad; those attitudes aren’t merely inadequate from God’s point of view, He calls them “evil.”

3. We serve a holy Sovereign Lord The Lord deserves “excellent” – the very best of ALL that I am and ALL that I have. Instead we often give Him a “token” out of obligation or guilt. Nothing should concern or consume us more than our relationship to the Lord. Why wouldn’t we want to be excellent and extravagant in our offerings to the Lord?

7. We measure success… We give the Lord a “reasonable” portion of ourselves (i.e. our love for Him)compared to everything else in life (the things we “love” like job, family, recreation, sleep, etc) The Lord wants the unreasonable portion – the freshest and first part of us, the best of us. Ps 63:1-5 David understood giving the “unreasonable” portion.

8. God’s measure of success… Mt 22:37&39 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, & with all your soul & with all your mind…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Lord measures our lives (success in life) by how we love – Him (1 st & foremost) and others (born from our love of Him).

9. Too willing to go with the flow We live in a world that will never understand God’s desire for excellence because they have believed the lie that it’s sufficient to manage, to just get by, and to survive. My students at UW taught me a great lesson. Only dead things go with the flow – they end up on the shoreline as food for predators, or they get washed out to sea.

10. 3 sypmtoms to recognize quickly 1. Complacency: Change & challenge are as important and necessary as food & water. An amoeba in a stress-free environment dies prematurely. 2. Complaining: Failure to acknowledge God’s goodness and to appreciate what’s He’s done will mean walking around the same “mountain” 3. Criticizing: Look for the good…hold to a vision….be sure of your purpose. “If only” robs God and you.

11. The challenge… Am I giving the Lord the best of who I am? Am I giving the Lord the best of what I have? Am I available to be used, & willing to obey? IN OTHER WORDS: AM I LOVING THE LORD WITH ALL OF MY HEART, ALL OF MY SOUL, AND ALL OF MY MIND?

12. The blessing… “There is therefore NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1) “I’m confident of this very thing…that He, who began a good work in you, will perform (mature) it until the day of Jesus Christ (‘s return).” ( Phil 1:6)