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.
Someone said that simplicity is living according to a set of values that reduce our dependency upon the world and increase our dependency upon God! I am finding that as I experience more and more of life, this statement is right on the mark! When I try to live my life according to a set of values that have been set up or influenced by the world, I am constantly making adjustments to try and find just the right fit and I get frustrated at the complication, but when I live my life according to the values that grow out of my depending on and trusting in Christ – life just seems to work an I am blessed with peace and fulfillment!
My problem is staying with the right set of values! I love God and I want to live for Him. It is the desire of my life to bring glory to His name and growth to His Kingdom! I Just sometimes get sidetracked by all of the other stuff. The influnces of people and what they think or say will sometimes cause me to step right out of God’s values that lead to peace and into man’s values that lead to frustration! I like to think that I am making life more simple, but what I am really doing is complicating things!
God has a plan – it is the best plan! When I am in the right state of mind – I choose these good things of God and life is really simple and blessed!
I love Sundays! I love getting up in the morning and getting everything ready to help people to get ready for the next week of their lives. That is kinda how I see Sundays. We go to church to worship God and thank Him for the week that He just gave us and to ask Him for strength, guidance and direction for the week to come! Sundays are very busy for me – they start early and end late, but they are very fulfilling. I begin the day by praying as I get things ready (lights on, doors open, materials in place). I then get to interact with brothers and sisters from every walk of life. We sing, pray and worship together and I share a message that God has birthed in my heart. When God puts something in you, there is am amazing fulfillment that comes when you get it out and share it with others. The possibilities of seeing people’s lives and love as it changes and grows is something that words cannot explain!
Well, I gotta go – I’ve got lots to do to get ready, but I can already tell – it’s going to be an amazing day! I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in our lives today! Look forward to it and you might just be surprised at what God will do in your life!
God has blessed us with an amazing gift called grace! I believe that we all need to experience the deep, profund and amazing grace of God in our lives. Grace that we find outside of ourselves, not that we manufacture to make ourselves feel better about life. Grace that comes when we call on God, seek Him and discover that real grace is so much more than a word, it is a gift revealed by God through His love, Word and interaction with His creation!
We are all searching for something that will satisfy the hunger of our lives and Spirit. We are looking to connect with something or someone that will sustain us through the difficulties and support us in whatever life situation we may encounter! There are so many people that just can’t believe that God can care for them – they feel unworthy and cannot bring themselves to the place of experiencing forgiveness.
Yet, there is a stirring in every person’s spirit. A stirring that invites each and everyone of us to experience the amazing gift of God’s grace, forgiveness, love and acceptance. God loves us and that love says that we are worth something! It is through grace that our hearts are mended and our lives are put back together. God will strengthen our spirit, renew our life and make us stronger! Enjoy the gift!
Michael Joe Harvell 