Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Psalms 46:10 - slow down and recognize the voice and work of God around us today. Reading an article that  Tony Morgan  pointed to today. Click HERE .  Good, good stuff. We added a new leadership team member last week.  Nancy Wright will deal with administration and continue her roles with guest services and volunteers.  Welcome Nancy! Excellent day at The Community on Sunday as we talked about "The Economy & My Faith" using 2 Kings 4:1-7 . Some of those Super Bowl commercials were awesome The Super Bowl was kind of dull durinig the first half.  The last 5 minutes were priceless.  I know my heart is OK after that stress on it.  Surely the Card's and the Steelers need some stress relief now.  Ha. Today's TV show will be on early at 12:30 and can be seen here live .  This is due to the live blood drive they are having with the American Red Cross this afternoon. New floors are going down in our kitchen thi...

Pictured are Rob and Courtney Lovell from Saginaw, Michigan. A little after noon yesterday, January 30th, Rob left earth for his new home in heaven. He fought a difficult battle with Lukemia that quickly too Rob's health but not his faith. As a pastor he severed in several states and loved to share God's truth. We met via www.Twitter.com and hit it off fast. Though we talked only a few times, I felt a strong connection to Rob. He leaves behind his wife, Courtney, four kids, a great family as well as a church family that loved him dearly. Please be praying for this family. One last note. Though Rob doesn't verbally speak to us any longer, his faith speaks volumes about the goodness of God. May we be so committed to God that even if we are hit with great sickness or other difficulties that we remain faithful to our God who is full of mercy and never ending faithfullness. Thank you, God, for allowing our paths to cross with Rob Lovell.

This has been a full week in so many ways.  I have lots on my heart and on my mind, yet in the middle God pulled some things together that we've been asking for.  It is time to celebrate a few of them: restored a relationship with a friend that had been broken for more than 2 years, spent time with and dealt with one of my children (a good connection), hearing from the Lord about something we had been asking for at church, paying off another debt (as we continue our budget), beginning to redo the floors in our kitchen, and more.   Some of those things may been trivial, but they are big for me in a lot of ways.  Here is a thought:   Hebrews 10:23  (nlt) --- Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. I listened into a conference this week that I was not able to get to and found some nuggets of truth that really hit home with me as a husband, a father, a pastor and a follower ...

Two of my favorite people in the world are Leif and Margaret Oines.  You may know her better as Margaret Feinberg , her writing name.  What an awesome couple who love Jesus and happen to love The Community as well (hope to announce soon when they will visit us again).   I've been spending a good bit of time praying for the situation here in our nation as you know from my devotion yesterday.  Margaret wrote something a couple weeks ago that I want to share portions of today (this stuff makes me see what the church's place is during this economy situation).  Read on:   How Recession Proof Is Your Church?   Few areas of our economy are recession proof these days including the church. I have friends who are taking 20 to 30 percent pay cuts and even higher. Still others have lost their paychecks completely. What can church leaders and their members do to prepare for economic challenges? 1. Recognize that God is still in control...

This is not going to be about who to blame for the poor condition of our economy or even about what to do about it for yourself.  There are plenty of people like Dave Ramsey or Joe Sangl that can give you some thoughts from that perspective   My thought is more like this: just be honest!!!  This economy and the recession stinks, but it doesn't change my faith.  Friends have lost jobs.  Many if not all of us have lost some of our savings and retirement.  Tough stuff that stinks.  Nothing more to it than that.   Question: has this economy, or any recession for that matter, changed our God?  Answer: NO!   It is still our choice to serve God, to give from the blessings He has given us and to live.  Make that choice with me.   Then I hear about some more people loosing their jobs.  One of the churches that has been a great encouragement to me had to lay off several full time people and cut...

Here is a quote from one of our leaders that goes with our series  Love More, Expect Less.     Contentment comes not from having more, but from desiring less      

Are you ever amazed like I am by what happened during the time of the early church (see Acts 2 )?    They dedicated themselves to God, His truth and to each other.  They helped people no matter what it took.  That is what the church is to be about.  That is what we are learning that we are to be and are going to be about.  It is a choice leaders have to make.  Not an easy choice, but it is one that will change who we are and where we are going as well as how effective we will be.  Does that make sense?   Maybe these quotes from Matthew Barnett will help us:   "build the dreams of others then your dream will become bigger than you ever imagined" ... "you now have God's dream"   "reach the people nobody wants you'll start seeing the people everybody wants"   Our calling is not to those who do not need God.  We are called to reach those reaching out for God....