Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Jeremiah 31:3   NKJV The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you. Have you ever felt forgotten?  I have. Many times that feeling that of being alone, forgotten and hopeless have hit many of us, if not most of us. Those thoughts don't come from God.  God says we are never alone.  You are important to God. Matthew 10:29-31  NKJV Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. That is a clear picture of how God is capable of knowing all and caring for each of us.  He really does care for us.  No one is missed.  No one is forgotten.   “God can do more in a moment than you can do in a lifetime.”  -- Joyce Meyer Many people throughout the Bible impress us by serving and loving oth

This week has been full.  It has been full of all kinds of events, conversations, thoughts, struggles, emotions and even victories.  As the week comes to an end I look back to a devotion September of 2016. Here is that post: Matthew 11:28-30    NLT Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Those words have been read, shouted and shared in so many places and in many ways through the years I have been a Christian, yet they hold truth that each of us need to be reminded of.    Don’t miss an opportunity to remind those around you of all God is for each of us. SAFE PLACE Our God offers safety to each of His children.    We are God’s kids because we are made by His and saved by Him.    Further, He offers shelter, warmth,

James 5:16-18  NLT Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.   17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!   18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. Those verses have been racing through my head much of the last couple weeks as we talked about prayer and practiced it.  Praying is a practice that any follower of Jesus will know is vital to our growth, protection and connection to Jesus Himself. In our family’s new devotion there was even more that crossed my mind.  It hit me in the heart, and here is a paragraph from last night’s reading: “Jesus speaks of faith as a “grain of mustard seed.” In this parable about the mustard seed, Jesus is sharing an important idea with us: faith begins in seed form. Fait

Dear Community family and friends! This is a great week to be part of The Community Fellowship, and we want to make sure you know what is going on, how you can get involved and where you can make a difference. Remember our goal is the same as our vision which is to  demonstrate the love of God to our community and beyond! This Sunday is FAITH IN ACTION day as we partner with Rich Acres Christian Church to serve in over 10 locations across Martinsville and Henry County.  It all begins at 9am at Rich Acres Church (422 Mountain View Road, Martinsville) for the kick off, short worship and Bible study before heading out to serve.  Many of you have signed up to serve in a specific project, but some of you have not signed up.  Don’t worry because there are still places for you to help.  Either contact me, Pastor Michael, or come Sunday morning to Rich Acres dressed ready to get dirty by serving.  There will be a short Bible study just before 10am at The Community before the meal p

For many years Pete Wilson has encouraged me. In one of his recent blog posts he did it again, and I want to share with you his post on FORGIVENESS. Read on and apply it… (original post can be found at this link: http://www.petewilson.tv/2018/04/19/why-gods-forgiveness-isnt-really-free/) I’ve spent most of my adult life speaking and writing about God’s love and forgiveness.  I believe in it.  With great joy, I spent years telling anyone who would listen about the unfailing love, mercy and grace of a good God.  So you might be able to imagine the immense confusion that came along with my season of desperately needing that grace and forgiveness more than ever before, but having deep trouble receiving it.   I knew verses like, Psalm 103:12  He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. I knew God wasn’t holding my sin over me.  That’s not His nature.  So why, then, did I still feel so much shame and guilt?  If He had “removed it,” then

Who are you praying for? James 5:16 NLT Confess your sins to each   other   and   pray   for   each   other   so that you may be healed. The earnest   prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. From time to time you stand in one of those places where you don’t know what to say or how to respond.  Last night I had one of those.  I had just shared the vision of “why we do what we do” with a local church, and with all I have in me asked the church to do the most with prayer.  At the end of the event a mild mannered gentleman, one who I have met a few times, was asked to pray our closing prayer.  He walked over to me, placed his hand on my shoulder and told the story of how a US veteran friend of his prayed for him and how that prayer and friend gave him so much peace. He prayed. I was honored, encouraged, touched and inspired to keep on.  A smile came over my face as my heart was lifted.  It was late in the day, and it was a very full da