Living in the Spirit!

For Thursday, February 19, 2026:

Romans 7:6b NLT: “Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”

Have you ever played a new board game with the family, or started learning a new sport? Chances are you’d have to pull out the rule book every few minutes. Being unfamiliar with the activity, you don’t yet know all the regulations and scoring terms. But after a while, you know the rules by heart and can keep score in your head. For example, in tennis, when someone says, “15 – love,” you know that you have scored a point while your opponent remains at zero. You don’t have to look it up. The scoring and the terminology associated with it become second nature.

Once they have accepted Jesus, new Christians need to take a look at God’s laws. They need to learn how to live a Godly life. Some of their old behavior may not suit God, and they’ll want to adjust. At first, they’ll be checking the rule book, the Bible, but soon after, God’s laws will be second nature. God’s laws will be written on their hearts. And that’s when they’re living in the Spirit. As the Holy Spirit directs more and more of our lives, our old ways will no longer exist on our agenda, on our list of things to do. Doing life the wrong way will no longer be an option.

Your church should be filled with those for whom living God’s way is automatic. Everyone should be living in the Spirit. Your church should house believers who are kind, helpful and love their neighbors, just like Jesus said. Your best friends in the world should be a part of your church. Smile next time you see them!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Love!

For Saturday, February 14, 2026:

John 13:34-35 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

"They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” We’ve all heard the song. Loving one another seems like a good idea, but did you realize that this is a command issued by the one who saves us?

2K years ago, the prevailing attitude was to look out for #1. But the followers of Jesus were different. They looked out for each other. They were kind to their neighbors, even to those who weren’t following the Messiah. This command of Jesus was a new and innovative way of living. It was more gentle and helpful to others. It was doing the next right thing. People liked what they saw and wanted to join. This helped the early church grow through attraction.

The government at the time was the Roman Empire. Rome did nothing to help the people. Citizens had to help each other. The Roman army had two things on its agenda: keeping peace in the region and loyalty to Caesar. Christians were pretty quiet about their dislike for Caesar, and exceeded expectations for keeping peace. So for the most part, the army left Christians alone. Their love for one another meant that they did not fuel conflict in Israel.

So do what Jesus did. Be nice, be kind, be helpful and do the next right thing. These aren’t just good ideas. These are commands from the mouth of Jesus. Out of love for what Jesus did for mankind, we should obey, keeping his commands high on our agenda. In the end, it works out better for everyone. If we love our neighbors, they’re more likely to love us in return!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Golden Rule!

     For Saturday, January 31, 2026:

Hebrews 13:6 NLT: “We can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’”

 "Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.” The golden rule! At first glance, this seems like a nice reciprocal arrangement. If you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you, and vice versa.

But this is a little different. Not all humans respond in a positive manner, for a variety of reasons. But Christians should. If we treat others with kindness as Jesus told us to, God will respond positively. God loves believers so much that he planned our rescue even while we were sinning. His Son died so our sins would be forgiven. God is “all in” on mankind’s rescue project. We may or may not receive a thank you for our God-inspired behavior. Our best reward may be heaven-sent!

If you’re OK with your behavior and it fits with what God/Jesus commanded, then it really doesn’t matter what someone else thinks. Let the Lord be your helper. What can mere people do to you?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Trials and Tribulations!

For Saturday, November 29, 2025:

Romans 5:3-4 NLT: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”

“Thank you, Lord, for these problems in my life!” Somehow that prayer doesn’t seem to make sense. Shouldn’t being one of the faithful give us a better life, protect us from problems? The logical answer is ‘yes,’ but that’s not how life works.

 If we have conquered a problem in the past, we’ll have God-given experience in dealing with it. We’ll recognize the same issue if it crops up again and know how to proceed. Our experience can help others battling similar demons. Case in point: Most alcohol and drug counselors are themselves in addiction recovery. Similarly, people undergoing cancer treatments form small groups to support one another through brutal therapy. Being kind and helpful, i.e. loving our neighbors, is what Jesus told us to do.

With a Christian viewpoint, we can change life’s biggest problems into valuable Kingdom assets, and the world will be a better place! Salvation awaits the faithful!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

 

Love!

For Tuesday, November 18, 2025:

John 15:12 NLT, Jesus speaking: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”

Jesus didn’t issue a lot of commandments. He mainly did the right things for the right reasons, honoring God the Father and respecting his fellows. If we simply do what Jesus did – imitate his behavior – we’d all be on the right track.

