A SPIRIT OF

EXCELLENCE
 Daniel 6:3 KJV
Then this Daniel was preferred
above the presidents and princes,
because an excellent spirit was in
him; and the king thought to set
him over the whole realm.
Daniel and his friends had ten times more
wisdom and understanding than the others.
Daniel interpreted dreams and had an
excellent spirit. The king promoted him
ruler over the whole province of Babylon.
Daniel raised up Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. They would not bow to the
Daniel would not stop praying to the
one true God and was thrown into the
lion’s den. Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego were delivered from the fire
in the furnace. Daniel was delivered
from the lions. God sent His angel and
What Is a Spirit
of Excellence?
A spirit of excellence, one anchored to the
things of God, is the key that will bring you
through trials and tribulations. It will enable you
to succeed, have favor, and fulfill all that God
has ordained for you to accomplish in your
lifetime. How would you like to have an
excellent spirit?
 Definitions of Excellence
The quality of being outstanding or
extremely good, distinction,
quality, superiority, brilliance,
greatness, merit, caliber, eminence,
and mastery.
Having a Spirit of
Excellence Will
Always
Produce Fruit.
 John 15:16 KJV
Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that
ye should go and bring forth fruit,
and that your fruit should remain:
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it
Father, we ask You, in the name
of Jesus, to help us develop an
excellent spirit, one that is
anchored to the Word of God.
Characteristics of an Excellent Spirit

great character, integrity, honesty,

compassion, humble, teachable, ever
learning, great work habits,
dependable, meekness, consistent,
confident, determination, diligence,
Characteristics of an Excellent Spirit

adaptability, persistent, goal-oriented,

enthusiastic, forgiving, self-disciplined,
reliable, great stewardship, generous,
grateful, bold, guard your heart, positive
attitude, faithful, hopeful, surrendered to
God, and Christ-like.
We Must Pursue Excellence
in All Areas of Our Lives.
 Colossians 3:23 AMPC
Whatever may be your task,
work at it heartily (from the
soul), as [something done] for
the Lord and not for men.
Proverbs 22:29 AMPC
Ecclesiastes 9:10
AMPC.
 Enemies of Excellence:
Mediocre, average, procrastinator,
low self-esteem, lazy, compromise,
low motivation, poor communicator,
prideful, complacent, arrogant,
boastful, conceited, callous,
inconsistent,
 Enemies of Excellence:
Mentality of grass is always greener on the
other side, excuse-driven, unreliable,
unforgiving, fearful, negative, doubtful,
slothful, easily offended, faithless,
rebellious towards God’s Word, ignoring
the Holy Spirit, and spirit of religion and
tradition.
What Is Mediocre? Average, ordinary, of
only moderate quality, not very good,
middling, middle-of-the-road, uninspired,
undistinguished, indifferent,
unexceptional, unexciting, unremarkable,
and run-of-the-mill. Mediocre or average
is being the best of the worst and the worst
of the best.
Are you happy with being
mediocre?
Do you believe that this is
God’s best for you?
Don’t conform to average or
mediocre just to fit in. God’s
best never intended for you to
be just average or ordinary.
For I know the plans I have for
you,” declares the Lord, “plans
to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope
and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
NIV
Apply Excellence in Every
Area of Life
 Workplace
Show up ten minutes early. Don’t
pack up to leave until you’re off the
clock. Don’t surf the Internet and
play games. Don’t take excessive
breaks or long lunches. Do not steal
office supplies. Do above what is
expected. Work hard.
 Workplace
Be a team player. Study to improve
your skill set at your job. Keep your
work area clean. Have a great
attitude. Look people in the eye. Be
polite. Treat others as you would like
to be treated.
 Appearance
Whether you wear dress clothes or
casual, make sure that your
apparel is clean and neat. Take
care of yourself. Have proper
personal grooming habits, good
hygiene, and a healthy diet.
 Appearance
First impressions are lasting
impressions. You are the
temple of the living God.
 Vehicle & Home:
Take care of your car even if it’s old.
Detail it inside and out. Follow
through with the regular maintenance
of it. Keep your home clean. Make
your bed. Wash your dishes. Take out
the trash.
 Vehicle & Home:
Keep the yard mowed and
maintained. Fix broken items
immediately. If you’re faithful in
the little things, God will make
you ruler over much.
 Stewardship of Borrowed Items
If you borrow something, return it
in better condition. If you borrow
a car, return it with more fuel.
Never use offering envelopes to
take notes on. Pay your bills and
pledges. Excellence Stewardship
Enemy of Excellence:
Offense
 Philippians 1:9-10 KJV
And this I pray, that your love may
abound yet more and more in
knowledge and in all judgment; 10
That ye may approve things that are
excellent; that ye may be sincere and
without offence till the day of Christ.
The Bible tells us that
Joseph did not get offended
at his brothers when they
mocked his dreams and
threw him in a pit. Joseph
did not get offended when
Joseph had a spirit of excellence
and would not yield to a spirit of
offense. Joseph was promoted to
the palace and was overseer of
all of Egypt. The entire world,
including his family, came to
When you’re pressed and in a
hard place, whatever is in your
heart will come out. Having a
spirit of excellence in the pit and
in the prison took Joseph to the
palace. This process took 13
Excellence is a journey;
It’s not a one-time event.
Having a spirit of excellence
does not make you proud or
better than anyone else; it
makes you humble and
A Spirit of Excellence in
Your Relationship with the
Lord.
Pray and study the Word. Talk to Him
and praise Him! Don’t forsake the
assembly of the brethren; come to
church. If you hunger and thirst after
righteousness, you shall be filled. There
are nine fruit of the Spirit. A spirit of
excellence is composed of the nine fruit
of the Spirit.
 1 Corinthians 12:31 AMPC
But earnestly desire and zealously
cultivate the greatest and best gifts
and graces (the higher gifts and the
choicest graces). And yet I will
show you a still more excellent
way [one that is better by far and
 A spirit of excellence is
always love motivated; God
is love
 Matthew 22:37-39 KJV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the
Lord your God with all
your heart and with all
your soul and with all
your mind.’
 Matthew 22:37-39 KJV
38 This is the first and
greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like
it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.
If you have Christ, you
have it in you to have a
spirit of excellence.