Michael Harrison's e-devotion

The overflow.  You have been there and been a bit overwhelmed with what is going on.  Your emotions might be flowing.  Your mind might be racing.  Your heart might be too full. Well, today is one of those days for several reasons, but I am not here to tell you that tonight.  This e-devotion is simply to recount some of the things that I shared during yesterday’s sermon at The Community Fellowship.  It was a good day I have been sharing a three week series simply titled “things I learned on sabbatical”.  The topics have been: Jesus is enough, the problem of separation and the center of life and church.  The center is the Gospel or the purpose of God or Jesus following. Here are some of the quotes I used today… — Our theme, our goal and our call as The Community Fellowship is to Demonstrate the love of God to our community through random acts of kindness so we win the right to tell them about Jesus whether we have their attention for 5 minutes or 50...

The e-devotions return as of today, and I want to say a huge and healthy “thank you” for those who allowed us to take the last several weeks away.  It was an incredible time.  And I am glad we are back home, back at church and moving forward with life and more. Yesterday I shared a message with our church as well as led us in communion.  We ended the service with a testimony of how God is changing the lives of one family.  It was incredible.  Life change means a lot.  Jesus does that change the best and for the long haul. So my question in the message as well as my statement is this… Is Jesus Enough for you?  Jesus is enough. Philippians 2:5 reminds us to have the same attitude that Jesus had.  His was strong and centered on what the Father.  He was committed to doing what God said. Jesus is not only enough for me, He is the one who will be with me through no matter what.  I challenge each of us to see Him for who He is, what He does and...

It is the beginning of the 6th and final week of my sabbatical.  It has been an incredible time with family as well as soaking up time with God.  The last week I returned from Oklahoma, and Julie and I spent several days with Ruth, her husband Sean and our future grandchild that will be born in November.  We had a great time.  I am so thankful for this opportunity.   Now we move in to a bit of a different week.  It will end next Sunday with my first sermon back at The Community Fellowship.  It will begin with being part of a mission team that is working with us at our new campus and in the community.  I am a little sad this time is coming to an end, and I am also excited that I get to be part of what God is doing. Yesterday was the 4th of July where our nation celebrates our independence.  I want to be clear that I believe God is more important than our country.  We must preach the Gospel over all else, yet we cannot take for granted tha...

Time is moving by as it is the start of the 4th week of my sabbatical.  It has been a great time.  We returned from Hawaii the middle of last week, and now Julie is with her family in Georgia.  I will be focusing on growing, resting and learning.  It has been a great time.   Yesterday was Father’s Day.  I am blessed to the father of three awesome children.  Furthermore, my earthly father, Richard Harrison is an awesome man.  He has made my life stronger as I learn from him and follow his example. I continue reading Don Wilton’s Saturday’s With Billy and Dean Inserra’s The Unsaved Christian .  Should finish both this week and begin two more including Joe Sangl’s 50/50 Money .  More observations from what I am reading in the weeks ahead. Hawaii was amazing.  The best parts included time with Rebecca and Colman, but the island of Oahu was simply beautiful.  Hope you follow me on Facebook and Instagram so you can see the photos I ...

It is the beginning of the 3rd week of my sabbatical.  It has been a great time for family, faith and focusing on refreshing.  We are completing our time with Rebecca and Colman in Hawaii.  It has been awesome.   You know being on vacation is often a challenging time for what you eat.  I have been staying active with running and walking.  In fact my goal for our 15 days in Hawaii was 100 miles, and I passed that on Friday.  Weight loss and a difference in eating remain important. We have enjoyed some amazing food as we spend time with family.   I finished continue reading two books at this time.  Don Wilton’s Saturday’s With Billy and Dean Inserra’s The Unsaved Christian .  I’ll be shared a few observations from those books next week and beginning another one. We have spent time sight seeking, going to the beach and spending time together.  These beaches on the island of Oahu are more amazing than we expected.  Maybe you have ...

My sabbatical continues with week two, and our family is in Hawaii visiting our oldest daughter and her husband.  It has been an incredible visit with one week left of this trip.  Each of the next several weeks you will receive one e-devotion on Monday or Tuesday morning with a little glimpse at what I am in to, studying and planning for the week. I finished my first book on sabbatical.  It is Blaine Bartel’s Death By A Thousand Lies which is the telling of his story of moral failure and comeback in ministry and life.  What a great story that hits me and so many others.  I hope to share more. Also during this time I am reading several books as well as Scripture.  It has been refreshing spending time with family, making memories and just getting closer to each other.  I am also spending a good deal of time with the Lord, listening and learning. That is where I will leave this second week of sabbatical.  I want to share with you a couple of the...

  So, it begins.  My sabbatical off and running as of this morning.  Each of the next 5 weeks you will receive one e-devotion on Monday or Tuesday morning with a little glimpse at what I am in to, studying and planning for the week. I am grateful to be able to get away and spend time with family as well as seek to recharge or refresh myself, physically and spiritually.  This week will be the challenge.  I want to unplug.  Wow, that isn’t easy at the pace that I typically live.  But giving it a try beginning today. This week I begin reading two of the books I have chosen for the sabbatical.  The first is “Saturdays With Billy” by Don Wilton.  Don was Billy Graham’s pastor, and this book is part of what he learned and reflects on his time with the greatest evangelist of our time.  The second book is “Death By A Thousand Lies” by Blaine Bartel, and this book shares Blaine’s story of the rise and fall of a pastor. This week begins with us he...

  Waiting is not always about stopping what you are doing.  Often waiting is an act of staying connected, continuing to watch and always seeking what you are waiting on. As I have shared this week, we are going on a sabbatical beginning on Monday.  This is a time away from work and the normal every day life to focus on God and on our family.  It will be hard to disconnect, but Julie and I believe this is an important time.  I am grateful that our church family is allowing us to take these weeks away. During this time we will be waiting on God.  I want to hear His voice, and I will wait on Him.  I will be seeking wisdom for our future, and I will be learning more about my God given purpose.  I will be reading some books that I have chosen, and I desire to learn more, grow in my walk with God, sharpen my skills and enjoy what God has blessed me with. Think about waiting on God and what that means. Psalm 27:14  NLT Wait patiently for the Lord. B...

Focusing on God has specific results in our lives.  In fact any kind of focus leads to outcomes based upon what you focus on.  Choose where your focus will be, and many success experts says that you will have greater results when you know what your goals are and when you focus on them. That is one reason I am taking some time this week to share with you about focus.  Beginning next Monday I will be taking an extended period of time away from church and ministry to focus on some key things.  I will be focusing on my relationship with God and spending quality time with my family. I will be unplugging from much of social media, choosing to pour time and energy in to strengthening our family relationships, working on my walk with God as well as planning for the future, and finally, soaking up as much as can from God. That really is focus.  Here are some verses from John 15 that speak directly to why this type of focus is important… John 15  NLT “I am the true g...

Acts 3:19  NASB Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; It is time to make some choices that will help me be stronger.  Not easy to make the hard choices, but it will pay off with long term benefits. What I am talking about is something akin to discipline.  The harder we work and push toward goals, the great the benefits for ourselves and those who we have influence over.   The last year has shown this to be a reality.  I chose to get healthier by losing weight, and it has paid off.  As of this last week my doctor shared with me that I no longer have diabetes as I have lost more than 70 pounds and blood sugar levels are at a normal level.  I feel better and stronger.  And I am not done. On to another note, beginning the end of this month I will be taking a sabbatical, an extended time away from the church to focus on family and God.  In the com...