God's Love!

For Thursday, July 30, 2026:

Romans 8:39 NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our Bibles tell us that God loves us. But mankind asks, “Really? How do we know for sure?”

The first humans disobeyed God by sinning, by deliberately doing what he said to NOT do! They succumbed to Satan’s temptation. I believe God was disappointed with the return rate of his Creations. If earthlings were to return to the Father, God himself would have to intervene.

Therefore, God sent his Son Jesus to our planet. I’ve said before that Jesus healed many, taught God’s ways, and interpreted Torah. But I believe his primary mission was to take away mankind’s sins, to offer forgiveness. Once earth’s residents were made sinless by Jesus’ sacrifice, the Father could welcome them back into his forever heavenly Kingdom.

Q: So how do we know for sure that God loves us? A: He sacrificed his only Son for our freedom. We are no longer slaves to Satan. We belong to the God whose Son paid the price for our redemption.

Rejoice! Believers belong to their Creator! Believers have been rescued!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Healing Restoration!

Daily message of hope...
For Sunday, July 26, 2026:

Luke 6:19 NLT: “Everyone tried to touch Jesus, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.”

Word was out about Jesus! Not everyone knew all the details, but if you needed healing, Jesus was the man. People would come not only to hear him speak, but for healing. If they didn’t personally need healing, they wanted to witness others receive Jesus’ divine touch. There were plenty who had been healed by the Son, but even more who served as witnesses to the healing events.

Healing restoration seemed to flow out from Jesus. Here, people were trying to touch him. Another Bible account describes a woman who wanted only to touch the hem of his garment. They were fully restored, as are we all, by our faith and the grace of God Almighty.

This is basic Christianity 101. God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. Jesus was here to pay the penalty for mankind’s sins. Sinless individuals get to spend eternity in the Father’s Kingdom of heaven. It’s all a gift from above, dependent upon our faith in God’s ability to get it done!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
The Father’s House
Jesus In the City Fellowship
Truth & Freedom Church

Ascension!

For Thursday, July 23, 2026:

John 16:5-6 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.”

John documents the life of Jesus, and Jesus knows he is leaving, returning to the Father. He wants all believers to understand that what is happening is not bad news, but good news!

Surprisingly, those listening don’t even ask where he is going, even though he’s told them about the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead of wishing him Godspeed and cheering for the event, the observers retreated into themselves, grieving the loss of their spiritual mentor.

Jesus: “Good news! I’ll be returning to Father God!”

Disciples: “Terrible. I don’t know how we can get along without you. This whole movement will probably die. I might just as well quit and go home!”

Friends, who should be the focus of this story? Jesus! (It’s not about us!) Who should be in the driver’s seat? Jesus! Who should we trust? Jesus, who is always truthful. Jesus, who is God walking alongside us. He’s celebrating being victorious. Jesus is about to conquer sin and death with one unselfish act. Shout ‘Hallelujah’ for the good path God has created!

As we live out the remainder of our earthly lives, let’s remember to keep God in the driver’s seat. He should set our agenda for each day. Do the right things for the right reasons. Do something nice and don’t get caught!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Kingdom Assurance!

For Friday, July 17, 2026:

Romans 8:35 NLT: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”

The Bible says that God is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And it says the same thing about Jesus. God declared everything he created to be “good.” But at the end, after the creation of mankind, he called it “very good.” God has been cheering for mankind since the beginning. That’s the trend, and it continues to this day.

Knowing God doesn’t insulate us from bumps in the road of life. Knowing the Lord is more about finishing strong, about our lives after this life. Jesus walked away from his tomb, proving with certainty that our lives don’t end with human death. So the real question is, in the next life, where will you be spending your time?

If you’re aligned with Jesus, he’ll make a place for you in the Father’s Kingdom. It’s a wonderful place where we’ll know a peace that exceeds our understanding. Like Father, like Son, we are loved. Forever! So, can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? The answer is clearly, “No.”

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Paid In Advance!

For Thursday, July 16, 2026:

Colossians 1:29 NLT, Paul speaking: “That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”

After meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul was thoroughly convinced. He threw himself into evangelism, telling everyone the Good News and planting new churches wherever God sent him.

But Paul doesn’t think he can do it all by himself. He knows that Christ is working through him to complete heaven’s mission. We also have a divine helper, the Holy Spirit, to be our advocate as we share with others the truth about God, his Son, sin, forgiveness and redemption. Since the Holy Spirit is working alongside us, we’re responsible for the effort, not the outcome. God’s in charge of that!

