Michael Harrison's e-devotion

NOTE: This is the end, last one, final and numero uno of the "Top 10 List of Scripture". These are verses that will change lives.) # 1 on the Top 10 List of Scripture John 3:17 & 1 John 3:16 (nlt) God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him…We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. THE END ... finally after two weeks we've come to the bottom of the barrel or the top of the heap. Whichever it may be, this verse (really two verses) are the most important in our countdown to the top verse in Scripture that will change lives. So important, I couldn't narrow it to just one verse. So, I believe that these two verses give us principles to live by, power to share, people to see and care for and real passion to do what God has called us to do. TOP SHELF...Jesus came to give life (look at John 10:10 as well). Some people think that Go...

(NOTE: This is almost the end of the "Top 10 List of Scripture". These are verses that will change lives, ours and others.) # 2 on the Top 10 List of scripture Philippians 2:9-11 (nlt) Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Make the main thing the main thing. It ain't easy, but it is over the top vital. This is one of those "we have to agree here" points that we will fuss and fight about if need be. Why? Because it is all about Jesus. Plain and simple. Jesus is the head of the church and the height of who we are and what we do. It is by Him that we get to heaven (see John 14:6 ) and where our strength and power come from (see Acts 4:10 ). Then, all we do is to be in His name and to His honor (see Ephesians 3:21 )....

# 3 on the Top 10 List of scripture Philippians 4:6-7 (nlt) Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Kneeling beside the bed one day, I began to understand more of the promises that God had given to me. In fact, the verse above is the first Bible promise I received after becoming a pastor. This was new revelation and exciting. I found that God was getting me ready for greater things and allowing me to experience more of Him. That's a huge deal! This is not a formula for a perfect life. These verses don't off the key to the absence of stress and pain. Yet they do open up communication between heaven and earth, between my fear and faith, between sleep and no sleep, between being tense or relaxed...and on the list could go. Worry is a ...

We are now home owners for the very first time. We will be moving to 12 Greentree Street in Collinsville soon. Thanks for all your prayers and support!

# 4 on the Top 10 List of scripture James 1:2-5 (nlt) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. Trouble. Patience. Wisdom. All things we need and have to deal with. For years I have added James 1:5 to the letters and notes I send to folks via snail mail or e-mail, and I guess you could call that my life verse. Real wisdom comes from God. Everything comes from God, and when we try to do things on our own, we are empty without anything that even looks like joy around us. The first three verses of this TOP 10 entry are ones I memorized as a teenager and have used for now more than 20 years to understand life and God. Trials and trouble ar...

(NOTE: This is week 2 of the " Top 10 List of Scripture " list. Verses that may just your change life or others.) # 5 on the Top 10 List of scripture Ephesians 3:20 (nlt) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. I remember the day that this verse became real to me, and then I back up and watch what God has done throughout my life and see that our God is big and awesome. He is able. You name it. No matter the size, the distance, how hard the task may seem, God is able to take care of it all. Do we really believe that? Far too many Christians have put God in the proverbial box saying he works this way but not that way. He can do anything. Water to wine at a wedding. A dead person living again. Death bed (or death cross) confession and salvation. We have to know that God is able. When we believe that and live that, our lives will take on new freedom and creativity. Think ...

# 6 on the Top 10 List of scripture Jeremiah 29:11 (nlt) "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord . "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Lets go on a trip. In just a few weeks, my family and some friends will enjoy some peaceful time on the beach. The wind blowing off the ocean...the gentle noise of the waves coming in...plenty of sun...and more. Just thinking about that trip gets us excited and keeps us pressing on toward it. This is an annual thing we love. Memories for the family and time together are important. This verse is a memory like that one. Yet, this one comes straight from God. He set it in motion. He carries is out. I am not in control and really have little to do with it. All I am in for is believing God. It's that simple. The trip we are on together is a journey of faith, if we let it be. Some people have chosen a crash pace and road of stress, pain, heartache and worries. Tha...

(NOTE: This is part of the "Top 10 List of Scripture" list. Verses that will change lives, ours and others.) # 7 on the Top 10 List of scripture 1 Thessalonians 3:8 (nlt) It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. I meet some pretty cool people every day. A guy walked in my office this morning, and as we were talking and looking at pictures from his recent bear hunting trip, we talked about making disciples. What is it? How does it work? Why do it? All good questions. In fact, as we talked more, we agreed that God has called Christians to reproduce ourselves spiritually by leading people to walk with Jesus. We are to do this with our kids, our friends and with other people we meet. This guy is the guru of outdoors man and even has his own TV program in that genre. This southern, Christian gentleman loves Jesus and loves everything about being outside. He asked me about my outdoor interest, and I told him of running marathons and shooting big ...

