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.

Give!

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…” – Luke 6:38 (KJV)

I once watched my Grandpa fill a sack of shelled peas for a neighbor. He didn’t just scoop them in half-hearted—no sir. He pressed ’em down, gave that bag a good shake, and kept on adding until it spilled over the top. Then he smiled and said, “That’s how you give—to bless, not just to be done.”

That’s what Jesus was talking about.

You see, the Kingdom economy doesn’t work like Wall Street. It isn’t about hoarding and holding—it’s about giving and trusting. When you give love, give time, give forgiveness, give encouragement—He gives it back in ways that overflow. Not because you earned it, but because He honors it.

Pressed down… shaken together… running over.

So today, don’t give to get. Give because you get to. Pour out that kindness. Bless somebody who can’t pay you back. Be generous with your words, your smile, your mercy. Because God’s got a way of giving it back that’ll fill you up more than you ever thought possible.

Give big… and watch God go bigger.

Virtue!

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” – Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)

Now I know this verse talks about a virtuous woman, but hang with me, fellas—this one’s for all of us. Because what God’s really spotlighting here is character that counts… not charm, not charisma, not clout—but virtue. The kind of deep-down, rock-solid goodness that money can’t buy and the world can’t fake.

Ladies, when the Bible says your worth is far above rubies, it’s Heaven’s way of reminding you that your value isn’t tied to how many likes you get, how you look in the mirror, or how loud the world applauds. You’re rare, radiant, and real—and the Lord sees you.

And men? Don’t check out. This verse calls you to be the kind of man who can recognize and honor that kind of worth. And not only that—but to mirror it. To walk in integrity, faithfulness, and grit. To be the kind of man who doesn’t just admire virtue in others but lives it out himself.

So whether you’re the one living the Proverbs 31 life or learning how to value it—don’t settle for surface. Go for the real gems. They might not shine the loudest—but they last the longest.

💎 True worth isn’t found in the spotlight—it’s found in the soul.

Real Love!

Love Never Gives Up

(1 Corinthians 13:7)

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but real love—God’s kind of love—isn’t flimsy. It’s not the kind of love that walks away when life gets hard or people get messy. No sir. Real love stands its ground. It bears the weight of disappointment, believes the best even when it hasn’t been earned, keeps hoping even when the night’s been long, and endures through the kind of storms that would break lesser things.

The world will tell you that love is a feeling—but the Word says it’s a choice. A gritty, grace-filled, gospel kind of choice. This verse reminds us that love doesn’t run out when it runs into trouble. It holds on. It lifts up. It keeps going.

Why? Because that’s the kind of love God shows us every single day. He bears with us. He believes in us. He hopes for us. And He endures with us, never giving up—never letting go.

So today, friend, let that kind of love fill you. Let it flow through you. And when you feel like giving up… remember, love never does.