Judgment and Paradise!

For Friday, July 31, 2026:

John 16:11 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.”

Everyone will come to judgment. The one who thought he had authority in this world, Satan, will find out he was wrong. He will be judged and exiled to the lake of fire. All his little demons will be there too.

Believers will be judged as well. We’ll be asked about everything we did while on earth. But being covered by the sacrifice of Jesus, we’ll be judged “forgiven.” Surprisingly, we’ll find ourselves eligible for residence in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom.

Believers are children of God, coming home to live with our Father!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Love!

For Thursday, July 30, 2026:

Romans 8:39 NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our Bibles tell us that God loves us. But mankind asks, “Really? How do we know for sure?”

The first humans disobeyed God by sinning, by deliberately doing what he said to NOT do! They succumbed to Satan’s temptation. I believe God was disappointed with the return rate of his Creations. If earthlings were to return to the Father, God himself would have to intervene.

Therefore, God sent his Son Jesus to our planet. I’ve said before that Jesus healed many, taught God’s ways, and interpreted Torah. But I believe his primary mission was to take away mankind’s sins, to offer forgiveness. Once earth’s residents were made sinless by Jesus’ sacrifice, the Father could welcome them back into his forever heavenly Kingdom.

Q: So how do we know for sure that God loves us? A: He sacrificed his only Son for our freedom. We are no longer slaves to Satan. We belong to the God whose Son paid the price for our redemption.

Rejoice! Believers belong to their Creator! Believers have been rescued!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Truth Defended!

For Wednesday, July 29, 2026:

Colossians 2:4 NLT, Paul writing to the church in Colossae: “I am telling you these things so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.”

2K years ago, a lot of people would frequently switch religions. The core beliefs of each group were not always clearly defined, the exception being Jews who had previously encountered the real God. But others – the idol worshipers and such – were constantly proselytizing that there was value in their ever-changing beliefs. There was not. But remember, Christianity was the new kid on the block!

Once people had been introduced to the Son of God, Paul didn’t want their minds polluted with Higher Power misinformation. The Risen Savior personally met Paul on his way to Damascus, so Paul had truth straight from the horse’s mouth. (That’s a common expression; I’m not dissing Jesus! And he’s not Mr. Ed!)

Truth is worth fighting for. Paul’s truth wasn’t based on a rumor or what some random person told him. He’d heard from Jesus, he learned the truth and he was blessed to share it with others. Paul doesn’t want any believer to be side-tracked, because truth is nonnegotiable. Truth is not up for debate.

Truth is what’s in our Bibles!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Make Disciples!

For Tuesday, July 28, 2026:

John 16:9 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.”

What’s wrong with the world? Nothing that a healthy dose of ‘Jesus’ wouldn’t fix! If everyone believed that Jesus was the heaven-sent Son of God, they’d soon start following his other commands and living like he lived. Our world would be a better place. But the first step is helping everyone believe in Jesus!

Jesus commissioned believers to make disciples of all nations. But if you’re keeping score, friends, we’re falling behind. Christianity is no longer the dominant religion in England and France, largely displaced by Islam, and we seem to be losing ground in the US. We can do better!

Last week, I heard part of a message from an Imam, the Muslim version of a Pastor. Elections are coming up, and he advised his congregation to seek every political office, from Senator to dog catcher. This push is part of their five-year plan to take over the United States.

Our country was founded promising freedom of religion, but all under God’s value system, God’s rules and commands. Different denominations were OK as long as they were Christian denominations. You could claim to be Lutheran, Presbyterian or even Roman Catholic, as long as Jesus was the center of your faith. Our founding fathers never anticipated non-believers trying to manage a nation founded under God’s laws. To non-believers, God’s rules and laws seem irrelevant.

The time is now to prayerfully consider your piece of the Great Commission. Jesus not only wants you to help, but he is graciously allowing you to help! Make this the week you bring a friend to church. Once they know Jesus, the rest will fall into place!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Love!

July 27, 2026, Monday Message:

Romans 8:38 NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”

Our God is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And the Son Jesus is just like his Father. What that means is that if God says that something is good, it will be good forever. God’s value system isn’t going to go through a recalibration.

Think about the 10 Commandments. It is written that honoring the Lord is good, and it will always be good. Honoring our parents is good, and it’s not a changing value. We are to give out parents the respect they deserve forever. It’s wrong to steal, not just because our laws say so, but because God said so. Murder? Same thing. God said. And always speak the truth. God is always listening, and we will be judged! Besides, that’s what Jesus would have done.

God’s love for mankind is unshakable, and that’s not about to change. In spite of mankind’s sins, God’s desire is that all would repent and return and take up eternal residence in his Kingdom. Nothing good or nothing evil can separate us from the Father’s love. That’s what the Bible says!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Healing Restoration!

Daily message of hope...
For Sunday, July 26, 2026:

Luke 6:19 NLT: “Everyone tried to touch Jesus, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.”

Word was out about Jesus! Not everyone knew all the details, but if you needed healing, Jesus was the man. People would come not only to hear him speak, but for healing. If they didn’t personally need healing, they wanted to witness others receive Jesus’ divine touch. There were plenty who had been healed by the Son, but even more who served as witnesses to the healing events.

Healing restoration seemed to flow out from Jesus. Here, people were trying to touch him. Another Bible account describes a woman who wanted only to touch the hem of his garment. They were fully restored, as are we all, by our faith and the grace of God Almighty.

This is basic Christianity 101. God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. Jesus was here to pay the penalty for mankind’s sins. Sinless individuals get to spend eternity in the Father’s Kingdom of heaven. It’s all a gift from above, dependent upon our faith in God’s ability to get it done!

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

God's Wisdom!

For Saturday, July 25, 2026:

Colossians 2:3 NLT, Paul speaking: “In Christ lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Paul writes that wisdom and knowledge are to be treasured. Spiritual leaders of the day had rejected Jesus. But the supernatural resurrected Jesus interacted with Paul on his way to Damascus. Paul was temporarily blinded and shown truth, God’s plan, and given an assignment. Paul was to evangelize the Gentiles!

Paul’s sight was restored, and the first thing he did was to be baptized, burying the lies under the water while truth came up out of the water. You could say that Paul did a spiritual 180º.

Disciples in Israel had a simplified task. Since most of the population were Jews, they already believed in God, a higher power. Asia Minor was a tougher nut to crack. They had no track record with the real God, and Paul had to dismiss hundreds of pretend gods, fake gods if you will. The idea that one God created everything was radically different from having separate idols for sunshine, rain, bountiful crops, provision, love, safety and protection. Before Paul could convince anyone that Jesus was God’s Son, he had to first make a case for Father God.

Since Paul now had God’s truthful knowledge, he could teach it to others. Believers are a lot like Paul. In becoming Christians, we learn the truth, and Jesus told us to teach others. Actions are stronger than words, so our first efforts should be to live as Jesus lived, caring for our neighbors. Being kind and helpful should have a prominent place in our lives.

Safeguard the wisdom and knowledge given to us. Share it with others. Be unflinching in our devotion to Jesus, God’s Son. He’s gone ahead to prepare your special place in the life after this life. Say thank you, Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Paraclete!

For Friday, July 24, 2026:

John 16:7 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “In fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”

Jesus promised to send the Advocate after he leaves. “Go be with the faithful, tout suite!” Advocate can also be translated Counselor, Encourager or Comforter. The Greek reads Paraclete. The KJB calls this form of God the Holy Ghost. Nowadays we refer to him as the Holy Spirit.

With those traits, we’ll certain be better off knowing the Holy Spirit. Having a supernatural God who is pulling for us can only be good, making our lives more tolerable. Remember that Jesus said our lives will be a struggle, filled with tribulation. Other people won’t like us simply because we know the Son. But Jesus also said not to worry as he has overcome the world.

Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” It was necessary that he return to the Father, but he sent the Holy Spirit to be with us in his absence. We are never alone!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Ascension!

For Thursday, July 23, 2026:

John 16:5-6 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.”

John documents the life of Jesus, and Jesus knows he is leaving, returning to the Father. He wants all believers to understand that what is happening is not bad news, but good news!

Surprisingly, those listening don’t even ask where he is going, even though he’s told them about the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead of wishing him Godspeed and cheering for the event, the observers retreated into themselves, grieving the loss of their spiritual mentor.

Jesus: “Good news! I’ll be returning to Father God!”

Disciples: “Terrible. I don’t know how we can get along without you. This whole movement will probably die. I might just as well quit and go home!”

