Heaven is Expecting You!

For Tuesday, June 9, 2026:

Romans 8:30 NLT: “Having chosen his people, God called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

Disciples of Jesus are part of God’s plan for eternity. You were chosen, earmarked for heaven, from the beginning. Since the Father cannot coexist with sin, he arranged for our sins to be forgiven by the work Jesus did on the cross. In the end, everything works out according to God’s plan, and we’re blessed to be included.

Do you appreciate the size of God’s gift? The Bible says that there is life after this life, and there are only two destinations: God’s Kingdom, or Satan’s place. The Kingdom will be fun, filled with activity, worship and other good things. Satan can only provide a lake of fire, leaving residents miserable – forever! Once we leave this reality, we cannot cross over from one side to the other. The decision to be with Jesus can only be made by humans on earth. So there’s an urgency to lock in our eternal position before passing. Me? I’m with Jesus!

Nothing could be worse than knowing you had a chance to spend eternity with the Savior, but never followed through on it. TODAY is the day to claim your reservation in the hereafter. TODAY is the best day to dedicate or rededicate your life to the Son. He’s already preparing a place for you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

New Heaven – New Earth!

 For Saturday, November 8, 2025:

Luke 21:33 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”

Jesus is teaching about the eternal nature of God and his commandments. The next reality will be different from anything that we now know. Heaven will be replaced by the New Heaven, which will have more residents than ever before. Those who believe in God’s Son will now be included. Having been adopted into the Holy Family, Heaven is their birthright – temporarily. The New Earth will also be completely rebuilt, put back to God’s original specifications for our planet. It’ll be like the beautiful Garden of Eden everywhere. Evil will be sent into the lake of fire, so, lacking anything evil, the New Earth will be a suitable home for all believers. And God can once again live among his people.

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. Nothing else comes close. As we walk our Christian path, we constantly need the words and advice of Jesus and his Father. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so the Bible’s messages will still be relevant in the next reality. We may no longer need a hard copy, because the New Covenant states that God’s words are written on our hearts! That’s great! Impossible for us to misplace God’s instructions!

If we love the Lord in this life, we shouldn’t have to learn anything new for the next! Believers are good to go!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Designed to be Included!

For Friday, January 3, 2025:

Genesis 1:27 NLT: “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Things created alike tend to stick together. For example, most birds fly south for the winter, but we don’t find mallards in the same flying V with geese. A herd of sheep is just that – sheep! Don’t look for horses among the sheep. (Sheep chew grass right down to the roots! There’d be nothing left to sustain the horses!) Creepy-crawly things stay closer to the ground, and no one wants to live alongside bears and alligators! They keep to themselves. Fish live in schools and dolphins travel in pods, each sticking with their own kind.

God created mankind in His image, after His own kind. So friends, we were designed from the ground up to be members of God’s family, included in God’s community. I remember singing: “Come join the family, the family of God.” That’s a good idea, but we don’t have to JOIN – we’ve already been designed that way! Jesus taught us to pray to “our Father in heaven,” and he wasn’t wrong! Our heavenly Father loves us, cares for us and wants nothing but the best for us! He wants to include us in all that he is doing.

We are blessed to be included in the family of God. God, in His wisdom, intentionally designed us that way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

You're Included!

For Wednesday, November 8, 2023:

Romans 15:10 NLT: “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.”

Paul is assuring the Christians in Rome that the Messiah, Jesus, is also for them, just as the Messiah is for us too. The Bible is quite clear that Jesus was to come to earth through the Jewish people, but his forgiveness and salvation are offered to everyone, including you!

Paul gives four examples of this, each quoting Old Testament Scripture. So apparently our God has his mind settled on this topic. You and I and every human on the planet are included in God’s offer of a free ticket into the good life after this life. Will you accept his offer? Jesus has gone ahead to reserve us a space. We need to repent, ask for forgiveness and put our faith, hope and trust in Jesus! He’ll take care of the rest!

Jesus is waiting for us with open arms!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Family Business!

For Saturday, September 9, 2023:

Romans 8:14 NLT: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

We all desire fellowship. It seems that mankind fares better when surrounded by love and friendship. And everyone wants to be “included!”

