The Way!

For Thursday, November 12, 2026:

Acts 4:32 NLT: “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.”

Peter and John returned to the other believers after being questioned by the Jewish Council. Together, those faithful were all of one mind, pulling in the same direction. Their primary mission was the continued worship of Jesus, and then sharing that Gospel with any newcomers. This group would become the first church, known as “The Way.”

 Members agreed on the facts surrounding Jesus: that he was God’s Son, heaven-sent to rescue mankind; that he took the sins of the world upon himself, and offered us forgiveness; that he returned to the Father to prepare a place for believers in God’s eternal Kingdom. The Bible doesn’t tell us if they agreed on anything else. They may or may not have.

Worldwide, there are close to 50K Christian denominations. Why? We teach that there is really only one church, the church of Jesus. It should be filled with true worshipers. I’ve seen churches divide over race, ethnic backgrounds, worship times, political differences—all of which have no part in exalting the Lord. Minor theological and biblical interpretations can disrupt an organization. Most are not redeeming ordinances, and have little to do with salvation. We need to let go of the little things and let God keep us together. If we follow the Holy Spirit, he will keep us plugged in to the hereafter.

Jesus promised that he would be back. Early believers might have thought he meant next Tuesday or certainly by next month. But that could explain their willingness to share everything they owned. That’s also in line with caring for your neighbors, which was huge with Jesus. When 3K joined The Way after Pentecost, most were from out of town and didn’t have food, housing or jobs. Christians welcomed them, sharing everything until the newcomers could stand on their own two feet.

God’s desire is for everyone to repent and return. He wants everyone to have a chance to follow the Son. Jesus will return when more have heard the Good News!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Win!

For Wednesday, November 11, 2026:

1 Samuel 17:51c NLT, David had just slayed Goliath: “When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.”

Today is Veterans Day in the US, and today’s message may contain a few of my own opinions. If that bothers anyone, please return tomorrow when it will not be Veterans Day and the teaching will return to the Bible, Jesus and evangelism.

What’s important in this scripture is that David won the battle. Israel won and God won, decisively. The Philistines clearly lost, and ran away with their tails between their legs! Understand that I really don’t like war, but sometimes it’s necessary to defend ourselves or stand up for what we believe. If there must be a war, I believe we should see a clear winner. Otherwise, what’s the point of spending all that money and sacrificing all those lives?

The US and our Allies won WWII, decisively. The Axis powers were clearly defeated. The US generously launched the Marshall Plan to rebuild Western Europe.

Contrast that with the Korean War, which really didn’t involve too much of Korea. It was China and the Soviet Union against the US led UN command, but fighting on Korean soil. Three years and over 35K US lives later, a line was drawn on the 38^th parallel, and we now have a North Korea and a South Korea. In short, nobody won. I believe the 35K lives lost puts a tear in God’s eye.

I grew up during the Vietnam War. Again, China and the Soviet Union backed North Vietnam, while the US and other anti-communist countries supported South Vietnam, but the fighting all happened in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. After 20 years, $168B and over 58K US lives lost, the US withdrew, in a way, giving up. With Veteran benefits and healthcare, the cost of this war is more like $350B. 1.1M Vietnamese soldiers also died. I’m sure this loss of lives also displeased the Lord. Two years later, Vietnam succumbed to Communist control, meaning we gained nothing.

In 2022, big ol’ Russia invaded little ol’ Ukraine. They expected to win in a few weeks, but today the war still rages on. History repeats itself, friends. This is Russia with a little help from North Korea and China fighting the US and our allies on Ukrainian soil. For all the dollars spent and the loss of lives, I sure hope we can win this one.

Today we honor the US Veterans. Fighting our foes is a rough job, and this special day is one of the Veterans’ few rewards. We need to thank them for keeping our country safe, and keeping our way of life protected. In many other countries, it would be illegal to worship Jesus. We have that freedom here, and it should not be taken lightly. If we ever must defend that right, may we do as David did, and win decisively! After all, we’d be fighting for God’s side!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Christianity!

For Tuesday, November 10, 2026:

John 17:11 NLT, Jesus, praying: “Now I am departing from the world; my disciples are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.”

Jesus knows he will soon return to the Father, and he’s interceding for the believers left behind. It’s as if Jesus says to God, “They are under My name and I am under Your name. Therefore I’m praying that Your name, Your power, will protect My devotees.”

At the time, there was considerable (unjustified) hatred for Jesus, resulting in his crucifixion. And Jesus had commissioned his disciples to share the Good News with all nations. So by definition, their mission was fraught with danger. But don’t worry—God would intervene in a couple significant ways.

First, Jerusalem’s church, known as ‘The Way,’ would be a model of loving our neighbors. They would all share meals and other resources. They would publicly display their care for one another. People liked what they saw, and wanted to join. The church grew through attraction. They also benefitted from the Pentecost throng, when 3,000 were added to the congregation in one day.

Also, Jesus personally confronted Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul was on a mission to end the Christian uprising, but in the end, Paul did a 180º! He was baptized and dedicated the remainder of his life to God’s Son. Paul started numerous churches throughout Asia Minor, and ultimately gave his life for the cause.

Christianity didn’t die. Its opponents didn’t win. Jesus will soon be returning to separate the sheep from the goats. (Make a sound like a sheep: baa, baa!) Jesus offers the best life ever and it’s for eternity!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church