Many Christians, especially those fluent in theological detail, can over-complicate things. Jesus told us to love God and love our neighbors, which was restating Old Testament principles. Nothing new there. Since Jesus took away our sins, making it possible for us to spend the hereafter in God’s presence, he told us to share this Good News with others. In fact, make them into disciples. Coach others until they’re all-in believers!

As a teenager, I told my pastor, “I think being a Christian is all about love.” He told me that it’s way more complicated than that. I still think I was right!

So be nice, be kind, be helpful, step up if you can lighten someone else’s burden. Look for the next right thing to do. I used to see little bracelets with the letters WWJD reminding us to ask, “What would Jesus do?” Still a good plan. If you do what Jesus did, you won’t be wrong!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Love!

For Sunday, September 14, 2025:

John 13:34-35 NLT: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Apparently, the first Believers, Paleo-Christianity, took these words seriously. It was said about them, “Behold, how they love one another."

Jesus was reminding his followers of a Godly command that had been around for quite some time. Jesus wanted these thoughts front-of-mind. When asked the most important commandment, he had answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” [Mark 12:30] The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [Mark 12:31] “There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus didn’t just make up these words. He was quoting Old Testament Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Leviticus 19:18b “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

To keep things simple (KISS), I usually condense this teaching to “Love the Lord and love your neighbor.” That includes being nice, being helpful and being kind. It might involve solving a problem that wasn’t yours in the first place. Christians do the right things for the right reasons without being asked. We are servants to our sisters and brothers. Onlookers will say, “Look at those Christians! They seem to love everyone!”

Being kind to your neighbor is a good way to live. That’s what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Love Your Neighbor!

 Daily message of hope...
For Sunday, July 6, 2025:

Mark 12:30-31a NLT, Jesus speaking, quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus gives equal weight to both of these commandments. He’s answering Pharisees, a group known as guardians of the Law. They enforced all the “thou shalt’s” and “thou shalt not’s,” but dropped the ball when it came to loving their neighbors. In a way, Jesus is calling them on their neglect of that principle.

Jesus expects believers to be kind and helpful. Love and compassion should be on a believer’s agenda. When needed, correction should be gentle. Doing the next right thing should be a believer’s modus operandi, quite different from the prevalent ‘looking out for #1’ attitude.

The early church, The Way, prioritized loving each other. Their number increased daily as others saw what they were doing and wanted to become part of it.

Thank you, Jesus, for teaching us that loving our neighbors is as important as loving the Lord. Let’s excel at both!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Acts 2 Church!

For Sunday, June 8, 2025:

Acts 2:42 NLT: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.”

Christians always seemed to be at odds with the world, so they stuck together. Caesar claimed to be god, and he didn’t like the competition. Pharisees didn’t appreciate this new splinter-group draining their power and resources. Jesus never succumbed to the world, so being on the “outs” seemed normal to the disciples. Therefore, the Christians hung out with each other, forming their own community within Jerusalem. They prayed together, worshiped together and took meals together. Remembering Jesus, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

Q: How many people are coming to dinner? A: 3,000 more than yesterday! It’s a good thing that supper wasn’t in the church basement! Many of these new believers were from out-of-town. They didn’t have jobs in Jerusalem or places to live. This proved to be a test of Jesus’ new command, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Property and possessions were sold, with the proceeds donated to those in need. The church thrived!

Never forget that the Holy Spirit moved within this group. That’s what made it work! The apostles performed many signs and wonders, healings and miracles. The Holy Spirit had fueled the “Repent and Return Revival,” kicking off the entire Pentecost scenario!

"And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” In other words, adding 3k believers that first day was just the beginning. Today, there are 2.4B people worldwide who identify with Christianity, about one-third of the world. That number is increasing, but we still have work to do.

Count yourself blessed if your church mirrors the Acts 2 church. Your new members may not look like you or speak your language. That’s OK. Worship together, take meals together and love one another. Be kind, be helpful, be generous and do the next right thing. That’s what Jesus would do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

PS: Jesus called the Samaritan “good,” even though he was a Samaritan!

Common sense!

For Saturday, October 26, 2024:

John 7:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Jesus was criticized for healing on the Sabbath. Some even wanted to kill him for that sin. But it turns out that our God is also a God of common sense.

Jesus, Son of God, saw that someone could be healed. They were miserable, and he held the solution. What a wonderful gift for that person to be healed on God’s Holy Day. The man will never forget just how good a Sabbath can be!

