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.
bible, choices, faith, Growing, life

GUARD YOUR HEART!

Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Now, I reckon ol’ Solomon knew a thing or two about life when he penned those words. Life has a way of wearin’ us down, from the daily grind to the unexpected bumps in the road. But you know, it ain’t the world that gets us – it’s how we let it in.

Guardin’ your heart ain’t about buildin’ a wall so high that nobody can climb it. No, it’s more like pickin’ who and what gets to live rent-free in your head and soul. Every day, life throws a heap of stuff at you – worries, complaints, maybe even a rude driver or two. But if you let all that mess inside without a filter, it’s like openin’ the front door and invitin’ trouble to sit a spell.

Your heart is where all your actions, words, and thoughts begin. And if you ain’t careful about what you let in, well, it’s bound to come back out in ways that’ll surprise you – and not always for the better.

So today, take a breath, say a prayer, and ask yourself, “What’s worth guardin’, and what’s worth lettin’ go?” ‘Cause when you guard your heart well, life flows a little smoother, and that peace you’re after? Well, it starts from within.

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RESPECT!

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 tells us to “respect those who work hard among you” and “hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” Now, I don’t know about you, but this reminds me of those folks who keep the wheels turning in our lives—the ones who don’t get the spotlight, but without them, nothing would get done.

You see, too often we think leadership is about being up front, but real leadership is about getting down to work, being willing to serve, and making things happen. It’s about rolling up your sleeves, digging in, and working like you mean it. And when you see someone doing that—whether it’s a pastor, a teacher, a nurse, or just your neighbor who always mows that one strip of your lawn you keep missing—stop and recognize them. Tell them you see what they’re doing. Lift ‘em up. Let ‘em know they matter.

Now, Paul didn’t just say, “Give ’em a pat on the back and move on.” He said to hold them in the highest regard in love. It means cherishing those who serve with their hearts, whether they’re in the pulpit or behind the scenes.

Let’s face it, if we want to build a community that thrives, it starts with loving the ones who lead by example. So today, take a moment to thank those who are faithfully working, not for applause, but because it’s their calling. When we honor those who serve, we honor the very spirit of what God calls us to be—one body, many parts, working together in love.

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You Can’t Help Anyone That’s Not Willing To Help Themselves!

You know, there’s an old saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. I’ve always thought that’s a fine bit of wisdom wrapped up in a folksy phrase. The truth of the matter is, you can’t help someone who isn’t ready to help themselves. And trying to do so is like trying to shovel smoke with a pitchfork in the wind.

Mark Twain said: “Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference,” and he was right. There’s a fine line between being a friend and being a fool. If someone’s determined to keep tripping over their own two feet, no amount of your good intention is gonna get them to stand upright. It’s like trying to teach a pig to sing—wastes your time and annoys the pig.

A person has to find their own way in the wilderness. I’ve learned through my own challenges to see the beauty in the struggle. The journey starts with the first step, and that step has to be yours. You can’t drag a soul up a mountain and expect them to appreciate the view. No, they’ve got to sweat, toil, and maybe even bleed a little to see the sunrise the way it was meant to be seen—with their own two eyes and a heart full of understanding.

Loving someone means letting them learn to love themselves enough to want better. It’s not about abandoning them in their hour of need; it’s about standing firm in love while they figure out how to stand on their own two feet. Sometimes that means letting them stumble, letting them fall, because it’s in the getting back up that they find out what they’re made of.

See, there’s a balance to be found—a line between offering a hand and carrying someone who’s unwilling to walk. We can love folks through their hard times, we can encourage them, pray for them, and guide them, but we can’t do the work for them. That’s their path, their walk, their mountain to climb.

So, don’t wear yourself out trying to help someone who won’t help themselves. Offer a hand, lend an ear, speak truth in love, but remember—you’re not their savior. They’ve got to pick up the pieces of their own life and start building something worth living for. And when they do, well, that’s when you’ll see a transformation that’s truly something to behold.