Who's First?

For Saturday, May 23, 2026:

Colossians 1:18 NLT: “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, firstborn over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.”

The Bible says that the church is the bride of Christ, making Jesus the head of the church. Without Jesus, there would be no reason for any church to exist. Mankind could have just stayed with Synagogues. It’s important that we understand the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

Under the Old Covenant, mankind was expected to conform to God’s commandments, sometimes called the Law of Moses since God sent most of the commandments through his servant Moses. The grading scale was tough: Live life 100% right, pass; miss one, fail. Any sin disqualified a person from accessibility to heaven.

God’s desire, though, is that none would perish, so he gave us a chance to repent and return. We call this the New Covenant. God’s Son Jesus died to atone for the sins of the world. In other words, He gave us a second chance, a do-over! Forgiven believers, those who would put their faith in Jesus, are given an opportunity to see heaven from the inside!

Abbott and Costello asked, “Who’s on first?” The answer should always be, “Jesus!” He’s responsible for creation, the forgiver of mankind’s sins and head of the church! Jesus is first in everything!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Spirit World!

For Thursday, May 14, 2026:

Colossians 1:16b NLT: “Christ made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.”

There is an entire reality, parallel to our world, that we cannot see. But it affects us greatly. Many Christians dream of going to heaven, a spirit reality, but balk at believing the size and complexity of the spirit realm. It’s truly difficult to believe in what we can’t see, what we can’t verify with our own eyes.

The risen Jesus delayed Paul on the road to Damascus. Christ cleared up who he is and proved that he can do everything he promised. I believe he also gave Paul a glimpse into the life after this life. As Paul describes it to the Colossians, the world we cannot see may be greater than the one we can see. He includes kingdoms with kings on their thrones and battles between them. Just as there is good and evil on the earth, there are spirits on God’s team and demons on Satan’s team. We’d do well to watch out for the latter.

Humans live this life, and then transition to the life after this life. Very few ever return, Lazarus and a few others. Jesus is the only one who existed in the unseen reality, came to earth to forgive mankind’s propensity for sin, and then returned to the spirit realm. These facts may or may not affect our earthly lives. But God doesn’t want to hear us say, “I didn’t see that coming!” Knowing what’s ahead, we can better conform to God’s commandments.

When we approach the pearly gates, they’ll say, “We’ve been expecting you!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Forever and Ever!

For Wednesday, May 13, 2026:

Colossians 1:15b-16a NLT: “The Son existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.”

This scripture lines up perfectly with John’s Gospel account: “Jesus existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”

Therefore, we know that Jesus existed long before our world was created, and long before he came to earth in human form. When he showed up, it was big news to mankind. God’s people had been watching and waiting for the promised Messiah. They were excited to meet Jesus and hear him speak! None of this was news to God, whose Son had been around from the beginning.

What we need to remember is that Jesus is a perpetual spirit, just like Father God. The Son was here before the creation of our world, and he’ll be here long after it’s gone. The place Jesus prepares for us will be in the New Heaven and the New Earth. When Jesus’ forgiveness promises to give us eternal life in the presence of the Father, we can’t even imagine how long that is. The Father and the Son have set us up for a life expectancy similar to their own.

We are only on this earth for a very short time – like a blink of an eye! I believe eternity is somewhat beyond our comprehension. I cannot over-stress the importance of being on the right side of things as we transition from this reality to the next. Decide today to live in harmony with God and mankind, until we get a face-to-face meeting with God’s Son! It may happen sooner than you think!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Eternal Life!

For Saturday, April 25, 2026:

Romans 8:11 NLT: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

Two important things happened between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. First, the sins of the world were heaped upon Jesus, who was otherwise sinless. His primary mission in coming to earth was the rescue of mankind from our sin problem. I believe this occurred when Jesus declared, “It is finished.” His mission had been accomplished. He would take those sins to the place of the dead, leaving mankind spotless, eligible to take up residence in God’s heavenly Kingdom.

And on resurrection Sunday, Jesus was raised from the dead and walked out of the tomb. He proved to everyone that there is life after this life, and that death is not the end. Believers, those who call Jesus “Lord,” will receive that same reward. We call it Assurance of Salvation.

If you’re looking for a guarantee of someday seeing heaven from the inside, here it is. No other religion can promise Assurance of Salvation. This scripture quotes the words of Jesus, which we know to be true! They’re in the Bible, which is also truth!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Advent!

