Choose Me!

For Saturday, May 16, 2026:

John 15:16 NLT, Jesus speaking: “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”

Jesus would only choose people he wants to work with. People who have already chosen Jesus have an edge in this department. If people already love Jesus and want to help increase the number of believers, Jesus will assign them a territory to be their battleground. Your battleground and mine are probably different.

Think of signing on with Jesus like a sports draft. Believers have signed on with the “Jesus” team, doing our best to be forever loyal to his cause. Jesus says that the Father will give us whatever we ask for if we use his name. We are to make disciples of all nations and to do everything Jesus asks. The Father rewards obedience!

Jesus commanded us to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and preach the Good News. We understand the assignment. Now let’s get to work!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Gracious Gift!

For Saturday, December 13, 2025:

Romans 5:15 NLT: “There is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.”

Which is greater – Mankind’s sin or God’s wonderful gift of grace and forgiveness? Given who God is, anything from him will be greater, more important, more significant than anything mankind could implement.

God has a commodity to which we should aspire – greatness! God’s Son was great and obedient to his Father. People were dying left and right, God wanted the problem solved and sent his Son to put the plan in motion.

Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, making mankind once again eligible to join the throng in God’s eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Forever is a long time, and God’s desire is that we join him in that reality.

Sounds good to me!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Obedience!

November 24, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 1:38 NLT: Mary responded to the angel Gabriel: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

God was about to visit his people on earth. He would come as the second form of the Trinity, Jesus-the-Son. This IS God who can do anything. He could have appeared in any form before any people on earth. But what he chose to do was become a part of a typical family. He wouldn’t have a special title or be royalty. He wanted people to watch, see and discern for themselves that he was in fact the Son of God. He hand-selected his mother, who would go through a normal gestation period. He would be born into humble surroundings. And as he grew and matured, Jesus would be living the ways and customs of God’s people, and he would be known by them. I know this wouldn’t have been my first guess, but God’s way is always the best way. It’s a story that we all now love!

Notice Mary’s obedience. “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Despite being a virgin and not understanding how this was all going to work, Mary did not question the Lord. “Whatever God’s plan is, count me in!” We could all take a lesson in obedience from Mary!

Remember, Mary and Joseph had not yet consummated their marriage. So Mary went to the hill country near Judea to visit her relatives Zechariah and Elizabeth. As Mary approached Elizabeth, 6 months pregnant, the baby within her jumped for joy! Her son, John-the-Baptist, would prepare the way for Mary’s baby Jesus.

The world would never be the same!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

More Faith!

For Tuesday, October 28, 2025:

Hebrews 11:6b NLT: “Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Today’s scripture honors “faith.” Christians repeatedly proclaim that we are saved by grace (undeserved favor from God) through faith (believing that God can and will do what he says.)

Abel and Cain both brought thanksgiving sacrifices to the Lord. Abel’s sacrifice was closer to what God had asked them to do, so his faith appeared to be greater. Enoch’s faith was so great that he was taken up to heaven – without dying! “He disappeared, because God took him.” Long before this incident, he was known as a man who pleased God.

We will see varying degrees of faith within our Christian communities, all the way from Cain to Enoch. If you’re Cain, you need to step it up a good bit. If you’re Enoch, continue your obedient love for the Father, but still seek an increase. You can never have too much faith!

Remember that God rewards those who sincerely seek him. Love the Lord and graciously accept your prize as he ends your journey!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Kingdom Eternal!

For Sunday, October 26, 2025:

Luke 21:25 MSG, Jesus speaking: “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.”

Prior to Jesus returning, our world will be a mess. Never-before-seen natural disasters will leave mankind in fear. Nations will be at war with other nations. People will gun down others who used to be their friends. Our leaders will be unable to quash violence and have no authority over the skies. Natural disasters are often called “Acts of God,” and as we get closer to the end times, this may be especially true.

Believers shouldn’t fear the world’s condition, because Jesus gave us “Assurance of Salvation.” If we believe Jesus is God’s Son sent to redeem mankind, he promised to include us in God’s eternal Kingdom. He’s been preparing a place for each believer. There’s a room in Heaven with your name on the door!

Our faith in Jesus is our ticket to eternity. Christians don’t love their neighbors to earn Heaven-points! We’re already saved by Jesus’ work on the cross, the blotting out of our sin-record. So it’s out of gratitude that we obediently love one another. The world falling apart won’t be a problem with Jesus on our side!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Children of God!

For Sunday, October 12, 2025:

John 14:21 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Have you ever seen an ancestry chart, a family tree? It looks like this. The subject person is in the middle. Two parents’ names go on the left, branching out into four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, etc. until all the known ancestors are listed. Children go on the right, followed by grandchildren and, God willing, great-grandchildren. It can get complicated!

Jesus simplified our spiritual family tree. We know him, love and obey him. And because we love Jesus, his Father will love us, and that’s the end of our spiritual family tree! Believers have been adopted into the Holy Family. And Jesus will reveal more and more to those who claim him as their Savior, to members of the Holy Family. Disobedient souls are disinterested souls, and Jesus won’t waste time on them.