Paul is working hard to hold up his end of the partnership, as should we. We’ve all been assigned the task of making disciples of all nations. Half-measures won’t get us 50% of the way to the Kingdom! In fact, all-out effort only works when combined with an unshakable belief that Jesus is God’s Son and that his words are the truth. It’s our faith in the Risen Savior that lets us see heaven from the inside!

When I worked in sales, the letters ‘PIA’ on an invoice stood for ‘Paid in Advance!’ There is an invoice due for your sins and my sins, but it’s marked ‘PIA.” Jesus, through his death on the cross, paid the price to redeem mankind from our sin problem. He took those sins to the place of the dead and left them there, never to haunt us again.

Make a decision today to accept Jesus’ gift of forgiveness. Yes, it’s undeserved, but God sometimes does us a solid. Accept the gift with gratitude and a smile!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Faith!

For Friday, July 10, 2026:

John 16:1 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.”

Believers are saved by grace through faith. Grace is undeserved favor, a gift from our Creator. Faith is a perpetual belief that Jesus is who he claimed to be and that he can and will do everything he said. He warned the faithful about imminent persecution. Life wasn’t going to be easy. But Jesus always spoke the truth. Being God, one-third of the Holy Trinity, he could not do otherwise.

When others come down on believers, we could easily become discouraged. Jesus is trying to prevent that. When bad things happen to good people, believers don’t give up. We know that this is “prophecy playing out, just as Jesus told us.”

Our reward comes in the life after this life. When we die and stand before judgment, Jesus has our sins covered. He went ahead to prepare a place for us in his Father’s Kingdom.

So in a weak moment, don’t abandon your eternal gift. Ill-treatment on earth is for just a brief moment, but your heavenly residence is forever. Stick with Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Is the Doctor In?

For Sunday, July 5, 2026: 

Luke 5:31-32 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

 Nowadays, even healthy people need a doctor. They call it ‘preventive medicine.’ Doctors want to spot little problems before they become big ones. I take prescriptions daily, not because I’m experiencing any problem, but because my numbers are just a little off. As a result, life expectancy is much higher now than it was when Jesus walked the earth! Preventive medicine works!

 2K years ago, people would only call on a physician if they were really sick or severely injured. When people had exhausted all their personal healing options, it was time to summon a professional. Hence Jesus’ analogy, comparing physical healing with spiritual healing.

 The physically sick are eager to find a solution. They welcome the opinion of a trained medical professional. But those who are spiritually ill oftentimes are embarrassed by their situation and reluctant to seek help. For example, one symptom of addiction is vehemently denying the problem.

 When sinners are ready to repent, ready to seek help, Jesus stands ready to forgive, forget and absolve. ‘Repent’ in the Hebrew language literally means to get closer to God. Someone sinning is said to be far from God. Someone reversing the course of their lives, repenting and returning, is said to be closer to God.

 That’s the best place for us all to be, closer to God. We should have Jesus looking out for us, forgiving our sins, and clearing the way for believers to live closer to God. You’ll find that Jesus has prepared a place for you in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom! If you repent and return, there’ll be a room with your name on the door!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
The Father’s House
Jesus In the City Fellowship
Truth & Freedom Church

Logic?

For Tuesday, June 30, 2026:

Romans 8:32 NLT: “Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

Paul is asking the Romans to use logic to project their salvation. It’s a look into the future. It involves following a scenario through to its logical conclusion, though it may not have happened yet. It’s like an ‘if then’ line of computer code. ‘If’ the operator chooses this command, ‘then’ a specific thing happens.

Does our God love us? Yes! Has our God provided for us? Yes! Did God arrange for our sins to be forgiven? Yes! Is God’s desire for believers to join him in his eternal Kingdom? It hasn’t happened yet, but logic tells us that the answer would be a resounding yes!

God gave up the earthly life of his Son to rescue mankind. So it would behove us to be good stewards of his grace, that undeserved gift freely given to us. The love of the Father should be reciprocal!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Creator!

For Thursday, June 25, 2026:

Romans 8:31 NLT: “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

Satan isn’t worthless. He can always serve as a bad example!

Our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the Creator of everything and has the final say in any situation. We are created beings, made in the image of God. Satan, on the other hand, is not a creator. He too is a created being who got too big for his britches. He is not bigger than God. He is not better than God. He is far less powerful than God. In the battle to end all battles, he is destined to be the loser!

So the God of everything is cheering us on, pulling for each one of us. Why? Because God is on the side of everyone who’s a fan of his Son. As Christian believers, we have a special connection with the Son. Jesus took the sins of the world upon himself, leaving mankind suitable for residence in God’s eternal Kingdom. We have assurance of salvation! So we gratefully choose the Son, and he looks out for us as adopted members of the Holy Family. Satan is not a member.

If God is for us, who could ever be against us?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Forgiven!

June 22, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 5:20 NLT: “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man on the stretcher, ‘Young man, your sins are forgiven.’”

We’ve been following the story of a paralyzed man who was carried by his friends to meet Jesus, the Great Healer! The Bible doesn’t tell us how far they traveled, but I get the impression that the trek took considerable effort. Those carrying the injured man would have been tired and out of breath. They weren’t about to take ‘no’ for an answer!

Jesus had already attracted a full house that day, so there was not room for four more men plus one on a stretcher. But their creative ingenuity was heaven-inspired! Climbing onto the roof, they removed a few tiles and lowered the stretcher into the room, placing the paralyzed man right in front of Jesus! If a healing were to take place that day, everyone present would be an eyewitness! Pharisees were present along with other teachers of religious law. So even those who opposed Jesus would see the miracle with their own two eyes!

Here’s today’s lesson: God rewards faith! Seeing the faith of those who brought their injured friend, Jesus proceeded with the healing. When God sees our faith in his Son, he will adopt us into the Holy Family. Those who truly believe Jesus is the Son of the Most High and believe that he can do everything he says he can do will be rewarded in the life after this life. Jesus will prepare a place for us in God’s forever Kingdom. Yes, friends, our faith will be rewarded!

That day, Jesus surprised everyone. They were expecting him to say, “You are healed,” or, “Pick up your mat and walk!” But Jesus first told the injured man, “Your sins are forgiven!”

This irked the Pharisees, who shouted, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Duh! Jesus just told them exactly who he is – part of God’s Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit! He CAN forgive sins! Rather than dissing Jesus, the Pharisees should have joined with his supporters!

This theological mistake would eventually lead to the crucifixion, but that too is part of God’s vast eternal plan. Jesus giving up his earthly life would be the sacrifice for the sins of the world – your sins and mine! The Pharisees were helping the Kingdom even when they had no idea what they were doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Time?

For Thursday, June 18, 2026:

Colossians 1:26 NLT, Paul speaking: “The Good News message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.”

What time is it? We only think we know! Until our planet started spinning, there was no definition of a day. Until the earth began its orbit around the sun, we had no concept of a year. Jews started counting time from Adam. It’s now year 5786, which ends mid-September.

Christians count time from the birth of Jesus, AD = “In the Year of Our Lord.” Pope Gregory standardized this in 1582, authorizing leap years. You see, a year is actually 365.2422 days, so the system is still not perfect, but close enough for my lifetime.

Therefore, the Good News message of God’s love and forgiveness was hidden for 3760 years until Jesus’ birth. Mankind lived under the Old Covenant with rules and laws. With Jesus came mercy, forgiveness and absolution. Jesus not only forgives our sins, but removes them from our permanent record. It’s as if we had never sinned! That’s the free gift for those who call Jesus Savior and Redeemer! Being perceived as sinless (forgiven), we’re eligible for permanent residence in God’s eternal Kingdom. We have assurance of salvation!

That’s why today is the best day to lock in your commitment to Jesus. There are eternal ramifications from this decision, for both you and your friends. Your coworkers and extended family need to know the Good News too. Pray to become the hands and feet of Jesus, telling everyone the Good News of eternal salvation! Blessings!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

House of the Lord!

For Friday, June 12, 2026:

Psalm 23:6 NKJV: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David showed confidence and trust in the Lord. He was a man after God’s own heart, but he was far from perfect. But despite his missteps, he always trusted God to be loving and forgiving. He would rise out of all the turmoil as a loyal supporter of God Almighty. That’s called faith!

Most believers are a lot like David. We will not live perfect lives, but on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the world – your sins and mine. Believers all need to accept that free gift with open arms and a smile. God doesn’t want a bunch of sullen souls in his Kingdom. The Father’s love should elicit joy from everyone!

God’s goodness and mercy will follow us throughout this life, and follow us into the next as we take our place in his Kingdom. We’re enjoying a better life now that we’re adopted into the Holy Family, and it will be the best life ever when we move into the house of the Lord. Start filling out change-of-address forms today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Preaching Good News!

