Michael Harrison's e-devotion

John 8:44 NLT … the devil … He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. The poster above is from www.potsc.com (People of the Second Chance) and a series called “Label Lies”.  So many of us have believed the lies that have been told about us.  Someone said “you are no good” or “you will never amount to any thing” or “you are a corrupt ex-con”.  Those things might have been true at one time, but if you let God work in your life, those things will become lies. Let me remind us that Satan is a liar.  As the verse above plainly says, it is the character of the devil, Satan, to be a liar and to tell lies.  He lies to us and to the world about God, and he lies to us about who we are and who we are about. Meet Steve.  I first heard about this dude from his girlfriend who attends The Community Fellowship where I am pastor.  Steve was about to get out of prison, a

Ezekiel 37:7 NLT So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons.   I sat for what seemed like a long time just thinking.   There were so many things running through my brain.   Everything from the pain of a friend that is going through a trial to another friend battling cancer and on to the busyness of the season of the year we are now in.   You could call that cluttered thinking.   But in the midst of my daily Bible reading cluttered thinking isn't good.   There are hurting people influencing my prayers, my reading and my life.   That is when I came to read Ezekiel 37 that I quoted above.   I've read it before, but what an incredible truth we find in this Old Testament story that speaks to our lives and to lives all around us.   God has called His church to breed life, to give life and to share li

Family Time this Thanksgiving Weekend What an incredible weekend and holiday celebration our family has had with Thanksgiving.  Holidays are about family and about serving.  I challenge you to think about that statement and to live it out. Our holiday started with everyone going to the movie Tuesday night.  It continued with the sweet and savory smells of food galore being prepared in our kitchen on Thanksgiving Thursday by the world's greatest wife (my lovely wife Julie).  The food was awesome and the family was in tip-top dress (as you can see in the picture).  We wore dress up clothes and used the fine china that rarely sees the light of day.  It was so awesome.  Today (Friday) was family day of playing games (so far Monopoly and Phase 10) and beginning to decorate for Christmas.  The Christmas tree is in place (if you are going to buy a fresh tree, go see Wayne and Carol Biggs at Last Chance Auto in Ridgeway).  Even picked up one special black Friday gift for the entire famil

Psalm 136:3 NLT Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.   Thanksgiving is a holiday that few people outside of the United States celebrate.   The day finds it's roots in the founding of our nation and the friendships that formed between those who came to America and those who were already here.   For years people have been pictured sharing a meal together.   Everyone had a smile and a plate full of food which is great to be thankful over.   But there are so many more things to be thankful for, to tell others about and simply to celebrate the blessings, the relationships and all the stuff that seems to come into our lives.   Yet thankfulness has much more to do with our relationship with God than with our plates being full of food or our relationships with other people.   In fact, we will be more grateful for life and blessings if we are rightly connected to God.   When our relationship is right with Him, our relationship w

This past weekend Tony "smoke" Stewart won the NASCAR race and the points championship.   What an awesome year this has been for my favorite sport that kicked off back in February with Trevor Bayne's win of the Daytona 500 (Trevor is an outspoken Christian), yet Stewart is not my favorite driver.   I was pulling for Carl Edwards to win the points championship.   Great job, Tony and your team!   It is important to learn how to celebrate with others.   Maybe you are simply not a good sport.   Maybe like me you are a little competitive and hate to lose.   If you've played sports with me in the past, you may know what I am talking about, but I have learned that it is important to celebrate the victories that other people and organizations experience.     We need to celebrate with the guy or girl we work with who gets the promotion.   We need to celebrate with the person in our class who got the great grade.   We need to celebrate with the team who

My wife says, most likely rightfully so, that I didn't get enough spankings as a child.   Whether that is right or not, we will not discuss in today's note, but I would like to share some thoughts with you.   I've heard my parents say, me say to my kids and other parents say "this hurts me more than it does you" to which I have loving said NO WAY to that.   Yet as a parent the pain of a spanking goes deep into my heart.   I don't like to hurt my kids or give them pain, but I so want to protect them from far greater pain.   I sat reading this morning and came across a passage that has me thinking and, honestly, so grateful to be a son, a parent and a child of God.   Thus, I will share it with you…   Hebrews 12:5-6 NLT And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD's discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you.   For the LORD di

