God Acknowledged!

For Saturday, May 7, 2022:

Psalm 111:10 VOICE: “Reverence for the Eternal is the first step toward wisdom. All those who worship Him have a good understanding. His praise will echo through eternity!”

Scientists try to explain the creation of the planets, and the creation of mankind. Many claim a “big bang,” but they never get to the bottom of who caused the ‘bang’ or who knew just how ‘big’ it needed to be. The only plausible explanation is Divine Intervention by a Creator God.

By studying these things, mankind is trying to gain knowledge. The Bible tells us that the first step in gaining knowledge is acknowledging the Lord. Many scientific questions are answered in great detail in the Bible, and the accounts of creation are the best explanation for how mankind came to be.

Trusting in the God and the Bible satisfies our curiosity and gives us hope!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Worship the Lord!

For Sunday, February 27, 2022

Genesis 12:8 NLT: “Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord.”

Abram acknowledged that our Creator God was in charge of everything. He would frequently stop, build an altar and take time to worship Almighty God. Praising the Lord was high on his things-to-do-today list!

Nowadays we don’t have to build an altar. There are churches nearby, right in our neighborhoods, and we can gather for worship there. It’s amazingly easy to follow Abram’s example and lift up our Creator as the amazing God that He is!

Today is the accepted day to worship the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Greatness of God!

February 21, 2022 Monday Message

Psalm 145:3 NLT: “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.”

This scripture is a psalm, a prayer and a hymn, but from David’s perspective, it’s his testimony! David’s life has been up and down. After being anointed as the next king of the Israelites, many tried to kill him. During his reign he was close to God, then far from God. After repenting and returning, he was again close to God, and from that place comes his testimony: God is great! God is the greatest ever! No one among us can understand just how great God is or measure his greatness!

The Bible says, “Nothing is impossible with God!” Nothing! As humans with scientific knowledge of mankind’s limitations, we tend to wrongly apply those same limitations to our perception of God. It’s wrong because God can do things beyond our wildest dreams! God formed an entire universe where nothing previously existed. God formed mankind out of dust and personally breathed life into our nostrils. When things got off-track, God could cause a great flood, and then rebuild earth’s population! Friends, there is nothing that God cannot do!

No one among us can measure God’s greatness, but we should all appreciate it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Creator God!

For Sunday, January 16, 2022

Psalm 139:13 NLT: “O Lord, you made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

God saw everything that he created and declared it to be “very good,” and that includes mankind, created in his image, male and female he made them. To every living thing that God created he gave the ability to reproduce after its own kind.

Think about this: If God didn’t like mankind, he wouldn’t want any more of us. We would just die out. But God didn’t do that. The number of humans is ever-increasing! There is hope not only for ourselves, but also for our children’s children, because God considers the earth and everything in it to be very good!

God, who knows what he’s doing, is in the creation business!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Son of God!

For Sunday, October 17, 2021

John 2:16 Phillips: “Then Jesus said to the pigeon-dealers, ‘Take those things out of here. Don’t you dare turn my Father’s house into a market!’”

There are skeptics who claim that Jesus never fully identified himself. But here he claims YHWH as his Father! So Jesus did claim to be the “Son of God!”

At Jesus’ baptism, the heavens opened and a voice boomed out: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” So we know that God claims Jesus as his Son.

I always say that God puts good people in key places, and expects them to use their God-given intelligence. Simon-Peter, the Apostle, had traveled with Jesus for some time and had heard the wisdom and witnessed the miracles. Jesus asked him, “Who do you say that I am?”

Peter responded: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” Peter knew.

The object of Christian worship is God, his Son Jesus, and the Spirit helping us nowadays – one God, known to us in three persons.

See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Intelligent Design!

March 9, 2020 Monday Message:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

Intelligent Design vs Incredible Coincidence? What do you think?

In spite of a lot of deep space exploration, we have discovered no other planet suitable for human life. There is nothing else out there, no other home for us. If the earth were any closer to the sun, we would burn up. If we were farther away, everything would freeze. Where we are is perfect. No planet is like ours!

In addition to our planet earth, we have also been given a moon! The moon keeps our oceans alive. The daily tides are not too big, not too small – in a word, perfect. If the moon were larger, tides would be like perpetual tsunami. And without tides, the ocean would stagnate and die. The way tides are is perfect, and it’s because of the moon.

Do all planets have water? Most don’t, but ours does. With most substances, the solid form is more dense than the liquid form, but water is the exception. The solid form is lighter – ice floats, right? This is why lakes freeze from the top down, ice on top, liquid underneath, so fresh-water aquatic creatures can survive.

Vegetation uses our carbon dioxide as part of photosynthesis, and in turn gives us oxygen, which mankind needs to survive. There always seems to be enough oxygen to go around – I’d say God has our back on this one. The ratio seems to be ideal.

