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

Sacrificial Giving!

For Wednesday, July 23, 2025:

Mark 12:44 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Most gave a tiny part of their surplus, but this widow, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

How much should we donate to our home church? The Old Testament teaches that the first 10% of everything already belongs to the Lord. That’s a good starting point.

The New Testament teaches us about sacrificial giving. People sold their land or their animals and donated the proceeds to the church. On the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 new believers came on board. Most were from out of town and would require food and housing right from the start. The first church, The Way, took care of them. Jesus and many others taught that the Kingdom was at hand; heaven was quite close. And those living in God’s Kingdom would have no need for worldly assets.

So what does God want? Many Christians are blessed with abundance, enabling them to help others. God wants each of us to be successful. Prospective Christians should be able to look at the flock and say, “They’re doin’ OK. They’re having fun. Life for them seems to be good. I want to become part of it!”

It’s good to save for when you can no longer work, and it’s good to have a rainy day fund. But it’s bad to hoard money, to become a miser. A delicate balance is required. It would be easy to prioritize money over God, and that would be wrong.

My advice is to pray about the matter, and then follow through with what God puts on your conscience!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Thankful!

For Thursday, November 23, 2023:

1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Today, the fourth Thursday in November, is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day in the US. Most people get the day off, and families gather to eat too much turkey and watch football — and hopefully to remember to be thankful for all God has given us.

I’m thankful for my wife, our children and their spouses, and our grandchildren. I’m thankful for good friends, my house, my car, my work and for always having more than I truly need. God has been very good to me.

The best thing to be thankful for is Assurance of Salvation. Jesus has gone ahead to prepare our places in the hereafter. Those who believe on His name will get to see heaven from the inside!

Take some time today to thank the Lord for all the goodness he has poured into your life.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Live Abundantly!

For Wednesday, August 24, 2022:

Psalm 20:4 NLT: “May the Lord grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.”

Believers are not guaranteed smooth sailing! Life will present many challenges! David was praying for Divine Intervention with these bumps in the road.

Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble. But I have overcome the world!” When the psalms were written, Jesus had not yet come to earth. Believers expected that God-the-Father was in charge, still on the throne of heaven. Father God could show favor upon his people, granting them success in all that they undertake.

Nowadays, the Lord still wants us to be successful! He wants us to have abundance, so that we have enough to help others. Jesus told Peter to “feed my sheep.” We inherited that command; there are many sheep to feed!

God, bless us with the resources to successfully carry out your mission!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Life!

For Thursday, February 4, 2021

John 10:10 GNT, Jesus speaking: “The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.”

When joining a religion, a philosophy or even some kind of organization, consider its ultimate goal. Obviously Satan's goal is to take you down the wrong path.

But Jesus came so that we could have life – both life here on earth, and a life after this life with the Father in heaven. Jesus gives us hope! He not only wants us to have life; he wants us to have an abundant GOOD life, living in all its intended fullness.

"For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving Thursday, November 26, 2020 

Luke 12:31 NLT: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.”

In the US, this is our day of Thanksgiving, nowadays permanently anchored to the fourth Thursday of November. Our God of abundant provision gives us 46 million turkeys to consume on this holiday! Our God has also provided everything else we need! 

Jesus taught us that God already knows our needs, and has already provided for us. We pray to God for provision so that HE knows that WE understand the source! And we need to thank the Lord for all he does for us. Today would be a good day to do that!

Of course the best gift for mankind was God sending his Son to earth to once-and-for-all solve our sin problem. This opened the doors for us to see heaven from the inside – for eternity! That gives us hope, and for that we’re thankful! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

My Cup Overflows!

For Sunday, July 19, 2020.

Psalm 23:5 ESV: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Remember when Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden? While Adam was rationalizing his behavior, shifting blame and not taking responsibility for his actions, God was making clothes for the couple.

God made mankind in his image, saw that it was all very good, and he’s not about to change his mind. When God adopts you into the Holy Family – when you become children of God – that’s forever. God won’t change his mind. God won’t renege on his promise. That’s the character of God.

The ‘table’ suggests bounty, abundance. God has thousands of cattle on thousands of hills. ‘Prepare’ points to foresight and care. God is watching out for your interests. ‘Before me’ points out the personal connection God feels for you. Believers are like family!

And even when things are going wrong all around you (enemies,) God still wants to connect with you. When God prepares a table, the Christian can sit down and eat in perfect peace. Shalom!

Anointing is how God commissioned the next king or important prophet. By anointing you, God is claiming you as one of his own for the eternal kingdom. When God cares for you this much, surely your cup is overflowing!

Blessings to all on this Sabbath!

Pastor Norton

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Psalm 36

March 07, 2016 Monday Message:

“How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!” Psalm 36:7a

How much does God love us? How much love does He have to give?

God’s love is like the olive oil poured out for the widow in 2 Kings 4. The Prophet Elisha told the widow to get the jar in which she kept olive oil; then God filled it.

“Get all your other jars.” And God filled them too.

“Borrow all the jars you can from your neighbors.” And God filled all of them, until there were no more empty jars in the community. The widow was able to sell the oil and pay her family’s debts. She was saved, and her sons were saved from slavery.

This story uses olive oil as an example of God pouring out his love.

How much love does God have?

How many jars do YOU have?

If you open your arms, open your mind, open your heart, God will fill it all with his great love. God has more love available than you have places to put it. Maybe some of it will overflow, and you can share God’s love with others. God blesses some with abundance, so that they can help others. And isn’t that really what life is all about, loving your God, loving your neighbor?

Many Psalms contain a few words BEFORE the actual psalm begins. In Psalm 36, we learn that David is the author, but he’s sending this Psalm to the choir director, the director of worship music. From this we learn that one of the tasks of a worship leader is to raise up the next generation of worship leaders. David orchestrated worship so that he could pass it on.

“Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” Psalm 36:5

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets at 10 am every Sunday in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, March 13, 2016, Pastor Pilla continues our study in Romans, and David Boeltl is our guest Worship Leader. Daylight Savings Time this weekend!

Radically Transformed

June 11, 2012 Monday Message:

Paul: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Cor. 5:17

Paul was the original church-planter for people outside of Israel. He found himself on a Holy Spirit-directed journey, and with Paul as your leader, it would be impossible for you to stray far from his walk. His calling as Gospel purveyor to the Gentiles was a reflection of his personal experiences.

Remember, Paul had been blinded by the light on the road to Damascus, struck down by a Holy Spirit slap, and then left with the voice of Jesus echoing in his head, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

But when God shows up in his life, Paul listens. Now instead of persecuting Christians, he was an advocate for Christians. Instead of exterminating churches, Paul was planting new ones and helping them grow. Paul had repented and returned; his position reversed; his attitude flipped around 180º. He was, indeed, radically transformed.

Paul looked for that same radical transformation in all the new churches and in all the new brothers and sisters, as a sign of their new born-again life. His epistles repeatedly tell of the old Paul dying, and Jesus being alive in the new Paul, and he looked for similar evidence of that in all the new Christians.

So as we go and make disciples of all nations, we don’t just want them to know “about” Jesus; we want them to be “radically transformed” by Jesus. Like Paul, we look for radical transformation as evidence of conversion.

Are you radically transformed?

Norton Lawellin

Remember that on July 29, Jesus in the City Sunday worship will move to the Oliver Ministry Center, 27^th Street & Bloomington Avenue. Note the new service time: 10:30am. Prayers covering this transition and move would be appreciated.

People of Hope are leading worship at New Hope Center, Metro Hope Ministries, this Friday, June 15, 7pm. Chuck Hirt will be speaking.

God Hears Your Prayers

August 01, 2011 Monday Message:

“He (The LORD) will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.” Psalms 102:17 NLT

The NLT title of Psalm 102 says it all: “A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the Lord.”

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that your perception is that there is no hope? The psalmist clearly felt that way. He pours out his problems to the Lord, praying to God: “Pay attention! This is a cry for help! And hurry—this can't wait!” verse 2 (MSG)

The psalmist is in trouble, and finds solutions not in his own doing, but in the Lord’s doing. God will hear the prayers of the destitute, and do his God-stuff to set things right.

Psalm 102 says that Zion is also in trouble. Real enemies with real weapons who easily out-number God’s people pose a real threat. “Zion” is a metaphor for the Hebrew people, the sanctified worship of God, the Temple and Jerusalem, the Holy City¬ – you know – all that God-stuff.

Interestingly, “Jerusalem” comes from the words “Ir Shalom,” which mean “city of peace.” Not just any peace – but “Shalom,” God’s peace that passes all understanding. It must bother God greatly that His Holy City is continually threatened. And in the end, God will win this battle too. “For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem. Then He will appear in his glory.” verse 16 (NLT)

So remember, no matter how bad things may look right now, God is your light at the end of the tunnel. He is always faithful, and He always knows exactly what is needed. He always wins.

Everything will be all right in the end. That’s what the Bible says.

Norton Lawellin