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.

Totally Different!

Tomorrow at church, I am going to be trying something totally different. I think that it should be a blast, but whenever you try something new there is always the fear!
Please pray for me and for our services that they will help to make a difference in people’s lives!

Vision For The Journey!

Vision is the ability to see what God wants to do in a given situation!  We all have dreams, but when God begins to give faith to our dreams they start to turn into a vision.  One of the things that God is teaching me about vision is that I am not the creator (that’s His job!), However, I am the caretaker (I am supposed to share and grow this gift from God and help others to join in and participate!)

To really believe in the vision that God has given you takes faith!  Faith attracts, motivates and enables others to believe in what God can do and encourages them to join in the work of making dreams become reality! 

It has always been the pattern and strategy of God to use one person to speak for Him and guide His people through the vision and into the destiny that God has prepared for them!  Think about it:  Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Gideon, Deborah, David, Daniel, Jeremiah, Jesus, The Disciples, Paul.  God selects the person to cast the vision for His people!  Vision has never been and will never be the product of a committee or a church vote!  (Vision is so much bigger than that!)

God has given me a vision of what He wants Northwood to be and what He has called Northwood to accomplish.  Pray for me, as I began to try and share that vision in some creative ways over the next few months.  Pray for our staff as they assist me in helping communicate and invite others involvement and participation.  I believe with all of my heart that God has an incredible journey that He wants to take us on and I am excited about our getting started!