James 3:17 NLT But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.   Real wisdom comes from God.   Nowhere else can it be found.   I mean there are other places to obtain knowledge and to grow, yet all truth comes directly from God even if people don't acknowledge that fact.     What God gives comes with some evidence that cannot be missed.   Wisdom from God will be noted by a person being pure, full of peace, gentle and even humble.   It is vital that we as Christians represent God.   His wisdom points to Him.   These characteristics point to the fact that we know God.   From time to time I have watched the show on MTV called "Yo Mamma".   Let's not share the jokes (at least at this point), but the people who show off their so-called talent are always said to "represent" th

One of my favorite movies of all time takes place in what is considered nowhere, middle America.   It is in a cornfield in Iowa where the character, played by Kevin Costner, builds a baseball field when people told him that was stupid.   He heard a voice that said, "if you build it, they will come."   Another phrase he heard was, "go the distance."   Both were pivotal truths in the movie and in the passion this man and his family had to follow through with what seemed like a stupid and even insane move.   That is much like some of the people we come in contact with each day.   Some people don't have much going for them and aren't trying much on their own.   Yet I always want to err on the side of grace.   I want to give people the opportunity to see and find and experience God.   Our mission team serving this week at the LA Dream Center sat this morning with a couple thousand people, or so it seemed, listening to testimonies of p

When I'm away from our church, I send them a video or a letter. Thought I'd share it here.  LETTER,  Sunday, November 13, 2011 My COMMUNITY Church family - I am not away from you very often, but today is one of the times I am.  This week has been so awesome, and I will be sharing about it through my blog, through testimonies  next Sunday  and more.  It has been so good to be part of a team serving at the LA Dream Center.  We've been part of 7 different outreach projects in the last four days.  Some of those were helping families, some were sharing with homeless people and more.   Thank you to Scott Philbrook who will be preaching and sharing God's word with you this morning.  Scott and Cathy have been a great addition to our church.  He leads Bible schools around the globe for Teamwork Ministries.  They have been involved in several churches, and God has used them in mighty ways.  You will be blessed today as you listen to what God has to say through Scott. Our time in

This was a day for the memory books. I finally got wifi and was able to share with people some blog posts and more. Our team began the day at a little diner close to Angeles Temple talking about what we've seen and learned while serving here. It was moving, even to tears, to hear stories and life change and what God has done. I'm grateful for Brett, Andy, Donna and Milette who have served next to me this week. This morning was the every Saturday event known at "adopt-a-block" ministry where in multiple locations people go out to serve, share and encourage others all over metro LA. We went to south-central LA and the area known as the Pueblos. We shared food and other items with about 40 families. It was sweet to hear the testimony of 14 year old YaYaa who talked about how God has changed her life. We also talked with Kim who helps lead ministry at this site. I always love going to this site. Great people. Excellent ministry. We spent the rest of the day celebrating Do

Our team is at the LA Dream Center continuing to experience and learn amazing things that God does.  We've been part of outreach projects on Skid Row and in various parts of the city.  We've helped families that have lost their children to foster care and gained them back.  We've spent time with the homeless.  We've wrapped Christmas gifts for kids and much more.   This is one of my favorite places in the world.   I ask you to pray for The Community Dream Center that we intend to open soon in Henry County, VA.   The newspaper, Martinsville Bulletin, mentioned our work in an article yesterday as well.   Already we are able to feed hundreds of people each month and help many with clothes and other benevolent items.   But we've yet to realize the opening of a homeless shelter for men and families and a transition program or discipleship program that will help men get their lives back on track.     I'm excited about our dream.   One excellent leader said som

Our family went to see the movie "Courageous" this past Monday night, and it was amazing.   This is a great movie from a wonderful group of Christians in Georgia (they also made the movies "Fly Wheel", "Facing the Giants" and "Fire Proof").   The conversation after the movie was incredible.   My kids shared insight that blew us away.   What an awesome opportunity with my in-laws, my wife and our kids.   It is a story of a family who decided to live with courage even when there were opportunities or temptation to compromise.   There were moments of big laughs and moments of tears.   As a believer we have choices every day that bring our success or failure.   Those choices speak of our character or the lack thereof.   To live with courage is to stand against the flow of normal culture.   It is to be kind and strong.   It is to stand for things outside of our control that are bigger than us.   It is to take God at His word.

