Tag Archives: Michael Joe Harvell

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A Great Example!

Early Morning Light!

Good Day! We had a great day yesterday at Northwood.  The band did an incredible job and even though the enemy was attacking – we did not let Him win!  Thanks to all of you that help us each week to help people get into the presence of our Creator!

The Challenge! Yesterday – we challenged everyone to begin their day for the next 21 Days with God!  I want to thank each of you for making the committment to practice a small discipline that will produce big results in your life.  I am so excited about the challenge and change that can take place in our lives during the next 21 days!

QT Training! Yesterday we gave every one a QT Training Guide that can walk you through a daily time with God.  It only takes about 7 – 10 minutes and allows you the begin your day with your Creator.  If you did not get a copy – drop by the office and we will be glad to give you one.  Also we are putting the daily info on the Northwood Group Page on Facebook!

God’s Word! Today we began with a simple and powerful verse found in Mark 1:35!  It says:  “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”

Let’s break it down: First we see that it was in the early morning, before the busyness of the day began.  Jesus escaped, got away to a private place to spend time with the Creator.  Beginning our day with the Creator allows our fist steps of the day to be steps in the right direction!

Next we see that Jesus left the house and went to a secluded place!  We need to get away from all of the distractions of life.  We all need a little time in every day to escape the distractions, so that we can get focused on what really matters.  Walk away from the distractions, they will be there when you get back, but won’t be near as destructive if you have invested valuable time with the Master!

Why did Jesus get up early and go to a private place?  So that he could pray!  So that he could spend time with his Creator!  What did he do during this time?  He talked – shared what was on his heart and mind with God.  And He listened – opened his life to receive what was on the heart and mind of God.

God loves you and has an amazing plan for your life.  We get in on that plan by spending some of our precious time with Him at the very beginning of our day.  Jesus did it and I figure if it was important to him, then it should be important to us!  God Bless, Press On And Keep It Real!

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Taking On The Mouth!

Watch Your Mouth!

Here are a couple of powerful verses from Psalm 141:4-5 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.  Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness With men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.”

What A Powerful Prayer! “Set A Guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over my lips.” I consider myself to be a half way decent person and I know a lot of people who are really good people, but I was thinking:  Out of all of the people who I know, including myself – we all have a problem with our mouths.  We say things that we shouldn’t and we get involved in conversations that tear down, rather than build up.

We Need Supernatural Help! David who wrote the Psalms was a good man, but even he knew that he needed God’s help and so he prayed the above mentioned  prayer.  The first step to getting help is admitting that you have a problem.  If you don’t like to admit that you have a problem, then call it a challenge.

Power In Our Words! I want my words to build up and advance the cause of Christ!  I am not talking about religious talk.  I am talking about using the power of the words that we speak for good and not for evil.  I am talking about using the power of the words that we speak for moving life in a positive direction.

Work On This Today! Take some time today to think about your words – what you say and what you don’t say!  Think about your conversations – do people walk away closer to being who God created them to be or do they walk away a little more distant because of a wedge that you may have inserted?

Ask God to set a guard over your mouth and keep watch over the door of your lips!  It will really make a difference in your life, in the lives of others and in the ministry of the Kingdom!

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Chase Or Be Chased!

Chase Or Be Chased!

You have a choice to make!  Are you going to chase or be chased?  Everyday, you get to make the decision – will you chase the devil away or will you allow him to chase you away from the blessings and growth that God has for you?

It really is simple!  You are chasing him or he is chasing you and you get to decide which it is going to be.  James 4:7 says: “Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

If we will submit to God and resist the devil, then he will have to flee – run away from us.   When you get up in the morning, you have a choice to make:  Are you going to be the one chasing the devil or will you be the one running away from the devil?” The choice is yours!  You make the decision for you!

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Got Any Problems?

"All God's Children Got Problems!"Problems! Do you ever have any problems?  I know that’s a crazy question.  Of course, we all have problems!  God has been showing me some things about problems as I have been working through some of my own problems.  I hope my thinking out loud in this blog might help you with any problems that you might have!

Here are a few of the things that I have learned about problems:

I have learned that problems are everywhere! There is no place that you and I can go on this earth to escape problems.  The lesson to learn:  You can’ t run away from a problem, because as you run out of one, you will run into another!

I have learned that everyone has problems! It does not matter how much money you have or don’t have.  It does not matter how smart or dumb you may happen to be.  It does not matter which side of the tracks you live on.  No one is immune!  ”I got problems, you got problems, all God’s children got problems!”

I have learned that problems don’t just go away! We have to work on them and through them!  A problem worked through can make us better, stronger and more effective.  A problem ignored can make us bitter, weaker and render us ineffective!  Don’t ignore your problem – deal with it!

I have learned that all problems have a solution! Some solutions come quickly and easily, while others take time and hard work.  If we will work for the solution, then God will use our problems to take us to a place of growth and blessing.

