Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  There is more to the Christian life than going to church or being a good person.  Realize that our salvation is totally based on what Jesus did for us and not what we do or how we act.  We cannot work our way to heaven or do anything to qualify for salvation.   Jesus is sole giver of salvation.  It was His sacrifice, His completed work, and the love of God that continues to do what we can’t and God can.  Take that in.  Share it with others.   Here is a reminder.     John 3:14-17  NLT And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.   16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the worl...

  Do you know how blessed you are?  When we know we are blessed, we will thankful.  When we know where our blessings come from, we will give God thanks over and over.   Where does this thanks come from?  It comes from deep inside us.  It began with our salvation.  Totally from God and totally of God.  I did nothing to get it, and there is nothing I can do to lose it.  Salvation is one of those things bigger than us and leads to being thankful.   Isaiah is the guy that was willing to do what needed to be done when he saw and heard the need.   Isaiah 6:8  NLT   Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”   That is a powerful statement and a strong commitment.  It is one we can learn from.  Something had to change in Isaiah’s life before he could be the one to go.      He was hurt, convicted, shameful and felt...

  This Sunday we complete our journey through the book of Romans.  It will be the 34th message in this series that began in January of this year.  Wow and so good. Our 2025 theme is “Road 2025” at The Community Fellowship.  The Roman Road has been something we have read together each and every week.  It is the truth of these verses found in the book of Romans that reminds us of our salvation and reminds us how we can tell others to come to know Jesus.   Once again I share these verses once again.  These powerful verses, truths from God’s word, guide us, empower us and even transform us as we know that salvation is a gift from God.  Read on…   Romans 3:23  NLT For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.   Romans 5:8 NLT But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.    Romans 6:23 NLT For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eter...

  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...

  There are so many things we can and should pray for.  My heart often goes out to people in need, and that is when prayer is needed and becomes active.  Yet one of the things I want to remind us to not miss is praying for those who do not know Jesus as savior. My heart goes out to many… the dad having major cancer surgery, the teenager going through brain surgery, the man recovering from a horrible accident at work, the friend battling cancer and her husband having other severe medical issues, the family in financial crisis… and the list goes on and on. Isaiah 53:5  NIV   But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 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. But let us be reminded to pray in bi...

  This weekend we finished chapter 9 in our walk through Romans; it also included the first few verses of chapter 10.  So in today’s devotion I will hit some of the highlights of that message.  It centered around being a Christian has everything to do with faith and God seeking us and not living by the law and mankind seeking to make themselves right before God. Romans 10:4  NLT   For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Christ did for us what we can not do for ourselves, yet so many people seek other ways to be made right with God and to connect to God.  Often that seeking God is through the law or man made rules. Ephesians 2:8-9  NIV   For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.  Faith alone because of God’s grace.  And His grace...

  It is Good Friday of Easter week.  It is the day where the full meaning of God sending His son, and it is the peak of the efforts of those who were set to remove Jesus from this world.  This day is the highest point of the purpose Jesus was sent.   He is the Christ, the sacrifice, and without the cross there would not be a resurrection.  Remember that without Jesus' death, and His life before death, there would be no life after death.    1 Corinthians 1:18  NASB For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.   The cross is the place where we fall apart or where our sin falls away.  The cross was harsh and cruel because sin deserves punishment.  Even Jesus’ beatings leading up to the cross would leave him close to the point of death.  Yet on the cross is where He died.   Why do they call this day “Good Friday” because it seems any thing but good?...

  We continue our journey through Romans on Sundays at The Community Fellowship, and this past weekend we looked at Romans 6 and the movement for the Christian from being a slave to sin to obeying and following God.  It is an awesome thing to understand. Here are some of the verses that I used to highlight what Jesus has done for us! Matthew 7:13-14  NLT   You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. It is not exclusive because this way is offered to any one.  Yet as it says few find it.  This is why we share and pray. 2 Corinthians 5:14  NLT   Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. It is the love of Christ that changes every thing.  It is the love ...