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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A Little Motorcycle Theology!

Last night after church I hopped on the motor and went for a little ride into the night.  When I am on the motorcycle, I observe so much more of everything that is around me.  The moon, while it was not full, was especially bright against the dark sky.  The cool breeze blowing across my face made me feel extra alive.  The smell of the honeysuckle brought a smile to my face as I thought back to childhood memories.

I stopped and thought for a moment why is life so different on the back of a motorcycle?  And the answer is:  Because I want it to be and I need it to be.  Even though I am speeding down the highway, life slows down and I drink it in.  God has blessed us with this life here on this earth.  We need to slow down and live it according to the plan that He has mapped out for us.

There is so much that He wants us to be blessed by, but we often miss it because we are living way to fast and we run right past His plans.  Take some time to slow down today and enjoy the sight, sounds and smells of the ride that God has you on – you will be glad that you did!

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Where Do You Live?

If I were to ask you the question:  “Where do you live?”  what would be your response?  Many would give their address, some would name their town and a few would be skeptical and not willing to give an answer at all.  When I ask that question, I am not really asking for the physical location.  I am really asking were do you live spiritually and emotionally?

God desires for us to live with Him in a relationship that changes everything.  A lot of people see their relationship with God as being the thing that gets them out of Hell and into Heaven!  We tend to think of our relationship with God as something that is in the future.  We see it as a place that we might live one day.

A relationship with God is a place that we should be living right now in every moment of every day!  God loves you and has an amazing plan for your life.  Enjoy loving Him back and living in the powerful moments of that plan, and trust me, you will be glad you did!

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The “C” Word!

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I hear a lot of people throw around the “C” word!  What does it mean when you call yourself a Christian?

When I say that I am a Christian, I am saying that I have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  It means that I know that I am nothing without Him and everything with Him.  It means that I have died to my old self and come alive as a new creation.  It means that I am saved and when I die a physical death, I will experience a miraculous resurrection and live with God – my Creator and Sustainer forever and always!  It means that I have made the choice to live in the power of the spiritual over the physical!

I am saved!  Saved for what?  Saved for God, from Hell, to Heaven!  There is something better and I experience a taste of it everyday and I am looking forward to the day when I experience the whole deal without any breaks or interruptions.

I am saved to experience the difference and make the difference.  My life has not and will not ever be the same.  It is bigger, better and growing everyday with no end in sight.

I am saved to choose risk over safety.  As a child of the Most High God, I have a promise from the only One who can really make and keep His promises.  There is nothing that will ever come my way that God will not use for my good, as I love and trust Him.

I am saved to experience change over stability.  The world says: “Take it easy!”, but God says “Go for it!”  I will go for it again and again and know that my God has already counted the cost and counted it worthy!

I am saved to work for expansion over preservation.  God did not save me to protect my very limited space.  God saved me to go out and take back what was taken from me.  This is notice:  We are coming to get what belongs to us!

I am saved to live adventure over predictability.  God has a great and amazing adventure mapped out for me. I don’t have to know the directions on the map, I just have to know the One that knows the directions and be willing to follow His lead!  I will follow!

I am a Christian.  I am saved.   Life really does matter and I am going to live it to the fullest – here on earth and in a special place called Heaven!