Golden Rule!

     For Saturday, January 31, 2026:

Hebrews 13:6 NLT: “We can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’”

 "Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.” The golden rule! At first glance, this seems like a nice reciprocal arrangement. If you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you, and vice versa.

But this is a little different. Not all humans respond in a positive manner, for a variety of reasons. But Christians should. If we treat others with kindness as Jesus told us to, God will respond positively. God loves believers so much that he planned our rescue even while we were sinning. His Son died so our sins would be forgiven. God is “all in” on mankind’s rescue project. We may or may not receive a thank you for our God-inspired behavior. Our best reward may be heaven-sent!

If you’re OK with your behavior and it fits with what God/Jesus commanded, then it really doesn’t matter what someone else thinks. Let the Lord be your helper. What can mere people do to you?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Goodbye Law!

For Friday, January 30, 2026:

Romans 6:15 NLT: “Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!”

The Law enters people into a contest. Can we do enough good to outweigh the bad? Can we do enough good to qualify for heaven? Christianity doesn’t work like that. We are no longer under the Law.

Believers are living under grace. Our salvation is God’s free gift to us. His desire is to include us in his eternal heavenly Kingdom. Therefore, if we confess our wrongdoings and declare allegiance to the Son who took away our sin, we will be fully forgiven. Heaven won’t be filled with perfect people. Heaven will be filled with forgiven people. “I once was lost, but now I’m found.” God’s love and grace bring us home. Jesus said so!

I work with church musicians, and our goal is to bring our best to the Lord and the other believers. Mistakes will happen from time to time, but if everyone is doing their best, I can’t complain. I encourage grace for one another, and forgiveness. That’s what Jesus would do! God wants our love and offers us grace, undeserved favor, and forgiveness.

Pray and thank God for his grace and forgiveness, and always do your best for the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Expect the Unexpected

For Wednesday, January 28, 2026:

Three days after Jesus’ crucifixion, the women visited the tomb to care for his body. They encountered a man dressed in a white robe.

(Mark 16:6 NIV:) “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

Jesus conquered both sin and death during the same event. He first took the sins of the world to the place of the dead. Then he rose from the grave, defying death. When dealing with Jesus, expect the unexpected!

We’ve been retelling this story for 2K years, so we’ve heard this all before. But Jesus’ followers were witnessing this scenario for the first time. The closest to this anyone had seen was when Jesus resurrected the daughter of Jairus, or perhaps when Lazarus was brought back to life. But never before had anyone made themselves alive again. Clearly, Jesus had authority over life and death.

This is extremely good news for those of us who believe. Jesus had proven beyond a doubt that there indeed was life after this life. Death is not the end. Because our sins were taken away and forgiven, believers have a reservation in God’s forever heavenly Kingdom. We are blessed with Assurance of Salvation, something no other religion has.

Put your faith, hope and trust in Jesus, and your life after this life will be a good one. Jesus won’t let you down!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

End of the Age!

For Tuesday, January 27, 2026:

Matthew 24:14 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all people of all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”

Do you ever ruminate on the end of this age, wondering what is the tipping point? When does the next reality come to fruition?

Jesus is pretty clear about that. It’s a fair process. The Earth will change once everyone everywhere gets a chance to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. ALL people from ALL nations deserve that chance. Remember that God’s goal is that ALL would repent and return, so we need to make sure that everyone has that opportunity. In pursuit of that goal, we send missionaries to faraway places and translate the Bible into additional languages. That’s all good, but the US is facing an internal problem as well. I’m willing to bet people are living on your streets, even right on your block, who haven’t heard the Gospel. The Lord’s work may begin closer to home than you were thinking!

Believers are obedient loyalists to our creator. We will not only survive the transition to God’s heavenly Kingdom, we will find a room with our name on the door. Jesus will have prepared our eternal residences as he promised. What a glorious way to spend eternity, in the presence of a loving God and his Son. Enjoy!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Gone Missing!

January 26, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 2:46 NLT: “Three days later Jesus’ parents finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.”