 December 1, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 1:59b-60 NLT: “They wanted to name Elizabeth’s baby Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

As this baby matured, we would know him as John the Baptist. John was the forerunner, opening people’s minds and hearts as he set the stage for Jesus.

We too prepare for Jesus’ arrival with the Christian tradition of Advent, which means the arrival of something of great importance. On the church calendar, Advent is the four weeks preceding Christmas. Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, with three more to come. Advent is not in the Bible, although God arranged for John to pave the way for Jesus.

In the US, with Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) and Thanksgiving behind us, our focus turns to Christmas. We bring trees and decorative branches indoors. We wrap special gifts for the wee ones. We lend extra support to charitable needs in our communities.

But most of all, we should keep Christ in Christmas. Yes, we’re celebrating Jesus’ arrival, his human birthday. But more importantly, we’re celebrating the rescue of mankind and the forgiving of our sins. And having been forgiven, Jesus prepared a place for us in the hereafter, eternity in the presence of the Lord. We’re celebrating the Assurance of Salvation for believers, made possible by his Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

My Lord!

For Saturday, July 19, 2025:

Mark 12:36 AMP: “David himself said [when inspired] by the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord (the Father) said to my Lord (the Son, the Messiah): Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’”

Jesus was teaching in the Temple, which in and of itself seems odd since the Temple leaders weren’t big fans of Jesus. Part of what he was doing was correcting incorrect theology put forth by the other Temple teachers. In this case, they were claiming that the Messiah was David’s son. Not so!

In Psalm 101, David himself wrote, “The Lord said to my Lord...” So the first “Lord,” God Almighty, was speaking to the other “Lord,” Jesus the Messiah. It’s a confusing generational puzzle the way it’s stated, but the Amplified Bible helps clear things up!

If you want to learn theology, choose your teacher carefully. Jesus is a safe bet. God’s Son would certainly know what’s going on with God stuff! It’s called truth, and the Bible is full of it. The “High View” of the Bible believes that every word is true, and that things happened just the way the Bible says. But be discerning. A lot of bad stuff happened in the Bible. The text documents it accurately, but we should not engage in such behavior.

Remember, the Lord (God) spoke to our Lord, and our Lord should be Jesus the Christ!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Kingdom of God!

May 19, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 11:20 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If I am casting out demons by the power (the hand) of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.”

John-the-Baptist’s mission was to prepare the population for Jesus’ arrival. He told people to repent and return, because the Kingdom of God was coming soon. In other words, get your lives in order because God’s about to show up!

And here he is, Jesus, the anointed one, the Christ, heaven-sent, performing miracle after miracle in the name of the Father. Yes friends, with the arrival of Jesus, God’s Kingdom had arrived on earth! Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” With the power of God, he could cast out demons and cure any ailment! Jesus wields the power of our Creator!

For my 2¢, I wish the Bible and our churches made a much bigger song and dance of the arrival of God’s Kingdom. That is what was predicted, that is what everyone was waiting for, and now, here it is! (Perhaps some believed the Kingdom arrived 30 years earlier!)

Old Testament scriptures predicted a Messiah would come to rescue mankind. Now here he is! Those present needed to focus in on what was happening right before their eyes. We need to learn from those eyewitnesses. The Kingdom of God had arrived! Jesus said so!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Scapegoat!

For Thursday, March 13, 2025:

Leviticus 16:26 NLT: The Lord said to Moses, “The man chosen to drive the scapegoat into the wilderness of Azazel must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water. Then he may return to the camp.”

On the day of Atonement, a priest of the Israelites would symbolically place everyone’s sins on the head of a goat, and drive that animal so far into the wilderness that it could not return. The object was to separate the people from sin. This is where we get the word “scapegoat.” The goat had done nothing wrong but was paying the penalty for the Israelite’s sins.

In a way, Jesus is our scapegoat. He was sinless, but on the cross, he took the sins of the world upon himself, leaving believers pure and innocent, suitable to take up residence in God’s heavenly kingdom. This exchange is God’s free gift to those who honor the Son with their faith. This free gift is called “grace,” an undeserved gift.

Today is the best day to commit or re-commit ourselves to Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. We want to be found without sin when heaven opens its gates. We want to see heaven from the inside!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Teams!

For Friday, December 6, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 1:12 NLT: “The name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you (believers) live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

It’s like choosing up sides for a game, except our eternal destination is no game! It’s serious business!

