Michael Harrison's e-devotion

John 3:16   NLT For this is how God love d the world : He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Romans 5:8   NLT But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sin ners. It is time to celebrate.   The last day of the year is here.   Right here we have the opportunity to celebrate many different things.   I have listened to people talk about the greatest things that happened in their lives in 2015, but what I’d like to share as the year comes to a close is the most important resource, great potential and the reason for God’s love really is. Plain and simple.   People.   God sent His son for people.   His love finds its thriving place in the lives of people like you and me.   His love is an incredible thing or the best of everything. Too many churches, organizations and Christ followers put their treasure in mater...

Matthew 7:2   NLT For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. At the core of our church’s DNA and desire is to accept everyone we come in contact with.   That in no way means we agree with a person’s choice to live in sin, but we wholeheartedly want to demonstrate God’s love for every person we can. This is not the easiest thing to do and has been proven for centuries by the people who are part of the church as we draw lines, separate ourselves and look down on people who are not like us.   It might be that we sin differently (believing we are all sinners) or that we simply agree on a person’s choices (we are all entitled to our opinions). The final judge is God.   His truth/word to us is the Bible.   The only way we are to communicate this difference is to share in love (Ephesians 4:15) when we believe someone is living in sin.   That is why I have chosen to t...

It is almost time to celebrate the beginning of a brand new year.  Hard to believe that 2015 is gone.  There are many opportunities ahead for you and me.  Let me share something close to my heart. This coming Sunday I will share with our church family a challenge that will help us move in to The Community's new campus.  Please pray for this to become a reality.   It is almost the end of the year, and I'd like to invite you to give to the work we are so passionate about.  If you would like to get the benefit of a tax deductible gift for 2015, your gift would need to be given before the end of the day Thursday.    Here are some of the ways you may want to give: 1. ministry of The Community Fellowship (general fund), 2. completion of our new campus (vision fund), 3. Homeless, feeding or benevolent work of The Community (mission offering).  Mail your check to The Community, PO Box 388, Collinsville, VA 24078, or you can ...

It is us that limits ourselves and puts limits on God.   We take the power out of His hands by not believing and not seeking Him.   Lives lived in mediocrity and apathy breed even more of that and even less of God in our lives. Here is a truth that we must embrace: When we believe God, we take the limits off of our lives and off the people around us. Explore the character of our God.   Take the limits off, and what do we believe, what have we seen, and what will we seek from God?   I believe that is something we can or must let be our reality.   God loves His people and desires to take the limits off of our minds and of our hearts and to fill our dreams with all that He can do. I believe that the church, filled with God’s children, is to the herald or the announcer of God’s grace.   He continues to accept people and change lives.   The same truth that took hold of our lives is the same truth that took hold of the apostles and the ea...

Romans 10:10   NASB for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. That is one of the most incredible verses I have put my mind and heart in to in the last few days.  It came up as I prepare for the last sermon I would preach in 2015.  That verse connects our hearts and heads, our belief with our words.  It is in those places, inside of us that understand our salvation and the unlimited grace of God. As Christmas is over and the New Year is about to begin I am giving you a little more of the Monday mind dump.  These are random thoughts, actions and outcomes from daily life.  Let me say right off that I see my life as one who is big time blessed. So, let’s step forward with the proverbial dumping: * I like surprises, like gifts.  Recently I got a message from a ministry person asking that I meet a few people from their church.  I show...

Matthew 1:21-23   NASB She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22  Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry Christmas from our family.   We are so very blessed.   This Christmas we are celebrating with Julie’s family in Georgia and enjoying sweet family time.   Further, we have chosen to take a little extra time to focus on the meaning and person of this holiday, that would be Jesus. 2015 is about to come to a close in a little more than 7 days.   This year has brought challenges, laughter and heart ache from many different angles.   Much of these times, even the difficult ones, I have been able to celebrate that God is alive and we...