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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It’s About You – Kinda!

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What's For Lunch?
What's For Lunch?

Life is about you, but it’s not just about you! Stop for just a minute and let that thought sink in.  “Life is about you, but it’s not just about you!” Life is also about others.  The fact is – you cannot get all that God desires for you to get out of this life without others and others will not get all that God desires for them to get out of this life without you.  God created us to do life together and when we do it together and do it right, we get what He intended – growth, blessing, fulfillment and peace!

We need to become “others-minded”! We spend so much of our time thinking about ourselves, about what we want, need and deserve.  We spend very little time thinking about others and what they want, need and deserve.  Start thinking of others right now and ask yourself “What do they want, need and deserve?”

What does your spouse want, need and deserve? What do your children want, need and deserve?  What do your parents want, need and deserve?  What do your friends want, need and deserve?  Extended Family?  Neighbors?  Co-workers?  Enemies?  Strangers?  You get the idea!  Start asking and answering the question:  “What do they want, need and deserve?”

Jesus shared eight attitudes in the beginning of his “Sermon On The Mount” message. As we work our way through these attitudes found in Matthew 5:1-12, we will discover that they encourage us to be “others-minded.”  One other person that we need to consider is Jesus – what does he want, need and deserve?  Looks like we’ve got some work to do!

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Teachable Moments!

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My Cuz Craig & His Little Angel!
My Cuz Craig & His Little Angel!

Don’t miss the “teachable moments” today! God will teach you through the circumstances of life  and use you to teach others! In Matthew 5:1-12 we find Jesus going up on a mountain and his disciples following and right there is the secret to taking advantage of teachable moments!  We must be willing to follow!

The reason so many of us often miss out on and fail to take advantage of teachable moments is because we have trouble with following. Our trouble is – we are not willing to follow or we are following the wrong leader.  We all need leadership – you cannot do life and do it right by yourself!  God created us to do life in partnership with Him and one another.  We need to make sure that we are following the right leader, because not just any leader will do.  You can’t go wrong in following Jesus!  He loves you and given his life for you and desires for you to grow and be blessed!

Another problem that we will encounter in following is when we become overly concerned with where we are going. If you have a good leader, you do not have to be worried about where he is taking you, because if he is a good leader, he will be taking you exactly where you need to be going.  This is exactly what Jesus does with us in the Beatitudes – he leads us to exactly where we need to be going.

Make the choice today to follow Jesus! Make the choice to be the attitudes that he is talking about!  Make the choice to not waste, but take advantage of the “teachable moments!”