Here are a few steps to help you work on and through your problems! 1.) Talk To God! I am not talking about just going through the motions.  I am talking about really having a conversation with your Creator and Sustainer.  God loves you and He has an amazing plan for your life.  You will be amazed at how taking a little time to talk with Him can reveal solutions to so many things that you are facing!  2.) Don’t Give Up! As I look back on my life, I can see many times where I was just one decision away from break-through, but because I gave up and gave in – my problem got the best of me, instead of me getting the best of it!  Stay with it, work through – you will be glad that you did!  3.) Stay Focused! One of the biggest challenges to my working on and through my problems is all of the distractions that life seems to want to throw my way.  Know your problem and do whatever it takes to get through it!

You Can Do This! You can do this, because you are God’s special Creation.  Your life matters and you can make more of a difference than you know or realize.  So when your problem smacks you up side the head today – take it on, take it out and grow on to the next thing!

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So You Had A Bad Day!

So You Had A Bad Day?

What do you do when the phone rings and the person on the other side of the line gives you bad news?  It may be a call from a family member sharing with you the news of a loved one that has passed.  It could be the scary call from the Doctor with the results from the test that don’t look very promising.  Or it could be any number of different scenarios giving you the news that you have always dreaded to hear!  If you live long enough you will experience some of these dark times of life.  Times where the bad news of circumstances seem to be bigger and heavier than the good news of daily living.

Dark Times! During the dark times of life it is very important that we take the time to remind ourselves of some very important truths.  These truths will shine as a light in the darkness and guide us through to the other side, where we will find blessing for having made it through the challenge.

Remind Yourself That God Loves You! That’s right!  We know it, but we take it for granted and we often forget about it!  It is somewhere in there, but not where it needs to be.  Put right up in the front of your mind and heart the reminder that “GOD LOVES ME!”  God does love you – more than you can dream or imagine!

Remind Yourself That All Things Work Together For The Good Of Those That Love God And Who Are Called According To His Purpose! God is always at work.  And God is always working for our blessing.  When we love God and live in obedience to Him and His calling, then His blessings are able to flow to and through our lives.  God can use even the bad for our good, if we will love, trust and obey Him!

Remind Yourself That God Has A Plan And It Is Better Than Any Plan That You Can Come Up With! Look around you – everything that God has created has a purpose!  God has a plan and purpose for your life and if He has allowed some challenge to come into your life, then you can bank on the fact that He is going to use it to grow you and use you for His glory!

Remind Yourself To Deal With Any Sin That Might Get In Between You And God! We don’t like to admit it, but the truth is:  WE ARE SINNERS AND OUR SIN GETS IN THE WAY!  Don’t beat up on yourself for being a sinner.  Just admit it, asked for God’s forgiveness and strength to overcome!  Don’t allow sin to block the flow of God’s blessing to and through you!

Remind Yourself Of The Reality That God Has Been With Me, Is With Me Now And Will Be With Me For Always! God has been with you always and will be with you always.  He was with you before you were born and desires to be with you after you die.  There may be times that you feel like you are all alone, but God is always just one prayer away.  Take some time to talk with Him today and thank Him for what you’ve been reminded of!

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Unscrewing A Screwed Up Life!

Unscrewing A Screwed Up Life!

God Can Use Bad For Good! I know that there are a lot of people out there that are going through some very tough stuff!  Trials, frustrations, challenges and disappointments are never easy, but it is very important for us to understand that God can use the bad stuff for our good, if we will continue to love and trust Him.

In James 1:2-8 we read: “2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends! It is through the tough and hard circumstances of life that our heart is purified and our faith is strengthened!  I need for my heart to be cleaned up, because living in this world causes it to get dirty and polluted pretty quickly!  I need for my faith to be strengthened, because I know that I cannot make it through without some help from my friends!  (Father, Son And Holy Spirit!)

The Wisdom Challenge! What I don’t always have and what I often need most is WISDOM!  Challenges and tough circumstances are a reality and there are times that they cannot be avoided, so I need to learn how to best respond to these challenges that the world throws my way – whenever they may come!  The last part of the above Scripture tells us what to ask for and exactly how to do it!

What And How! We are to ask for Wisdom – this is the what!  We are to ask “in faith without any doubting” – this is the how!  God created all things and so we know that God created wisdom.  Wisdom is what we need, so we should go to God and ask Him for it.  God created wisdom, so that He could give us wisdom, so there should be no doubt on our part about Him providing what we need.  We ask, we believe and we receive! It is often our lack of faith, our wavering in belief that keep us from getting the great stuff that God has for us!

You Need Wisdom! God made wisdom and He wants to give it to you!  Ask Him for wisdom and believe that you have it!  Now use that wisdom to go through your trials and troubles to the greater place of blessing that God has for you!

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15 Questions!

Questions And Answers!

In the message yesterday, I challenged everyone with the scripture from 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” To help you do this I shared 15 Questions! Several of you have asked for a copy of the questions.  These questions grew out of my reading “Crazy Love!”  by Francis Chan.  Specifically out of chapters 4 and 5.  I hope the questions help you to do some self-examination and that the examination helps you to focus on and grow your love for God, His Church and others!

The Questions:

1.  Have you convinced yourself that attending church is enough?

2.  Are you willing to give money as long as it does not mess with your standard of living?

3.  Do you choose what is popular over what is right when in conflict?

4.  Do you want to be saved from your sin or from the penalty of your sin?

5.  Are you watching others do things for God, but never joining in?

6.  Do you share your faith?

7.  Are you comparing yourself to the world to find spiritual satisfaction?

8.  Do you allow Jesus to have all of your life or do you just give Him a part?

9.  Is there a limit to your service?  (Time, money, energy!)

10.  What do you spend most of your time thinking about:  Life here on earth or life there in Heaven?

11.  Do you allow guilt to move you closer to God or farther away?

12.  Are you more interested in how far you can go and it not be sin?

13.  Do you play it safe and fail to take risks for the Kingdom?

14.  Can you see that there is room for growth and improvement in your life?

15.  Are you willing to take the steps?

Take some time to really think through these questions.  I know that I have a lot of work to do.  I am looking forward to what God can do with me and through me as I work on some of this stuff.  I am praying for you and I ask you to please pray for me.  Remember:  We can do this for God’s glory and everyone’s blessing!

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Don’t Give Up!

I had a hard time getting online this morning!  I kept getting an error message and nothing that I tried seemed to work in solving the problem, but I did not give up – I kept on trying.  So many times as we try to live our lives, we will get thrown a curve ball and things will not work out the way that we planned.  I am not talking about the easy stuff like trying to get online.  I am talking about the tough stuff – like life just sometimes being rough and not working out the way we had hoped and planned!

Don’t Give Up! On a good day – life is hard, and on a hard day – life seems impossible!  When times get like this, we are tempted to give in and give up, but don’t you dare do it!  Keep after it!  Here are some steps to make sure that you are doing the right thing!

First, make sure that you are in communication with God. Talk to God about your situation.  He already knows all about it, but loves to hear it from your perspective.  Sometimes, just taking the time to talk it over with Him will lead you to a moment of clarity that helps you to get everything headed in the right direction!

Second, check to make sure that you are not the cause of the problem. We always want to shift the blame, but ultimately – we all bear responsibility for ourselves.  I am responsible for my actions and reactions to life!  It is very easy for us to get out of God’s plan and focused on our very own and very limited agenda.  Make sure that you are where God wants you to be and doing what God created you to do!

Third, enjoy the journey! Life here on this earth is way to short to not enjoy every moment of it.  Don’t let anything or anybody rob you of the special experiences that God has for you in the failures and the victories!

I hope this encourages you today and helps you to get more out of this very special day that God has given you!

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Treasure Map!

Got Your Treasure Today?

As you wander though this life, you will stumble across many treasures!  Some will be found very easily, while others will take solid and continued effort.  These treasures are not placed upon life’s path by accident.  They are placed there by our Creator and are intended for out blessing and our growth.

Missed Any Lately? How many treasures have you missed out on?  Missed out on because you were not paying attention, or because what was a treasure did not look like a treasure to you?

Life Changing! When you come upon one of God’s treasures and you know it’s one of His treasures, from the very moment of it’s discovery, your life begins to change.  Your focus changes, your dreams increase and your goals grow!  Treasure is important, because it always carries with it the capacity to change our lives.

Matthew 13:44 says:  “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

Kingdom Relationship! One of the greatest treasures that God has given us, is the treasure of a Kingdom Relationship.  He does not give it to us because we deserve it.  He gives it to us out of His grace, mercy and forgiveness.  Because He gives us this Kingdom Relationship, it should change our lives – who we are, how we live, what we do, where we go and the why of everything that we do.

Don’t Waste It! Don’t waste your Kingdom Relationship!  Do whatever it takes to protect it, grow it and share it!  Remember:  It is a treasure and a treasure should bring blessings!

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Figure Out Love?

Me With My Nephew "Willie Joe"!

I have spent a good bit of time during the last couple of months thinking about love.  And I have discovered that love is the solution to so many of our problems.  Love is the answer to so many of our questions.  When we learn to receive love and return love, then we are living according to our created design.  Love is the key that unlocks the door to the possibilities and potential that God has put in each one of us.

When we experience love and express love, we are living in the flow of Who God is!  God is love!  We know Him and experience Him as we allow ourselves to be loved by Him and as we express this love back to Him and others.

Love is one of those words that we throw around with a lot of carelessness.  It is one of those words that we love to go running to for comfort.  Real love is so much more than a word.  Real love is action!  It is the action of getting from God and giving back to Him and others.  If we love God, then we will love others!

I’ve got some work to do on experiencing and expressing love!  I have not got it all figured out, but that is okay because He loves me anyway!  And because He loves me, I am going to work to try and figure this thing out!