Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Our brand new series Back In The Day  begins this Sunday, and we invite you to dress up in your best 60's clothes.  You might even win a prize.  We are gonna have some fun! During this series we will be looking at some of the great stories of the Bible where people of the past came face to face with God.  Awesome stories of faith and life change. Bring friends.  Even bring your enemies.  Pray that God would make us more like Jesus!  See you at 10:10am Sunday morning!!! *** for more information about The Community Fellowship or Dream Center call 276-647-8231 or email  cmartin@thecommunityfellowship.org .  To give online click on this link    https://tcf.ccbchurch.com/trx_submit.php?type=public_gift  ***

Stay in the game.   Several months ago I started going to a local CrossFit gym a few days each week.   It has been a journey.   Lots of pain.   Lots of struggle.   But already some good outcomes.   The coach often says, “stay in the game”. That is pivotal statement for someone in the mix of being tired, in pain or just plain struggling.   You’ve been there.   Those times when we don’t know how we can go or if we can. Philippians 3:14   NLT I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Paul had been there too.   The Bible tells us that Jesus endured all types of hardship and pain.   Paul went through much as well.   They didn’t give up.   They stayed in the game because they understood that there were a lot of lives at stake, not just themselves. 1 Corinthians 13:7   NLT Love never give s up , never loses faith, is al...

Dear Community Friends!!! It is TAX time once again.  That statement might make you get a little stressed out.  Well, there are some folks in our community that want to help tax the stress out of this for you and your family.  Please take a look at the picture and information below.  I also want to encourage you as you possibly get your tax return to remember to tithe to your church and to use your resources as God leads you to do.  This is one tangible way that we "demonstrate the love of God to our community".  Read below, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday at we celebrate Jesus and have lots of us with our new "back in the day" series and 60's Sunday! With GOD as my guide, Pastor Michael Harrison United Way is pleased to announce that we are offering the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program again this year. I am forwarding you all a copy of our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program flyer and an Envelope Stuffer to post and distribute to your ...

One of my favorite passages of Scripture seems to come to life more often as the spotlight is put on it by reading versions of the Bible that aren’t the norm for me.   I’d like to share a passage with you.   I ask that you read it a couple times and ask God to let it run around your heart and head.   Then I pray we will apply it. Read on and be blessed… Philippians 2   MSG 1-4  If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care — then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 5-8  Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of...

This week’s volunteer of the week at The Community Fellowship is Lee Hobbs!!!   Lee Hobbs and his wife Anita have been at The Community Fellowship since its beginning.   On Saturdays Lee volunteers in REACH Ministry and is a valuable and dependable member of the team.   During our outREACH in September Lee was involved in helping with the set up and clean-up of the event.   He carried many heavy supplies and saw to it that the volunteers had what they needed to minister to the guests there as well as seeing to it that the supplies were delivered back to the church and put away to be used at future events.     Lee is a big part of our annual B2S (back2school) Ministry where each year our church partners with other churches to provide new shoes, socks, book bags, school supplies haircuts and clothes to children who may otherwise not have what they need to feel confident and prepared for the year ahead. ...

Proverbs 24:10   NLT If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small. Failure happens.   It is something that all of us have gone through if we have lived very long.   What we do with failure makes all the difference of the world. Often it is what we learn when we fall that takes us further and helps us grow more than any other time.   We do learn from victories, yet if our lives are only full of victories, we won’t appreciate them as much as we could.   I heard a coach say recently that the reason she leads her team is to help them win.   Loses will happen.   But learning from the loses and compiling the wins is a big deal. If we continue to fail and never win, we must find new ways to stretch toward winning and to see success.   Being part of a team is a great thing.   Being part of a winning team is awesome.   Following God and living by faith will bring more victory and more learning from our failures. ...

This Sunday we begin a brand new series called  BACK IN THE DAY , and over the next 4 Sundays we will be taking a look at the past and learn from the stories we will share.  Yep!  The 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.  Each week will be fun, funny and full of fact finding.  Are you in? Here is another cool piece --- dress up in your favorite outfit from the decade for the week.  This week is the 60's. Join us at The Community Fellowship Sunday at 10:10am and bring some friends with you! *** for more information about The Community Fellowship or Dream Center call 276-647-8231 or email  cmartin@thecommunityfellowship.org .  To give online click on this link    https://tcf.ccbchurch.com/trx_submit.php?type=public_gift  ***

One of the biggest things we do at our church is create community as we interact with people every day, not just during worship.  I walk out of the building we use, and I continue to ask God to fill me with big vision and His dreams.  And it happens again.  More pieces.  More stuff to honor God with. I hate saying no.  I love saying yes.  This is in regards to helping me.  These are tough, tough times.  Job lose is a daily issue.  Needs on top of needs is a daily issue.  Know what else is a daily issue?  God is still God and still offering His best and real hope to any who will accept it. "The person who loves the people around them creates community everywhere they go." --- D Bonhoeffer By creating community around the marching orders of demonstrating the love of God to our community we are a living and breathing testimony of Jesus.  That's my calling.  That's what I believe I am to lead other people to ...

2 Corinthians 2:10   NLT When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven , I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, Forgiveness is one of the most powerful things in the world.   We can give it, and we can receive it.   Both directions are very important because the lack of forgiveness leads to spiritual and physical problems. This is the way begins his relationship with us, by forgiving our sins, and how God opens up more of our freedom and strength by giving and receiving forgiveness with the people we encounter in life. We have a choice to survive or to thrive.   Surviving often means you do as little as possible to simply get by.   To thrive means you go above and beyond.   Have you experienced the peace that comes with forgiveness?   It is freeing to people on both sides of the relationship. I have shared with you before that one of my favorite writers is Henri Nouwen ....

Zechariah 10:12   NLT By my power I will make my people strong , and by my authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the Lord, have spoken!” You have encountered them as I have.   Maybe it was at church or some event that you came face to face with one of their kind.   They are strong and confident, kind and compassionate, hopeful and patient.   I am talking about some who have chosen to serve God through serving others. I am calling this post a “point of personal privilege” because there are some people I want to draw attention to, but before I get to the point I want to remind you that I am human.   Some people make me mad, tick me off and even get my mind so wrapped up that I have to back off and ask God for help.   You have met some of those people too. This week God has sent me several reminders, but in the midst of being reminded I have run in to and spent time with some of the most negative and difficult people in the world. ...

Everyone of us has relationships and people that we care deeply about.   When something exciting happens, we want to share with others.   That could be a gift we receive or an award we achieve or a number of number of others happenings.   It might even be a new baby or grandbaby born or an upcoming marriage.   All kinds of things get us excited. Our walk with God ought to be the same.   It is one of the things we “get-to-do” by inviting people to follow Jesus or to go to church with us.   It is not about filling up the chairs or pews at church.   It is about letting people know that great life along with forgiveness and peace are available from our great and gracious God. The people around us have got to meet our God.   One of the best days in my life was when I met Jesus.   Some of the other best days in my life is when God reminds me what He has done and renews my understanding of His love for me.   And we get to invite oth...

This week’s volunteer of the week at The Community Fellowship is Sandy Weaver!!!   Sandy Weaver and her husband Brian live in Ridgeway and have been a part of The Community Fellowship family for a year.   During REACH Ministry’s outREACH Event in September, Sandy was a major contributor of the supplies needed to make that ministry a success.   She also supports Raceway Ministries ministries through donations and is active in fundraisers in the community.   Sandy volunteers in our back2school (B2S) event and is a Charter Member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Martinsville/Henry County.   Wanting to own her own business, Sandy prayed, studied God’s Word and sought confirmation.   While attending a ladies conference, Sandy had an opportunity to talk with Pastor Paula White who prayed with her and even gave her the name of the business that she was to ...

Here is something we need to make sure we all agree on.   Salvation is vital.   Jesus is our Savior.   He is all we need.   It is all about Him.   In our sphere of influence and in our daily life we can lead others to come to know Jesus.   We are the equipment. Armed with our salvation and story we can win our world to Jesus.   In the passage we look at today there are some connections we can take to heart and will push us closer to Him.   Listen in.   This is good stuff! Jeremiah 29:11   NASB For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘ plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope . This past Sunday I shared with our church from Jeremiah 29 about having a heart connected to God so we can help and share with others.   We share from hope.   That is the hope that Jesus gives us. But the problem is we are human.   Humans look at things from a flawed view an...