Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Saturday is coming … registration for back2school 2026 … VBS (Vacation Bible Saturday) … tell gate grill (giving our burgers and praying for people).  Please pray as we serve and for those being served. So many thoughts go through my mind as we get to serve children and their families.  God called us to “demonstrate the love of God to our community”, and that is our WHY?  Yet all the details of the WHAT tend to consume me. Lots of things I hold near to my heart.  These are the things that keep me going, and these are the things I challenge you to to be part of in this ministry or wherever you are.   Isaiah 32:8 NLT 'But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.'    Just do it, as NIKE says.  Choose to serve.  Choose to be generous with your abilities and your gifts.  Being generous is a non negotiable around here.  This is big in serving others.     How will ...

  Why Cuba?  Thanks for asking, and because of the critical needs in the nation of Cuba I ask that you join me in this incredible opportunity for missions   On Monday I get to return to Cuba!  It is an honor to serve the Lord with a group of people that love others, serve with all their heart and have a passion to see lives change.  I will travel with Bob Texidor from Missouri and seek to encourage Alex and the team in Cuba as well as meet some needs they have.   Pray for the sports ministry work in Cuba.  The sports ministry team works with athletes and coaches and is connected to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).  The big goal is to share the Gospel and meet many needs. Let me know if you would like to help.  Donations are appreciated, but the biggest need is for prayer.     On every trip we are able to meet needs, and this time we will do that once again.  High on the news list are the salaries for the team in...

  Romans 1:16  NLT   For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. I am not ashamed.   That is a powerful statement.  It can be about anything in life that we think about, talk about and have feelings about.   Shame is a bad thing.  It keeps us held back, knocked down, tied up and unable to be who God intends for us to be. So does being unashamed mean that we are free and have power?  I think that could be the case and more.   Paul says he is unashamed of the Gospel because he knows it is the power of God.  Anything we are convinced about and even empowered by will be something we are not ashamed of. Sunday we complete our study of the book of Romans at our church.  For all of this year we have been looking through the book that began with that theme and truth … I am not ashamed.  And that phrase is tied to our salvation, the...

  In one week I will be on my way back to Cuba for a mission trip and to support the FCA sports ministry there.  This weekend I will be serving with our Raceway Ministry team at the speedway.  It really is an honor to serve. The Raceway Ministry team has been serving in Martinsville and at Martinsville Speedway for a lot longer than I have been here.  This is my 24th year.  Our team provides services and ministry to race fans that includes worship services, refreshments, ADA handicap assistance and sharing the Gospel with fans.  It is a great place to serve with so many opportunities. Please pray for the Raceway Ministry teams that serve at speedways every where and specifically here is Martinsville.  This weekend and the last weekend in October are sure to offer lots of conversations about Jesus. One week from now I will be on the way to Cuba to serve with the team there.  I am excited that my wife, Julie, will be returning to Cuba with me ...

  Last weekend a team from our church was able to be part of something that makes a difference for an eternity.  It is called the Serve Tour and is led by one of our partners, Send Relief. 15 people from The Community Fellowship went to Columbia, South Carolina to join with more than 800 volunteers to be part of a mission trip, projects of service that saw more than 80 people accept Jesus as their Savior.  It was a simple 2 day trip.  We helped rehab a church building, but there were so many different projects going on. Take a look at this video and even to learn more THIS LINK FOR THE VIDEO and learn more about the Serve Tour 1 Peter 3:15  NIV   But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, What an honor to share the hope that God has given us.  He is our Savior, friend, guide and reason for being part of ch...

  It is the Monday after back2school, and I stand amazed at all God has done through this outreach this weekend and through the planning.  There is more to share than I can possibly deal with today. What grabs my attention the most is the response to what God has done.  I am remembering the little one who said “thank you” over and over after a volunteer watched their feet and prayed for them.  Move to a little later and hear what one of our volunteers said after washing feet for the first time.  This lady was hesitant to do this, but after the first student, she wouldn’t stop serving until the day was almost over. I loved hearing the story that our children’s leader shared and see how students were listening and we pray responding the the invitation to know God’s love.  And His love was being shown and shared all around the building. It is not over.  This coming week we will have the opportunity to help even more students who were not able to be with u...

  It is a new season as Christmas is only a few weeks away.  Our church began a new series leading up to the birth of Christ and the celebration of Christmas, and we would like for you to join us on this journey. It is called Everyday Gospel and based on a devotional reading from Paul David Tripp.  The readings began yesterday, and you can catch up or start any time.  This reading will help you take in the meaning, joy, celebration and worship that surrounds our faith built up on the coming of Christ. Here are the ways to get the devotion: Download a free copy: https://store.paultripp.com/products/everyday-gospel-christmas-devotional-ebook Read on the BIBLE APP: https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/52502 Or we have a few copies left at church. Here are just a few thoughts from the sermon yesterday: Matthew 1:21  NLT   And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Shane Pruitt … The Gospel isn’t abou...

  Paul wrote much of the New Testament, and his testimony is one that inspires us and others.  He violently opposed any one who followed Jesus and even had the backing of officials before he met Jesus.  But that day, the day he met Jesus, changed everything for Paul. He went from killing Christians to spreading the news about Jesus all the time and with even greater passion.  His work starting churches and increasing faith around the world reminds us of what we are to be doing. In my faith journey Paul’s teaching has become very important.  Several Bible promises have come alive for me in the five decades I have been alive, but the one that sticks closest to my heart is the one we speak about today. Philippians 4:6-7  NLT   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your ...