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

Truth!

For Thursday, July 25, 2024:

2 Peter 1:16-17 NLT: “We were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.’”

If you’re testifying about an event, about something you saw with your own two eyes, a doubter’s first response might be, “You’re just making that up!” In this epistle, Peter wants to reassure the reader as to the truth of the eyewitness testimonies. “This is my dearly beloved son…” appears in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, three-times verified for all to see! It’s Biblical truth!

I was once called upon to answer questions about church, religion, Jesus and the Bible. I agreed, but it didn’t go well. When I’d explain a Christian principle and back up my explanation with Bible scripture, the questioner oftentimes balked: “I’ve never believed that part of the Bible.” If someone doesn’t accept the Bible as truth, they’ve pulled the rug out from under my feet! They’re not trusting our textbook! My mission shifted from answering questions to teaching a high view of the Bible, where we believe every word in the Bible is God-inspired and true.

Humans sin, and although sin is accurately depicted in the Bible, we obviously shouldn’t do those things. We shouldn’t sin. But the Bible is truth, and truth is including both the good and the bad, so that we have foreknowledge of what could go wrong!

Following Jesus through the Gospels, we’ll see perpetual kindness, love, healing, and unflinching loyalty to the Father. Those are good things to imitate. He is, after all, God!

"I and the Father are one!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Divine Authority!

For Saturday, February 18, 2023:

Matthew 7:28-29 NLT: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.”

Jesus finally concluded his Sermon on the Mount, practical instruction on how God wanted his people to live. The people were amazed! Other religious teachers of the day spoke with no authority, simply wanting to tell others what to do. But to those who heard him, Jesus’ words appeared to be divinely inspired! His words still appear to be divinely inspired when we read them nowadays!

Many scribes taught about traditions, most thought up by other men, but Jesus’ authority came straight from his Father in Heaven. Hearing teaching directly from God’s own Son was both new and amazing! Jesus taught with authority lacking in other teachers of the day!

It was a moment of clarification in my life when I first heard someone refer to the Sunday Sermon as “teaching.” I always felt inadequate telling others how to live when my own life had not been stellar. But with teaching as a goal, I can let the congregation know what Jesus did, what Jesus said and what’s written in our Bibles. Their response becomes not following my words, but instead following the model of our Savior! When in doubt, just do what Jesus did!

Jesus’ words are better than my words!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Wisdom!

For Thursday, August 11, 2022:

Psalm 111:10 TLB: “How can we be wise? The only way to begin is by reverence for God. For growth in wisdom comes from obeying his laws. Praise his name forever.”

We’d all like to be wise. A good way to start is to read your Bible, and believe and do what it says. At my church, we believe every word in the Bible is God-inspired and every word is true. In fact, God is unable to lie! And from knowing truth comes wisdom. The best way to become wise is to fill yourself with more truth.

For example, when we read that Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me,” we accept that as truth. We can then make a decision to sign on with the Son of God; we can confidently claim a reservation in the hereafter. That’s assurance of salvation! That’s wisdom!

Armed with the truth, you’ll be ready to face the world!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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