Captives Freed!

For Friday, July 3, 2026:

John 8:36 NLT: “If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

This is freedom week in the US. July 4^th is Independence Day, but this year, many moved the legal holiday to the 3^rd. Banks were closed, but mail was delivered. I don’t get it! Well, the actual day doesn’t matter as long as we’re celebrating the Son setting us free!

When the Bible says that Jesus set the captives free, it’s not talking about lawbreaking convicted prisoners getting loose. Christian or not, some people are willing slaves to sins, things that will eventually take us down. We all know people who are slaves to addictions, depression, pornography, suicidal thoughts, anger, fear, anxiety, and a whole lot more! (This isn’t an exhaustive list!) Jesus came to bring freedom to people held captive by spiritual demons. Satan writes out the list.

Our country is free from monarchs and principalities. We just need to get better at fighting Satan and his little demon-helpers. We can pray for freedom in the name of Jesus, because he wants believers to be free from Satanic influence. Lose all the bad stuff that can take you down, and live in the pure light that grants us freedom.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world!” His way is the best way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Spirit of God!

For Thursday, July 2, 2026:

Romans 8:9 NLT: “As believers, we are not controlled by our sinful nature. We are controlled by the Spirit if we have the Spirit of God living in us.”

This is freedom week in the US, which begs the question, “Are we really free?” Our country has laws, rules if you will, and not following the rules will result in a penalty. A fine or imprisonment will be the result of not following the rules. So we remain free as long as we obey the rules.

My point is that we have a choice. Most people choose to obey our laws, so their lives go on smoothly, without incident. But if we choose to disobey, all hell can break loose. Literally. Inviting Satan into our lives is always a bad choice.

Fortunately, believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He is the insulator that keeps believers separated from the evil one. Light and darkness cannot coexist. Light always wins. We have the freedom to choose light or darkness. Our choice will have eternal consequences, and eternity is a very long time!

Joshua advises us to “Choose today whom you will serve.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Slave or Free?

For Wednesday, July 1, 2026:

Romans 8:2 NLT: “Because we belong to Christ, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death.”

This coming weekend, people in the US will be celebrating freedom, so let’s use that for our topic for a while. On July 4^th, we remember the Declaration of Independence, declaring the 13 original colonies independent from European rule, specifically the British monarchy. We fought them in the Revolutionary War, won, and determined that states united were better (safer) than states separated. Subsequently, a constitution was written for the United States of America.

Are we really free? Probably not totally, but life seems better under our own government rather than someone else’s government. Our country has endured for 250 years!

In our minds, we need to separate our earthly life from our spiritual life. The Bible uses the word “doulos” which is often translated as servant. A better translation would be “slave,” but “slave” carries a negative connotation to a lot of people. As much as translators tried to clean the text, the fact remains that we are slaves serving the Lord.

What’s unusual for slaves is that we get to choose who to serve. We’ll be working for Satan or for Christ Almighty! Joshua chose wisely. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Have you made a similar choice?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Do What's Right!

For Tuesday, February 24, 2026:

Romans 7:15-17 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. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

Have you ever found yourself in a similar predicament? You’ve been introduced to Jesus, you believe, and want to live your life his way. And yet you find yourself slipping back into your old, sinful behavior. In spite or your best intentions, the author of sin makes sin look attractive and drags you down into the muck once again. You don’t want to do wrong. You swore you’d never do those bad things again. And yet here we find ourselves!

The author of this Epistle is as human as we are. “I want to do what is right, but instead I do what I hate.” Fortunately, there is no limit to God’s love. If our heartfelt desire is to do the right thing, we can confess, repent and return to the Lord as often as need be. God offers forgiveness in abundance, free to all who confess and plead for redemption.

I believe that the longer we’re believers, the fewer encounters we’ll have with sin. We will become better people, more acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. He’ll need to forgive us less often because we’ll have a firmer grip on living according to God’s instructions.

When in doubt, just do what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Truth!