The Good News is that believers – those with Jesus in their hearts and led by the Spirit – are adopted into the Holy Family! Believers become “children of God!” Count on a loving Father taking good care of his children. Believers are never alone!

Welcome to the family!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

God's Purpose!

For Tuesday, August 16, 2022:

Acts 21:33 NLT: “Then the commander arrested Paul and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.”

At the time, I don’t think even Paul could realize the magnitude of what was happening. His arrest set off a chain of events that would allow him to share the Good News with Temple leaders and regional governors – important people! Paul, a Roman citizen, demanded a trial before Caesar, so his arrest ultimately gained him passage to Rome, where he was allowed to preach to large groups of people and bring the message of salvation to the capital city!

Jesus said that believers are to make disciples of all nations. The Lord may put us in unexpected situations. We may not understand the purpose right away, but it may be a part of God’s plan. God can take any situation – good or bad – and use it for his purpose.

We are blessed to be included in sharing the Good News!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Jesus Included Everyone!

July 18, 2022 Monday Message:

Romans 1:6 NLT: “You are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

To “include” is huge in Christianity, but we don’t talk about it much. Everyone likes to be included. Perhaps you first came to church because your family or your friends included you. And now it’s your turn to include others.

Friends from your neighborhood, your job or your recreation seem really nice, and it would be a shame to not include them in your church. They’d fit right in! “Three of us are going to church, and there’s room for one more in the car. We’d like to include you! We’ll get lunch afterwards…” How could they turn you down?

The Messiah came to earth through the Jews, but Jesus is for people of ALL nations! Jesus wanted to make sure that we ALL are included! He taught us to include everyone!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

You're Included!

For Tuesday, May 31, 2022:

John 10:16 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”

Jesus says that ALL believers are included in the Eternal Kingdom. He’s telling his Hebrew audience that Gentiles will be included too. And people from other nations, and people with different skin colors. Anyone who claims Jesus as Lord will be included!

Since we’re saved by grace through faith, we need to accept the free gift offered by our Lord, and have faith that Jesus can do what he said he would do. Jesus, who died on the cross, was up, alive, and walking around where everyone could see him three days later. He proved that there is life after this life, and promised to prepare an eternal place for all believers.

Everything else Jesus prophesied came true, so we have every reason to trust his heavenly promise!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

You're Included!

For Saturday, May 14, 2022:

Hosea 2:23 NLT, words from God: “I will show love to those I called ‘Not loved.’ And to those I called ‘Not my people,’ I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’ And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’”

God is inclusive. Most people are overjoyed when they hear the words, “I’d like to include you!” Nobody likes to be left out.

God sent his Son the Redeemer through the Jews, but Jesus is the Light of the World, the Savior for ALL who believe. With Jesus, God dismissed the old Hebrew covenant and gave us a new inclusive covenant, offering salvation to the Gentile world as well as the Jews. God’s desire is that no one would be lost.

God designed mankind with ‘free choice,’ so that we can voluntarily choose Heaven! We can choose to be included!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Talents!

For Friday, January 15, 2021

Romans 12:6a TLB: “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.”

There's a special place and a special need for you in the Christian family. Each of us has been given unique gifts and talents, unlike the every other believer. Only YOU will be best at certain things – God made you that way!

God didn't make any no-talent people! But as his gift to us, God gave each of the different talents needed to further His Kingdom. God wants to include us all in His mission, and being included by God gives us hope!

You can't please God by playing it safe!

Blessings and safety to all!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Chosen by God!

For Wednesday, January 13, 2021

1 Peter 1:2 GNT: “You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure.”

Nobody wants to be left out; we ALL want to be chosen, whether it's for a sports team back in grade school or a promotion at work nowadays. As a Christian, you have been chosen to spend eternity with the Father. Doesn't it feel great to be included!

Peter wrote this to strengthen and encourage the new believers, to give them hope! God's choosing you isn't random or uninformed. Rather it's because of his foreknowledge, his omniscience. God already knew what your response would be when offered the Gospel!

God could have picked anybody, but God picked YOU!

Blessings and safety today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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