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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Struggling With Your Struggle!

We had a great day yesterday – Go God!  If you have started your Monday, then I am sure that the STRUGGLES have begun!  Just remember:  Struggle is a process and that which doesn’t kill you – is going to make you stronger, if you are depending on God for strength and direction!  You may not like your struggle, but you’ve got it, so what are you going to do with it?  Don’t let it define you – you define it!

You belong to God!  God created you and God does not make junk!  God loves you and has an amazing plan for your life!  God gave His most precious gift, so that you and I might have the gift of a relationship with Him.  God more than cares about you!  God cares about what you are going through!  God has you in His embrace – take a moment to feel His strong, loving and faithful arms around you!  God has His protection all around you – take a moment to think about all that He has already taken care of for you in your life time!

The struggle that you are facing right now – is it a test from God or a temptation from the devil?  The answer to this question will determine how you will handle it!  This struggle is your wake up call!  Don’t hit the snooze button – get up and get ready for the victory that God is sending your way!

Stop fighting the struggle and start learning from it!  Allow God’s comfort and power to flow into and through your weakness!  There is a plan, even when you can’t see it or don’t understand it!  I hope these words help you to struggle with your struggle!

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The Process Of Struggle!

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I must admit that I am not a very big fan of pain!  In fact, I do pretty much all that I can to try and avoid pain at all costs!  I have been thinking a lot lately about the pain that comes from the struggles of life.  Some days, living is just plain hard work.  And if you live you can count on the fact that there are going to be struggles in your life.  While we don’t like the struggles, all of us have to admit that it is the struggles of life that help us to grow and develop.

We are going to be taking a good look at struggles this coming Sunday at Northwood.  I hope that you will join me, as we find strength for our struggles!  We will discover what God’s Word has to say about struggles and might even be surprised to find ourselves at the ends of our time of worship saying thank you to God for the struggles that we have faced and are facing!

I am looking forward to what God is going to teach us, the growth that we are going to experience and the victory we are going to achieve!  Looking forward to struggling with the struggle on Sunday with you!

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Great Staff Meeting Yesterday!

We had a great staff meeting yesterday!  It began with the usual updating of calandars, discussion of upcoming events and general discussion.  We then took a ten minute break to go out, fnd a comfortable place to read and spend that time reading an assigned passage.  We then came back and shared what we had received from our reading.  We had a great exchange that pretty much left all of us on the same page.  Bottom Line:  We need to get better at seeing things and people through God’s eyes!  If you want to read and think about it – check out 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and then join us this coming Sunday evening at 6:00 PM as we walk through and think about some ways that this passage applies to our lives!