Friends, who should be the focus of this story? Jesus! (It’s not about us!) Who should be in the driver’s seat? Jesus! Who should we trust? Jesus, who is always truthful. Jesus, who is God walking alongside us. He’s celebrating being victorious. Jesus is about to conquer sin and death with one unselfish act. Shout ‘Hallelujah’ for the good path God has created!

As we live out the remainder of our earthly lives, let’s remember to keep God in the driver’s seat. He should set our agenda for each day. Do the right things for the right reasons. Do something nice and don’t get caught!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Prayer!

For Wednesday, July 22, 2026:

Matthew 19:13a NLT: “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them.”

What an opportunity, to have the Son of God pray for your children! Having seen the healings and other miracles, a Jesus touch on their children could only be a good thing. Form a line!

Has anyone ever asked that you pray for them? For some, that means add them to your prayer list when you get home. But for others, the request means stop what you’re doing, lay hands on the person, and pray right now. There’s an urgency to their request that we should not ignore. Some people are shy and reluctant to ask for help. We should still pray. That’s what real Christians do.

Some of the disciples thought Jesus was too busy and shouldn’t be bothered by the wee ones. Wrong! Jesus has time for everyone. He said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them!” Other translations say, “Cause the children to come to me,” or, “See that it happens!” As the song says, “Jesus loves the little children!

Praying for others isn’t reserved for Priests or Pastors. All believers can now have the power of prayer. When Jesus was on the cross, the curtain guarding the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom, ending the separation of God from believers. We no longer need an intermediary. Each of us has the power to pray and expect results. Jesus said we should use his name.

If someone has a need you believe God could address, pray for a positive outcome. Others may like what they see and want to join you in prayer. Use Jesus’ name!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Vast Eternal Plan!

For Tuesday, July 21, 2026:

Colossians 2:2 NLT, Paul speaking: “I want all the churches to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.”

Our own intelligence can get in our way of understanding God’s vast eternal plan. If you’re good at solving problems by logically thinking things through to their obvious conclusion, God’s plan may not seem like the best idea. Let me explain.

Jesus was sent as the spiritual mentor for the world. He is here to get believers back on track. And that one man, Jesus, was opposed by the Pharisees, the Temple leaders and all of the religious establishment. It’s an uphill battle not easily won.

At first glance, it appears that Jesus lost. He died. But right before he gave up his last breath, the sins of the world were heaped upon him, upon God’s Son! He left mankind’s sins in the place of the dead. Believers were forgiven and offered an opportunity for a good life after this life. It all works out in the end, but getting there requires divine intervention. And for us, divine understanding!

Jesus eventually won. He walked away from the tomb three days later!

I’m amazed at the number of devotees sitting in our pews who don’t really understand how God’s plan applies to them. And I’m really, really amazed by how few clergy actually ‘get it.’ They can’t teach what they don’t know, what they don’t believe or what they don’t practice.

Friends, there is only one church, the Church of Jesus the Christ. One thing Jesus stressed was love for one another, loving our neighbors as ourselves. Start by doing what Jesus did, being nice, being kind, helpful and eager to serve others. Paul wants all believers to fully understand God’s mysterious plan in due time. Paul is advising us to have confidence in the Son, who only spoke truth!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Victory!

July 20, 2026, Monday Message:

Romans 8:37 NLT: “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Despite all these things: trouble, calamity, persecution, hunger, being destitute, in danger, or even death. That’s the list, but it’s not an exhaustive list. Let’s just call it, “everything that could possibly go wrong!” These may seem like monumental problems, but to a Christian who has a certain life after this life, they’re just minor bumps on our road of life.

The Bible says “victory IS ours,” not “victory WAS ours,” or “victory Will Be ours.” In other words, Jesus has settled the matter ahead of time. Our tribulation becomes a small inconvenience after Jesus. Before we even know that we have a problem, he has the solution all worked out. It’s because of Christ’s love for us, his creations. That love is never-ending. We can always count on this to be true.

Jesus came to earth to bring us home, and he won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Jesus himself was victorious, walking away from the tomb after three days. Our eternal future will be victorious if we stick with the Savior and love Him as much as He loves us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Delivered from Demons!

Daily message of hope...

For Sunday, July 19, 2026: 

Luke 6:13 NLT: “The large crowd had come to hear Jesus and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed.”

