Raised from the Dead!

For Sunday, January 4, 2026:

Romans 6:4b NLT: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

Believers are inextricably linked with Jesus the Christ, although His way is a path from which we should not want to escape. In fact, we should think of a link with Jesus as a gift. If we aren’t connected with Jesus, we’d have no chance at the glorious life after this life that awaits believers. If we are sincere believers, total forgiveness and salvation reserve our place in the hereafter.

And friends, isn’t that all we really want, to live in God’s eternal kingdom? Only good people will be there, those who are radically transformed by the redeeming nature of Christ Almighty. The forgiven will be our neighbors. We may be surprised at how nice everyone is! In Heaven, it will be like everyone is on their best behavior. If God – Father, Son or Holy Spirit – asks us to help out with something, we won’t hesitate. We would be honored to be invited to participate on the winning team!

Jesus rose from the dead in three days, fully restored and still eager to serve God the Father. Even though the sin of the world was heaped upon him as he died on the cross, he took that burden to the place of the dead and left it there. He was given a second chance to change the minds of those who watched him die three days ago, and now see him dancing a jig on the grave of sin. Someone brought back to life should turn heads!

Like Jesus, mankind was burdened with sin, but believers have born again, given a second chance to get things right. When you get to the pearly gates, confidently tell the gatekeeper that you’re with the guy seated just to the right of God. That’s His Son, Jesus! He’ll welcome you with open arms!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Saved!

For Wednesday, July 12, 2023:

Titus 3:4-5 NLT: “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”

Paul is clearly stating an important plank in our religious platform. We should all keep this principle front-of-mind. The God-trend reveals kindness and love, not vengeance and punishment. We were offered a rescue opportunity because God loves everything that he created. When creation was complete and God looked over the whole package, he declared it all to be “very good!”

God, through his Son Jesus, is granting us a mid-life re-start. The Lord is willing to let us take a Mulligan on the first part of our lives, wash away all our sins and start over once again – clean and fresh! He’s even willing to continue the forgiveness should we get off track again, as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus!

We have been given the gift of a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Your church may call it Baptism by Fire. It’s the kind of life God intended for you!

God chose to redeem us not because we are so good, but because HE is so good!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

God's Children!

For Thursday, April 20, 2023:

1 John 2:29 NLT: “Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.”

There’s that phrase again, “Children of God,” just like John 1:12: “To all who believed Jesus and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” Believers have been forgiven, given a clean slate and a fresh start. Believers are born-again into the Holy Family. “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Cor. 5:17

Out of gratitude for what Jesus did for us, believers do their best to do what is right in God’s eyes. Believers follow the Son obediently. If we encounter someone standing up for morality, for God’s value system, odds are that person is a Christian. Being human, we won’t get it right 100% of the time. But we will trend in the direction of instinctively doing what is right in our Father’s eyes.

The children of God have a family resemblance to their Father in heaven. He is righteous, so members of the Holy Family also try to do what is right!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Save Your (Eternal) Life!

For Wednesday, April 19, 2023:

Matthew 16:25 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we’re drawing a line between our old pagan life our new Christian life. Jesus says that if we insist on hanging on to our old ways, our eternal destiny is in jeopardy. But if we willingly give up the ways of the world to become a disciple of Jesus, we will be saved! He also implies that we can’t have it both ways!

I worked at a church with this mission statement: “To radically transform lives through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I like that. Our soul is radically transformed upon accepting Jesus. If we’re still carrying baggage from our old lives, we cannot drag it into our new way of living. Jesus says that just won’t work. We must separate ourselves from “the world.” That’s OK, because our new walk is so much better!

At my church, we sing a song with the words, “I never want to go back to my old life.” I explain: “I’ve tried it both ways, and THIS way – Jesus’ way – is better!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

New Life!

For Thursday, October 27, 2022:

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Jesus has placed a dividing line in our lives. There’s the “before-Jesus” life, and the “after-Jesus” life. The old life is gone, and a new life has begun!

Jesus described it as being “born again.” I look at it as getting a fresh start. Jesus took our former full-of-sin life to the place of the dead, and left believers as cleansed children of God, prepared for the Kingdom. Our lives are not just repaired or mended. Followers of Jesus are made anew by God’s workmanship. As with all of God’s creation, he can look upon it and declare it “very good.”

How blessed are we that God gives us a re-start in the midst of our lives!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

New Life!

For Saturday, December 11, 2021

2 Cor. 5:17 NLT: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

We often speak of a radical transformation through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Becoming one with the Holy Spirit, it’s like our old self died, and we are born again in a new and better way. Sinful ways of the world no longer dominate our thinking. They’re replaced by God’s value system, a passion for living Godly lives and then sharing that Good News with others!

This new life is a gift from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ. Accept the new life joyously, and courageously accept Jesus’ assignment of letting the world know about God’s reconciliation plan for all of mankind.

Knowing Jesus has gone well for us, so we should proudly share Him with others! Our friends should have hope too!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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