(NOTE: This E-Devotion is the continutation of the "Top 10 List of Scripture" list, verses Christians should know, share and hold on to with everything we are. Verses that will change lives, ours and others.) # 8 on the Top 10 List of scripture Psalm 139:17-18 (nlt) How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! That makes you stop and think. God is thinking about us! You and me. He cannot get enough of us. His love....it's real and endless. His gift to us...it's real and endless. Then, His thoughts...they are real and endless, too. In another Psalm David asks where he can get away from God. He talks about the deepest part of the ocean and the highest peak of a mountain, and in every one of those places, David admits that God is there. See Psalms 139:7-8 . Paul said at the end of Romans 8 that nothing can move us away from ...

(NOTE: In the two weeks I will share with you a "Top 10 List of Scripture". These are NOT my top 10 favorites but are 10 verses Christians should know, share and hold on to with everything we are. They will change lives, ours and others.) # 9 on the Top 10 List of scripture John 1:14 (nlt) --- So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son. God with us. Emmanuel or Immanuel. However you spell it, it still means, "God with us." If you go back to the first part of that chapter, you will see that God's design for the world and for us includes His word and His son. He never intended for us to be by ourselves, alone. God walked and talked with Adam in the Garden of Eve. God got Moses' attention at the burning bush. God stopped Abraham with an awesome promise. God shattered Paul's plans to kill more Christians on a road....

Years ago I shared an idea with a gentleman that has been a big hit. You know the guy, David Letterman , and the idea was his Top 10 List that has taken the nation by storm the last few years...Just kidding. It was not my idea, but I am not too good that I wouldn't steal the idea myself. So, here we go. In the next 10 days I will share with you a " Top 10 List of Scripture ". These are NOT my top 10 favorites, but what I do think is that these are 10 verses we, Christians, should know, share and hold on to with everything we are. They will change lives, ours and others. They will give us the truth of God and get us on the right track when we jump tracks. # 10 on the Top 10 List of scripture Hebrews 1:3 (nlt) The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven...

Oh, I remember the day like it was yesterday. Just after that event took place I remember that I was blubbering like never before. I cried so hard that my mom thought something dreadful and deadly had taken place. But it was just the birth of our first child (over 10 years ago). Father's day has taken on new meaning for me in the last decade. 3 precious kids and lots of fun have made this dad proud of my kids, commitment to their growth and protection and so thankful to God. Also, my own dad has increased in the wisdom area in huge ways. Ok, I admit it. Ol' rattlesnake (dad's own nickname for himself from his initials R.S.) has been smart all the time. I just didn't realize it. Want to fight? I have the best dad in the world. No, I will not tell you all he has done, but I will say that this giant of a dude has supported his preacher son and kept my feet to the fire in huge ways. I really enjoy the calls, hate the confrontation, but I know that God is using my...

Don't you love to hear that? "I am praying for you." It may come in an e-mail or in a phone call or from a conversation when someone says, "I've been praying for you." Sometimes I don't think I would make it without someone praying for me. James 5:16 (nlt) --- Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. I remember walking down the hallway of a house where I rented a room years ago and hearing Mrs. Cornelia Fowler praying for me. I remember hearing Harry Thompson pray for me. I remember when Pastor Grady Roan held my shoulder and prayed for me. From time to time I get a note from mom or my dad ... 'I am praying for you' it reads. There are too many people to name that lift my family and my life to Jesus. Thank you for praying for me. Colossians 4:2 (nlt) --- Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a than...

Several years ago I was introduced the works of Richard J. Foster . His best known book is likely The Celebration of Discipline that I had to read in seminary. The best way to describe Foster, from my point of view, is that he presses the Christian into simply living focused on God. Tough reading. Challenging thoughts, but always something to chew on that leads me into a more intimate walk with God and desire for God. Here is part of Foster's "Perspective" newsletter from October 2005 called Growing Edges. Be blessed as you read... Jesus: The Word Made Flesh But there is more. Not only is there the Word of God written (Scripture) and the Word of God living (the debar Yahweh) there is also the Word of God incarnate, Jesus Christ. This is of enormous importance for our day. People need a living Savior that speaks life into us here and now. John, in his Gospel, makes a conscious parallel to the creation narrative of Genesis when he declares, "In the beginning was ...

2 Corinthians 6:1 (nlt) --- As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. As I walked to the ball field this last Saturday, I began to talk with one of our men. This guy is a great dude who has dealt with some pain and heart ache and shown that God is faithful. His heart is full, and what I am more excited about is the fact that he said he can share his faith with passion and clarity. That was an awesome conversation. Not too many minutes later this guy introduced me to a local pastor. This new pastor friend has a huge heart and calling from God. Then I learned that there are even more people in our community that have the same call we have from God ... to be relevant and fresh in winning our community to Jesus. I was encouraged, excited and am now almost ready to jump out of my skin. This man is the real deal, and his church is going to be one of our partners in some way. We need each other. Through the years I h...

We are going to have a great time this Father's Day at church. Invite friends and family, even people you don't know to join us. We've got great prizes and gifts, a special guest who will make you split your side laughing and a meal afterwards. Don't miss it all. You heard it from me!

Summer has arrived in full force. That means that my family is off to see other family in another part of the country. It's quiet around here. That is some positive and some negative... positive - I can sleep in. negative - I can't always sleep when they are gone. positive - I can work at home with some peace. negative - When work is done, I am alone. positive - I can catch up on some things I've been wanting to do. negative - I don't have any help when something is tough. negative - the laundry is piling up. negative - I have to cook if I want to eat. negative - no hugs at home for at least a week. positive - I remember how much I love my wife, my kids and even the dog. positive - I hear from God in some quiet, special ways. All that to say, it's quiet around here, and God wants to use this time for His best in my life. I have a choice. My way or His way. I want His. Hearing God is awesome. It also takes patience and desire to hear. Think about it. Psalm ...

"Maybe the central task of a worship leader is to keep worship from becoming routine? Maybe the central task of a teaching pastor is to keep the Bible from becoming routine? Maybe the central task of a lead pastor is to keep church from becoming routine?" - Mark Batterson That's good. That's God. I don't know about you, but leading church is not easy especially when you want to be at the top of your game. I do everything I can to be the best I can be. Not to be better than anyone else. Not to just be different for the sake of being different. But God called me and this church I am honored to serve to touch as many people as possible. That's a big deal. I am often struck with the thought of keeping things the same, but that is routine and gets people thinking the same kind of stuff. We have to push and be pushed. We must help people see God in fresh and exciting ways whatever that takes. This is why I am committed to leading with skill and seeking th...

Be who you are. If you know Jesus, are a Christian, then God accepts you just as you are. We need to hear that. Every day I deal with people who make their relationship with God more complex than it is. It is simple. Just you and Him. Not what other people think. It is God who makes us right as we admit our need and confess Him as Savior. Acts 13:39 (nlt) --- Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do. Be who you are. You are always right (watch out). I mean that God has forgiven and even forgotten your sing. That is a big deal. There is no other way to be right all the time other than to know God. No, that does not mean you are perfect. But the perfect one holds you. It doesn't mean you can tell people that you are always right. That's wrong. But the one who makes you right made you and is your Savior. That's good. 1 Peter 2:9 (nlt) --- But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are ro...

Psalm 97:6 (nasb) --- The heavens declare His righteousness,And all the peoples have seen His glory. Our family drove into our neighborhood last evening to discover that all the electricity was off. There were storms brewing in our area with the toughest of them being to our north several miles. So, we went to the local SONIC for some treats. It was a family moment you just have to take from time to time. We arrived at the house. No lights. No TV. No clocks. It was quiet and peaceful, other than the frequent flashes of lightening from outside. Our kids didn't know what to think. There were questions of what we would do, despair on their faces and in their voices, if the clock was not on in the morning to wake us up or if the TV wouldn't work or if the phone wouldn't work. I went to the deck on the back of our house. I leaned the chair back I was about to sit in thinking I would soak up some quiet thinking time. It was a blessing. I heard some bugs and the wind...

Proverbs 16:20 (nlt) --- Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful. There is something about people who trust God. They look at things differently. They get through the struggles and deal with stresses in different ways than you average guy or girl off the street. Why is that? As I get older, as some of you know, I tend to be a bit more laid back, worry about less stuff and am able to trust God. Satan throws in his 2 cents from time to time making me think that I just don't care or I am not driven enough or that I am a failure. Just a little reminder for him and others today ... I care because God cares big time, I am driven because I called by God with lots of vision and I am successful BECUASE I trust God. Confident or arogant? Oh well, trusting God is not arogance. It is faith. Can you imagine defying your dad who has lots of power because of your faith? Jonathan did that in serving David. Can you imagine disobeying a law to s...

Deuteronomy 11:19 (nlt) --- Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Our little boy graduated last night from 3 year old preschool. You know the type of events. It was cool to watch especially since our little was the only one NOT to sing and just quietly did his thing. I am proud of him, and he has had a great great at the preschool where his mom teaches (other than the week he couldn't return to school because of difficult behavior...we are passed that). During the night of events and short ceremony each child was asked this question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" My eyes began to water. I heard my little man's answer before, but this was in front of his friends and their parents and more. His answer..."I want to be a DAD." Earlier this week while working at church with one of our leaders, this little fast-growing boy told me that...