Forgive!

August 31, 2026:

Luke 6:37b NLT, Jesus speaking: “Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”

Jesus not only encourages us to forgive others, but has commanded us to give others a second chance, a third chance, etc. Here Jesus echoes the words in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” Since God made me aware of the unforgiveness problem, I’ve started noticing it everywhere. It’s far too prevalent in today’s world.

People with problems in their lives are often kept away from solutions because of unforgiveness, sometimes related to the problem, sometimes not. A person may have trouble with relationships because they haven’t forgiven their parents for their sad upbringing. Someone may have trouble keeping jobs because they haven’t forgiven a previous boss who was mean. Is there anyone in your own life you haven’t forgiven?

I believe God gives us a piece of paper each day with ‘Things to do Today’ written at the top, and numbers down the left side. He gave us free will, so we can include anything on our agenda that pleases us. Is ‘Holding a grudge’ on your list? Are you angry at a coworker, a fellow student or just the person driving too slow in fast lane?

Are the same people on your list every day? If so, it’s time to clean house. Let go of the bad stuff and hang on to the good stuff. Don’t make a permanent home for a grudge. Don’t make a home for a demon.

We can live better lives if we let go and let God. Let him have your grudge. Your load will be lighter if the Lord is carrying your problems!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Love Your Enemies!

For Tuesday, August 11, 2026:

Luke 6:27-28 NLT, Jesus speaking: “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”

Notice how Jesus begins: “To those who are willing to listen.” He already knows that this message may be unpopular. He’s teaching, “Love your enemies!” Seems counterintuitive. Don’t we hate our enemies?

That’s how the world works, but that’s not how Christians should operate. Jesus wants us to include enemies in our prayers. We can pray for a change in their evil ways. We can pray that they would see the light! We can pray that they would switch sides, come to know Jesus and become one of us! After all, that’s what Paul did!

Pray that our enemy would become our friend. Pray that we could let go and let God, and no longer hold a grudge. Pray that forgiveness would be our hallmark, because the Lord will forgive us as we forgive others. And as the Lord’s prayer says, “Lead us not into temptation.” Mankind so easily succumbs to temptation that we need to pray to stay far from it. We ask God to separate the sheep from the goats as he promised. If evil has crept too close to us, deliverance may be in order. Satan needs to be kept at bay, and Jesus said to pray, “Deliver us from evil.”

Every day God gives each one of us a yellow pad and a pen. At the top, write: Things To Do Today! Number down the left side. Now start filling in the lines. You get to decide your own agenda! Ideally, loving the Lord should be first. Loving your neighbors is next. Praying for your enemies should be somewhere on the list. After all, that’s what Jesus said to do!

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

Permanent Relationship!

For Wednesday, October 30, 2024:

2 John 9 NLT: “Anyone who wanders away from Jesus’ teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.”

What’s on your agenda for today? It’s easy to fill up your “to-do list” with so many things that there’s no time for God – too much on your plate! The proper amount of time to spend with the Lord is always a little bit more than you think!

Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” He taught about God and the Kingdom, so spending time with Jesus is in fact learning more about God. And here John teaches that following Jesus is knowing both the Father and the Son.

If someone claimed to be a believer but then “wandered away,” I believe it’s fair to question if they ever loved the Lord with ALL their heart. When you study everything Jesus did for us – rescuing us from our sinful world – going back is not an option.

We are saved through faith, unshakable faith!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Gift of Today

May 4, 2020 Monday Message:

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 ESV

Every 24 hours God gives us a new day, but it’s up to each of us to make the most of it. Each day is a free gift from God, but if you had to buy it, would you be getting your money’s worth?

Each morning God gives you a yellow pad, and at the top it says “Agenda” or “Things To Do Today.” You can fill the page with anything you choose – good things, bad things, fun things, stupid things – anything! Start numbering down the left side of the page, and then fill in all the lines.

You want to put God first on the list, which is as it should be. Then perhaps something for the Kingdom, and something for your home church. Maybe spend time with someone still searching for the Lord. Take a meal to a shut-in. Help out at the food shelf. Facilitate a small group or Bible study. Tithe. Offer a ride to someone who can no longer drive. Put good stuff on your agenda.

Perhaps in your old life you had some bad things on your list. For the moment, don’t worry about that. Just keep adding good things to the top of the list. Pretty soon the bad things will get pushed off the bottom. “Yes, Satan, it sounds like it might be fun to sin, but I just can’t find the time! My calendar is full with all the good stuff!”

In the musical “The Music Man,” Professor Harold Hill sang, “The idle brain is the devil’s playground!” Never were those words more true than during our current shelter-in-place pandemic. As Christians, we should do everything possible to keep our brothers and sisters connected, and to give each other’s lives structure. We’ll get through this easily if we’re part of a team, and the accomplishments of our team give our lives purpose.

So get your money’s worth out of each day. Fill up your agenda with the good stuff. Love God, love your family and love your neighbor.

May the Lord keep his hand on you and your loved ones during these trying times.

Blessings,

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship.

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