Michael Harrison's e-devotion

43 years of life.   23 years in the ministry.   20 years of marriage.   3 great kids.   One of them recently got her first car and is preparing to go to her first prom.   The next oldest will get her driver’s learning permit next month.   The youngest, my boy, will be going to middle school in the fall. All of that to say this one thing… reality set in last night as our son graduated from Cub Scouts with the arrow of light award.   As I was watched him it hit me.   Where have all the years gone?   We are blessed, but the years really have flown by. It was yesterday we were moving to Virginia, and our girls were still very young.   We have watched the kids grow and learn so much through these years.   I have had the honor to being part of my sweet wife bettering herself with school, a master’s degree and moving forward all because of following God’s leading. People have told me for years that we have to cherish the time we have because the kids grow up too fast.   Before

For several years I spent time each year at a Pastor’s conference with the incredible Johnny Hunt from Woodstock, Georgia.   One of the big things that I took home from those meetings was a love for the Scripture and a desire to daily read through Proverbs.   That journey began about 20 years ago. Since that time I have added this to time I spend with various groups around our church.   Yesterday I sat with a few of our men and walked through Proverbs 26.   Several big ideas stood out to me, and I’d like to pass them along to you but with a bit of an addendum.   Read on for the big 6 from Proverbs 26 : BIG # 1 ---- Verse 1 Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest. Don’t let honor be something you miss out on.   Give honor to those who deserve it as they live for God and encourage you.   Giving honor to those who don’t deserve it is wasted time and breath. BIG # 2 ---- Verse 4 Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,

What I am going to share with you today is not meant to be a pity party but to help us deal with some of the things that confuse us as well the things that hurt us deeply.   To be able to have perspective when we have questions or when we have big burdens can only be an issue or better yet a blessing that faith brings. James 1:2-4   NASB Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,   knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.   And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. I read an article a week ago and then had a conversation this week about Pastor David Cho who has led the largest church in world that is in Korea.   Recently he was convicted of misusing ministry money.   It had to do with something like insider trading.   But what burdens me is the fact that this great man of faith made some bad decisions that have led many in his church and people around the world to q

Often I look around the places I get to go and notice some particular blessings that God has given me.   Blown away by the grace of God is a correct statement especially as I realize the people God placed in my life are making me much stronger. We are stronger together.  It is easier to see what is really going on.   It is easier to get through any situation when you are not alone.  At times those friends lift us up because we are weak.   Then there are other times when we lift them.   These people I stand with remind me of God's goodness.   Real friends let us know that we have messed up and need to keep walking with Jesus in this life.  God didn't create us to be alone. Friends make life sweeter.  The people we stand with make us stronger.   Here are three things that friends do for each other as we help each other stand strong: Proverbs 27:17  (NIV) As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. We sharpen each other as we stand and do life

The way that we deal with the people around us speaks volumes about what we think about ourselves.  If you don’t love ourselves, we cannot love others.  If we don’t accept ourselves and deal with our faults, we have major trouble accepting others.  I challenge each of us to watch how we treat the people we are around this week.  Make sure you make notes, at least mental ones, about the people closest to us and those we don’t know.   Ephesians 4:32   NLT Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.   Kindness and forgiveness are great friends.  You almost cannot have one without the other.   Colossians 3:13   NLT Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.   Matthew 7:3   NLT And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?   Making allowance for others  as this has a lot to do with giving peopl

Prayer is one of the greatest ways that we stay connected to God.  As we understand and believe that we are Christians and followers of Jesus, we recognize that there are several ways to stay connected to God.  One is by being part of a church that speaks the truth of the Bible.  Another way is to have relationships with Christians who are seeking God. Prayer makes staying close to God a reality and makes us stronger.    We hear from Him and share our hearts with God through prayer.  It is something often overlooked and misunderstood.  Yet when we have a better understanding of prayer, we will use it each day and more. A simple conversation is an easy way to understand prayer.  Just like you are talking to a friend that you care about, it is a conversation that goes both directions, listening and speaking.  Prayer connects us to God, and we don’t have to use big words or Bible words like Thee and Thou or have to be able to pronounce Bible names and places so we can connect

The story goes like this: the people of God had forgotten.   This actually happens a lot.   After a good bit of time and after lots of days doing the same old thing people forget where they have come from and the struggles they went through. Israel as they followed Moses and went through the wilderness began to complain about so many things.   But that really is human nature.   We forget the things that are the most important as our situation moves further away from the time when they actually happened. The children of Israel lived in slavery and bondage in Egypt.   It was an extremely hard time.   Yes they had food, clothes and a place to live, but they had to work hard and have little rest or no relief from the task masters that they worked for. After they left slavery the day in and day out of the desert began to weigh on them.   Not only did they forget lots of things, but these people turned away from God.   That is not a great move.   In fact their choices led the

Yesterday our local newspaper printed a story about our ministry working to open a homeless shelter in our community.   You can read the article at http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=40919 .   The story behind the story is this … over seven years ago a group of people came together to start a new church that meets the needs of people who were either not being served or who were under served here in our community. The reason why we have chosen to meet needs is because we believe God loves people.   It really is that simple.   By our acts of kindness and by meeting needs we win the right to share God’s love with the people we encounter.   Life is much sweeter when we begin to live outside of ourselves practicing the art of selflessness. Proverbs 31:8   NLT Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Titus 3:14   NLT Our people must learn to do good by meet ing the urgent needs of others; then t

It really is an honor to share with you some of the things that God is doing around The Community Fellowship and in our community.  The biggest and most important reason that I share with you is that we need to come together and pray together as we move forward to  demonstrate the love to our community  and far beyond in the coming days. In Tuesday's newspaper there are an article titled "Shelter could open in fall", and the article was about the push that we are spear heading to open a men's homeless shelter in Martinsville and Henry County.  You can read the article at  THIS LINK .  I ask that you read it, share it and continually pray over this.  In January over 50 homeless people were discovered in our community, and I believe, along with many others in our community, that these friends are important and need someone to speak up for them.  That is what I believe we are called to do. Therefore, I ask you to pray in three specific ways for The Community's NEW

Margaret Feinberg ... author, speaker, friend Several years ago Julie and I met Margaret Feinberg and her husband Leif .   Through the last almost eight years, her writing, speaking and friendship has been an inspiring place for me to go to hear from and to fall more in love with God.   Further their friendship has meant much to me. I ask you to join me in praying for Margaret’s health as she has battled breast cancer.   Last reports are very good, and she continues to write and speak at events across the nations.   I recently picked up one of her books that I read a couple years ago and was blessed again by the fresh encounter with our loving and living God. Our family continues the tradition of family devotions each night (thanks to Dave and Jean Ohlerking of www.childrenscup.org that kick started this tradition).   Last night’s question or observation or thought was about the people who help us find our happy place.   This is the people who when we are around them we

If we learn some of the important things that we find in the Bible, we will be closer to the people we care about, stronger than ever and more honoring to our God.   Relationships aren’t easy, but I’m sure you would agree that relationships are one of the sweetest thing in life.   Bet you would also agree that relationships are also one of the most difficult things in life. That means you and I need some help.   Some of us need more help than others. What is worth having is worth working for.   Listen to that again from a different direction.   What we value we will work harder for, yet we all have some issues with priorities.   Often our treasures are not things that really last.   Through years of life God changes our priorities because we seek Him more. Think about the relationships around your life.   Are they built on the right principles?   Are they lasting and strong?   Are we encouraging others to make their relationships stronger?   Do our relationships help others

One of the greatest days of the year for those of us who are in relationships.   But it is also a day of pain for those who wish to be in a relationship.   Therefore, I take some time to do a couple different things on this special day.   I want to share about God’s love and as well how to be the best we can be in our relationships. This Sunday we continue our series called GREAT MARRAIGES at The Community.   We will talk about being a conduit of God’s love and of His peace.   That is a choice we make in dealing with people. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7   NLT Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud   or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.   It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.   Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. The way that we love people demonstrates what we believe about love.