Trust in Jesus!

March 2, 2026, Monday Message:

John 14:1 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.“

Followers of Jesus were worried. First off, all the Hebrews were living under Roman rule, and while the Romans tolerated religion, they really didn’t like it. They believed in all their false gods, like a god for rain, for a bountiful harvest, for the sun and moon and stars. Some Romans even claimed that Caesar was God. Of course, he wasn’t.

Next problem, the followers of Jesus found themselves at odds with the Temple leaders. The Temple wanted to be in charge of Hebrew religion, and didn’t like this relative newcomer Jesus pulling worshipers out of the Temple, which also pulled their tithes out of the Temple. As with many things in life, if you’re trying to figure out what’s wrong, just follow the money! Also, when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, they considered it blasphemy. The Temple attitude was, “We’ve always done things this way, and we’re not about to change.”

Jesus wants to comfort the loyal believers, put them at ease, have them not worry. Rest assured knowing that Jesus and his Father are in charge. Since they’re the creators of everything, we know their power. We can securely leave everything in their hands. Trust God, and trust his Son.

So friends, don’t worry about the future, in this life or the next. Don’t let your heart be troubled. Don’t give defeat a second thought. Put a smile on your face, a Bible in your hand, Jesus in your heart and optimism in your head. With Jesus at the helm, everything will be A-OK. He said so himself! He promised!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Jesus' True Words!

October 6, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 20:17b NLT, Jesus, quoting Psalm 118:22: “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

Last Sunday, our preacher stated that the death of a martyr often triggers a revival or a revolution. When Jesus was about to face death, He was rejected by all those who should have been his biggest supporters: Priests, Bible teachers, Pharisees and Temple leaders. His (Father’s) foundational principles became the cornerstone of The Way, which became Christianity, the world’s largest religion with 2.3B followers. Turns out that it’s best to NOT reject Jesus!

Any gods prior to Jesus (and his Father) were fictitious, made-up gods. Back then, you could buy a god-statuette – even a nice silver one – at the local market, bring it home and put it up on your mantle. And what you had was a nice decoration, not any kind of a real God. Jesus performed healings and miracles that were well documented. Jesus even raised a few people from the dead, notably Lazarus, the Centurion’s son and the Widow’s Son. After Jesus, there was a significant decrease in fictitious gods, because Jesus’ actions were factually recorded.

Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Every word Jesus said has proven to be true, and this statement is no exception. People who say that all religions lead to heaven are wrong.

Other examples: Martin Luther was trying to get his denomination back to the Bible. He nailed his list of issues to the church door in Wittenberg. He used Gutenberg’s printing method to publish the Bible in his native language. He was never trying to break away from the church or to start a new religion. But when he passed, his followers continued the work, calling themselves “Lutherans,” and Protestant Christianity was born.

In 1964, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. He continued on that path while preaching Jesus until his demise. When he was assassinated in 1968, the Civil Rights movement went into high gear. The protests, marches and positive changes increased. His efforts changed our country forever.

I always try to keep these messages non-political. Our topic is Jesus, not politics. But I couldn’t help but notice the many references to Jesus and forgiveness as the news covered Charlie Kirk’s memorial service. Perhaps Jesus will serve as the common denominator to draw our nation back together. Perhaps we will love one another once again! After all, that’s what Jesus said to do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Generational Disfunction!

For Tuesday, December 10, 2024:

Deuteronomy 5:9b-10 NLT, God’s words: “I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”

Our God claims to be a jealous God. He wants 100% of your allegiance 100% of the time. But friends, think about it: there really are no other gods, so I don’t know if God is jealous as much as he is a truth advocate. He has no patience for competing with fictitious, made-up gods. His desire is that everyone get on-board with him, the one true God, and the only God!

Children attend church with their parents. Therefore any spiritual misinformation gets passed down from one generation to the next...and the next, and the next. As we’re still to honor our parents, it’s a difficult pattern to break. Understand that God doesn’t automatically condemn the third and fourth generations, but it’s bound to happen when children follow in their parent’s footsteps.

God wants us to have enough courage to step away from what we were taught, read our Bibles and then pursue truth. v10 “I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

Get on the right track, God’s truth track!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship