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.
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Called!

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The Lion Will Lay Down With The Lamb!

I am a Pastor, because that is what God called me to be!  I am not a Pastor, because I woke up one day and thought:  “Out of all the things I can be in this world, I think I want to be a Pastor!”  I am a Pastor, because one day when I was getting ready to become a teenager, I felt God’s leading in my life as I read and studied His Word, and I knew that God had called me, since before I was even born to serve His Church by loving His people, preaching and teaching His Word and giving my all to help His spiritual body to give Him glory.

I fought it for a while and through the years, I have thought more than a few times about getting out of it.  But being a Pastor is what I was created for.  I care about people and I want everyone to tap into and discover the power of their spiritual lives.  I don’t do this because I need a job, the truth is there are much easier jobs that I could do with my eyes closed.  I don’t do this because I am on an ego trip and need to be in charge of something, I can be in charge of a lot of different things, if I make the choice to be.  I do this simply because it is what God has called me to do and my greatest fulfillment comes from doing what God created, called and gifted me to do.

If you are fortunate enough to have a Pastor that is called, stop today and every day and take time to pray for Him.  Being a Pastor in this world today is one of the hardest things that a person could ever have to do.  While there are a handful of people who do it for all of the wrong reasons, there are just as many more that do it, because this is what they were called to do and we are just trying to be faithful.

Not really sure why I shared all of this, but had it on my heart and in my head and needed to get it out.  I hope it might provide a little insight that will help us all to serve our King and His Kingdom with a little more zest!  God Bless and Keep It Real!

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What Church Should Be About!

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More Than A Building!

The church should be about changing a person’s life!  The very sad reality is that we have made it about everything, but the very thing that it needs to be about.  At our core all of us are selfish and we want what we want, but church should challenge and change that.

The truth is that there is something more important and better than what you want and that is what God wants!  It is unreal what we have done to and with the church because of our selfishness and our unwillingness to get ourselves out-of-the-way, so that we could pursue a better and more perfect way mapped out for us by our Creator.

I love God and I love His Church, but I must admit that there are days when I grow so weary, because the mountain just looks way to high to climb.  I will not give up, even though the tasks looks impossible.  I will keep preaching, teaching and sharing the amazing Word of God.  I will continue to love and minister to the needs that He shows me with all that He has provided.  I will confess my sins and failures and receive His forgiveness and restoration.  I will be faithful to God and His Church, because it has changed and is changing my life and eternity and that is really what it is all about.

Will you join me?