Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Our current series at The Community Fellowship is “Get to Know the Shepherd”, and Sunday I shared a message from Psalm 23.  David shared his experience as a shepherd and how it led him to know and follow God. Psalm 23:1  KJV The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. That is a personal word from personal experience.  Literally David that that God supplies his need through the relationship he has with God, the supreme shepherd.  What an awesome truth we need to hold to as well. 1 Peter 2:25  NLT   Once you were like sheep who wandered away.  But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. That is why Jesus came.  He is our shepherd and makes a huge difference because He seeks us, He died for us and He guides us all the time. Psalm 69:33  NLT   For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people. No matter our need, He knows and is ready to help.  Claim this truth.  He hears our prayers.  He knows our needs.  He is able to do even

  John 10:3  NLT   The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  We are in a series at The Community Fellowship that is all about sheep and shepherds, and I have been so excited to share what I am learning.  “Get to Know the Shepherd” will take a look at some of the passages in the Bible that point out what sheep are like and how shepherds care for sheep. This coming Sunday we will focus on one of the most familiar passages.  Psalm 23 is exciting and is packed with promises.  Come join us Sunday morning at 10:10 and bring someone with you. But I draw your attention to the verse I started this e-devotion with.  There are a few things that every sheep passage in the Bible shares or assumes.  This is so good. “The sheep recognize his voice.” That one phrase is powerful and is a promise.  But the biggest problem is when we don’t know this truth.  When we forget the voice of the shepherd, we have

  It was a normal Wednesday evening.  Our church offers Bible study for youth and adults.  I was leading our adults through the last section of Matthew 6 as God continued speaking to me about some of the greatest things going on in my heart. He began something in me early in the week that is still going on.  What I know is that there are several parts of what God has said that run deep.  I am grateful for what God is doing.  I am also still listening so I can respond.   It isn’t always easy to go the direction God leads, but it is always the right direction.   Here are a few of the verses that have come alive this week, and I will simply give you a few thoughts after the verses.  But what I ask you to do is to read through and even pray through each verse.  Maybe God has something for you as well. 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. J

  Hebrews 6:19  NLT This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.   Several years ago a pastor friend said his calling in life was to be a “broker of hope”, and that is what I want to be known for.  People find what they need.  Why not be the one that offers what really matters?   This world needs more hope.  We would all agree that our world is in trouble.  All around us is hopelessness and pain, but we have hope.  This is not hope to win the lottery or hope to get a better job.  This is hope in who and what matters.   Accept the hope God offers.  Let that same hope flow through your words, actions, thoughts and even your calendar.  Hope is the byproduct of our connecting to God who loves us so much.   Psalm 31:24  NLT So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!   Psalm 39:7  NLT And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.   Jeremiah 29:11  NLT For I know the plans I hav

  Serving is in the DNA of our church and part of every day life for so many.  I love what I get to do as a pastor and in our church.  Today I share a few truths about serving.   I share because there are so many needs around us.  Some are every day needs.  Some are because of situations like the recent hurricane, but there are real needs are you and me.  These are verses straight out of the Bible and speak to why and how we serve.   Mark 10:45  NLT For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.   Jesus came to earth to serve.  That was who He is.  Jesus was sent to serve by giving Himself for others.  Serving is always about doing for others, and sometimes it is costly.   1 Samuel 16:21  NLT So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.   David served king Saul, and it didn’t end well.  That verse was how it started.  This serving was innocent and a blessing to a

  John 10:10-11  NLT   The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.  We began a new series at The Community Fellowship Sunday about sheep and shepherds.  My prayer is that over the next several weeks is that we will learn how we have a great shepherd as well as how we can help shepherd others. The verse I shared above is a double punch.  Well, may be it should be called something else.  That first part is our verse at church, but that verse is tied to one of the greatest promises God has given us.  Listen up and apply this truth to what very well might change you or others. Our enemy is hard at work to destroy God’s work in our lives, and if the enemy cannot destroy God’s work, he will do all he can to distract us.  Distracted sheep is something we deal with all the time.  His way is to steal from us, kill us and our possibilities or even dest