God's Top 10!

For Tuesday, February 17, 2026:

Romans 7:1 NLT: “Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living?”

God gave us laws, sometimes called commandments. They are not optional. God’s laws define sin, and help us get along with God and with one another. Laws are for the living. There may be other laws when we reach the next reality of heaven. We’ll find out on a need-to-know basis.

There are 613 commandments in scripture, things God said we should do. Some are to honor God, while others keep us safe and healthy. Some help us interact with others. A few laws were given from the start, from creation. Others were added along the way. Moses received the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai as the Jews were relocating from Egypt to the Promised Land. Most Christians only know about God’s Top 10! It’s not a bad start!

A lot of what we call commandments are really common sense nowadays. If we’d stop and think a situation through to it’s logical conclusion, we’d already know the best way to proceed. The New Covenant gave mankind a conscience, so that we’d instinctively know right from wrong. God’s laws are written on our hearts so we can’t forget or lose them. We advise people to “do the next right thing.” You should already know what it is!

If you’re alive, you’re living under God’s laws. As we counsel others to follow Jesus, they too need to know about God’s laws. Once everyone understands that the words in the Bible are God-inspired and are the true, obeying His commandments will make a lot of sense!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Common sense!

For Saturday, October 26, 2024:

John 7:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Jesus was criticized for healing on the Sabbath. Some even wanted to kill him for that sin. But it turns out that our God is also a God of common sense.

Jesus, Son of God, saw that someone could be healed. They were miserable, and he held the solution. What a wonderful gift for that person to be healed on God’s Holy Day. The man will never forget just how good a Sabbath can be!

Male Jewish infants are to be circumcised on the eighth day, and if that falls on the Sabbath, they still do the work. 2,000 years ago, people lived in an agriculture-based society, so everyone fed and watered their animals, even though it might be the Sabbath. It seems the Temple leaders were OK with their agenda for the Sabbath, just not Jesus’ Sabbath behavior.

I’ve used this example before. Pretend you’re driving home from church, and you see a mom with two little kids in her car, and the vehicle has a flat tire. Should you stop and help, or express sympathy and tell her you’ll be back on Monday when work is allowed? She has a big problem now, and needs a solution now, not tomorrow. It’s the perfect time to love your neighbor and to do what Jesus would have done, and Jesus always did the right thing!

Kindness, helpfulness and compassion are not limited to six days a week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God-trend!

For Wednesday, November 30, 2022:

Proverbs 3:21-22a NLT: “My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul.”

God made mankind in his image, and equipped us with brains. It’s always good to consult the Bible, but we should be able to figure out a lot of things on our own. After all, God wrote his laws on our hearts, so we should instinctively know right from wrong.

Humans tend to consult God about individual incidents, but I believe God is more concerned with trends. It’s good if you help your neighbor clear their sidewalk, but God wants to see multiple incidents of kindness – the trend. God wants to see that you’re loving your neighbor as yourself – that you’re a kind person – all the time.

Trends become habits. If you’re in the habit of helping others – of being kind – that behavior tends to repeat itself. If you’re in the habit of loving your neighbor, it becomes second nature, the first thing you think of.

May our love for our neighbor grow to be our personal trend!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

New Covenant!

May 23, 2022 Monday Message:

Jeremiah 31:33-34 NLT: “This is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

Under this New Covenant, God gave us three things: common sense, a conscience and forgiveness. A simple look around should let you know that there is a God, an Intelligent Designer. It’s springtime, and I look at the variety of trees all getting new leaves in just the proper amount, magically recovering from the winter. It’s no accident! We were recently blessed with a new grandson, ever so tiny, but with all the necessary parts! It’s no accident! There IS a God!

God also wrote his value system on our hearts. He gave us a conscience. Everyone knows it’s wrong to lie, to steal and to murder. You can check the Commandments or examine the laws of our land, but everyone already knows we shouldn’t do certain things. We instinctively know how to treat our families and our neighbors.

It was Jesus who brought the New Covenant to the rest of us, to the Gentiles! Our faith is rewarded with forgiveness and a place in God’s eternal Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Common Sense vs The Law!

November 8, 2021 Monday Message

Matthew 12:9 TLB: “Then Jesus went over to the synagogue.”

It was the Sabbath, so of course Jesus went to worship. The question came up about which tasks were appropriate on the Lord’s Day.

A man was present with a deformed hand, and the Pharisees asked Jesus if the Law permitted healing on the Sabbath. In the strictest sense, no work is allowed on the Sabbath, but Jesus taught that common sense should prevail. We are always to love our neighbor, but especially on the Sabbath. We should approach worship with love and kindness, figuring out what we can do that would be helpful. Jesus healed the man, restored his hand, which turned out to be Jesus’ death sentence with the Pharisees. But Jesus did the right thing, used common sense!

If you’re driving home from church and come upon a bad accident, don’t explain that it’s the Sabbath and you need to wait for the sun to set, for it to become a new day, and then you could call for help! No! Take out your little cell phone and call 911 right away. It’s the right thing to do. It’s what Jesus would do!

God puts good people in key positions, gives us brains, and expects us to figure out the right thing to do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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