Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Jesus prayed for us, and one specific occasion is in the prayer recorded in John 17.  Some of these words and thoughts often ring in my head and in my heart.   John 17:15-18  NLT I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.    Do you ever wish God would take us out of this world and send us to heaven?  Well, that is not the plan.  See the last phrase, I am sending them, gives us a great reminder of God’s plan.  We must stay here until it is time, but we stay here so that God’s plan and purpose for us and the world comes together.   Take some time to see how you are connected to the world.  Are you like the world?  Does the wor...

Our back2school outreach is one of the greatest things we have ever been part of, led others to be part of and that is an important part of what happens at The Community Fellowship each year.  Pieces of this project I continue to be in awe over.  Lives have been and will be changed once again.  Churches and thousands of volunteers have been challenged and stepped up to serve.  The stories are endless.   One reasons we lead out in this project is because working with other like-minded believers is something God commands us to do.   We are stronger working together.   We challenge each other to go further and do more.  Together we are able to serve more people and make a bigger impact.   Philippians 2:2   NASB make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.   Same mind.  That is unity. Same love.  That is unity. Same spirit. That is unity. Same pur...

  This is not meant to be a post about politics or division.  Simply I want to share my position and plea to God for our country. My prayer is for peace and unity.  Asking God for others is called intercession, and this is something Christians are encouraged to do.  Pray for others.  Pray for those in need.  When you feel you can do nothing else, you can pray. Spend time praying.  Spend time looking to God for what is happening around us.  But don’t be eaten up by all the negativity.  Remember that God is always, always in control.  God is always working.  His good will come out and many lives will be changed because of what God is doing. Seeking the blessing of God for you and for others. Psalm 33:12  NASB Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen for His own inheritance. Make sure that prayer is a priority for you and for those you influence. 2 Chronicles 7:14  NLT Then if my people who are ca...

  John 17:21-22  NLT I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.  I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. That is from Jesus’ final prayer for His followers which included us.  Yes, Jesus prayed for us.  His prayer included that we would be one with the Father and with others. Being one is a big deal.  That understanding can be wrapped in the word unity, or our choice to work together, and even more in the idea of being a servant.  We are stronger when we are working as one and serving each other. Jesus gave us this truth beginning with a repeat of something God said much earlier.  We are reminded to love God with all we have and are.  Then, we are pressed to love our neighbor as well.  To love someone makes us one with God and one with others. Romans 12:5  NLT so it is with ...

  Very simple idea.  Each day we make choices of what to put on.  This might be about what we wear.  Of coarse, I check the weather as to what I will wear.  I also check my calendar.   But there are other things that we have to choose to put on.  There are also things that we have to choose to take off.  Important choices are all around us. Put on the clothes, the attitudes and the things that will make you a stronger person.  Take off the things that will make you lose or make life go the wrong direction. These are big things.  But it really is a very simple idea. Romans 13:12  NLT The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Put on right living.  Define it for yourself.  Make sure light and making others better is included in your definition of right living. Ephesians 4:24  NLT Put on your new nature, cre...

We are in a series called “welcome to the future”, and a I shared a message Sunday about the fact that God has made our future secure.  That truth changes our situation now as well as our destiny and future. Jesus prayed for us. That happened in the prayer recorded in John 17.  Some of these words and thoughts often ring in my head and in my heart. John 17:15-18  NLT 15  I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.   16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.   18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.   We often wish God would take us out of this world and send us to heaven.  Right?  Well, that is not the plan.  See the last phrase: I am sending them.  We must stay here until it is time, but we stay her...

Psalm 133   NLT How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. 3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion.    And there the   Lord   has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting. One week ago Sunday our team sat at the New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Havana, Cuba as the pastor brought a powerful message from Psalm 133.  It was the church’s final message in a series about family. As you most likely know everything in the service was in Spanish.  The music was in Spanish.  The Scripture reading, testimony, preaching and all was in Spanish. Our interpreter William would share parts of what was going on with us, but we only got bits and pieces. But it was still powerful to me as the Sp...

Colossians 1:6   NLT This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace. This coming Sunday we complete another session of COMMUNITY 101 which is a 4-week series where people can learn more about being a follower of Jesus and about The Community Fellowship.   It is always an honor to share the vision and history of The Community as well as to dream about the future. What we have come to understand is that the foundation God has given our church is that we are to share the Gospel as often as possible.   Much of the time that sharing will be tied to meeting needs and serving those around us.   It is the same good news that changed my life that is changing others. There are many people I am praying for God to get hold of their lives.   God can change anyone.   I ...

This month at The Community Fellowship we are sharing a series called A Heart for the House , and this past Sunday we talked through our core values.   Since the church began in 2006 these have helped to shape who we are and what we do. My prayer is that God would help us understand who we are and how we can make the biggest impact on our community and way beyond.   Our motto and theme is demonstrating the love of God to our community .   We do this by serving people and winning the right to share Jesus with them. "Whoever shows up the most in peoples lives is going to win the battle of influence" -- Matthew Barnett God loves people more than anything.   That’s what a song says, but it is what we believe as well.   The church belongs to God, and our core values help us understand what God is doing in our relationship to Him, loving God, and with the people around us, loving others.   That sums up what Jesus said is the most important co...