Jesus said, “Since I live, you also will live.” Jesus always speaks the truth, and that’s our blessed assurance of a life after this life in the presence of God Almighty. That knowledge should fill us with eager anticipation! So open your eyes and look forward to it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God of the Living!

For Saturday, October 11, 2025:

Luke 20:37 NLT: “As to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’”

There is only one version of the truth. There is only one Bible, one version of the Holy Scrolls. So everyone had the same information available, yet somehow the Sadducees didn’t understand life after this life. Jesus digs deeper, pointing out the scripture they missed. Think of it logically. There would be no point in being God if your followers were all dead. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had long ago ended their earthly days, yet they are still referred to in ‘first person,’ as if they are still alive. And they ARE alive, living in the next reality with the God who resurrected them. Jesus said, “He is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

So to sum up Jesus’ response to the Sadducees: Yes, there is life after this life. Yes, those who are loyal and obedient will be with the Lord. When believers appear to have died, they will actually be living in God’s presence. People who died long before us will be with God as well. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to meet some of them.

Jesus said He would return to the Father first, so that He could prepare a place for us! People get ready, there’s a train a-comin’… It’s headed for Heaven!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

My Vineyard!

For Friday, October 3, 2025:

Luke 20:15b-16 NLT: “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”

Jesus is sharing the parable of the evil farmers. This is not a well-known story, but it has relevance for all of us, so let’s have a look.

A man planted a vineyard and leased it to others. As the owner, he was to receive a share of the crop. When it was time, he sent three representatives, and eventually his son, to claim his portion. The farmers drove away the reps, and murdered the man’s son, hoping to keep the vineyard for themselves. Jesus asks the listeners, “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?”

You already know Jesus’ answer: “He will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”

In this parable, the man with the vineyard is God Almighty. The farmers are prospective believers who made the wrong decision. They had a chance at eternal life, but they tried to cut God out of their lives. Didn’t work. As it turns out, God cut them out of His life! They had their chance. God will share eternity with those who are loyal and obedient!

Just like the farmers, each of us has been given an opportunity to play on the Jesus team. Have you said “yes?” I hope so. That’s the answer that points to eternal life in God’s Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Temple Chaos!

For Thursday, September 25, 2025:

Luke 19:45-46 NLT: Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.

Some bad people just can’t resist the temptation to make money from religion. At the time, Jews were required to offer animal sacrifices to God. Only the best animals were allowed for this purpose. As it happened, no matter how good an animal was, it seems it was never good enough. Conveniently, the Temple leaders had animals for sale (at inflated prices!) Good people trying to be obedient were taken to the cleaners! Furthermore, they often paid with money from their homeland, but “Jerusalem money” was required, and the exchange rate was ripping them off!

Jesus wasn’t having any of it! He tossed out all the vendors and money-changers. The animals were scattered. It appears that Jesus kind of lost it for a minute! He basically went berserk, but in a good way, until the problems had been resolved. The Temple was, after all, His Father’s House!

These actions added to resentment against Jesus by the Temple teachers, leaders and Pharisees. Against all their religious upbringing, they plotted to kill Jesus, but they were in the minority. Jesus had the general population in the palm of his hand. They hung on his every word, as should we! Jesus stood for truth and harmony with the Father, and those traits are always best!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

New Covenant!

For Friday, September 12, 2025:

Mark 14:22-24a NLT: “As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘Take it, for this is my body.’ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, ‘This is my blood, which confirms the new covenant between God and his people.’”

This scene details the origin of Holy Communion. Jesus said that we should do this in remembrance of him. So, being obedient, we still do it 2,000 years later!

Picture yourself at the table that night. Jesus had been saying some pretty strange things lately, including predicting his own death. It might have been hard to take him seriously! It seems unlikely that the man who could cure any illness and walk on water would be dying! Even if those present understood the words, it seems unlikely that the described scenario would come to pass.

Only Jesus and his Father knew why this was all necessary and exactly what would happen. God had created mankind, loved what he created and blessed us with free will. But that allowed mankind to succumb to Satan’s temptations, and no one carrying a sin burden would find themselves in heaven. The sin had to be forgiven and blotted out. Jesus, who was sinless himself, was to be the sacrificial lamb to redeem mankind.

God’s plan was fulfilled, mankind was redeemed and heaven was populated! Sin was removed from loyal believers! Jesus abandoned the grave three days later, and eventually returned to the Father, preparing a place for all who would join him.

Let obedience and loyalty be your characteristics today. Prepare to join the Son in the hereafter!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Betrayal!

September 8, 2025, Monday Message:

John 13:27 NLT: “When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”

I once owned a small business. One Christmas Eve, someone picked up a very large order and paid with cash, nearly $2,000.00. Our bank was closed for the holiday, so the deposit would have to wait until the next business day. That night, a break-in was staged, and all the cash went missing. I say “staged” because it turned out to be an inside job. My right-hand man had cut a hole in a wooden door to make it look like a crime, and absconded with the cash. Silly – he had keys to the place! I would have been a little angry if it were a random burglary, but I felt deeply hurt that a trusted employee could have done such a thing. I know what betrayal feels like. Fortunately, I only lost money. Jesus lost his life!