Have you ever had a child go missing at the mall or at a theme park? We lost Melissa at the Atlanta airport. She had wandered around the corner and struck up a conversation with a friendly-looking, grandfatherly man. She was excited that she had made a new friend, but he was not one of our family. Fortunately, he was a nice man, and we located her quickly, but it could have been far worse! Children are both curious and precocious. Jesus was no exception!

Personally, I can’t imagine having a child of mine go missing for three days! Mary and Joseph must have been beside themselves with anguish. Picture losing the Son of God! They found him amongst religious teachers, asking them questions and answering theirs. How unlikely would it be for religious philosophers to enjoy conversing with a 12-year-old?

Jesus explained, “Why did you have to search? Didn’t you expect that I would be in my Father’s house?” For all they’d been through with angels, the immaculate conception, shepherds and wise men, and spending time as persecuted non-resident aliens in Egypt, Jesus’ parents still hadn’t connected all the dots.

The last line of the song, “Mary Did You Know,” explains it best. “That sleeping child you're holding is the great I Am!”

Those religious teachers were blessed to be getting answers from God himself. We’re blessed to know a relationship with God as he walked on earth. We worship the One who came to forgive us, to redeem our eternal essence, our souls. Jesus, our faith is in you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Miraculous Signs!

For Sunday, January 25, 2026:

Mark 16:17a,18 NLT, Jesus speaking: “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

These are some of Jesus’ last words, his final instructions before ascending back to the Father. He first gave us our “Priesthood of all believers” doctrine, saying, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” This isn’t optional. Every Christian is to help make new Christians. Each of us will have a different portion of that task using our God-given gifts and talents. But encouraging others in their faith should be top-of-mind for all of us.

You should be aware that there’s a supernatural spirit-world operating alongside life on Earth as we know it. A lot of it is not good. Satan and his demons reside in the spirit dimension. Our goal is to settle in the Father’s heavenly Kingdom. Satan’s goal is to derail us, to keep our souls for himself. Obviously, God’s way is the better choice.

Jesus doesn’t throw us to the wolves. He leaves believers with his power and authority to deal with evil. We can bring back to life the victims of premature death. We can lay hands on our fellows and, in Jesus’ name, cure any sickness or disease. We can cast out demons, the source of much of the world’s trouble. Cast out the demons first, because they might be the root cause of the illnesses. That’s what Jesus did!

We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is the cornerstone of our salvation. Take a high view of the Bible. Every God-inspired word is truth, and every incident happened just the way the Bible says. Pray, do things in Jesus’ name, and repent of nonconforming scenarios. Know that this life is temporary, and have confidence that Jesus is preparing an eternal place for you. If you’re with Jesus, life couldn’t be better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Repent & Return:

Daily message of hope...

For Saturday, January 24, 2026:

 

Mark 16:15 NLT: “Then the risen Jesus told the believers, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

 

Throughout the Old Testament, the bottom-line message has always been to repent and return. Repent of sin, and return to the Lord. Come back to God’s way, his commandments and his thinking. God has a plan to reward loyalty.

 

As the New Testament begins and Jesus enters our world, the plan unfolds. Jesus’ mission is to put the Father’s plan in motion. As He dies on a cross, He will take the sins of the world upon himself and carry them to the place of the dead, leaving the forgiven faithful as eligible for eternal residence in God’s heavenly Kingdom. Didn’t Jesus promise to prepare a place for us? And doesn’t Jesus always speak the truth? You might as well start packing, because we’re leaving soon

 

Before we leave, we should be doing what Jesus commanded: “Preach the Good News to everyone!” How we do that may look different for each of us, but if we combine our gifts, we can get the job done. Everyone needs to know that the heavenly train is leaving soon. There’s plenty of room, but we need to get on board with haste. That train won’t wait forever!

 

If you believe Jesus is who he said he was and have faith that he can do what he promised, you’re “IN!” You have something that only redeemed Christians have – Assurance of Salvation! Relax. God has you covered!

 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Serve the Lord!

For Friday, January 23, 2026:

Romans 6:12 NLT: “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let sin reign in your body, which is subject to death.”

Bob Dylan sang that each of us winds up serving somebody. We get to carefully choose who we will serve. This is the same declaration that Joshua, Moses’ assistant, made 3300 years earlier. “Choose today who you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Your decision is an alliance and an allegiance. Which team do you want to play for, Jesus’ team or the other team? Jesus’ team aligns with our Creator God, while the other team is always battling their wrongdoings. Surprisingly, it’s easier to align with God, although at times we may be outnumbered!

Choosing Jesus’ team doesn’t instantly make us perfect. But deciding in favor of heaven’s ways gives us standards, goals for which we can strive. Believers wisely choose to adopt God’s value system, and the longer we bond with God, the better we get at serving him. We see progress, but our goal is perfection!

Satan’s sinners face death, while Jesus’ team is destined for eternal life in God’s heavenly Kingdom. Jesus made it possible for believers to view that Kingdom from the inside! Choose today who you will serve.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Messiah!

For Thursday, January 22, 2026:

Luke 2:28-29 NLT: “Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.’”

It had been prophesied to Simeon that he would not die until the Lord’s Messiah had been revealed to him. And now he’s personally lifting baby Jesus in his arms! Voilà! The Messiah had arrived!

God always makes good on his promises! He promised to send a Savior, a Rescuer, a Messiah for his people. As it turns out, God’s gift was much more important than what the people were expecting. They were frustrated with Roman occupation of their land. They would have been happy just to be free of the Roman Army. God’s almighty gift was forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness opens the door to eternal life and residence in God’s forever heavenly Kingdom! BTW, there is no Roman army in God’s Kingdom! Mission accomplished and then some!

Don’t expect to understand supernatural events. Just accept the results. The Holy Spirit brought Jesus and Simeon together that day in the Temple, and Simeon identified Jesus to the world. This was only eight days into Jesus’ life. So everyone would have known right from the beginning that Jesus was heaven-sent.

His promise to forgive the sins of all who repent and return is as good today as it was 2k years ago. And God’s desire is that ALL would repent and return. His desire is that none would be lost. You can sign up for that program for free. Just acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life and repent of past sins. Draw a line in the sand, before Jesus and after Jesus. The after Jesus side of the line will be clean and fresh. Garbage will be left on the other side of the line. It’s easy to make the right decision. The sun will be shining on Jesus’ side of the line. See you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Mistreated?

For Wednesday, January 21, 2026:

Hebrews 13:3b NLT: “Remember those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.”

Perhaps TV and the internet have numbed us to what we used to look away from. We can turn on the tube and see people beaten to a pulp, shot and killed every night. Sometimes it’s fictitious as in a movie or TV series. Ironically, law enforcement shows may be the worst. And other times, we may see truth, as in a newscast. We can watch Russia drop bombs on Ukrainian schools, leaving innocent student civilians with no possible escape. People can be shot right here in downtown Minneapolis. It happens almost every day. Drugs and gangs can lead to a lot of violence!

Sorry to start out with the most extreme examples. Mistreating someone can be amazingly simple. Husbands and wives can mistreat one another while living under the same roof. Parents can mistreat their children, and vice versa. We can feud with our neighbors over petty little things! People can be really nice in church, and unruly once they get back in traffic. Are we sometimes our own worst enemy?

Jesus would advise us to never be the source of the mistreatment. And should we witness mistreatment, know that it is bad. We should go to bat for the one being unjustly mistreated, and do what we can to reverse the situation. People should be nicer to one another. Jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbors. That’s what we should do! Pray for those being mistreated, as if their pain were in your own body. Use Jesus’a name!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Prisoners!

For Tuesday, January 20, 2026:

Hebrews 13:3a NLT: “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself.”

Some people belong in prison to ensure the safety of the rest of our population. Many seem to be inherently evil, filled with demons. Along with incarceration, an exorcism might be in order!

Or not! Some people are imprisoned unjustly, because of lies, false testimony or revenge agenda. They never belonged in prison in the first place. Others have repented of their wrongdoing and deserve forgiveness and a fresh start. That’s what Jesus would have us do.

