Child of God!

For Saturday, July 31, 2021

John 1:12 NLT: “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in Jesus’ name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

What a generous offer of eternal hope – being adopted into the Holy Family of God as one of his own children! It’s a beautiful picture!

You can’t buy it. There’s no way you could pay for it. Salvation is a free gift. We are saved by the grace of God through our faith in his Son Jesus. We pray that everyone who hears about Jesus would have faith and believe and be saved!

Welcome to the Holy Family!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Faith & Hope!

For Friday, July 30, 2021

Luke 5:13 NLT: “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.”

The leper in this story had faith in Jesus and his healing power, and having faith in Jesus is always the key. Q: Would Jesus be willing? Would he be willing to stop whatever he was doing, and take a moment to help this man?

A: Of course he would! That’s his character, his value system, his trend: being helpful and making things better! Rescuing mankind from whatever was keeping them down is his mission. Jesus solved the problems of everything from leprosy to sin! This man was healed right away, ‘immediately,’ and that translates into a lot of hope for us. There is no problem that Jesus cannot overcome. Jesus is always the right answer!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Radical Transformatioon

For Thursday, July 29, 2021

Philemon 1:10a NLT, Paul writing to Philemon: “I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus.”

Onesimus was once a troublemaker for the believers, but now he has changed his ways. Paul witnessed the radical transformation in Onesimus’ life, and he’s encouraging the church to welcome him back. Paul wants the believers to forgive whatever went wrong, and to offer hope. “It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever.”

My church does a lot of work with people in recovery, and a similar situation is fairly common. Someone once considered worthless repents and returns, and is now elevated to a position of trust. Our job us to teach, encourage, be willing to forgive and to offer hope to those who seek the Lord.

Paul says to “welcome him as you would welcome me.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Heavenly Prize!

For Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Philippians 3:14 NLT: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

With the Olympics in full swing, I’m reminded daily of Paul’s words to the church in Philippi. That Greek city was quite familiar with olympic-style contests, stressing personal achievement and civic pride.

But Paul had something bigger in mind – eternal hope! As an analogy, he cited heaven as the goal we should all seek. Paul said to keep your eye on that prize; to press toward the mark. The Greek Olympians knew exactly what he was talking about!

Nothing is more important than focusing on the eternal reward Jesus has prepared for us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Blessed Assurance!

For Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Hebrews 10:18 NLT: “When sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.”

I like to sing the old hymn, “Blessed Assurance.” Christians have what no other religion can offer: Assurance of Salvation. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world. The price has been paid – he bought our freedom – we have been redeemed! We put our faith, hope and trust in what Jesus did. He has already made arrangements to include us in the life after this life, and we need do nothing further.

Salvation comes not from works, but rather through faith in Jesus, our Redeemer!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Include Jesus!

July 26, 2021 Monday Message

Mark 6:50b NLT, Jesus speaking: “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!”

Our lives don’t get “perfect” just because we know Jesus. He says to expect trouble. “In this world you will have tribulation, but rejoice because I have overcome the world!” We don’t have to do life alone. Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” and that fills us with hope!

In this scripture, the Apostles were experiencing turbulence in a boat at night! Jesus proved that he would even walk on water to rescue them! “Be of good cheer,” he told them. “The ‘I AM’ is here!”

Are there things in your life that would go better if you’d ask Jesus to walk alongside you?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55406

Trust = Hope!

For Sunday, July 25, 2021

Mark 6:42-43 NLT: “The crowd all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.”

Q: How do you instill hope in 5,000 people?

A: Feed them! Offer to buy supper! Take 5 loaves and a couple of fish, feed the 5k, and then collect 12 baskets of leftovers! Everyone present now knew that there was something special about Jesus, that he was heaven-sent. They might have more questions, but anything Jesus answered would be believed. Jesus established trust. After all, he’s the one who made supper appear for 5,000 men - and their wives, and the children present!

That guy who fed us – I think we can believe what he says!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Light = Hope!

For Saturday, July 24, 2021

Psalm 112:4 NIV: “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.”

Life will be up and down, good and bad. Jesus said that we’ll still have tribulation in this world, but not to worry because he has overcome the world. Therefore even when the situation looks bleak, there will be a speck of light on the horizon – that’s God! His light is for all believers, all those who do good.

God shines a light of hope into the lives of believers!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Messiah!

For Friday, July 23, 2021

Luke 7:22 TLB, Jesus speaking: “Go back to John (the Baptist) and tell him all you have seen and heard here today: how those who were blind can see. The lame are walking without a limp. The lepers are completely healed. The deaf can hear again. The dead come back to life. And the poor are hearing the Good News.”

Everyone wants to know if Jesus is the real deal – even John the Baptist! So he sent some from his team to investigate. They asked Jesus, “Are you the Messiah? Are you the one for whom we’ve been waiting?”

Jesus wanted them all to believe, but not just because he answered in the affirmative. He wants us each to consider the evidence. He wants us to stop and check out everything that happened while he walked alongside mankind, and then arrive at the only reasonable conclusion that yes, Jesus is the one, the heaven-sent Messiah!

If you have found Jesus, your search for hope has ended!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Created!

For Thursday, July 22, 2021

Psalm 148:5 TLB: “Let everything God has made give praise to him. For he issued his command, and they came into being.”

