Excellence vs Perfectionism

Sept. 30, 2019 Monday Message:

Doing Kingdom work with excellence honors God and inspires people, but being a nit-picking perfectionist is a sin.

Perhaps we can define ‘excellence’ as ‘each person doing the best they can do.’ The Carnegie Hall pianist and the Church pianist will probably exhibit different levels of competence, but each should be doing his/her best.

Sometimes the challenge is matching the right talent to the right task. A hobby-level guitarist probably shouldn’t serve on the Worship Team in the big room for the main service. But we DO need people to lead folk songs around the campfire. And elementary students love to sing simple songs. We need to find the task that’s the best fit for a person’s talent and skill-level.

If a person is learning a new job and they’ve reached a point where they’re ‘pretty good’ at it, we need to put them in the game. They may not be perfect yet, but their skills will increase as they acclimate to the position.

If you’re leading a Bible study group, there will come a time when MOST of the class will understand MOST of the teaching. You’ll know when. And then for the sake of the entire class, it’s time to move on, knowing you’ve done your best.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week founding Pastor Michael Pilla looks at 1 Cor. 14:1-19 – Tongues and Prophesy.

Body of Believers

Sept. 23, 2019 Monday Message:

Paul writing to the Corinthian Church: “If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how could you smell anything?” 1 Cor. 12:17 NLT

Just like the human body, our body of believers is made up of many different parts. The Spirit has given us different spiritual gifts and talents, and we are called to put those varied talents to work for the kingdom.

Your talents are different from my talents, and the kingdom is better with us all. The saying, “Our strength is in our diversity,” rings especially true here.

The Bible says that we have all been entrusted with at least one spiritual gift; some are given with several. We are given these spiritual gifts so that we can share our talent with the kingdom. It’s kind of like tithing. Nowadays most of us earn money, and we’re expected to render a certain portion of that to further the kingdom. In the same way, the Spirit has entrusted us with spiritual gifts and talents, and God expects us to put some of that to work for His Kingdom too.

Pastor Rick Warren – “Purpose-driven Rick,” says that a non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms. So what are your talents that you can share with your fellow believers?

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week founding Pastor Michael Pilla looks at 1 Cor. 12:12-31.

Jesus' Baptism

Sept. 16, 2019 Monday Message:

Jesus speaking: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 NLT

Jesus sets the example when it comes to baptism, saying, “We must carry out all that God requires.” So he went to the Jordan River, and after a brief discussion with John the Baptist over which one of them should baptize the other, Jesus went into the water. (See Matt. 3:13-16)

We aren’t given much detail about the baptism ritual, which tells me that God isn’t overly concerned with such details. The important thing is obedience - that we make an outward visible sign of the radical transformation that’s occurred within us – Just DO IT!

What I love best is what happened AFTER the baptism. “The Spirit of God descending like a dove settled on Jesus. And a voice from heaven called out, ‘This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy.’”

And there you have it – Jesus Son-of-God in the water, the Holy Spirit showing up in a visible way, and the voice of God booming from the heavens, clearly identifying Jesus as the Son of God. Father – Son – Holy Spirit, in the same sentence. That’s the one God in three different forms – the Triune God that we worship. That’s what differentiates the Christian God from the gods of all other religions.

Jesus speaking: “The Father and I are one.” John 10:30

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week we’ll look at 1 Cor. 12:1-11 - Spiritual Gifts for all! See you at church!

God's Call

Sept. 9, 2019 Monday Message:

Gideon answered God: “Forgive me, Lord, but with what am I to save Israel? Why, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest person in my father’s house!” Judges 6:15 Complete Jewish Bible

It seems that when God taps someone on the shoulder for a task, the standard response is, “You’ve got the wrong guy!” Compared to the God doing the calling, most of us feel inadequate. But God isn’t just assigning us a task. God isn’t expecting us to accomplish His goal with no support. What we need to realize is that God already has a plan, and we are just a part of it.

When God asked Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses said, “You’ve got the wrong guy!” But God had hand-picked Moses for this task since he was a baby. God caused Moses to grow up in Pharaoh’s court so he knew the language and the government systems. God had equipped him for the task. Furthermore, the plagues would finally convince Pharaoh to let the people go free. Moses, you’re not in this by yourself!

When God called Jonah to Nineveh he ran – he went in the opposite direction! But God, through a bizarre series of events, brought Jonah right where he needed to be to warn the people of Nineveh to repent and return to the Lord!

Question: With 135,000 in the Midianite Army, why did God reduce Gideon’s soldiers to 300? How could they possible win the battle?

Answer: It wasn’t just 300 soldiers – it was 300 plus God, and with God they could accomplish anything!

So when God taps us on the shoulder for a task, we should get in the habit of saying ‘yes,’ knowing that God will be in it with us. You might be God’s perfect person for the mission!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week is the Men’s Retreat, so Pastor Van Dickerson will wrap up Philippians 4, guest Worship Leader Jerry McCluskey.

The Father's Love

Sept. 2, 2019 Monday Message:

“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20b

Monday Message comes on Tuesday this week, as I was traveling back from the South Dakota State Fair, where on Sunday morning at 11am we led a Gospel Concert for about 400 people, and I got to deliver the message! We talked about the Prodigal Son parable, but this time the emphasis was on the Father – specifically the great love the Father had for his lost son.

The Bible says, “While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him…” which tells me the father had been watching, waiting and praying for the lost son. The father never gave up on this son. And as the repentant son was making his way back home, the father ran out of the house to meet him, put a fine robe around him, and once again give him the family ring, which was a seal allowing the son to buy, sell and otherwise do business in the family name.

“Bring the fattened calf and kill it – Let’s have a feast and celebrate! For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”

Of course in this parable, the father is Our Father in Heaven, and the Prodigal could be any one of us who backslides from time to time. The point is that the Father will always welcome you back with open arms. He has SO much love for us! In the Hebrew, it’s “khesed.” The Greeks called it “agapé love” – you may have heard of that – and the King James sometimes translates it as “everlasting lovingkindness.” We don’t really have an adequate word in our language to describe just how big God’s love is for us.

So no matter what’s gone wrong in your life, it’s not only OK to come back home, but it’s the right thing to do. The Father has been watching out the window, knowing that someday you’ll be coming up that road. He’s been expecting you!

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week’s message is all about Communion – see you at church!