Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Sunday is always a good day.  Church.  Family.  Rest.  And more.  So today in the e-devotion I share with you some thoughts, quotes and overflow from what I shared with our church yesterday. Psalm 122:1  NLT   “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Worship is one of those places, as a pastor, where I get nervous and desire to lead our people in the right direction.  That would be in to the presence of the Lord.  He has a plan.  He is worthy of worship and more. Scripture says in James that those who teach are under a more judgment because of the weight of what they do, and that is why I want to make sure that I share a word from God.  Also the worship service should be full of what leads all of us to worship God. You’ve been there.  It is a special time.  It is an important time.  There is an old saying that reminds me that you only get out of something what you put in to it or ...

  What were you aiming for? A few months ago I was invited to a special event, fundraiser for a great nonprofit in Charlotte, that was a clay shoot.  You know.  Shotguns.  Clay targets hurled in various directions that you have to shoot. Needless to say, I am not a very good shot.  I got some, but most of them I missed and missed by a long way. In a conversation this week with one of our coaches he quoted this old saying, “If you aim at nothing, you hit it every time.”  What a huge reminder. Life is intended to be lived with purpose and with goals.  Much like that shotgun and the targets you have to aim right, understand the direction of your target and work toward hitting it. So many of the things in our lives involve the same thing.  Aiming at something, setting goals, making decisions and trying to hit where you aim.  Thus, I ask us a question this morning, “what are you aiming for?”  That question ought to leave us with a few more qu...

  Deuteronomy 10:21  NLT   He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. Often I wake up with a song playing in my head and even singing parts of it.  There are times that this drives Julie crazy because I keep repeating it.   It happened again today.  Before I share the song I go back to something I shared yesterday.  The prayer pattern I have learned from Strategic Renewal has impacted how I lead others to pray and how I pray. There is a simple pattern when you use Scripture in prayer.  It is “God is worthy” and we are need”.  Keep that phrase, those two distinctions, in mind as you read Scripture and understand who God is.  He truly is worthy.  The Scripture declares that throughout.  And our lives declare it the closer we get to God. Then on to the song.  It is sung by CeCe Winans, and the song is “Worthy of It All”....

  What is God like?  I mean how do we know the character of God? Some time ago I began following a ministry called Strategic Renewal that guides us to through Scripture Fed and Bible based prayer.  Literally praying through the verses we read out of Scripture.  It is powerful stuff. As I was reading through Proverbs yesterday this seemed to come alive and lead me to pray.  So, in this e-devotion I am going to give you some verses from Proverbs 12 that reminded me of the character of God and led me to pray using these and other verses. Read on.  Well, pray on and see how God leads you. Proverbs 12  NLT … the godly have deep roots. (verse 3) The plans of the godly are just … (verse 5) … the words of the godly save lives (verse 6) … the family of the godly stands firm (verse 7) … the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit. (verse 12) Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. (verse 14) Truthful words stand the test of time … (v...

  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.”   Powerful words read often.  Shouted and shared in many places and in many ways through the years.  Since I became a Christian this truth has been a great reminded, and that is why I give it back to you today.  God is for each of us.   SAFE PLACE — God offers safety to His children.  We are God’s kids!  And because His we know that we are made by Him and saved by Him.  He offers shelter, warmth, safety and peace.  When people live in without those things, there is no safety.  They constantly live in a mess and with trouble.  They live in fear.   Faith replaces fear ...

  Do you get overwhelmed by the things you have to do?  I do.  The list tends to grow.  I get more discouraged.  Sometimes I give up or just cross something off the list that falls to the side. My point today is not to tell us to quit but to encourage each of us to do something that is the most important.  I am reminded about a story.  It involved two sisters that loved Jesus.  They spent a lot of time with Him.  Jesus raised their bother, Lazarus, from the dead.  The sisters are Mary and Martha. Luke 10:38-42  NLT   As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work...