A Jesus Franchise!

For Saturday, October 31, 2026:

Acts 4:30 NLT: “O Lord, stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

McDonald’s reached a point where their business had grown as much as possible with only one location. Expansion would require building more restaurants in more cities. Franchising would radically increase their bottom line.

Jesus was faced with a similar predicament. As a practical matter, he couldn’t get to every city himself. So he sent disciples, two by two, to the towns not on his schedule. Jesus was, in effect, franchising Christianity to these additional places. I call this (don’t shoot me!) the McDonald’s Method of evangelism!

The disciples Jesus sent were told to heal the sick and cure leprosy, raise the dead when appropriate and cast out demons. Jesus routinely did these things himself, and he told those disciples to do these things “in MY name.” Nowadays you and I – believers – should be the ones opening new franchises for Jesus. We should continue being helpful and doing good “in Jesus’ name” until all the people are served.

Have you selected a site for your Jesus franchise? Will you know what to do when the doors open?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Accountability!

For Friday, October 30, 2026:

Genesis 3:12 NLT: “Adam answered the Lord, ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’”

I’ll bet Adam’s response angered God as much as the forbidden fruit incident itself. If you did something wrong, Adam, own up to it. Confess, repent and ask for forgiveness. Instead, Adam tries to blame the woman for what happened. Bad move.

Only half jokingly, I often teach that the most difficult words for the American male to say are “whoops, sorry, my bad.” It’s humor, but there’s truth behind it. Taking responsibility when something goes wrong is important. We need to try to square things up with our fellows and with God, and honest accountability goes a long way. God will forgive you if you confess. Personally, I struggle with this, but I’m getting better. My wife helps me.

So don’t succumb to the serpent’s temptation, and don’t blame someone else if you fall. What you may do wrong is your fault and no one else’s. God loves you unconditionally and will help you get back on the straight and narrow. God stands ready to help!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Original Sin Explained!

For Thursday, October 29, 2026:

Original Sin Explained

Genesis 2:16-17 NLT: “The Lord God warned Adam, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden — except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Genesis 3:4-5 NLT: “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

Everyone knows the basic story of original sin, Adam and Eve eating the forbidden apple. But as Paul Harvey said, we need the rest of the story. As God inspired Bible text, he oftentimes described supernatural and spirit-world things in human terms, so that mankind could understand. Analogies. So there was no apple, and there probably wasn’t a tree. Original sin is about disobedience, not fruit.. God had said “no,” but the couple succumbed to Satan’s temptation.

The serpent represents Satan, who assured the woman that they wouldn’t die. Satan and his demons lie all the time. Imagine Satan telling you what God will or will not do. Ridiculous, right? They shouldn’t have believed Satan then, and we shouldn’t believe him now. Satan and his demons still have the capability of inspiring sin and raining havoc into our lives. Jesus said we can and should cast out demons using his name.

Satan told the couple they could “be like God, knowing both good and evil.” That’s the sin, wanting to be like God. If true, they wouldn’t need God any longer. Of course that’s not true. Satan was lying again. No human could ever replace God, but Lord knows we try all the time. People tend to want to direct their own lives rather than submit to the Lord. We’re reluctant to slide over and let someone else drive.

If Adam & Eve were tempted by being offered knowledge of good and evil, they apparently did not previously have that. God hadn’t yet given any rules, any commandments, any laws. His only request was to stay away from the tree of knowledge. Without knowing good from evil, anything would have been OK. But with that knowledge, they’d have to toe the line. Now that they can discern good from evil, many more things could go the wrong way!

Did they die right then? No, God is merciful. While they were sinning, God was making clothes for them, for they now knew they were naked. As punishment, man would have to work for a living, and women would have pain in childbirth. Weeds would grow in our gardens, and tribulation would grow in our lives. And yet we survive. God would later send his Son on a mission trip to earth. His purpose: rescuing mankind. With Jesus, we would be forgiven for everything that went wrong! Yes, God is merciful!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church