God created everything in the universe out of nothing, but only mankind can worship, praise and give thanksgiving for what God has done. On Palm Sunday at the Triumphal Entry, Jesus said that if the people didn’t praise him, the stones would cry out! It’s a great metaphor, but stones, being inanimate objects, can’t actually thank their creator. The Bible says, “Let everything with breath praise the Lord,” and that’s us! God brought us into the world, and in His time, we will leave the earth.

You are presently in the world because God wants you here! Thank the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Friend of God!

For Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Psalm 147:11 CEB: “The Lord treasures the people who honor him, the people who wait for his faithful love.”

I don’t know who first said that Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship, but it’s true! This verse speaks of our relationship with the Lord – We honor God, and consequently he holds us dear.

In a worship song we sing: “I am a friend of God; He calls me friend.” See - it’s a 2-way relationship. We consider God our friend, and He considers us good friends too - such good friends that God adopts believers into the Holy Family, and that comes with rights, responsibilities and special privileges!

Friends of God get to see heaven from the inside!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Witness!

For Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Exodus 14:14 NLT: “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Moses spoke these words to the escaping Hebrew people as Pharaoh tried to re-capture them with all his resources – chariots, horses, soldiers with weapons. The Lord would then part the Red Sea ushering the Hebrews to safety, and close it back up decimating the Egyptians.

This rescued the believers and the good guys won, but the real purpose is to show the power of God. “After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!”

Sometimes God can drop a miracle into our lives, and we just need to stay calm, stay silent and stay out of the way! Knowing this can happen gives us hope. When God helps you out, do your let others know, so that everyone can understand that He is the Lord?

Are you a witness to what God has done in your life?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Identify the Lord!

July 19, 2021 Monday Message

Hebrews 8:11 NLT: “The people will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already.”

Jesus commissioned us to go and make disciples of all nations. God’s “New Covenant” makes that job easier, because most people already acknowledge some kind of a creator. They just haven’t identified Him yet! People in remote parts of the world with no knowledge of organized religion choose to worship something – the sun, the moon, or some made-up god. They sense that the universe, the earth and everything in it is far too complex to be mere coincidence.

Right now I’m looking at a tree – the symmetry, the geometry of attaching the branches, the exact number of leaves! If you gave me a year to design a tree, I doubt if I could get it right. God has made millions!

As believers, our job becomes identifying the one true God for all who seek. We can teach about the gracious God who sent his Son Jesus to rescue mankind from it’s sin problem. We can separate the real God from false gods. We can teach truth. Knowing Jesus, we can point the nations toward eternal hope!

Blessings to all as we begin this week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

New Covenant!

For Sunday, July 18, 2021

Hebrews 8:10 NLT: “This is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Remember that God’s desire is that no one would be lost. But mankind’s sin was causing eternal separation from their God. Time for a new deal, a new covenant!

Under this new covenant, God is giving away heaven! You can’t earn it; you can’t pay for it! We are all saved by grace through faith in God’s Son Jesus. It’s a gift that brings us hope! Under the new covenant, God wrote his value system on our hearts. We automatically know right from wrong. We already know not to lie, cheat or steal. Family is important. Killing is wrong. And God, the creator of everything, should be honored!

With the new covenant, God gave us a conscience!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Closer to God!

For Saturday, July 17, 2021

James 4:8a NLT: “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

In the Bible, the Hebrews were God’s ‘chosen people.’ But sometimes, when consumed with themselves, God became an afterthought rather than the center of their lives. Understand that God still loved them, but God’s attention seems proportional to their devotion to Him. If they don’t spend any time with God, He won’t spend much time on them.

But when the Hebrews honored God, He would guide and protect them. It’s the same for each of us nowadays. If each day you strive to get closer to God, He will pour out more and more love upon you. Knowing that God makes time for those who seek Him gives us a lot of hope!

The closer you are to God, the more God can do for you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Faith!

For Friday, July 16, 2021

Matthew 9:21-21 NTE: “‘If I can only touch his coat,’ the woman said to herself, ‘I’ll be rescued.’ Jesus turned around and saw her. ‘Cheer up, my daughter!’ he said. ‘Your faith has rescued you.’”

We already know that Jesus is the great healer. As he traveled between Nazareth and Jerusalem, word spread of his special gifts, and people had to ask themselves, “Who is this guy?”

Simon Peter answered that question like this: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” Armed with that definition of Jesus, it makes sense to place our hope in him. We have faith in what we believe to be true.

Who do you say Jesus is?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Eternal Kingdom!

For Thursday, July 15, 2021

2 Peter 1:11 Phillips, Simon Peter writing to believers: “If you have lived the sort of life I have recommended, God will open wide to you the gates of the eternal kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.”

What is your overall goal in this life? Most people don’t consider anything beyond tomorrow. Good business leaders have a five-year plan. Knowing where they’d like the business to be in five years allows them to clearly see the steps necessary to achieve success. Do you have a five-year plan for your life? A ten-year plan? A plan for eternity?

True believers have experienced radical transformations as the result of Jesus working in their lives. Their eyes are no longer focused on just surviving, living day-to-day. True believers have their eyes on the goal, the eternal destination.

"I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done.” (Philippians 3:14)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406