Michael Harrison's e-devotion

1 John 2:17  (nlt) --- And this world is  fading   away , along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. Do we really get that?  The stuff we think about and pour our lives into often doesn't amount to a hill of beans.  Go with me. There is a bit of financial junk going on in America this week.  If you didn't know that, you must be living in a cave somewhere, and we've see people begin to cry and mumble about all the trouble.  Me too, I am in there a bit. But what really matters, what will last beyond the mess is our God.  He is good and the only guide that makes a difference at all.  That is one reason I cannot pull my mind away from Colossians 3  . So in this e-devotion I give you some thought points.  Stuff to take home, chew on, put in place and let it out of the box.  If we do, God will open up some of His best stuff, blessings, for our ...

Week 3 of 30 Days to Live  has flown by us, and yesterday we dug into the topic of legacy.  What will people say about us when we are gone?  That is a tough question.  Better and maybe tougher thought is this: I want people to say this ________________ ? You see if what we want them to say doesn't match with how we live, how are we gonna bridge that gap and make that change? The only way to to do that is to take some steps now.  Here are some thoughts from yesterday's message: Psalms 39:4  (nlt)  --- "LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeting away. Say to those that we love the things that are most important to us BUT most people don't say those things.    If you only had a short time to live, what would you want to say and who would you want to say it to? Regrets are a huge deal, and if we were to die today ther...

Foxworthy, Donoho and a great cause!

We move to week 3 of our 30 Days to Live series and are talking about the kind of legacy that we want to leave when we are gone.  I have several thoughts that I want to pass you way today, and consider yourself warned as I seem to be all over the place today. First, a brand new movie comes out this weekend called  Fireproof.   It stars Kirk Cameron and is a story of marriage and faith and living life on purpose.  Click here to learn more about the movie.  The story tells about how our lives seem to go in all sorts of crazy direction, and yet we need to remember that relationships matter.  People matter more than anything else.  One HUGE part of legacy is letting those you care about know that you really care. Second, I am always touched by the testimonies of people who live for God.  Yesterday I asked for you to share about "acts of random kindness" (ARK's) that you have done.  Some great stories have come my ...

During the message this past Sunday at The Community Fellowship in 30 Days to Live series I asked our people to embrace something a little new but something that brings with it a powerful punch and push.  Here we go: Acts of Random Kindness (ARK) are simple things you do to show kindness to others.  Honestly, I have been touched in HUGE ways by hearing other people's stories this week about how they have shown others kindness.  Drop me a note if you have done this.  I'd like some stories (just reply to this email). Here is a video (some people think it's a bit cheesy and from youtube  , but I like it because it gives some ideas): Granger Church A.R.K.   How are you showing others how good and how kind our God is?  It is time to get out of your comfort zone, get out of being a taker and become a free-spirited giver of God's kindness. try it.  You will like it. Why? Titus 3:4  --- But—"When...

Carlos Whitaker is one of my favorite as he blogs at  ragamuffinsoul  . God has called us to be real...LOS says it this way: I'm That Guy By loswhit on Authenticity I'm that guy who shaves his head because he is balding. I'm that guy who wears tight shirts because they make him look like he has muscles… until he see a picture, then he knows he's just fat. I'm that guy who struggles being real with himself, others, and God. I'm that guy who almost lost his wife to a stupid mistake 4 years ago. I'm that guy who could lose his wife at any moment if he thinks he's beyond a stupid mistake. I'm that guy who hears all the time how arrogant and stuck on himself he is. I'm that guy that wants to walk up to those smack talkers and punch them in the face right after he tells them how lame their relationships really are. I'm that guy who loves his stats because he feels like it means he is important. I'm that guy who loves t...

We continue with our 30 Days to Live series at The Community Fellowship  , and I want to point you to a quote from Mark Batterson  's new book (my thoughts are below): from Wild Goose Chase   We tend to think and act in patterned ways.  And that tendency to think the way we've always thought or do it the way we've always done it is called heuristic bias.  It is an incredibly complex cognitive process but the end result is mindlessness.  We do things without thinking about them.  And if we aren't careful, we pray without thinking, take Communion without thinking and worship without thinking.     I read a fascinating study a few years ago that suggested people stop thinking about the lyrics of a song after singing it thirty times.  I"m sure the numbers vary from person to person but the tendency is universal.  And it has profound implications when it comes to worship.     "These peop...

When you love, you are generous.  See how you treat your kids or how other parents love to give to their children.  The same is true with our God.  He loves to give to His kids.  It is His character and His nature to be a giver.  Think this one through with me: John 10:10 (nlt)  --- The  thief 's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying  life . John 3:16 (nlt)  --- For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God offers and gives us life.  He has given us His son.  Both are real life, spiritual and physical. Ok, that is the short list of how God wants to and has given to us.  Here is the deal.  Turn it around.  Choose to give.  Be generous. Margaret Feinberg talks about God being a generous God in her book The Organic...

Blessed to have my little guy in the office with me this morning (he's been a little sick). Our kids director got him an iPhone toy. The boy is now on the phone when I'm on the phone. I love this kid.

If we knew our days were numbered, we would not treasure stuff here.   How we hold our things tells us if we are givers or not. People are always gonna matter! (some quotes from yesterday's message in week 2 of our series 30 Days to Live ) Are you as convinced as I am that life is short?  This series has helped me and many others around The Community ask some serious question.  Yesterday we had a teen invite Jesus into his life which is what it is all about. Those quotes tell us about our hearts and about how we treasure stuff.  Will you join me in looking into our accounts (money, time, energy, worry, etc...) and ask God to help us see what we think really matters? Matthew 6:19-21 NAS --- "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth , where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and ...

