Harvester Christian Church

Are we satisfied with the way things are? Maintaining the status quo keeps us in the crowd - Jesus calls us out of the crowd into discipleship of crazy faith. When we do this we commit to counting the cost and giving it all over to him. 

Generosity starts where sacrifice begins. As challenging as it may be to accept, how we use our money is our reflection of our heart. Jesus asked his disciples to consider the Widow, in Mark 12:41-44, as an example of what crazy generosity looked like. There are opportunities for us also to join God in living out a blessed generous life!   

Our culture, tired of injustices, is saying, "Enough prayers. More actions." While action is always important, the Persistent Widow, in Luke 18:1-8, reminds us that change must always starts with praying like a crazy person. Prayer aligns our heart with Jesus'. Before we jump into action, we need to make sure our hearts are aligned with his. 

The wisdom of the world says: "Get ahead at all costs." In Mark 10:35-45, James and John tried that when they asked Jesus for a promotion: "When you take your throne, can we have thrones on each side of you?". Jesus confronted their worldly attitudes by teaching them a crazy strategy for success: Instead of "Get ahead at all costs" Jesus told them to "Serve no matter the cost."

God has a plan for the future. We can honor the past but we also look to the future with hope!    Joshua was faced with leading a nation in time of uncertainty as they traveled to the promise land. God's encouragement to Joshua is the same to us today: God is greater than what Satan throws at you. 

God uses unconventional tactics and the most unlikely people in his story.  We each have a part to play with the hand we've been given. Are you ready to step up into the situation God has in you or are you just praying for a new hand? 

Active opposition to Jesus is noticeable, but is it possible that even followers of Jesus could be passively opposing Jesus? Are we telling Jesus, "No, not yet"? Paul's story begins by him actively opposing Jesus. However, Jesus shows up to give him a new vision, a new mission and a new calling. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul is able to move into a ministry of suffering and a life of "Yes,...

He knows YOU by name.  On Easter Sunday, Jesus and the story of resurrection is a personal one to each one of us. As reflected in the life of Mary Magdalene, Jesus has compassion and tenderness for us all. 

You may know where you are, but do you know WHO you are?   You are not your labels. You are not your failures. You are not your career. Jesus says, "You are mine."   The story of Jesus' encounter with Zachaeus reminds us that Jesus comes after us when we take a step towards him, no matter who we are or where we've been! There is grace for all of us.   

Getting caught up in emotion, we can become vengeful or bitter towards one another because of differences. In the encounter with the Samaritan woman, Jesus Christ crosses barriers of division and differences to show deep levels of compassion and love. Followers of Jesus are called in obedience to do the same. 

It can be easy to be interested in Jesus privately, to hide behind the "we" of corporate worship and church experiences. But as Nicodemus' one on one encounter with Jesus reveals, you can't just be near Jesus, you have to believe in Jesus to be saved! 

Do you realize that Jesus is looking for broken messed up people who will humble themselves and follow HIM?  No matter where you have wandered off to, Jesus sees you, and He wants to cover you with his Love and Grace.  He gave His life for you. And He wants to welcome you into His love.  He will forgive.  He will heal.  He will give you a future with Him. (See and hear more of Matthew's story at T...

Have riches and blessings blinded us from our dependence on God?  Jesus warns the church in Laodicea, and to our churches today, a lukewarm faith has no place in the kingdom of God. Instead, Christ calls us to let him into every part of our lives, to experience his victory and love. 

Everybody want to be an influencer these days…but does Jesus have something more important in mind for us?  Philadelphia was a small church. They had little influence, but Jesus promises them a HUGE reward. After all, Christianity isn't about influence...it's about endurance.

We've all experienced it. Drifting off to sleep can be so easy when we are comfy. The same can happen in our spiritual lives & in the body of Christ.

It can be easy to think tolerance to sin in our faith journey will go unnoticed or unchecked.  Jesus has a strong word for the church in Thyatira and their tolerance of the immoral prophetess Jezebel. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 2:29 

One of the greatest temptations as Christians is to hold up Jesus and culture on the same level.  Raising anything, whether it be good or bad, to the same level as Jesus is compromise. For fear of not belonging, we compromise the power & truth of the gospel.  But standing out doesn't mean you stand alone!

Pain is lonely. In times of suffering and grief it can feel like no one understands what you are going through.  Jesus address tribulation & suffering in the church of Smyrna and tells us that he knows our pain intimately.  He encourages us to wait for the crown of life and promises that if we can stay faithful to the end, it will always be worth it. 

Sometimes our passions change and our relationship with Jesus drifts away.   Jesus has a word for us in the book of Revelation to return to him, our first love. 

Sometimes, we feel so burden and tired that we seem to be stumbling through life. We struggle as we live in the flesh & focus on the hopelessness of this world. As God's people, we are called to so much more! He invites us to be renewed by his spirit, to run with his strength, to place our hope in his plans.

If you want to experience blessings in 2021, find a way to exchange the chains of overworking for a regular day at rest. In doing so you'll discover that your worth is not found in what you create but found in the one who created you!

A special Christmas reading from Pastor Doyle and his family. Because of Jesus we have a peaceful home! 

Why does God allow us to go through trials and times of pain while we await our future home? God is working on us in the waiting & through it our faith is proved genuine. 

No matter what home we come from, we can have hope this Christmas season. The family of God is a place for belonging, healing & love.  Because of Jesus we have a new home!

Christmas, the story of Immanuel, was an invitation to a people in exile to come together as a family again. God became flesh to dwell among us in order for us to be at home with Jesus. In this season, our invitation from God is to come back home.