Male Jewish infants are to be circumcised on the eighth day, and if that falls on the Sabbath, they still do the work. 2,000 years ago, people lived in an agriculture-based society, so everyone fed and watered their animals, even though it might be the Sabbath. It seems the Temple leaders were OK with their agenda for the Sabbath, just not Jesus’ Sabbath behavior.

I’ve used this example before. Pretend you’re driving home from church, and you see a mom with two little kids in her car, and the vehicle has a flat tire. Should you stop and help, or express sympathy and tell her you’ll be back on Monday when work is allowed? She has a big problem now, and needs a solution now, not tomorrow. It’s the perfect time to love your neighbor and to do what Jesus would have done, and Jesus always did the right thing!

Kindness, helpfulness and compassion are not limited to six days a week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Philia = Friendship!

For Friday, October 4, 2024:

Hosea 6:4 NLT: “O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight.”

God sounds exasperated! He’s been commanding the Jews to love one another for a few thousand years, and they still don’t get it. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” (from Leviticus 19:18)

It’s like frustrated parents, at their wits’ end with their child’s behavior, shouting the rhetorical question, “What am I going to do with you?!!!”

Here’s what God finally did. He sent his Son to earth to straighten things out, to prioritize the Father’s commands. Jesus clearly taught us to love God and to love our neighbors. This is what we call, “brotherly love.” It could just as well be, “sisterly love” too! This is being kind, being helpful and figuring out the next right thing to do. This kind of behavior isn’t just being nice; it’s honoring God!

To show his love for mankind, Jesus took the sins of the world upon himself, wiping our slates clean and giving us a shot at the hereafter. God is good!

Look for what you can do to honor God today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Golden Rule!

For Sunday, September 15, 2024:

Matthew 7:12 NLT: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

During the Sermon On the Mount, Jesus counseled us to treat others the same way we’d like to be treated. Nowadays we call it the “Golden Rule.” He’s reinforcing the Old Testament command from Leviticus 19:18: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

Back then, people were living in a culture with “an eye for an eye” philosophy. People often felt the need to get even. Jesus wanted to change all that. Jesus wants us to turn the other cheek.

In Matthew 22:39, Jesus taught us to “Love our neighbor as ourself.” That means the way we’d LIKE to be treated, not necessarily the way we ARE treated. Be nice, be kind, be helpful, do the next right thing and don’t hold a grudge. Christians no longer try to get even. Christians forgive one another.

That’s what Jesus would do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Belong to God!

For Saturday, December 2, 2023:

3 John 11 Phillips: “Never let evil be your example, dear friend of mine, but always good. The person who does good belongs to God, but the one who does evil does not know God at all.”

Once again the Bible is separating the sheep from the goats. In this scenario, a church had not been welcoming to itinerant evangelists, traveling workers doing just what Jesus said to do. That is wrong, and the Bible counsels us to not hang out with these people. Instead, be a part of the group that loves their neighbors. When in doubt, just do what Jesus did!

Think about it. It’s easy to come forward during a revival meeting and say a short prayer asking Jesus into your heart. The hard part is figuring out how to best live the rest of your life! Becoming a Christian represents a radical transformation for most people. You might need to make new friends and avoid the old ones. Frankly, your old evil friends will fall by the wayside. They have nothing in common with you any longer. Be intentional about doing the next right thing.

The person who does good is walking with the Lord. “They will know we are Christians by our love!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Heal, Cleanse, Raise!

For Saturday, November 4, 2023:

Matthew 10:8 NLT: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? As you leave home for your day’s activities, what’s on your agenda, your things-to-do list? You won’t go wrong doing what Jesus did!

As he sent out the 12, Jesus empowered them to “do what I do!” First, cast out the demons. Now you have a fair chance at healing. Jesus did it all the time! Sometimes physical illness was healed, and sometimes mental illness was healed. Either way, the person was restored to God’s intention when he created that person. A diagnosis of leprosy was considered a death sentence, incurable, but that never stopped Jesus! In extreme cases, he would even raise the dead!

The point is that everything Jesus did was kind and helpful. He equipped the 12, and sent them out to make the world a better place! This isn’t about any one incident or a single thing. It’s about the trend of doing the next right thing. It’s an extension of loving our neighbor.

Nowadays all believers are called to cast out demons and heal the sick. Bless you as you enter the mission field!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship