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.
What an amazing thought: God created me and is working in me, giving me the desire and power to do what pleases Him and what blesses me. What an awesome God! Our Creator has expectations for us to be successful and blessed. Our Creator is given glory when we accomplish what we were created for! You are not an accident and you are not here as a spiritual being living a human experience by some randomness.
Paul tells is in Philippians: “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:12-13
Work hard, obey God and remember that God is at work in and through you!
I have always loved ministry, but I have to confess that I am having the most fun in ministry that I have ever had doing what I get to do everyday. It is not the easiest and it comes with more than it’s fair share of challenges, but the blessings of God come in all shapes and sizes and always seem to come at just the right time.
Today I had a lady that came into Grace today looking for a vacuum cleaner. I told her that we had two and she could have her choice. Mrs. Florence picked the one that was actually the cheaper of the two and said: “Thank you Jesus and thank you Grace Place for meeting my needs.” She took the vacuum cleaner home and it didn’t work, so she brought it back and I told her: “No problem, let’s exchange it for the other one.” I went to get it and brought it back to plug it in to make sure that it worked. We plugged it in and it came on and after showing her that it worked, I said: “The Lord must have wanted her to have a vacuum with all the bells and whistles.” She said: “I got to do my “Thank You Jesus Dance!” We enjoyed it and I think you will too!
I just want to say thank you to all of the people who have contributed to helping to make the ministry of Grace Place a reality. In the last several years a lot of people have contributed time and money to enable this ministry to grow and take shape. I am able to experience the blessing of serving in this amazing ministry every day, because of your faithfulness and generosity of time, talents and treasure. Live Blessed!
You are more special than you sometimes realize. You may find yourself going through some tough stuff and the common thought when going through tough stuff is: “I am nothing special!”, but this is where you are wrong. You are something very special!
David tells us in Psalms 139:13-17 about how he feels once he acknowledges and accepts God’s love, when he says: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”
Here is a little video I shot this morning to remind you of one more amazing thought about how special you are to the God that created you! Hope you enjoy and are encouraged!
Michael Joe Harvell 