What is the purpose of a prison? If it’s only to incarcerate people, it’s just a hole into which we pour money. There’s no ROI – return on our investment. But rehabilitated people can excel at their jobs, help grow our economy and become good neighbors. Our vision shouldn’t be to keep people in prisons; it should be to expedite the offender’s release! Our society needs to be more inclusive of the reformed.

If you were imprisoned, what would you expect life to be like? A former prisoner described it to me as “three hots and a cot!” – three meals a day and a place to sleep. Sounds boring to me. A day’s agenda should include helpful work at the institution, job training with specific skills added to the inmates’ repertoires, educational opportunities to get candidates at least a GED and perhaps some college credits, and of course Bible teaching, so their lives could progress in the Lord’s direction. Insist that prisoners set goals, and then celebrate their milestones!

Let us remember those in prison. We pray that they experience kindness, the way we would want life to be if we were there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

End of the Age!

January 19, 2026, Monday Message:

Matthew 24:13 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Jesus is teaching about the end times. He paints a glorious picture of those who are loyal all the way to the end. But his emphasis on stick-to-itiveness tells me to take a look at those who don’t have the character to see the end times in Jesus’ time.

As this age ends, Satan will cast a thousand demons in our paths to take our eyes off the prize. Discouragement is just the beginning. Believers will be arrested, persecuted and sometimes killed. (Those killed while still believing will be rescued!) The world may hate you for being a Christ-loyalist. Many will be deceived and turn away from what they know is right. Liars and false prophets will be abundant. Sin will be everywhere, and the love of Jesus will be relatively unknown on earth.

Reject anything that isn’t true. The key is to stick with Jesus until the end of the age. Your dogged tenacity will be rewarded with a heavenly life after this life, and a permanent change of address to God’s Eternal Kingdom.

Believe the truth now, and have your Change-of-address forms ready to go!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Worship with David!

For Sunday, January 18, 2026:

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

Do we have to go to church? No, we WANT to go to church, we GET to go to church, we’re ALLOWED to attend. David said that visiting God’s house made him glad, put a smile on his face! This king David is the same one who kept his sheep safe. He stood up for God when facing Goliath. You could say that David was a fan of the Lord all his life.

David was a worshiper and a worship leader. He authored songs for corporate worship. He led the congregation in singing those songs. They’re timeless, because our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Musicians frequently echo David’s words when composing new songs for us to sing.

Today is Sunday, worship day for Christians. It’s the day Jesus conquered both sin and death. It’s the day he walked away from the tomb. He had left the sins of the world in the place of the dead, and became a living example of eternal life. Jesus’ believers get to share in his forgiveness and resurrection. When it’s our turn to enter the next reality, Jesus will welcome us with open arms!

When we arrive in the life after this life, there won’t be any doubt about attending worship! Look for a lot of smiles. We’ll all be glad!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

End Times Progress!

For Saturday, January 17, 2026:

Matthew 24:7-8 NLT: Jesus speaking: “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.”

Jesus is teaching about the beginning of the end times. His description doesn’t sound like a pleasant time for anyone. Jesus is drawing a parallel to the pain of childbirth. But when childbirth ends, we get to hold a beautiful little baby, a miracle that puts a smile on everyone’s face! All’s well that ends well!

The Bible tells us that some people will give up during this time of tribulation. Don’t you be like them! One of the Bible’s most loyal believers was Job. We should imitate him, copy his behavior. Job loved the Lord and had a good life. Then things started going south, but Job still loved the Lord. He finally hit rock bottom: starvation and diseases. Job’s wife said he should curse God and then die! But Job didn’t do that. He never lost faith. He never lost hope! God eventually proved himself worthy of Job’s ongoing faith. Job’s good fortune was restored to the best it had ever been! God is good!

As we live our lives, expect some bad stuff. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The truly good life will be the life after this life. Jesus has prepared a place for the faithful in the next life, God’s forever Heavenly Kingdom!

Hold up the new baby, and put a smile on your face!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church