When Satan indwelt Judas, it was no longer Judas making decisions. Satan was perpetrating evil from within Judas’ body. Similarly, demons indwelling humans cause them to make irrational decisions, doing things that violate their value system. Recovery requires that those demons be cast out, exorcized.

Since two things cannot occupy the same space, (see Science 101,) filling someone with Jesus leaves little room for demons! And since Jesus was present, he could have cast out Satan. But he knew God’s plan for mankind’s forgiveness. Jesus was to be the sacrifice, paying the penalty for mankind’s sins. Obedience to the Father took precedence, and Jesus had to allow this scenario to play out. It would be painful, but only for a short time.

In the end, Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead. Those who sign on with Jesus receive forgiveness and will spend eternity in God’s Kingdom, Heaven.

Keep your eyes on the prize!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Passover!

For Sunday, September 7, 2025:

Mark 14:16 NLT: “Two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.”

We can look at Jesus in two different ways. First, we call him the “Son of God.” After all, he came to earth as a little baby, as if he were somebody’s son. But we can also think of Jesus as God himself, as one-third of our triune God, fully God and fully human!

Now let’s look at Passover. The final plague as part of liberating Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery, was the death of every firstborn in the land. To protect the Hebrews from this plague, they were told to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood. Then the angel of death would “pass over” those homes. Through Moses, God told them to remember this goodness annually, hence the Passover meal.

Jesus and his associates were obedient to God’s request. Not sharing a Passover feast would have been out of the question. They were welcomed into a home and given the upper room, and God’s goodness was celebrated!

Similarly, Jesus’ blood was shed to free mankind from our sin predicament. Jesus is our Passover lamb. God said that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Jesus’ blood was shed for us, and we are the beneficiaries of his forgiveness. Following that sacrifice, Jesus went ahead to prepare a place for all believers. Hope to see you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Came to Serve!

For Wednesday, August 27, 2025:

John 13:14, Jesus speaking: “Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.”

Two thousand years ago, the prevalent attitude was to look out for #1. Loving your neighbor was an afterthought at best. Jesus spent a lot of time trying to change that. We are to love the Lord and love our neighbors, which is imitating Jesus, doing what Jesus did.

If you walk around the Middle East in sandals, it’s a cinch that your feet will need washing. To have someone else take on this task for you is a blessing, and that’s exactly what Jesus did for the disciples.

When the washing was complete, Jesus made an announcement: “Not all of you are clean.” He knew who would betray him. Friends, not every favor is appreciated or rewarded, but we still do the right things for the right reasons. Believers should be obedient!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Jesus' Dilemma!

For Saturday, August 2, 2025:

John 12:27 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came!”

One cannot look forward to crucifixion with joy. Not only is death is the end result, but it’s a horrendous and callous way to take someone’s life. The floggings in the hot sun that preceded the actual crucifixion may have been a blessing for the victim. In their weakened state, death would come quickly. The Romans had perfected this hideous manner of execution.

Jesus was known for healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out demons. He was an excellent teacher of the Bible, expositing scripture with clarity that had been missing for centuries. But his main purpose in coming to Earth was to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. If he’s a sacrifice, that implies death, and no one looks forward to dying. But it would be a perfect fit with the Father’s plan for rescuing mankind. So what to do? Do you see the dilemma?

Of course we all know how the story ends. Jesus was obedient, and he chose to take the sins of the world to the place of the dead. Believers are the beneficiaries of his actions. What those around him didn’t quite understand was that he’d be back in three days, full resurrected, brought back to life! Jesus’ followers could see him and hear him speak for another forty days before he ascended back to the Father. The followers could bring their friends and show them the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection. Fence sitters would leap to the “Jesus Camp!”

Jesus commissioned us to make disciples of all nations, and we can retell this story any time it might be helpful!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Heavenly Words!

For Sunday, April 6, 2025:

John 14:24b NLT, Jesus speaking: “Remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.”

In John ch. 14, Jesus has been leaving urgent last-minute instructions for the believers. Before going to the cross, he claims the ultimate authority for his words, telling the believers that what he speaks is actually from Father God! Now are you listening? Now are you paying attention?

In the believer’s mind at the time, this might have made a difference. But to us nowadays, with the completed Bible in hand, we know that Jesus and the Father are one. Their thoughts are the same, and they’re pulling in the same direction. And when the Holy Spirit, our comforter and advocate, joins us on the planet, it will be more of the same. Those three are one! C’mon, Pentecost!

When the words are from Our Father in Heaven, we should listen up! We should be obedient!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Teamwork!

For Saturday, February 22, 2025:

Exodus 23:22 NLT: “If you are careful to obey the angel I’ll send before you and follow all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.”

This is God’s offer for you to join his team. Do you accept? God endowed mankind with free choice, so some may choose to reject the offer. That’s a bad decision with eternal ramifications. The Creator of the universe gets my allegiance, and should get yours too!

We know God wants you on his side, so the question becomes, do you desire for God to be on your side? This needs to be a two-way relationship. Say, “He will be my God, and I will be one of his people!”

"If God is for us, who can stand against us?”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship