Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  For as long as I can remember I have been touched by and stopped in my tracks by the grace of God.  Hearing about His grace is one thing, but experiencing His grace is another.  It is powerful. Hare you experienced the grace of God in your life? There are so many things I could share and stories I could pass along, but today I will let others explain the incredible truth of God’s amazing grace. Hebrews 4:16  NLT   So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. “Repentance was never yet produced in any man's heart apart from the grace of God. As soon may you expect the leopard to regret the blood with which its fangs are moistened,—as soon might you expect the lion of the wood to abjure his cruel tyranny over the feeble beasts of the plain, as expect the sinner to make any confession, or offer any repentance that shall be accepted of God, unless grace shall first ...

  Galatians 5:13  NLT   For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  This weekend our church family had a great time of worship at our future campus.  One of my favorite places, God led us to purchase and begin working on the building more than 12 years ago.  You gotta see it. We continue our series in Romans, and we almost all the way through the book.  This particular message from Romans 15 centers on how Christians who haver come a long way in Christ deal with those who with others who haven[t come so far. The verse I began with is a great reminder than our lives can be a blessing to others if we make sure that our way of seeing others is right and in line with what God says. 2 Corinthians 5:14  NIV   For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ...

  These aren't new.  But these are verses that I don’t need to forget.  That is another reason why I close out the week with a reminder. Don’t forget these three scriptures.  Good stuff from God.  Relevant for our lives.  Needed so we know truth and follow best practices of what God says. Here are 3 to not forget: Colossians 3:13  NLT   Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Yes, I shared that yesterday.  That is big truth.  We are forgiven and blessed by this radical truth that doesn’t allow us to roll deeper in guilt and shame.  We help others know His forgiveness, too. Proverbs 3:5-6  NLT   Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Just truth God.  Trust Him with all you are and have.  Depend on God a...

  Just this.  When the world around you seems to be swirling out of control, look to this and others like it. Just this.  Trust stands when the lies and the confusion can’t seem to stop. Just this.  A great place to turn when your answers aren’t giving you want you think you need. So, just this. Colossians 3 NLT 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.  13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and ...

  Are your watching?  I mean really watching.  Like your eyes are open and looking for what is next and what God is doing.  I didn’t ask you are “woke” or alive.  God is working.  Let’s be watching.   Romans 8:28  NLT   And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.   God has a plan for your life and mine, for my family and yours, for the church and churches around the world.  And that plan includes our good and His glory.   But are we watching?   God can open our eyes, and He will.  If we let that happen, we will be amazed at what we see.    Psalm 119:18  NLT Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.   Pray that God will open your eyes to know Him, to see His goodness and to understand His word and wisdom.  And even so we can share with others.   Luke 24:31  NLT Suddenl...

  The short ones.  Wait, I am not talking about people who are not very tall.  Not even the signs on the road or the height of some buildings or any thing else that is considered short.  That is not what I am talking about. It is those verses in the Bible that are short but pack a powerful word for us.  Today I share some of those short verses with hopes that these will encourage each of us. John 11:35  NLT   Then Jesus wept 1 Thessalonians 5:16  NLT   Always be joyful.  1 Thessalonians 5:17  NLT  Never stop praying. Romans 12:18  NLT   Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Psalm 31:24  NLT   So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! Luke 1:37  NLT   For the word of God will never fail. 1 John 4:8  NLT   But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. That is not an exhaustive list, but each of these verses have a story.  In co...

  John 13:34-35  NLT   So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”   This Sunday we continued our study in Romans, and we dealt with the ending of chapter 14.  This passage also went in line with current events of our world.  My prayer is that we learn through God’s love to share our faith with others and to live lives that are an example of God’s goodness. It is easy to look down on and judge others, but it is also not something that God called us to do.  He called us to speak truth and build others up. Lets call it the law of love like the verses above share.  It is not a license to tolerance or to overlook wrongs.  It is not an invitation to be judgmental to those who disagree with us and our convictions.  It is a mandate to love others the way Jesus loved others. How did Jesus lov...