Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  The search is on.  Yet the question is will we be honest.  If we get on honest, greater things are ahead. That is just part of what I shared in the message Sunday at The Community Fellowship through our series “Road to Recovery”.  Whether it is addiction or so many other things, even our health, until we admit there is a problem, help will not come. That is why we have to ask God to help the search begin.  Allow God to look in and begin to work in your life.  The outcome is what makes it worth it.  Follow on. Lamentations 3:40  NLT   Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Examine.  Search.  And then turn to where God leads.  Psalm 139:23–24  NLT   Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. I love those verses from Psalms.  I first reach them as a t...

  1 Thessalonians 3:8  NLT   It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. Go get ‘em.  You know, this talks about the people we pour our lives in to.  This comes through influence and living on purpose and with the call of God. We influence the people we are around.  We are either building people up or tearing them down.  There is no middle ground where others stay the same because of us.  That is unless you are a hermit, living off the grid and never encounter other human beings. Choose to help others stand firm.  Use what God has given you, how He has worked din your life to help others get stronger and to be who God made them to be.  That is why we need to have faith and follow how God leads. For me there has been many people through the years that I have had the opportunity to help walk by faith.  Some were in my life for a long time while others only for a short time or even just one meeting.  Some ...

  God is good.  He shows us that as we watch, listen and take in the things that He says and does.  Even in experiencing the things around us we see God, like the sunrise or sunset and more. This year my oldest brother and I have been reading the book of James in the Bible.  It really has been incredible, and many of the verses from chapter one through chapter 5 have come alive.  Some more than others.  Some verses I have history with.  Some are new. In today’s devotion I give you some from chapter 1 that stand out and run through me head.  Then I will share one that came alive this week. James 1:2-4  CSB   Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3  because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4  And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. First heard these when I was a teenager, and they still have deep...

  One of the most important things we can be is an influence.  Every one of us has influence but is that influence good or bad?   Think about it.  Read on.  These verses are eye opening.   2 Peter 1:5-9  NLT   In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.   God’s promises help us respond differently.  His promises allow our lives to be influence...

  Exodus 17:15  NLT   Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). Sunday I shared at the end of the message the purpose of altars.  It was during the sermon that talked about letting go of our struggles and letting God give us help and rest.  Altars will do just that. What is an altar?  Why build an altar?  It comes from a heart, like Moses, that has seen God work and needs God.  Moses built that altar because he was committed to going to God and to lifting God up. All through Scripture, especially the Old Testament, there are people who built altars.  They are built because people choose to praise God.  Draw attention and give praise to God because of what He has done and who He is. Altars are also built because of the burdens we have.  They come with times of praying and pleading with God for what is needed and what He does for the people He loves.  We need altars where we take ...

  Every one is going through something.  Often we are unaware of what that might be, and that is why we should be kind, lookout for our neighbor and pray for one another. Maybe it is you that is going through something that is tough, big and out of your control.  Simply put you are looking for help.  Here is an invitation from God. Matthew 11:28-30  NLT “ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” ” That is big.  In this invitation is an offer we cannot miss and shouldn’t ignore.  Yet we do put it off and ignore the promises of God.  He promises help with our burdens.  He promises rest.  He promises life that has more meaning and strength for the days. In our series at church, Road to recover...