Decision?

For Sunday, September 26, 2021

Mark 8:21 NLT: “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked the disciples.”

I feel like the human side of Jesus was getting a little frustrated, a little fed-up with people not believing and understanding what they had seen with their own eyes. The Pharisees were questioning everything which is to be expected, but his own disciples? Jesus wants them to ‘get it,’ and then lock it in their minds, making a lifetime commitment to the truth.

Jesus questioned his followers: “You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear? When I fed the 5,000, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?

“Twelve.”

“And when I fed the 4,000, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

“Seven.”

Jesus and his Father expect us all to use our eyes, ears and minds to decide once and for all who Jesus is, and to make a decision, to make an irrevocable commitment to the Lord. That way we’ll have hope!

Today is the accepted day to come to the Lord.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Godly Authority!

For Saturday, September 25, 2021

Proverbs 29:2 NLT: “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.”

Q: Who should lead the United Nations? Who should lead the United States? Who should lead our State and our City? For that matter, who should lead our church?

A: We should always choose a godly person as our leader, a man or woman who knows the Lord. We should choose someone who prays, someone who consults God prior to difficult decisions.

We all benefit when the godly are in charge, but the organization suffers when the wicked rule. With the wicked, lawlessness increases and freedoms diminish. The rule of the wicked is bad for everyone, both the righteous and the wicked.

With godly people leading us, we have hope!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Neverending Hope!

For Friday, September 24, 2021

Psalm 133:3b NIRV: “There the Lord gives his blessing. He gives life that never ends.”

David wrote this Psalm to encourage pilgrims returning to Jerusalem to seek the Lord. Nowadays we can seek the Lord in many ways and places, and pursuit is more important than the exact location.

God’s hope is that no one would perish (hell), but that all would repent and return. He wants to see everybody in the life after this life. Therefore God gives his promise of never-ending life in his presence (Heaven) to all who sincerely seek the truth. God personally gives us hope!

This Psalm speaks of unity. Since we’ll be living alongside other believers in the hereafter, it would be great if we could also get along now! Together, Christians should celebrate their commonality, worshiping their Creator!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

God's Wisdom!

For Thursday, September 23, 2021

Proverbs 14:8 MSG: “The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.”

“Wise people have enough sense to find their way, but stupid fools get lost.” (CEV) We start every daily message – and every sermon, for that matter - with words from the Bible, God-inspired writings and a guaranteed source of wisdom. This solid foundation imparts hope for our lives. We may not always understand what God is doing, but His way is always the right way, and we’re honored to be included in it!

Wise people consult the Lord, while the foolish insist on trying things their own way. God’s way is always better!

"Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.” (GNT)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Hope for the World!

For Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Luke 10:2 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Jesus not only gave hope to his disciples, but he sent them to share that same hope with others. “Gospel” means “Good News,” and from an eternal perspective, there is no better news than that Jesus would solve mankind’s sin-problem, justifying us before the Father. No longer would sin separate us from eternal presence with God himself. As I always say, we get to see heaven from the inside!

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that 3 things would last forever: faith, hope and love. Our faith is in our Lord and in his Son Jesus, the one who gave us eternal hope because of God’s love for us. “And the greatest of these is love!”

Each of us can play a part in sharing hope with the world!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Wisdom!

For Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Proverbs 8:11 NLT: “Wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.”

This scripture is curiously written in the first person, as if “Wisdom” was the author. But wisdom is very good, highly desirable!

God appeared to king Solomon in a dream: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon, a young, unsure king, asked for wisdom. Because he did not ask selfishly, God granted the request, and more: “I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.”

Wisdom-in-action, wise visionary leadership, fills the world with hope for the future!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Jesus!

September 20, 2021 Monday Message

Luke 2:7 Phillips: “Mary gave birth to her first child, a son. And as there was no place for them inside the inn, she wrapped him up and laid him in a manger.”

This seemingly small event is the turning point for mankind’s destiny. It’s so significant that we even count years as the time before Jesus and the time after Jesus’ birth, BC and AD. The BC stands for ‘Before Christ,’ or ‘Before Christian Era,’ while AD is the abbreviation for the Latin term, ‘Anno Domini,’ which means in the year of our Lord. This is 2021, the two-thousand twenty-first year after Jesus’ birth. We have not forgotten!

God sent Jesus to earth to solve our sin-problem, to make it possible for mankind to return to heaven. Jesus was in fact on a rescue mission. At the cross, he took upon himself the sin of the world, and clothed believers in garments of white. That’s called the Great Exchange. Even today, Jesus stands ready to redeem anyone truly seeking salvation. Are you “in?”

The birth of Jesus delivered hope to the planet!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Hope for the World!

For Sunday, September 19, 2021

Luke 1:31 NLT: “Mary, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

An angel of the Lord was delivering this message to Mary. In fact he was delivering hope to the world!

Omniscient God knows his plans for the future. This Jesus, yet to be born, will heal some people and teach God’s ways. But the most important part of his mission will be his bodily sacrifice, thereby paying the penalty for all the sin in the world. Jesus is being heaven-sent to offer forgiveness and redemption to all who call his name!

You can go to church today and personally thank him!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Sheeo & Goats!

For Saturday, September 18, 2021

Proverbs 3:33 NLT: “The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.”

