Family Business!

 

For Saturday, January 6, 2024:

Mark 3:35 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Would you like to have Jesus as your brother? You could wake up in the same house and sit at the same breakfast table. You could learn a lot about God and heaven from listening to him, things that could guide the rest of your life. The icing on the cake is that you’d both report to the same Father!

We all know about the families into which we were born, but Jesus is giving us a second family, our church family. In many ways it’s much more important than your natural family. There are good people at my church who would give the shirt off their back if it was helpful. Outside of your natural family, your best friends in the world should be your church friends. Make it a point to bond with them.

A natural family is sometimes a part of your church family, sometimes not. You might be the one appointed to evangelize, to teach your natural family about Jesus! Following him, you could be the one to lead your entire family into the hereafter!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Brothers and Sisters!

For Wednesday, September 20, 2023:

Romans 8:29-30 NLT: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he 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.”

God’s people are the believers, those 100% dedicated to God, Jesus and his plan for our salvation. Jesus is the firstborn, but as believers we are adopted into the Holy Family. Apparently God’s plan is to re-make each of the believers until they fully resemble Jesus. God taps believers on the shoulder and calls them to join his Son and all the other believers. God arranged for the price of our sins to be paid in full. Jesus took care of that. So believers are now justified in God’s sight, worthy of being his son or daughter! God’s glory now surrounds believers, eternal residents of the Kingdom! Welcome to the family!

God provided for everything!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Brothers and Sisters!

For Sunday, June 4, 2023:

Matthew 18:20 NLT, Jesus speaking: “For where two or three gather together as my followers (in my name,) I am there among them.”

Believers are adopted into the Holy Family, with all the rights and privileges of a natural-born child. Jesus said that he would be present whenever two or three gather in his name. After all, brothers and sisters often hang out together!

We must remember that when we are saved, we share incredible power with Jesus. He commissioned believers: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.” That’s a big job! Are you up for the task?

Those living for the world think these things are impossible. And believers are all converts, having come from that worldview. So we need to throw out our old ideas, our old way of thinking, our old limitations, read our Bibles and follow the words of Jesus, God’s Son, the one who promised that through faith we could move mountains!

With Jesus, the impossible becomes possible!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Brothers and Sisters

April 01, 2013 Monday Message:

Leader: He is risen!

Congregation: He is risen indeed!

We celebrated Easter yesterday, when the women found the tomb empty, and everything changed. In the garden outside the grave, Mary Magdalene first encountered the risen Jesus.

Jesus told her to share the good news: “Go tell my brothers…” from Matthew 28:10

Prior to this, the followers of Jesus were called many things: a crowd, servants, believers, disciples or apostles. But after the resurrection, Jesus calls them, “brothers.”

Studying the Bible, I’ve become increasingly aware of the relational nature of God. He desires interaction with us; it’s at the top of his agenda. This love of God – His relational spirit – is not a one-time thing. This is a God-trend, a God-characteristic. Love for mankind is the true nature of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He wants to include us!

And after the resurrection, brother and sister believers, we’ve been adopted into the Holy family, with all the rights and privileges that belong to all family members. Just like the children in our families, we’ll require discipline from time to time. But rejoice – we’re now IN the family!

See? Everything changed – for the better!

Norton Lawellin

This Sunday, the believers encounter our risen Savior on the road to Emmaus. Join us Sunday, April 07, 10:30am, Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF), in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis. Come as you are – the coffee’s on!

NL