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.

The Painful Choice!

That Hurts!

You are a special creation and your life has meaning, purpose and value.  You may not believe it, but that does not mean it isn’t true.  And the real problem with a lack of belief is that our lack of belief often holds us back from being all that we could and should be.

You are gifted in extraordinary ways and if you will learn to believe this and use these special gifts, then you can live a life that is unbelievable.  And the beautiful thing is that your life can actually make the lives of others better.

It all comes down to choice.  Everyone of us get to make the choice for ourselves.  The choice is not always easy and sometimes the choice is going to cost us.  “Everyone must choose one of two pains:  The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” – Jim Rohn

We all have pain.  The choice we get to make is this:  Will it be the pain of discipline or the pain of regret?  We can do what we need now and reap the benefits it will produce or we can ignore what we need to do now and reap disappointment and frustration in our future.

I want to encourage you today to think about this amazing life that your Creator has blessed you with.  What do you need to do?  What can you do?  What will you do right now in this moment to claim, live and share this amazing gift called life?  Do it – you will be glad you did!

Legendary Surprise!

I Was Surprised!

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised?  This is the experience I had when I actually took the time to watch a movie put out by The World Wrestling Entertainment Group, starring John Cena.

The title intrigued me, but when I saw that the movie was starring John Cena and was put out by WWE, I thought to myself: “This is probably going to be a waste of time, but I might as well give it a shot!”  And now I have to confess, it actually was a good movie with a very encouraging message.

The movie is a story of redemption and a different kind of victory.  It is a mixture of redemption stories, promises made and promises kept, as well as a look at what really winning is all about.  It is the story of a teenage boy coming of age, while coming to terms with the hand that life has dealt him.  It is the story of a single mom, who is doing her best to make things work, even though none of her current life is what she planned.  It is the story of a man, older son and big brother, who thought it was easier to walk away, but discovers life can’t work without his family.

Life is hard.  Life will throw you more than a few curves.  Life is about learning, growing and becoming.  I enjoyed this movie, walked away with a good feeling inside and found encouragement to keep learning and growing.

I hope if you get a chance to see it, that it will be a surprising encouragment to you…

When Words Aren’t Enough!

The Limitation Of Words!

There are times in life when you just know that God is working.  You don’t necessarily know how you know, you just know and it is amazing.  Romans 8:28 says:  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and who have been called according to His purpose.”

When God calls you to something, you know He has plans, but you really do not have a clue about all that He is up to.  We like to think we know, understand and can make sense of it all, but we don’t and we can’t, because God gives us only what we can handle in the moment.

I have been blessed in my life time to see God do some amazing things.  I personally have experienced some God work in the last couple of years that I still can’t come up with words to describe or explain.

I have seen God do enough to know that what we have not even come close to scratching the surface of all the good that He wants to work in and through our lives according to His purpose.

So remember, you don’t have to understand it all and you don’t have to explain it all.  Just make sure that you take some time to enjoy the journey of grace that God has you on.