God desires each of us on his team. Those who make a decision to follow the Son are on God’s side, while those rejecting the Son are on the other team. God honors those on his team, and believers being on the Lord’s side honors God. It’s an unbalanced symbiotic relationship, in which the believers benefit greatly. In the end, there are only two teams, God’s team and the wrong one.

Honor God today by choosing to be on his team. He’ll honor you by choosing you for his eternal Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Son of God!

For Thursday, October 17, 2024:

Matthew 16:15-16 NLT: “Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do you say I am?’

Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one; the Son of the living God.’”

Believers are adopted into the Holy Family, children of God, and therefore, modern-day disciples. If you had been in that group and Jesus called upon you to answer his question, would you have the correct answer on the tip of your tongue, just like Simon Peter?

Messiah is a Hebrew word; Christ is a Greek word; both mean anointed one, the one chosen by God himself. Peter is testifying that Jesus is more than just another human being. Jesus is “heaven-sent,” sent by God Almighty to offer forgiveness of sins to believers, and to course-correct religion on earth.

Even those who knew God and loved the Lord got the details of religion wrong. Even those who worshiped at the Temple and taught at the Temple didn’t get religion right. I believe the most egregious error was the lack of compassion and caring for others. To say that people at that time were self-centered would be an understatement. The people needed to be taught about being nice, kind, helpful and loving their neighbors. That’s what the Bible said long before Jesus came to earth. It’s time everyone got it right!

Jesus knows exactly what we need to do. After all, he’s the Son of the Living God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Worthy!

For Sunday, January 28, 2024:

Mark 8:29 NLT: “Then Jesus asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’

Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah.’”

The disciples traveled with Jesus and ate meals with him. They had witnessed miracle after miracle. They were armed with eyewitness evidence, and Jesus asks if they had learned from what they saw: “Who do you say I am?”

Peter was the spokesman for the group. The correct answer was obvious: “You are the Messiah,” the Christ, HaMoshiach, which all mean “anointed one.” In any language, we acknowledge that Jesus was heaven-sent.

As we worship today, Jesus’ question is now before each of us: “Who do you say I am?” We no longer need Peter to answer on our behalf. All of us can shout out, “You are the Messiah, Son of the living God!”

That’s why we worship. That’s why we praise him – because he is worthy!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Sin Problem

For Thursday, August 31, 2023:

Romans 7:15 NLT: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.”

OK – Show of hands: How many of us can identify with Paul’s dilemma? When at the end of the day, we reflect on that day’s events, we find some sinful incidents when our goal was to remain sinless. It’s confusing to Paul, and should be confusing to us as well.

Fortunately our old self died with Christ, and our new self is living under the New Covenant: love, forgiveness and second chances. Our goal is to live a good life and to unflinchingly stick with Jesus.

As for the sin issue, Jesus has our back!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Eyewitness!

March 13, 2023 Monday Message:

1John 1:3-4 NLT: “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

In a court of law, nothing is more convincing than an eyewitness account. “I was there; I saw exactly what happened with my own two eyes!” This Epistle author isn’t relating theories or predictions of what might occur. Rather, it’s a true account of what he and his community experienced first hand.

Christians were known for being happy, kind and full of love and joy. Their purpose in sharing the Good News wasn’t just to sign up more people. They were extremely pleased with their Christian decision, and wanted others to share in their joy! Living with joy and happiness was new to most of these seekers. The early church grew because people liked what they saw and wanted to become a part of it.

You can use your eyes to see the truth!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Jesus' Attitude!

For Sunday, January 22, 2023:

Philippians 2:5 NLT: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

Because Jesus took up life alongside mankind on earth, he brought a simplicity, a practicality to worshiping the Father. Jesus was direct and acted quickly, adding immediacy to the day. If it was time to pray, do it now! On the Sabbath, let’s all gather for worship - now! If someone attending our worship needs healing, let’s do that first, and then get right back to worship!

Temple priests, Pharisees and Sadducees had complicated religion with ceremonies and rituals. Those aren’t necessarily bad, but following the ritual had become more important than the actual worship of the Lord, and that was wrong. Nothing is more important than honoring the Lord. God doesn’t need ‘fancy.’ But he does need ‘sincere.’

This scripture isn’t just about worship. As we live our lives, we make thousands of decisions every day, some of them right, and some of them wrong. Our average would improve if we’d stop and ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?,” and then do that!

Let us all strive to take on Jesus’ attitude and passion for his (our) Father!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship