All posts by mjharvell

Welcome, friend—I’m glad you’ve pulled up a chair on the front porch of my little corner of the internet. My name is Michael Joe Harvell, and I live my life with one simple mission: to glorify God, encourage people, and leave this world a little better than I found it. I’m a husband, father, pastor, writer, Jeep enthusiast, and front-porch thinker who believes that life is best lived on purpose. I serve as pastor of Eureka Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina, where I get the joy of preaching, teaching, and walking with people through the ups and downs of everyday life. Over the years, I’ve discovered that faith isn’t just about Sunday mornings—it’s about living every single day in the presence and power of God. I’m also an author. My books—including The Grace Exchange: How Forgiven People Forgive People and The Word Works—grow out of the sermons, stories, and lessons I’ve learned on this journey. I write in a style that’s conversational, a little front-porch-rocking-chair, and full of stories, quotes, and Scripture that point us back to the goodness of God’s Word. When I’m not writing or preaching, you might find me sitting outside with my Bible and journal, cruising the backroads in my Jeep Gladiator, or sharing a meal and some laughs with the good folks God has put in my life. I love helping people find peace in their spirit, strength in their body, and encouragement in their soul. This blog is simply an extension of that mission. Here you’ll find devotions, encouragement, reflections, and practical insights for living a life of purpose, peace, and joy. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a rocking chair, and stay awhile—I’d be honored to walk this road of faith with you.

Grace Gravy!

There’s something about early morning light that reminds me of this promise:

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you…” (2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV)

Not some grace.

Not barely enough grace.

All grace.

I don’t know what you’re facing today. It may be a heavy schedule, a tight budget, a weary body, or a burden nobody else can see. But this verse doesn’t say you are able. It says God is able.

That changes everything.

God is able to make grace abound toward you — that means grace can overflow in your life. Not trickle. Not drip. Overflow.

And why?

“That ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

In other words, God doesn’t just give you enough to survive, He gives you enough to serve.

Enough strength to keep loving.

Enough patience to keep leading.

Enough provision to keep giving.

Enough peace to keep trusting.

You may feel stretched, but you are not stranded.

You may feel empty, but heaven is not.

The same God who called you is able to sustain you. The same God who saved you is able to supply you. The same God who started the work in you is able to finish it.

So take a deep breath today.

Grace is coming your way.

Strength is coming your way.

Provision is coming your way.

Because God is able.

Through The Fire!

Some lessons you only learn in the hard seasons.

Romans 5:3–4 says, “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.”

That verse doesn’t say we enjoy trouble. It says we glory in it—not because the pain feels good, but because we trust what God is doing through it.

Tribulation has a way of slowing us down and stripping away what we lean on that won’t hold. It teaches us patience—not the kind that waits politely, but the kind that endures when quitting feels easier. And if you stay in it long enough, patience gives you something precious: experience. A faith that’s been tested. A testimony that’s been earned. A strength you didn’t know you had.

And out of that experience rises hope. Not wishful thinking. Not crossed fingers. Real hope—the kind that’s been through the fire and came out standing.

Some of the strongest believers I know didn’t get there by shortcuts. They got there by walking through valleys, trusting God when answers were slow and the road was hard.

So if you’re in a tough season today, don’t assume God has forgotten you. He may be forming you. Stretching your roots. Preparing you for a hope that won’t disappoint.

Hold on. Keep walking. God is still at work—and hope is being built right where you are.

Calm In The Chaos!

There are days when your mind feels like a crowded room—thoughts talking over one another, worries pacing the floor, fears pulling up a chair and refusing to leave. David knew those days. That’s why he wrote these words in Psalm 94:19 (KJV): “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”

Notice he didn’t say if the thoughts come—but when they do. The man after God’s own heart admitted his mind could get noisy. And maybe that’s where you are today. You love God, you trust Him, but your thoughts just won’t slow down.

Here’s the good news: God doesn’t wait for the noise to stop before He brings comfort. Right in the middle of the mental clutter, His comfort shows up—and it doesn’t just calm you, it delights your soul.

God’s comfort isn’t shallow reassurance. It’s steady. It’s deep. It’s the quiet strength that reminds you you’re not alone, you’re not forgotten, and this moment is not the end of your story.

So take a breath. Let His Word speak louder than your worries. When your thoughts multiply, let His comfort take center stage.