Forgiven!

June 22, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 5:20 NLT: “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man on the stretcher, ‘Young man, your sins are forgiven.’”

We’ve been following the story of a paralyzed man who was carried by his friends to meet Jesus, the Great Healer! The Bible doesn’t tell us how far they traveled, but I get the impression that the trek took considerable effort. Those carrying the injured man would have been tired and out of breath. They weren’t about to take ‘no’ for an answer!

Jesus had already attracted a full house that day, so there was not room for four more men plus one on a stretcher. But their creative ingenuity was heaven-inspired! Climbing onto the roof, they removed a few tiles and lowered the stretcher into the room, placing the paralyzed man right in front of Jesus! If a healing were to take place that day, everyone present would be an eyewitness! Pharisees were present along with other teachers of religious law. So even those who opposed Jesus would see the miracle with their own two eyes!

Here’s today’s lesson: God rewards faith! Seeing the faith of those who brought their injured friend, Jesus proceeded with the healing. When God sees our faith in his Son, he will adopt us into the Holy Family. Those who truly believe Jesus is the Son of the Most High and believe that he can do everything he says he can do will be rewarded in the life after this life. Jesus will prepare a place for us in God’s forever Kingdom. Yes, friends, our faith will be rewarded!

That day, Jesus surprised everyone. They were expecting him to say, “You are healed,” or, “Pick up your mat and walk!” But Jesus first told the injured man, “Your sins are forgiven!”

This irked the Pharisees, who shouted, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Duh! Jesus just told them exactly who he is – part of God’s Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit! He CAN forgive sins! Rather than dissing Jesus, the Pharisees should have joined with his supporters!

This theological mistake would eventually lead to the crucifixion, but that too is part of God’s vast eternal plan. Jesus giving up his earthly life would be the sacrifice for the sins of the world – your sins and mine! The Pharisees were helping the Kingdom even when they had no idea what they were doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Solution!

For Sunday, June 21, 2026:

Luke 5:19b NLT: “The men went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.”

When a situation looks hopeless, God oftentimes provides a way. The men had brought their paralyzed friend on a stretcher, seeking healing from God’s Son. Jesus’ reputation preceded him. He was known for divine healing, just what the guy on the stretcher needed. If fact, Jesus may have been his last hope for a normal life.

But big problem – the huge crowd who had come to hear Jesus completely filled the room! So the men somehow wrangled their injured friend onto the roof, removed some of the roof’s covering, and using ropes, lowered their friend into the room, right in front of Jesus! There was no other way to get the man on the stretcher in front of the Master! I would have loved to see the Pharisee’s faces when they saw a man, suspended by ropes, in the air above Jesus. This is faith on steroids, as we say!

God’s solution to a dilemma may be unconventional, but he has a divine plan! In the end, everything will work out. Go up on the roof, remove some tiles, requisition some ropes and lower the injured man as needed. No one in the room expected to see the injured man that day, but voilà, there he is! Healing is imminent! God is good!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
The Father’s House
Jesus In the City Fellowship
Truth & Freedom Church 

Great Healer!

For Saturday, June 20, 2026:

Luke 5:18-19a NLT: “Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd.”

Jesus’ reputation preceded him! He was known for having a unique perspective on Torah, and supernatural healing abilities. Some men wanted to subject that healing ability to a challenging test. Their friend was completely paralyzed and needed supernatural healing. Jesus was the only one who had a chance of success solving their problem. We’re not told what kind of incident or accident put the man in that condition, but I’m guessing that Jesus was their last hope. The men had known their friend before he became paralyzed, and he needed a full restoration. In a way, this would be giving the man his life back. There was no quality of life the way he was now forced to live.

But upon arrival, those gathered to see Jesus had completely filled the room! There was no way to get the man on the stretcher in front of the Master! The men’s faith in Jesus would not let them abandon the project. They needed a plan ‘B’. They were not finished, but they had encountered a bump in the road to healing.

God has a way 

Truth & Freedom Church

of working things out. If he needs you for a project and you hit a bump in the road, don’t quit! Don’t give up! Problems can be resolved; roads can be smoothed. God’s projects will always get finished!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

 

Word's Out!

For Friday, June 19, 2026:

Luke 5:17b NLT: “One day while Jesus was teaching, people showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.”

The word was out about Jesus! People wanted to hear him teach and preach, and they wanted to see him heal. In fact, that was the big draw, the legendary healings. This was something heretofore unseen. Crowds would line up to be next! Many traveled long distances to get close to Jesus. And they would transport friends and relatives with maladies or injuries, and Jesus could render them back to original specs, without the sickness or injury, fully healed!

We have weekly meetings featuring the words of Jesus. It’s called ‘church.’ Do people travel long distances to hear the Good News? Usually not. Do they bring the sick and injured? No, those typically stay home. Perhaps a renewed emphasis on the miracles of Jesus would attract more souls! Personally, when I consider the heaven-sent supernatural nature of God’s Son, no other options exist for my choice of Savior!

To those in Israel 2K years ago, Jesus was worth the trip. He should also be worth the trip nowadays!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Time?

For Thursday, June 18, 2026:

Colossians 1:26 NLT, Paul speaking: “The Good News message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.”

What time is it? We only think we know! Until our planet started spinning, there was no definition of a day. Until the earth began its orbit around the sun, we had no concept of a year. Jews started counting time from Adam. It’s now year 5786, which ends mid-September.

Christians count time from the birth of Jesus, AD = “In the Year of Our Lord.” Pope Gregory standardized this in 1582, authorizing leap years. You see, a year is actually 365.2422 days, so the system is still not perfect, but close enough for my lifetime.

Therefore, the Good News message of God’s love and forgiveness was hidden for 3760 years until Jesus’ birth. Mankind lived under the Old Covenant with rules and laws. With Jesus came mercy, forgiveness and absolution. Jesus not only forgives our sins, but removes them from our permanent record. It’s as if we had never sinned! That’s the free gift for those who call Jesus Savior and Redeemer! Being perceived as sinless (forgiven), we’re eligible for permanent residence in God’s eternal Kingdom. We have assurance of salvation!

That’s why today is the best day to lock in your commitment to Jesus. There are eternal ramifications from this decision, for both you and your friends. Your coworkers and extended family need to know the Good News too. Pray to become the hands and feet of Jesus, telling everyone the Good News of eternal salvation! Blessings!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Willing!

For Tuesday, June 16, 2026:

Luke 5:12b NLT: “When the man with leprosy saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’”

Do we expect Jesus to explain how busy he is or how many things are already on his agenda? Of course not! Jesus responds as a helpful person who loves his neighbor. “I am willing!”

Then Jesus reached out and touched the man. This was risky for most people, as leprosy was thought to be contagious. But it was no problem at all for our supernatural healer! “Be clean,” Jesus shouted, and immediately leprosy left the man!

Jesus ordered the man to not tell anyone. Although Jesus could easily heal any malady, that wasn’t his primary mission in coming to Earth. The man should tell his priest and give thanks for deliverance, but otherwise keep quiet about the incident. Nonetheless, others had witnessed the healing, and word quickly spread. Crowds gathered to hear Jesus speak and to be healed. Healing became his trademark supernatural miracle!

There’s not much contagious leprosy nowadays, but what about the measles outbreak in our country? Would you be willing to lay hands on the sick and pray for healing in the name of Jesus? I ask, because that’s what Jesus would have done!

Father God, we pray that each day more and more of us could live like Jesus, healing the sick and rescuing lives from the evil one!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Convinced!

For Sunday, June 14, 2026

Luke 5:7b NLT: “Soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.”

Jesus had been using Simon’s boat as a preaching platform, and now he repays the favor. “Go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

Simon protests. “Master, we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”

This time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! The fishermen shouted for help, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking!

It’s easy to convince someone about religious truth when the miracle happens right before their eyes! There was no doubt in Simon’s mind that Jesus was heaven-sent. “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”

But God had other plans. Simon and his brother Andrew would abandon the family fishing business to follow Jesus. They gave up everything they knew. Simon gathered James and John, also fishermen, and the four became a part of the twelve.

Today’s lesson: Watch for the miracle. Do what your heart tells you is right. Include your friends by sharing the Good News!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Provision!

For Saturday, June 13, 2026:

Luke 5:3 NLT: “Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon (Peter), its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.”

Have you ever been on a shore and clearly heard a conversation taking place on a nearby boat? Voices carry quite a distance over water. Jesus had been preaching the Word of God from shore, but the crowd had grown too large for everyone to hear. His solution was to hop in a boat and use it as his podium. His voice would then carry well over the water! Problem solved!

Jehovah-Jireh, God the provider, already had two boats nearby. Finding no fish that day, the crew was back in port cleaning their nets. The lesson here is that God will often provide what you need even before you know that you need it! Jesus would later repay their favor by taking them fishing for more fish than both boats could hold, but that’s another lesson!

The Bible says that people were “pressing in” on Jesus to hear the Word of God. Soon he might have been under the waves in the Sea of Galilee! The boat was a much better solution! God is good!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

House of the Lord!

For Friday, June 12, 2026:

Psalm 23:6 NKJV: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David showed confidence and trust in the Lord. He was a man after God’s own heart, but he was far from perfect. But despite his missteps, he always trusted God to be loving and forgiving. He would rise out of all the turmoil as a loyal supporter of God Almighty. That’s called faith!

Most believers are a lot like David. We will not live perfect lives, but on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the world – your sins and mine. Believers all need to accept that free gift with open arms and a smile. God doesn’t want a bunch of sullen souls in his Kingdom. The Father’s love should elicit joy from everyone!

God’s goodness and mercy will follow us throughout this life, and follow us into the next as we take our place in his Kingdom. We’re enjoying a better life now that we’re adopted into the Holy Family, and it will be the best life ever when we move into the house of the Lord. Start filling out change-of-address forms today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Family Biz!

For Thursday, June 11, 2026:

John 15:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.”

This spiritual battle with the world is family business. Jesus defends Father God just as God keeps a heavenly hand on his Son. They’re inseparable. They’re family!

Believers are included in that Holy Family. John wrote, “To all who believed Jesus and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” And Jesus taught us to pray to “our Father in heaven.”