God gives a benefit to those who love his wisdom. God separates the good guys from the bad guys; separates the people of God from those who let Satan into their lives. The perverse person is an abomination to the Lord. Wouldn’t you rather be on God’s side?

Jesus assured us that on judgment day, the sheep will be separated from the goats. There are only 2 outcomes. The goats on the left are lost forever. But the sheep at God’s right hand, are the saved – set apart to spend eternity in the presence of the father.

God bestows his blessing on the home of the righteous.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Love your Neighbor!

For Friday, September 17, 2021

2 John 1:5 NLT: “I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning.”

When Jesus was asked the most important commandment, he said to love the Lord, but he immediately added that we should also love our neighbors. These concepts were not new. Loving the Lord was commanded in Deuteronomy 6:5, and loving your neighbor as yourself is described in Leviticus 19:18.

Jesus took it a step further. He said to also love your enemies. Our “neighbor” is someone in need, even if they might be regarded as a traditional enemy. In the same way that we take care of ourselves and are concerned about our own interests, we should take care and have concern for the interests of others. And Paul wrote, “No one ever hated his own flesh!”

So be nice. Figure out what you can do that would be helpful. When in doubt, do what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Joyful Worship!

For Thursday, September 16, 2021

Psalm 122:1 NLT: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

David was not a priest, but he was a worship leader, a musician and composer of many songs honoring the Lord. David believed worship should be fun, exciting and interesting, an event we anticipate with great joy! David led dancing in the streets for the Lord! He was not shy about sharing his enthusiasm for God. After all, the Lord was his hope for a life after this life! David was a God-fan!

Nowadays, teaching the greatest story or all time, the story of Jesus, should be exciting, not boring. Attending church shouldn’t just be a burden or required obligation. Sunday should be the best day of the week, something to which we look forward.

The Message quotes David like this: “When they said, ‘Let’s go to the house of God,’ my heart leaped for joy!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Goodness & Kindness!

For Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Philippians 1:11 TLB: “May you always be doing those good, kind things that show you are a child of God, for this will bring much praise and glory to the Lord.”

This is Paul’s prayer for the people of Philippi. It should be our prayer for each other.

If believers are patterning their lives after Jesus’ example, goodness and kindness will follow. Jesus asks rhetorically, “If your children ask for bread, do you give them a stone?” Of course not! As a good parent, you would give your child something that would be helpful. And as a good Christian, we should naturally do something helpful for our fellows.

Note: Paul is extremely upbeat and optimistic as he writes this, considering he’s in prison and in chains at the time! He was filled with abundant hope for his future, for his life after this life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Character of God

For Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Psalm 100:5 JUB: “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.”

The conclusion to Psalm 100 gives us the perfect description of our relationship with God.

God is good, all the time. Don’t expect any bad stuff to come out of heaven - it’s Satan who harbors evil, not God. God shows us ‘chesed,’ which we translate as ‘lovingkindness.’ That’s God’s mercy, his caring for us, which includes sending Jesus to redeem us. God provided a way for us to see heaven from the inside. Mercy inhabits God’s character. This isn’t just for people in Bible times. God’s love, mercy and truth pass from generation to generation, so our future is filled with hope!

"The Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Father God!

September 13, 2021 Monday Message

Psalm 103:22 TLB: “Let everything everywhere bless the Lord. And how I bless him too!”

Sometimes you have a “God moment…”

While driving cross-country, I was listening to a message on God’s Kingdom. If there’s a Kingdom, there must be a King, and that’s God. Jesus sits at his right hand. And as we become believers, we’re adopted into that Holy Family. The Bible says that we become “Children of God,” included in his Kingdom-family.

The view out the window was filled with beautiful shades of green – abundant crops as far as the eye could see. At the horizon, a perfect shade of blue filled the sky, with the ideal number of little white clouds dotting the sky and the bright sun shining through. It was a perfect exhibition of God’s majesty - the wisdom and magnificence of His creation skill!

The two scenarios converged in my mind, and it occurred to me that this was all “family business.” Our Father was the creator of everything, and we can proudly point to the fact that our family is responsible for a lot of good stuff in the world! My dad did all this!

Everything we know is, in fact, family business!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Praise Forever!

For Sunday, September 12, 2021

Psalm 44:8 KJV: “In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name forever.”

Honoring God shouldn’t be limited to Sunday mornings. God wants to know that we’re on His side 24/7. And WE want to know that God’s on our side 24/4! Mankind needs reassurance that our relationship with God will continue. We need hope!

The psalmist writes of God caring for his ancestors. And they’re praising God now, so they still believe. But he later asks God to wake up, to care for them as he has in the past. Friends, God is not sleeping. God never turns his back on his people. It’s mankind that needs to turn back and face the light. We need to insure that God still has priority in our lives.

May God’s light shine into the world through you, today and everyday!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Love of God!

For Saturday, September 11, 2021

Romans 8:39a NLT: “Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Believers are adopted into the Holy Family. The Bible says we become “Children of God.” And just as any parent has an everlasting love for their progeny, so our Father God loves ALL his children - forever!

This scripture grants us ‘Assurance of Salvation,’ a kind of guarantee. In spite of the fact that we all have sinned, God wants us to repent and return to Him. He will never stop loving us, and welcomes us with open arms.

The Father was watching for the Prodigal Son to return home.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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