For Saturday, December 16, 2023:

John 8:31b-32 NLT, Jesus speaking: “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

In our hearts, we should all desire the truth. Life can be complicated, far too complicated at times. Likewise, churches and denominations have become far too complicated. So let’s listen to Jesus. He simplifies our desire to know God.

As Jesus was delivering these words, earthly citizens could be thought of as two distinct groups: Those who believed in Jesus, and those who didn’t. Simple. A few believed Jesus was heaven-sent, the Messiah, the Son of God. But a great many didn’t have a clue. They were faithful to the Old Testament rules and laws, faithful to the Pharisees, and faithful to the Roman government. Governments and denominations conger up new rules all the time. For them, philosophy and religions are moving targets. But Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

If you want to uncomplicate your life, sign up with Jesus. Do what he said to do and believe what he taught. Every word Jesus spoke is truth, straightforward and right to the point. Believing in Jesus comes with a heavenly reward!

The truth will set you free!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Redeemed!

For Sunday, July 3, 2022:

Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV, speaking of believers and Jesus: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

'Death,’ in this context, refers to being eternally separated from the Lord. Living in constant fear of that is no way to live. Jesus changed everything! Through his sacrifice on the cross, he pre-paid our sin-penalty and redeemed us from condemnation. He went ahead to prepare a place for the faithful. If you’re a believer, Jesus set you free from the law and set you free from your sins. Jesus granted that freedom to all who believe!

If you’re a believer, there’s a place in heaven with your name on it! Jesus said so!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Redemption!

For Friday, July 1, 2022:

Romans 8:1-2 NLT: “Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

I think we’d have a better understanding of sin, judgment and heavenly eternity if there were some visible sin-sign. A lightning bolt in the sky would make us stop and say, “Whoops! I shouldn’t have done that!”

As is, many people disconnect sin from its penalty. Sin happens now, but the penalty comes much later, but with eternal consequences.

Forgiveness has been offered in advance by faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. By trusting him, we have been freed from sin’s consequences and given the gift of heaven.

Redemption is the best gift you’ll ever receive!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Set Me Free!

For Thursday, June 30, 2022:

John 8:31-32 NLT: “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

There is only one path to perfect freedom from mankind’s sin problem. Jesus-the-Messiah not only forgives sin; he blots out any record of sin, puts it at the bottom of the deepest ocean, separates it from us ‘as far as the east is from the west.’ If you’re a follower of Jesus, a believer who trusts in the Son, your name will be in the book of life. And when heaven looks under the column marked ‘sin,’ there will be nothing but blank space – no scratch-outs, no eraser marks, no record of any kind of sin in your life.

This gift is for all who, by faith, trust in the Son. Don’t give up! Eternity is a very long time, and knowing your eternal destination is well worth the effort!

"If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:36)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Truly Free!

For Tuesday, June 28, 2022:

Galatians 5:1 NLT: “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

'Freedom in Christ’ is such a recurring theme in the Epistles that it merits more of our time. Under God’s law given through Moses, people were expected to obey every law, never doing anything wrong. The success rate at this was zero!

In the New Covenant, those who put their faith in Jesus are forgiven and redeemed. We’re given this gift because of our trust in God’s plan and the work Jesus did on the cross, taking the sins of the world to the place of the dead.

Now we obey God’s laws and try to live a good life, not to earn our way into heaven, but out of gratitude for what Jesus did for us.

With Jesus as our Savior, we are truly free!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Come and Drink!

For Thursday, June 10, 2021

Isaiah 55:1 TLB: “Say there! Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine and milk—it’s all free!”

God has an incredible gift for everyone! He’s issued a perpetual non-cancellable invitation for everyone to “come to the waters,” come to the spiritual source of life, and that fills us with hope!

While God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return to Him, he put “free choice” into the mix. This Sunday we’ll sing “I have decided to follow Jesus.” Understand that God first chose us. Now we need to take him up on his offer! It’s a good decision – you won’t be sorry!

Spiritual food is always free!

Blessings today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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