We should not be passive in defending our Holy Family. Active participants get a lot more done! We can testify about the goodness of the Father and his Son. We can advocate for God’s Laws as a better way to live. We can (gently) identify false religions as such, explaining how they’re off track.

All the work required for our eternal salvation was done by Jesus on the cross. Salvation came to mankind as a free gift courtesy of the Most High. This Assurance of Salvation is a major plank in the Christian platform. No other religion has this! Proudly tell others!

Our extended family is incredibly large, and yet there’s always room for a few more. People often arrive at churches when they’re down and out. Our love, kindness and sharing are some of the factors that draw people in. There is therefore agreement that Christians are a good family, a good way to live. People like what they see, and want to become a part of it.

Earthly families can have multiple children, just as our heavenly family always has room for one more. Have you been instrumental in adding anyone to our family? I hope so!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Gifts & Talents!

For Wednesday, June 10, 2026:

Colossians 1:25 NLT, Paul speaking: “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.”

It’s easy for Paul to identify his spiritual calling. The incident on the road to Damascus leaves no doubt!

Each of us is also called to serve, but our calling might not be as straightforward as Paul’s. I knew a man, an architect, who was nationally known for his large building designs. He sat in a pew week after week, wondering how he should serve. Eventually he retired, and that’s when his church decided they needed a new, much larger sanctuary on their campus. He went to work immediately! His purpose became obvious! Also, there was a woman who only knew a few chords on the guitar. She didn’t have the skill for the main worship team in the big room, but she was perfect for leading kids’ songs at church camp.

Sometimes the challenge is identifying your inherent skill. Other times it’s finding the proper venue to fit the available skill. The local church is better when we all share our God-given talents with others in the fellowship.

Are you still trying to identify your gifts, or are you figuring out how to put them to use?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Heaven is Expecting You!

For Tuesday, June 9, 2026:

Romans 8:30 NLT: “Having chosen his people, God called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

Disciples of Jesus are part of God’s plan for eternity. You were chosen, earmarked for heaven, from the beginning. Since the Father cannot coexist with sin, he arranged for our sins to be forgiven by the work Jesus did on the cross. In the end, everything works out according to God’s plan, and we’re blessed to be included.

Do you appreciate the size of God’s gift? The Bible says that there is life after this life, and there are only two destinations: God’s Kingdom, or Satan’s place. The Kingdom will be fun, filled with activity, worship and other good things. Satan can only provide a lake of fire, leaving residents miserable – forever! Once we leave this reality, we cannot cross over from one side to the other. The decision to be with Jesus can only be made by humans on earth. So there’s an urgency to lock in our eternal position before passing. Me? I’m with Jesus!

Nothing could be worse than knowing you had a chance to spend eternity with the Savior, but never followed through on it. TODAY is the day to claim your reservation in the hereafter. TODAY is the best day to dedicate or rededicate your life to the Son. He’s already preparing a place for you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Preaching Good News!

For, June 8, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 4:43 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

Early the next morning, Jesus left Simon’s house, preparing to leave the city. People begged him to stay, but he explained, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” Jesus was on a mission trip, sent from God’s Kingdom to planet Earth with a goal, an agenda, a mission.

The Good News is that Jesus himself would pay the penalty for the sins of the world, and that believers would be redeemed. He could explain the Tanakh and Torah, and teach us God’s ways, that God loves us, and that he made a way for us to return home.

There are far too many cities for Jesus to visit himself, so eventually he sent his Apostles and disciples to proclaim the Kingdom on his behalf. And before ascending back to the Father, he told the believers to continue making disciples of all nations. That’s still our mission nowadays. Jesus wants us to share the Good News with as many as possible before his return.

He’ll be returning soon, and that’s our Good News for today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Son of God!

For Sunday, June 7, 2026:

Luke 4:40 NLT: “Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at Jesus’ command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.”

Jesus had healed Simon’s mother-in-law. Word got out, and soon people from miles around were bringing their sick and injured to Jesus. Some of the people were plagued by demons, oftentimes the root cause of their illness. Jesus would send the demons away as part of his cure.

The demons identified Jesus. “You are the Son of God!” But Jesus knew that if he claimed to be the Son of God, he’d be accused of blasphemy, so he didn’t let the demons speak.

Nowadays, we don’t have to be so cautious with our words. Believers should tell the world that Jesus is truly the Son of the Most High. We should shout out the Good News!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Continuous Truth!

For Saturday, June 6, 2026:

Colossians 1:23 NLT: “You must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.”

You probably already know that the word “Gospel” is translated as “Good News.” And Bible is also referred to as Truth. Once you have heard the story of Jesus, the Gospel, hang onto it firmly. Now that you know the truth, never waver in your commitment to Jesus.

This is the advice of Paul, who at first didn’t get it either. I jokingly say that Jesus slapped him upside the head on the road to Damascus, but that’s kind of what happened. Paul was struck blind for three days, led into town where a believer cleared his eyes, restoring his sight. Paul should have been quite hungry by then, but the first thing he did was to be baptized. Nothing was more important than obeying this newly discovered truth!

Paul was “all in!” How about you?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church