For life as we know it to come into existence, far too many things have to be exactly right for me to believe it’s a coincidence. I’m sticking with Intelligent Design!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, March 15, 2020, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. Pastor Michael Pilla opens up Luke 6.

Psalms 148 - Praise the Creator!

July 2, 2018 Monday Message:

“Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For His name is very great!” Psalms 148:13a NIV

Psalm 148 is one big “Praise the Lord,” psalm. It says that everything -  sun, moon, stars, angels, skies, clouds, and every created thing – should praise the Lord. God has created everything and placed it exactly where it needs to be, and so it shall stay forever and ever.

Praise Him from land and from the oceans. Fire, hail, snow, clouds, wind and weather obey him. Mountains, trees, plants, animals, birds, women and men – even kings of the earth should praise Him.

This all makes sense when you realize that our world is far too complex to be an accident. When the best scientific minds studying creation hit a brick wall, the only explanation can be Divine Intervention. And armed with the fact that God is the bottom-line Creator of all things, praising Him makes a lot of sense.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, July 8, 2018, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. We continue in Hebrews - guest Worship Leader David Boeltl.

Psalms 147 - "God Summary"

June 25, 2018 Monday Message:

“How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension.” Psalms 147:5 NLT

Psalm 147 is a “God summary.” It starts out praising the Lord; then praising his creation, our earth; acknowledging God’s care and protection for his people; and finally, detailing many created things, although certainly not an exhaustive list.

Rain, grass, animals, birds, children, and food are all credited to the Creator. Think about it - if something exists, it must have been created. This psalm explains that the ‘someone’ is our Creator God. It was explained to me that if you’re wearing a watch, there must somewhere be a watchmaker.

“God sends peace across your nation.” God makes peace possible. The Bible also teaches us that peace will return when Jesus returns. Ps. 147:14a

Perhaps this is your time to get on the right side of things, to get on the ‘God team.’ “The Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Ps. 147:11

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together - Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, July 1, 2018, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. I’ll open up Hebrews 6:13-20: Our Hope is in Jesus! See you at church!

Psalms 139 - God the Creator

April 30, 2018 Monday Message:

“Lord, see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:24 NIV

It seems that as people get older, they become more concerned with things eternal. God, formerly on the back burner, suddenly becomes the hot topic of the day.

But God isn’t just there for you in your final days; He’s been there from your beginning. “You, God, created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Ps. 139:13

Did God do a good job? Yes! “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Ps. 139:14

God wants you to walk with him 24/7, from before your birth until after your death.

And get ready - there IS life after this life – Jesus said so! He personally conquered sin and death on the same day!

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, May 6, 2018, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM, when I’ll begin our sermon series in Hebrews. See you at church.

Psalms 115 - Not to Us

Oct. 23, 2017 Monday Message:

“Not to us, but to your name be the glory.” from Psalms 115:1 NIV

Psalm 115 compares man-made idol-gods with the one true God.

You can see the idol, because it is fashioned by mankind. They give it eyes, but it cannot see; ears but it cannot hear; mouths that cannot speak. Those who make them will be like them, not seeing the truth, not speaking the truth.

Our God, whom we cannot see, is aware of every move we make. He will help us, shield us and bless us. The Lord will cause the believers and their children to flourish.

Those who are spiritually dead do not praise the Lord. But we believers praise the Lord, now and forever. He is, after all, the creator of everything!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship gathers next Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. Pastor Michael Pilla opens up 1 Corinthians 14. See you there!

Life, Liberty, Happiness!

July 03, 2017 Monday Message:

This is the July 4^th holiday week, and many people are taking today off as well, making a marvelous 4-day weekend. July 4^th is the day we celebrate our nation’s independence as a sovereign nation. After that date in 1776, the United States of America was no longer under the control of any European country – we became our own entity.

The Declaration of Independence clearly states some of the principles upon which our nation was founded, ‘truths’ that should be ‘self evident.’

‘Endowed by their Creator’ tells us that our founding fathers had knowledge of and a belief in a God, the Creator of all things. They believed that this Creator intended for each person to have certain unalienable God-given rights — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are not optional – they are from God.

The Declaration states that if people are deprived of the rights which the ‘Laws of Nature and Nature’s God’ guarantee, they have the right to rebel and declare their independence, and that’s what the colonies did, becoming the United States of America.

Our country isn’t perfect. Good leaders come and go, and good policies come and go. But taken as a whole, our country is still a great place to live. As Christians, we can continue to remind our neighbors that this great nation was founded to insure the rights promised by God-the Creator.

Have a safe 4^th – and remember to thank God for our country!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship gathers next Sunday, July 9, 2017, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. See you at church!