Perry Noble posted early this week something that hit my heart.  We have to think about this one LOTS.  Please join me in prayer and in doing the right things as it comes to our kids.  So, without further words, here is Perry: Three Things For Pastors To Keep In Mind–Part Three This is the final post in this series… #3 - Your Kids Are Your Number One Discipleship Opportunity And Should NEVER Be Abandoned For The Sake Of The Church. Your kids are a blessing from the Lord! I know Charisse is a blessing!!! I know way too many pastors who will neglect their family (especially their kids) and then claim, "God has called me into ministry and what I can't give my family He will make up for supernaturally!" A pastor who uses this excuse needs to have his man parts removed!!! Seriously! The excuse used above is cowardly and pathetic! Pastors, my daughter isn't impressed with me! She could care less that I speak to thousands every week…but she does care about whether ...

Today was the balloon release for our liitle guy's school PTO. Ain't anything like 200+ kids screaming and looking to the sky.

We know some who are good at this.  Some of them are kids, but some of them, unfortunately, are adults.  They will do things just to get attention.  Often they do something negative. Yet the fact is that we as Christians are not to live in obscurity where we will not be noticed.  We are to make choices and live in a way to lift our Savior.  We are to invite people to know Jesus, to come to church and to see what God is all about.  Are our lives, our actions, our attitudes and such getting the attention of people in this way? One of our bench marks at The Community Fellowship  is this: we are to get the attention of our community and while we have their attention, tell them about Jesus .  Their attention may be ours for a short time or a long time, on line or off line of the internet, at the grocery store or in the neighborhood.  It is time to be intentionally getting attention of the people around us. Here is something...

"The next time someone needs you . . . just be there."   That is a line from a story one of our precious ladies sent me this morning of a Marine who stood and encouraged a dying man by standing in for the man's son.  Another great story.  You see the point.  Be there for people. Do we ever miss opportunities?  Do we loose the place to share with others?  Yes, we do.  Most of the time they are lost simply because we do not step forward, make an effort or ask the question. My prayer for The Community Fellowship family during our 30 Days to Live series is that we will start conversations that will turn to Jesus.  Just ask the question.  Just speak up.  Keep the conversation going and talk about the things that mean something to you. Why?  People need to hear your heart and mine.  People need to be asked to think about life.  I am convinced, more now and than ever, that we are to tal...

I have made the switch, and it has been pretty smooth.  As you know, I began using (and loving) an iPhone 6 weeks ago.  This is sweet and good.  It uses apple software and technology.  No, I do not own an Apple computer or a MacBook yet.  It is coming.  I have to confess. My name is Michael, and I use Safari  .  I like it.   In closing, 10 months ago I started using G-Mail which pretty much revolutionized and stepped up my e-mail abilities.  Now on to bigger, brighter and better....

I'm a dreamer, a visionary of sorts.  Yet I have always found that there are settings and situations that keep me from dreaming.   Ben Arment  captured this thought for us in a recent blog post  .  Read on (and thanks BEN): The Life of a Dream Chaser I'm going to be  transparent  here... dreams keep me going. Dreams of what's possible. Dreams of the future. I have an  aversion  to the  past and an  annoyance  with the  present . In fact, I have a  hard time remembering things from my  childhood . Each move, each transition has felt like a  new sector  in my  mental hard drive . The experiences are there, but they feel like a whole  other life . It's the way I'm wired. I've got my eyes on  what's ahead ... always. And it doesn't matter what I'm going through, what I'm enduring... as long as I've got  a dream  for the future, I'm g...

Join me and others who want to impact our community for Christ at  LifeShare: start making a difference online TONIGHT at 8pm (CT) Carlos Whitaker  & the LifeChurch.tv Int Campus crew.  To learn more go to this link ---  http://tinyurl.com/ lifeshare

Confession.  "I'm so goal oriented and  driven and focused that I sometimes miss living in the moment.   I am  FOCUSED ON the next project, the next goal, the next thing that I'm going to accomplish that I  forget to live right now ."   Is that true about you? Proverbs 27:1  (nasb) ---   Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.   Another confession.  There are times when I like to disconnect and veg-out.  Most of this time this is why I am a night owl but only in my easy chair and with the remote control in my hand (that no one is allowed to touch it).  I get comfortable and most likely watch some TV and even take some quick naps.  What's the deal with that?  I miss life.  I don't connect with my family or my wife. Choosing this moment to live is big deal, and choosing this moment to live may just make a diff...

Baby Ruth celebrated her 10th birthday today. This little Georgia peach is precious. Her mom and dad love her big time. We're proud of our kids. And she's now got her own iPod (we'll all be Apple people if I have anything to do with it - All I'm missing is a MacBook). Happy Birthday, Ruth!!!

NOTE: I have to let you today is our middle daughter's 10 birthday.  Ruth is a precious young lady, growing up way to fast for this dad.  Happy Birthday, baby Ruth (if you want to send her some wishes, e-mail me and I will pass it along). I'm spending extra time today praying and seeking God, and honestly, I have been chewing on the message I preaching this past Sunday.  Again, here is a passage I used: Proverbs 3:27-28   (NASB) --- Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor," Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.  That is a powerful, convicting word from God.  We need to bless others, encourage others, lift others and be Jesus to others.  That is not easy.  It could call for our money, our time or, and most of the time, a great deal of effort.  Are we willing to serve others?  God opens the doors...