Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Sometimes you have to move to the simple.  We make things complicated, difficult or even chaotic.  That is not because we want to, but because life can often just get hard. We continue our Wednesday study in the Gospel of John, and last evening we studied only 4 verses.  Typically it is a lot more than that. The basic or the simple might be the place we need to run to more often.  We need to shut down all the lights, the sounds and the extra stuff so we can focus what is at the foundation of it all. Let me explain. John 3:16-17  NLT   “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. Those verses, especially verse 16, is most likely the first first many people memorized or even ever heard from the Bible.  It packs the entirety of what God has done for us i...

Firsts.  This summer has brought several of these, and I want to tell you about a few of them.  I am pretty excited about each one, but I am especially excited about the last one. As I have shared with you a couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to see an active volcano while we were visiting Hawaii.  It was awesome.  It was once in a lifetime.  There were so many things that went through my mind those days.  It was an incredible event for Julie, our daughter Rebecca and myself. Watching the volcano during the day was one thing.  You could see steam.  You could see limited lava flow and some lava.  Night was so much different, and it was breath taking.  The light from the lava flow.  Both shooting in the air and flowing.  The crater lit up.  It was awesome  1 Chronicles 16:24  NLT   Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. I will only share one more thin...

Today is an important day.  Our youngest child, our only son, has a birthday, Ryan is 18 years old today. Before I share about him let me give you a side note. Psalm 127:3  NLT Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children are a gift from the Lord, and that is what makes our back2school project that much more important.  Each and every volunteer and partner has taken an extra step to speak in lives of students and encourage each to step up even more. May we continue to pray for each student served and for their families.  This might be the very time that God uses to bring many closer to Him and to help many grow in ways they never thought possible. If you chose to partner with this project, please take this from me and our team, thank you.  Thank you for giving.  Thank you for going.  Thank you for stepping up.  Thank you for saying yes.  There is more to come as we see what God is going on to do. But let me go a lit...

Proverbs 7:24  NLT So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. Today is an important day as our last born, youngest child, will cross the platform and receive his high school diploma.  We could not be more proud of this young man and his accomplishments over the last 17 years. Ryan came along after we moved to Virginia.  He has two older sisters that he watched play and fight, love and excel at so many things.  Learning from them has been sweet.  All three of our kids loved marching band for which we are so grateful for those years, those trips, those late nights and the friendships. School was a struggle for Ryan in the earlier years.  In middle school it was tough getting him to apply himself.  Seems like I remember my dad sharing a story like that about me.  High school has been a different case. His grades and his work have been so good.  Learning and being part of school was something that he has done well, at least until th...

  Galatians 4:4-7  NLT But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. One of the greatest words in our language that is attached to relationships is the word “sent”.  In this passage it appears two times, and both instances are to our credit.  That is to the credit of those who belong to God. If we sent something to another person, it might be a letter or a text message or the like.  Literally, words and conversation were conveyed to help someone know your thoughts or heart. Another way the word is used is when someone is “sent” on a particular journey to accomp...

This has been a week of reflecting, praying and even remembering what God has taught me in the past.   As a pastor, a husband, a father and even as a son I see how God has blessed my life.   Let me remind you that those blessings aren’t based on what I deserved.   They are based on the gracious hand of God.   Maybe Nehemiah said it best in this verse: Nehemiah 2:18   NLT Then I told them about how the gracious   hand   of   God had been on   me , and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work. “The gracious hand of God had been on me.”   That is powerful.   Nehemiah knew God personally, and the people around Nehemiah saw that evidence.   I want that to be more and more true of me. As Julie and I were reading through a big envelope of memories my mom saved, I came across a devotion I shared November of 2000.   I think is appropriate...