 Jesus and his disciples came down from the mountain after the selection of 12 Apostles. A surprisingly large crowd awaited them. People from all over Israel had gathered both to hear Jesus speak and for healing. Word about Jesus was out!

 Luke, our investigative reporter, took notice that many were healed from diseases and sickness. But many others were delivered from the unclean spirits haunting them. Satan is never on holiday, and constantly sends demons to throw sand into the gears of our lives. Jesus knew this was a first-order problem. People could not be physically healed when evil was side-tracking their lives. We know that divine healing includes the casting out of demons. 

 The crowd tried to get close to Jesus and touch him. Healing power seemed to emanate from him. Jesus isn’t a quitter. The Bible says he healed everyone.

 How many were healed by Jesus? (Say it with me:) “EVERYONE!”

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

Multiply Your Efforts!

For Saturday, July 18, 2026:

Luke 6:12 NLT: “At daybreak Jesus called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be Apostles.”

This is similar to how many things are organized nowadays. Think of the Apostles as department heads, helping to organize the numerous disciples. They fit into the chain of command.

Our military works this way. Enlisted personnel report to a Sargent, who is accountable to a Colonel, who looks up to a General. (I left out a few steps, but you get the idea!)

In the past, I did a lot of work for a bank. There was a president, and then four executive vice-presidents. My contact was in charge of mergers and acquisitions. He didn’t concern himself with tellers, investment strategy or retirement income. He didn’t do checking or savings accounts. He just bought other banks and merged them into the existing operations. I watched the bottom line grow to ten times its previous size through his efforts!

There was only one Jesus, and only 24 hours in a day. The way to multiply his efforts was to send the Apostles to different cities, 2 x 2. That way six more cities could hear the Good News each day. The Apostles would also send out some of the disciples, further increasing the impact. Think of it as the McDonald’s method of evangelism. If we want to sell more hamburgers, we need to have more stores, more locations, more salespeople!

Jesus had many disciples, but only 12 Apostles. You and I are today’s disciples! Are you ready to go out and share the Good News? That’s what Jesus said to do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Kingdom Assurance!

For Friday, July 17, 2026:

Romans 8:35 NLT: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”

The Bible says that God is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And it says the same thing about Jesus. God declared everything he created to be “good.” But at the end, after the creation of mankind, he called it “very good.” God has been cheering for mankind since the beginning. That’s the trend, and it continues to this day.

Knowing God doesn’t insulate us from bumps in the road of life. Knowing the Lord is more about finishing strong, about our lives after this life. Jesus walked away from his tomb, proving with certainty that our lives don’t end with human death. So the real question is, in the next life, where will you be spending your time?

If you’re aligned with Jesus, he’ll make a place for you in the Father’s Kingdom. It’s a wonderful place where we’ll know a peace that exceeds our understanding. Like Father, like Son, we are loved. Forever! So, can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? The answer is clearly, “No.”

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Paid In Advance!

For Thursday, July 16, 2026:

Colossians 1:29 NLT, Paul speaking: “That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”

After meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul was thoroughly convinced. He threw himself into evangelism, telling everyone the Good News and planting new churches wherever God sent him.

But Paul doesn’t think he can do it all by himself. He knows that Christ is working through him to complete heaven’s mission. We also have a divine helper, the Holy Spirit, to be our advocate as we share with others the truth about God, his Son, sin, forgiveness and redemption. Since the Holy Spirit is working alongside us, we’re responsible for the effort, not the outcome. God’s in charge of that!

Paul is working hard to hold up his end of the partnership, as should we. We’ve all been assigned the task of making disciples of all nations. Half-measures won’t get us 50% of the way to the Kingdom! In fact, all-out effort only works when combined with an unshakable belief that Jesus is God’s Son and that his words are the truth. It’s our faith in the Risen Savior that lets us see heaven from the inside!

When I worked in sales, the letters ‘PIA’ on an invoice stood for ‘Paid in Advance!’ There is an invoice due for your sins and my sins, but it’s marked ‘PIA.” Jesus, through his death on the cross, paid the price to redeem mankind from our sin problem. He took those sins to the place of the dead and left them there, never to haunt us again.

Make a decision today to accept Jesus’ gift of forgiveness. Yes, it’s undeserved, but God sometimes does us a solid. Accept the gift with gratitude and a smile!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church