For, June 8, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 4:43 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

Early the next morning, Jesus left Simon’s house, preparing to leave the city. People begged him to stay, but he explained, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” Jesus was on a mission trip, sent from God’s Kingdom to planet Earth with a goal, an agenda, a mission.

The Good News is that Jesus himself would pay the penalty for the sins of the world, and that believers would be redeemed. He could explain the Tanakh and Torah, and teach us God’s ways, that God loves us, and that he made a way for us to return home.

There are far too many cities for Jesus to visit himself, so eventually he sent his Apostles and disciples to proclaim the Kingdom on his behalf. And before ascending back to the Father, he told the believers to continue making disciples of all nations. That’s still our mission nowadays. Jesus wants us to share the Good News with as many as possible before his return.

He’ll be returning soon, and that’s our Good News for today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Heavenly Home!

For Friday, May 29, 2026:

John 15:19 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

When we were children, most of us lived where our parents lived. But as believers, we’ve been adopted into the Holy Family. So, question: Where does Our Father reside?Kingdom, 

Our Father reigns over a magnificent Kingdom. (By definition, a Kingdom has a King!) His Son, Jesus, sits beside him. He prepared a place in that Kingdom with your name on it. Know that as a believer, you are now registered as a resident of the Kingdom. We have a temporary visa to visit planet earth on a mission trip to share the Gospel with others. It’s a fun assignment, working around good people with good attitudes and good values. Smile as you go about your long-term assignment today!

The earth is not our home!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Peace with God!

For Wednesday, May 27, 2026:

Colossians 1:20b NLT: “God made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

Sin and God’s goodness cannot coexist. But God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. He wants us all to join him in the hereafter. Therefore, sin needs to be removed, blotted out from Heaven’s Book of Life registry. What could possibly pay the penalty for the sin of the world?

God, who has all resources at his command, knew that the earthly sacrifice of his Son was the only thing that could satisfy the debt. So Jesus went to the work of substitutionary atonement, paying for the trespasses of mankind through the ages. Past sins, present sins, and even future sins were paid for. Believers in Jesus have been granted special grace. When heaven looks up our name in the Book of Life, the column marked “sin” will be blank. No scratch-outs; no erasure marks; simply blank white space, as if we had never sinned. That’s how thorough Jesus’ forgiveness is!

As believers, we’ll be a part of the heavenly group only present because of the Son. “I’m with that guy sitting just to the right of the Father. He said he’d prepare a place for me in his Father’s Kingdom.”

And heaven will reply, “We’ve been expecting you!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Conspiracy Theory!

For Thursday, May 21, 2026:

John 15:18 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”

That scripture tells us that the world somehow got turned around, 180º from where it should have been. After all, Jesus was always kind, nice and helpful. He would give of his own time to heal anyone who needed healing, and there seemed to be no end to this gift of healing. Every word he spoke was the truth, and he was religious, teaching from both the Prophets and Torah. What’s not to like about this guy?

Those against Jesus were cursed with greed and the desire for power. Although Rome ruled the country, the citizens were allowed to practice their ancestors’ religion, as long as they didn’t disrupt the Roman government. No riots, no rallies, no protests. Just follow your ethnic religion – quietly!

This left the Pharisees at the top of the pecking order. They were the ones trying to maintain power and resources. If worshipers went with this radical Jesus cult, they were NOT at the Temple! Furthermore, they probably took their tithes with them! So both influence and shekels going to Jesus threatened the Pharisees’ way of life. Jesus, you understand, was just doing what pleased his Father. But Pharisees initiated a conspiracy to have Jesus killed, to take him out permanently. He was that much of a threat to them that they would violate their own religious commandments!

Hatred for Jesus started as a conspiracy by the Pharisees. Israelites were accustomed to looking up to Pharisees for direction and advice. They were the religious leaders to be followed. When Pharisees spoke ill of Jesus, there was an implied obligation that people should follow their thinking. They convinced the surrounding world to hate the Messiah, which is unfortunate. The crowds changed their mantra from “Hosanna,” save us now, to, “Crucify him!, in less than a week.

I’ve said before that I believe Christianity should have been Judaism, the next chapter. It should have been a continuation of the life believers already knew, following God-the-Creator, God who brought them out of Egypt, God who delivered them to the Promised Land, and now God who sent them the Messiah as a redeemer for the sins of the world. Like Paul Harvey would have said, “The r-r-rest of the story!”

We’re presently living in the rest of the story. Jesus was here for us and promised that he’ll be back. Should we die first, he promised to prepare a place for us in his Father’s eternal heavenly Kingdom! Secure your spot today! All it takes is faith!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church