Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Romans 1:10  NLT   One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. We all have opportunities.  Do we take them? There are opportunities around us.  Do we see them? And even more, do we care about the opportunities? Paul prayed for opportunities, as the verse above states.  He had his eyes open and was asking for a chance to use his story to help others.  We have the same opportunities. This week is just one of those for me.  It is time for the work of Raceway Ministries at Martinsville Speedway.  When the world comes to our town, I believe Jesus wold have us in the mix of things taking opportunities to share about Him. Colossians 4:5  NLT   Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. The way we live often opens opportunities.  When people see our faith, doors will open, conversations will start, questions will be asked, ears will be open to h...

Have you read through Hebrews 11?  I have referenced that chapter in the devotions this week as we have been talking about faith.  It gave us a definition as well as the fact that faith is what pleases God. Hebrews 11:1-3,6  NLT   Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen… And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. The list includes people with stories.  You have a story.  A good story. Abel who was killed by his jealous brother. Enoch who never died. Noah who let one of his kids get him drunk.  He did build the ark. Abraham who lied about his wife by sa...

How did you hear?   Everyone knows.  Or so it seems.  But the stories that are going around often have their root in half truths or even less.  In fact when the story relies on faith there might be even less room to listen, understand or believe what you hear. That might be the case for the story of Joseph.  He was a carpenter and was engaged to be married to a great young lady, but things went a different direction.  He had learned that his wife to be was pregnant.  That was taboo, to say the least.  He was willing to be kind but to stop the wedding. God shows up  Well, the news comes out.  The news from an angel sent by God in a dream to Joseph.  That is when we watch a common man become anything but common.  And what he does after hearing from God is pretty incredible. Let’s listen in or read the Bible passage. Matthew 1:18-25  NLT   This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged t...

It is the end of the week.  Maybe you have had a great week or maybe it has been challenging.  Could be that you, like me, have had a week packed with stuff and you are ready for a break. Let me take some time to run to something fun called “the top five”.  Maybe it is like the David Letterman show when he did the top ten.  Or maybe it is like some cool article you have read that gives you ideas on a topic or opinion. This top five is a bit of the overflow of this week where I have been, what I have experienced and more precisely what has encouraged me.  Listen or read on. Number 5.  Catch that verse that sticks out. You have heard some share a verse.  Maybe it is one that you have heard many, many times, but this time it has more meaning.  It could come across as literally a word from God meant just for you. 1 Thessalonians 1:8  NLT   And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Ac...

The game.  That is kind of what started the entire thing. I have been able to be part of events in our local schools this week that are hosted by Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).  Olympic gold medalist Leah O’Brien Amico has been sharing her story about faith and the game she has accomplished so much through. Watching these students be drawn in to her story has been incredible.  She has talked about finish purpose and living with strength.  So many student athletes have spent a few minutes of one on one time getting encouragement and insight in how to better their game and prepare for what is ahead. Leah has shared so many things that go way past the game.  She has shared what will help each of us be better people, to accomplish more and even to contribute enormous blessings to the things we are involved in. But what has touched me most is how this lady loves people and uses her story to share about how Jesus has made a difference in her life, influenced ...

  I sat and listening to stories that kept shocking me.  Have you ever been taken back by what you hear?  It was that way for me sitting around that table with about 15 people who are my peers from various parts of the country. They shared about broken homes and drug abuse.  Some shared about being hurt by co-workers or by people that said they cared for them.  Others seemed to have very little conflict but strong convictions.  What held each of us together is our similar calling to pursue God and to serve others. God is still calling people.  That is people like you and me.  People with a story often have an opportunity to impact the lives of people who have a story. What I have to say is this, that God for His grace and mercy.  Thank God for second chances.  He is still in the business of taking what is broken and putting it back together again. I wouldn’t believe some of those stories without experiencing a little of it myself.  ...

  I love to share stories of what God is doing, and there are a lot of them.  We ought to be putting ourselves in places where we are seeing God work.   Last night I sat at the dinner table with 10 friends from across the United States.  The stories poured out, and they were good.  They were not stories of self promotion or one upping someone else.  They were not stories of slander or someone in pain.  They were stories of what God is doing and what we are seeing Him doing around us. Luke 5:26  NLT Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” I shared several stories myself.  These are things that light my fire, keep me going, remind me of God’s work and allow me to share with others how our church and ministry is making a difference. I shared about a teen girl who has come out of her shell and is growing in her faith.  On my phone is a picture of this young lady w...

We continue our journey looking at the players in the Christmas story.  It is an incredible trip that has given me a lot to think about as I studied each of these people.  So far we have looked at Mary, Joseph and the shepherds.  Today we are looking at the wise men. Matthew 2:1-12 NLT Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For from you will come forth a Ruler...

  We continue our journey with the players of the first Christmas story.  We began with sweet Mary, moved on to the carpenter Joseph, and today we take a look at the shepherds, the first to get the birth announcement.  We know some about him but not a lot. This is one of my favorite pieces of the Christmas story because it reminds me that God will switch things up even more than we might expect.  He told Mary and Joseph first.  Of coarse He did since they would actually be there at the beginning.  But why the shepherds?  They stink.  They are really more like outcasts and not who should be told first, if you ask the opinion of others. Listen in to their part of the story: Luke 2:8-20  NLT In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10...

We continue our journey with the players of the Christmas story, and today we look to Joseph, the earthly father of our Savior.  We know some about him but not a lot. Joseph was from the right family, was a righteous man, and he was a tradesman, a carpenter.  This was a great time in his life as he was engaged to be married to Mary, the player we talked about yesterday.  He was a good bit older than her at the time. Then all his world began to spin.  Things went off track real quick, and he had to make some decisions.  When Joseph learned that his wife to be was pregnant and that he wasn’t the father, Joseph was going to make some hard choices, yet in the middle of those choices, he was going to be kind to Mary. Let’s listen to the story for a minute. Matthew 1:18-25  NLT This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through...

Some stories have some pieces that build our faith in extra ways.  There is one of those stories in the middle of Matthew chapter 8.  It is of a military man whose daughter is sick. In the middle of the story Jesus says, “I have yet to come across this kind of faith”. What did Jesus mean by this?  Lets just say that I want that kind of faith. Read on.  Grow through it.  I believe God may increase our vision so that that we can see what he is doing in our lives and around us.  I pray this stretches you as it has me. Matthew 8:5-13  MSG As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, “Master, my servant is sick. He can’t walk. He’s in terrible pain.”    Jesus said, “I’ll come and heal him.” “Oh, no,” said the captain. “I don’t want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I’m a man who takes orders and g...