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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Sunday Night Rewind!

We still have one more Sunday in this incredible last month of one of the most amazing years of ministry that I have been blessed with the privilege of being a part of.  It really has been a very special gift to see how God has worked in the life and ministry of our church during the past six months.

While there has been more than enough challenges, there has also been an abundance of blessings and growth.  And while there has been some tough, hard pruning and some loss that we have had to endure, there has also been some sweet, miraculous spiritual growth and blessing that we continue to experience on an ongoing basis!

Here are a few highlights from my day as a pastor of such a great church!

*Excellent time in Bible Fellowship today! Walked in a little late and prayer request time had already begun.  As usual God had already started preparing us for the lesson He had in store!  Love my BF Group and really do enjoy our time of learning and growing from each other!  May it be as God has said!

*Worship is always special and with the Christmas music – had a little extra sweetness to it today! Thankful for the team of so many people who are willing to work hard to share their God-given talents to make each week special and meaningful!  Great music + challenging Word = Changed Lives And God’s Glory!

*Grace Place Team Blessed Me! Was blessed by the team that stayed at the Grace Place Campus to support me in sharing the Word, even though there was the temptation of fried turkey and smoked ham waiting for most of them at the NW Campus!  Really means a lot to me (more than you can know) when you support me!  Also thankful that I have people who I can call on that can help me, so that I can be in two places at one time!  Thanks David & Tonya for helping out at GP with the shoppers today!

*Yummo Lunch! Great time of fellowship with Pathfinders Bible Fellowship Group at their Christmas lunch.  Amazed and thankful for the spiritual family feel that we all get to share with each other.  Let’s not ever take for granted this great gift God has given us!  (All the food was great!)

*Powerful performance tonight by Northwood Worship Choir And Drama Team! Serving God is fun and I am glad that so many in the NW family have had the opportunity to experience that fun tonight and over the past several weeks.  Proof that our hard work will pay off in more ways than one!

I know I say it a lot, but I really do mean it!  I love each of you and I am thankful that we get to do life and ministry together!  God Bless, G3!, 24/7!

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I’m From The Country!

Last week, I shared some of the sayings that I heard on a regular basis while growing up in the south.  (Here’s the link to that post!)  I not only grew up in the south, but I also grew up – country and here are a few more that I heard regularly:

1.)  He’s Barking up the wrong tree! Sometime we are wrong, but we just won’t admit it.  We are like a dog barking up a tree – the coon might have gone up that tree, but it isn’t there anymore, so that is a wasted bark!  If you’re wrong accept it, admit it and move on – life is too short!

2.)  Don’t bite off more than you can chew! Do what you can and do it the best that you can, but don’t take on more than you can handle, because, if you do, then everyone will end up suffering!  Don’t ignore responsibility, do your fair share and then some, but realize that you don’t have to do it all and what doesn’t get done won’t be the end of the world!

3.)  She got the short end of the stick! Life is not fair and anyone who says that it is, is lying or delusional!  The truth is:  There are two ends:  The long end and the short end and someone gets the long end and someone gets the short end, just be thankful that you got an end and use your end to give glory to God!

4.)  I ain’t seen her in a coon’s age! When the “old folks” (that term was not disrespectful, but honorable where I grew up!) used to say this, I knew they were saying:  I ain’t seen her in a long, long time!  Raccoons actually live between 12 and 20 years if they are lucky, but the truth is:  “Time flies!”, so make the most of everyday by living it to do what God created you to do and to be the very best you that you can be!

5.)  He’s getting too big for his britches! This is not talking about physical weight gain.  This is talking about someone getting full of themselves and thinking that they are much more than they really are!  We are all tempted with this temptation at some time or another.  Be very careful, because giving in to this one can really cost you, and I’m talking about a whole lot more than “split britches!”

Hope you enjoyed these, I still catch myself saying some of these every now and then!  There are a lot more from when and where I grew up, I’ll share some more in a few weeks.  God Bless, G3! 24/7! and as my PaPa would say:  “Good Day!”