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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What Do You Expect?

What Do You Expect?

Our expectations often determine our realities!  Expectations have the potential to limit or increase your blessing!  We usually get what we expect!  In Matthew 9:29, Jesus says: “According to your faith will it be done to you.” In other words if you expect things to be bad, then they will most likely be bad, but if you expect things to be good, then they will most likely turn out for good!

If you see the glass half empty, then you will always be focusing on what you don’t have and you will probably never have anything of substance.  If you see the glass half full, then you have learned to focus on the blessings in hand and you will probably see your life travel in the direction of more and greater blessing.

This does not mean that you don’t ever have any problems or challenges.  It just means that you have learned to look at them differently than the majority of the world.  God loves you and He has an amazing plan for your life and He has promised that He will use even the bad for good in the lives of those who love Him and who live according to His calling to fulfill His purpose!

If your expectations are messed up and in the wrong place, then change them up.  Start by taking some time to pray and ask for God’s help.  Next, spend some time letting the positive message of God’s Word to move in positive way through your life.  And finally challenge yourself every time you find the negative and low expectations creeping in!

You can do this – grow your expectations and Give God Glory!

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Don’t Miss The New Thing!

The past is good and tradition is good, as long as we do not get stuck in it! The good thing about the past and tradition is that they can instruct us into a better and more productive future, if we are paying attention and learning for what they are teaching.

It is very easy to get “set in your ways”. We restrict ourselves from the forward progress that God has for us because we get stuck in our personal perspectives.  If we are not careful, we will find yourself in a rut of our own making, because we have gotten stuck in our own thinking!

Remember This! It is very important to remember that our God is a Creator!  As a creator, God is always doing something new.  But God can’t and won’t accomplish something new in and through our lives, if we are not willing to change.  We must be ready to enlarge our vision and expand our thinking – if we are to experience the new creation of our Amazing Creator God!

Don’t Miss It! In Isaiah 43:19  God says: “Behold I am doing a new thing!  Do you not perceive it and know it?” God wants to grow you!  God wants to promote you!  God wants to give you increase!  God wants to do something new, magnificent and unexplainable in and through your life.  God wants to do a new thing in and through you!  Did you notice the question in Isaiah?  It says:  “Can you not perceive it?”  If you can’t from your perspective, see the new thing that God wants to do in and through you, then you need to change your perspective!

Learn And Grow! Learn from the past and appreciate tradition, but don’t get stuck there, because if you do, you will miss the new thing that God is doing!

A Pray To Pray! Thank you God for our past and for helping us to learn from our mistakes and failures!  Thank you for tradition and for how it reminds me of Your faithfulness, goodness and grace!  Help us Lord to appreciate, but not get stuck in these places.  We don’t want to miss the new thing that you are doing.  Please let us be right in the middle of Your perfect will!