Home Eternal!

For Tuesday, November 4, 2025:

Hebrews 11:16 NLT: “God’s people were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has (already) prepared a city for them.”

People should always want to advance, to do better. Thinking that life can just settle in one place is lazy thinking. The truth is, we’re either moving closer to God or backsliding. Close to God should be our goal!

God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) created a lot more than inanimate objects. There are plants, animals and finally, human beings. After we were created, God declared the results to be “very good.” In fact, God loves us. He said so. His desire is that none would perish, that all would repent and return. When mankind got off track, he sent Jesus to take away our sins. He wants us to appear sinless so that we can join him in the next reality. There is a special place prepared for believers. We have a reservation in Heaven’s hotel! God said so!

It will please the Lord to have believers join him in the hereafter!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

We Are the Church!

June 23, 2025, Monday Message:

Hebrews 3:6 NLT: “Jesus Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.”

In Heaven’s pecking order, Jesus sponsors the earthly faithful. When we knock on the pearly gates, we can point and say, “I’m with that one guy over there, the man seated just to the right of God!” Picture Jesus jumping up and welcoming you with open arms!

In the Bible, Jesus’ welcoming doesn’t mention any church building. And Jesus steers clear of including a specific denomination. Heaven isn’t about man-made rules or organizations. Heaven, the House of God, is always about people, specifically those who claim Jesus as God’s Son and Lord and Savior of their lives. And a Savior will do just what the name says. He will usher the faithful into his heavenly reality.

At my Sunday church, we’re frequently challenged: “Who is the church?”

The congregation shouts back, “WE are the church!” Not the building, not a denomination, but people! Believers are the church!

Today’s scripture was written as a response to backsliders, those who might lose their fire and backslide out of the fellowship. Following the Christian path isn’t always easy, but the reward at the end makes it worth our effort!

Today is the best day to take backsliding off the table. Let’s all commit or re-commit ourselves to knowing Jesus as Lord. Ask him to live in your heart today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

All in!

For Sunday, April 21, 2024:

Colossians 3:17 ESV: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

The new person, the born-again person, lives life, all of life, for Jesus! If you’re “all in” with the Jesus program, there’s no going back! There’s no changing your mind. Backsliding shouldn’t be an option!

I’ve previously compared a life dedicated to serving Jesus to getting into a swimming pool. The wrong way to do it is to go to the shallow end and put one toe at a time into the water, because you’re still not sure. The right way to do is to approach the deep end, get a running start, jump high in the air, and – ker-splash! If the water’s cold or hot, it doesn’t matter. You’re fully immersed in the Savior, and that’s a good place to be! Furthermore, it’s an “all in” commitment. If the going gets tough, none of us can levitate our bodies up and out of the water. Like I said, there’s no going back!

There is no decision more important than making an “all in” commitment to Jesus!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Re-turn to God!

For Tuesday, August 8, 2023:

Psalm 44:23-24 NLT: “Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?”

This situation reminds me of one of my favorite analogies. Each day as evening comes, we say the sun sets. In fact the sun is right where it’s always been. It’s the earth that turned away from the sun!

Now pretend with me that the sun represents God, and we’re all on the earth. God never leaves us. God never sleeps. If mankind has trouble connecting with God, it may be that we turned away! Perhaps God lost his priority in our lives. Perhaps sin distracted us. Whatever the reason, the solution is to turn, to re-turn to God. Give him that place of honor in your life, like he deserves. Vow to never backslide again!

On a larger scale, consider our country. In the US, only 64% identify as Christian, and fewer than half of them bother to attend a church. NPR reports that America’s Christian majority is on track to end! In other words, more and more people in the US are turning away from the Lord. Yes, our country is in trouble. Yes, as a country we need to stop backsliding and give God the place of honor we promised, “One nation, under God!” Only the Lord can get our nation back on track.

God is right where he’s always been, waiting to hear from us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship