Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  It is the time of the year where there is lots of change.  Look around you and you might see some pretty incredible things.  That is if you have the perspective God desires us all to have. Psalm 103:19  NLT   The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. Let’s begin with spring.  Notice the flowers, the colors of various things growing, and they are so beautiful.  Notice the skyline of the mountains or the rallies or even the cities.   Move forward to the joy and celebration that comes from the changes of life like graduation.  We have watched and congratulated high school and college graduates as well as others who have completed goals each longed to achieve.   So what is next?  These challenges are tough.  But these challenges are good. If we believe that God is gracious and has a plan, we will see from His perspective and desire all He has for us.  Remember that John 10:10 offers promi...

  Ephesians 2:8-9  NLT   God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  I don’t know how often you step back to look at the facets of something that is very complicated, but this is something we ought to do.  Taking that look might take some time to sink it.  It also might take some extra research to understand what is happening, how it works or maybe how it all fits together. Our faith is something very much like that.  It is not man made or man planned.  100% of what God has done.  And our God did this by His grace. Be challenged to take that look at the grace of God and how it has impacted your life and your eternity.  This revelation and understanding of the grace of God should leave us in awe of the love of God. Read those verses again.  By His grace.  By His doing ...

  Today’s devotion is from one of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, and the devotion email from yesterday.  It reenforces much of what we have been sharing about prayer at our church. Read on.  Check out more from Nouwen at https://henrinouwen.org/meditation/ Imagining Christ Contemplative prayer can be described as an imagining of God’s Son, Jesus, a letting him enter fully into our consciousness so that he becomes the icon always present in the inner room of our hearts.  By gazing at Jesus, walking on the earth, we give him loving attention and we “see” with our minds and hearts how he is the way to the Father.  Jesus’ life and work is an uninterrupted union with and contemplation of his Father.  We, as followers of Jesus, try to enter into the same disposition.  We welcome the discipline of contemplation, taking time regularly to enter into the life of Jesus to contemplate the incredible bond between Jesus and the Father.  And we trust that in...

  Hebrews 6:19  NLT This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. This past Sunday we finished our series from Hebrews at The Community Fellowship.  It has been a fast 6 weeks as we hits the highlights of the book, but there is so much more we can cover.  The hope God gives holds us tight. Hebrews is a powerful book and connects us to the foundation that is the most important, God’s truth.  It reminds us that Jesus is greater than every thing else.  If we trust anyone or anything else, we have made the wrong choice.  We are called to build our foundation on faith or let God build that foundation for us.  And faith comes completely from the greatness and goodness of God.  Our view of God grows bigger with Jesus who is writing our story.   Hebrews 10:23  NLT   Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his pro...

  Life is precious and a gift from God.  He is the creator of every things, and we have seen, through Scripture and example of many, just how loved people are by God.   Take some time today to simply read through these observations.  May God guide our hearts so we may give life and help others experience God’s grace!   1 Corinthians 8:6  NLT But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.   Jeremiah 1:5  NLT “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”   John 10:10  NLT The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.   Psalm 139:13-18  NASB Fo...

This Sunday we will meet at our new campus for Sunday worship.  Please join us at 700 Commerce Court in Martinsville at 10:10 for worship and the word!  There will be a special time for our kids.   Help get the word out.  We will NOT be meeting in Collinsville.  All activities this Sunday will be at our new campus! To get ready for this Sunday we will have a work day beginning at 9am Saturday.  There will be something for everyone to help with.  Hope to see you there. And finally pray for the completion of the new campus as well as the mission teams that are coming to help us this summer.  See you soon! With GOD as my guide, Pastor Michael Harrison - James 1:5 For more information about The Community Fellowship or to give online go to www.thecommunityfellowship.org or to www.facebook.com/tcf1010  

  One of the sweetest days of the year is Mother’s Day, yet it is also a day that comes with so many emotions  Many have lost their mother or may have lost a child.  It is this day that reminds us that there are people who have poured in to our lives that have made a difference in our lives. There are many of those in my life.  From my mom, to my wife, to so many other ladies through the year that have made me a better person.  Scripture is clear that godliness and Christ-likeness are vitally important.  Think about it. Proverbs 31:28-29  NLT   Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband praises her: 29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” It is in Proverbs 31 where we find so much about the women who have made us stronger and strengthened our faith in God.  Hey are some things that stick out in this chapter: A godly person must be a person that can be trusted (see verse 11).  A...