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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Ephesians 3:14-20

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I am praying for you and asking that God will strengthen you with His power through His Spirit in your inner being!  I don’t want you to be dependent upon your limited human power, which really shouldn’t be called power at all!  I want you to live by, in and with the supernatural strength of God.  Power that flows through His Spirit into your life.  Power that fills you from the inside-out!

I am praying that Jesus will dwell in your heart through faith!  I know that Jesus came to not just make a difference, He came to make the difference!  I am asking God to help you to make your heart the “home dwelling place” for a Savior that loves you with a love that is so amazing!  I am praying that especially when life does not make sense – that you take it on faith and that as your faith in Jesus grows, you become empowered to do great and mighty things that cannot be explained!

I am praying that love will be your foundation and that you will be rooted and established in the love of Christ!  The love of God is the great foundation on which we should build our lives.  Keep love as your foundation and everything that is grown out of your life will  bring glory to God and blessings to yourself and others!

I am praying that we might have power to grasp how wide, long, high and deep is the love of Jesus!  When I begin to get His love, I can’t help but share His love!  I know that I am getting it – when I am sharing it!  Power to be and do flows through my relationship of love!  What we need and what our world needs is for us to really get and give the love of Jesus!

I am praying that we might be filled with the fullness of God!  It is hard to stay full of yourself!  And when you are full of yourself, it is impossible to accomplish the supernatural things that God has called and gifted you to accomplish!  God is our everything and when we fill our lives with Him, we always have more than enough of whatever it is that we might need to live this life that we are living n the way that He has called us to live it!

I am praying this prayer to God, who is able to do more than we can measure, more than we can ask and more than we can imagine!  I am praying according to His power at work in us and so that all glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through men, women, boys and girls of all ages might bring glory to Him with our lives lived in His strength!

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Keep It Steady!

Once you decide that you are going to make forward progress with your life, the key to making it work is sticking with it and staying focused!  It is easy to make the decision that you need to change this or that!  The hard part is the follow through of actually doing and continuing to do what you know you need to do.

As you seek to implement your master plan this week – make sure that you take time everyday to get focused on the things that really matter!  Nothing can be more important than your relationship with God!  When you spend time with God, it helps to get all of your life lined up in the right direction!

Remember:  It is not the giant steps that lead to progress, it is the small, steady and consistent steps that stay on the path laid out for you by your Creator!  Stay on the path and keep your eyes on the prize and you will be amazed and blessed at how your life takes on new meaning, significance and growth!