Another day has come and gone as we serve here at one of the greatest places on the planet. This is the Los Angeles Dream Center where for more than a decade and a half lives have been brought out of darkness and into God's marvelous light. The day began with Brett and I going to the Discipleship program morning worship. Matt spoke. He graduated from and works in the program and is getting married tomorrow. What an awesome testimony. A couple notes from his message... "I've made up my mind to follow Jesus and nothing can change that fact." "When you attain something by compromise, you have to maintain it by compromise." I'm excited that I'll get to share in their Monday worship time. They close each week, every Friday with awards to the ladies and men going through the program. It is excited. Our team spent the morning with the "food truck" ministry packing trucks and going out to a location in the city and giving out food. It was a sweet

The first day of our November 2011 trip to the LA Dream Center was long but good. After not getting much sleep (the time change is tough) we went to breakfast in the DC cafeteria which is a great experience because of the people you meet. From there Brett and I attended the discipleship ministry morning worship where one of the DC board members shared a message about the prodigal son. The ministry day began with serving in the "gifts in kind" ministry wrapping Christmas presents. Yes, I wrapped some gifts even though I'm not good at this. The afternoon was spent with "under the bridge" ministry feeding homeless people on Los Angeles' skid row (see the picture on the previous post of Brett, Milette and our friend who is a pastor's wife from New Jersey). The evening was spent at the Thursday night worship service where Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charlotte spoke from Matthew 11. Worship at the Dream Center's Angeles Temple is always great.

I am so proud of my kids.   Yes, there are times that I'd like to beat them, but then there are times I need to find a corner and cry because they push me over the edge of being proud.   There are times too where I want to stand on a mountain and yell at the top of my lungs "that's my girl" or "that's my boy".   Our kids are polar opposites.   Some love school.   Some hate it.   Some are quiet.   Some are not.   But they are all my kids.   Nothing can change that.   They get on my nerves from time to time, but if you come at one of my girls or my boy, you have a fight on your hands because I will protect them just like I will protect their mom.   One of the highest callings in life for me is to be a dad.   You might remember a saying I heard lots of years ago: "It takes very little to be a father, but it takes a lot to be a dad."   I believe that.   I cannot just sit by and let their lives pass me by.   I cannot miss th

We have moved into a new season at church.  Thanks go to everyone who helped with Raceway Ministries last weekend as well as with the family night on Halloween.  Lots of people were served. This Sunday we complete our CHASE THE LION series, and we will be challenged to take the next step in chasing our personal lion and even our lion as a church.  We've never been in a better position to meet needs in our community. A couple weeks ago over 50 people from The Community made personal commitments to support The Community Dream Center each month.  Those commitments totaled more than $1,400 per month.  For our key leaders, that was a HUGE statement that demonstrates how blessed we are.  It also spoke volumes about the fact that we are "in this together".  We are excited about the future, and we pray that God is helping you see where you fit in to serve and make a difference. Also we want to remind you to CHANGE YOUR CLOCK this Saturday night before you go to bed.  It is al

1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.   I am strong.   In my head, I believe that I have things together.   But I don't, at least not all the time.   While at the speedway this past Sunday, I stood up from where I had been seated and began to walk down the steps, and before I could catch myself, I fell down a few steps.   It was humbling and a bit painful.   Plus those steps are steep.   I'm not sure all that happened, but my legs have been very sore this week.   I honestly know the old saying "the bigger they are, the harder they fall" is very true.   That makes me stop and think about how we stand in life.   Often we really think we have it together, but all of the sudden we seem to turn some proverbial corner and life falls apart.   It is when we fall flat on our faces.   There are many things that make us fall.   It could be our personal choices that make us fall.   It could be

Hebrews 1:3 MSG This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says-powerful words! The Son Is Higher than Angels   As my little boy gets older, I am noticing more and more what he is like.   That is, what he likes, how he acts, what fires him up and often how he reflects or acts like his mom or dad.   Sometimes that is cool.   Sometimes it is not.   I look over at my wife and ask the question, "Where did he learn that?" when he says something off color or the like.   Then we have to be honest and say he learned it from me or somewhere else we allowed him to be.   A child often reflects his parents.   It is not that they are simply a reflection of what we are or how we live.   Often we think that we have to get our kids to act right just so it reflects well on us as their parents.   Honestly, I am more concerned about my kids reflecting the greatness of God than I am them being a