Jesus Way!

For Tuesday, June 2, 2026:

John 15:21 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The world will persecute you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.”

In my mind, Jesus should have been the unifying piece of the puzzle. When people heard him speak of heaven, watched him heal the sick and broken and raise souls from the dead, they all should have been on board. Jesus could be none other than the heaven-sent Son of the Most High! How anyone could reject him befuddles me!

Nonetheless, Satan wields significant influence on earth, and he was cheering for the status quo, the Old Covenant, whereby citizens weren’t getting into heaven very often. But people were familiar with the rules. They knew the system and didn’t have to change anything.

Jesus, on the other hand, ushered in a New Covenant whereby mankind’s sins could be forgiven and many more people would find their names in the book of life! But this new system required a change in beliefs, a theological reorientation. Jesus is right up front, telling believers that the new way wouldn’t be popular with everyone. In fact, if we do what Jesus said to do, we should expect a certain amount of trouble. Satan will do his best to sideline our efforts!

Our reward for following Jesus is eternity in the Father’s Kingdom. Once we realize the enormity of that reward, it becomes impossible to consider non-compliance. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him, and everyone seeking eternal residence in the Father’s House knows his name!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Who's First?

For Saturday, May 23, 2026:

Colossians 1:18 NLT: “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, firstborn over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.”

The Bible says that the church is the bride of Christ, making Jesus the head of the church. Without Jesus, there would be no reason for any church to exist. Mankind could have just stayed with Synagogues. It’s important that we understand the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

Under the Old Covenant, mankind was expected to conform to God’s commandments, sometimes called the Law of Moses since God sent most of the commandments through his servant Moses. The grading scale was tough: Live life 100% right, pass; miss one, fail. Any sin disqualified a person from accessibility to heaven.

God’s desire, though, is that none would perish, so he gave us a chance to repent and return. We call this the New Covenant. God’s Son Jesus died to atone for the sins of the world. In other words, He gave us a second chance, a do-over! Forgiven believers, those who would put their faith in Jesus, are given an opportunity to see heaven from the inside!

Abbott and Costello asked, “Who’s on first?” The answer should always be, “Jesus!” He’s responsible for creation, the forgiver of mankind’s sins and head of the church! Jesus is first in everything!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

New Covenant!

For Wednesday, March 25, 2026:

Romans 8:1 NLT: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

If this announcement had been on TV, we’d hear, “Beep-pa-da-beep-beep! Breaking news!” That’s what this was, friends, breaking news! Things had been one way under the Old Covenant. Mankind was living condemned because of sin. But now, after Jesus, everything changed! Under the New Covenant, those who put their faith, hope and trust in Christ Jesus will be forgiven, given a clean start, have their sin-slate wiped clean. Jesus introduces us to a God of second chances and do-overs. I like the golf analogy. “That last sin I did – I’d like to take a mulligan on that!”

Notice that forgiveness isn’t universal. It’s reserved for the repentant who desire to restore God and his Son back to the place in our lives they should have had all along. It’s an apology and an amend to our higher power. There’s an implied, “I’m really gonna try to do better. I intend to change my ways.”

Those whose heart lines up with their words will get to see heaven from the inside. This is our “Assurance of Salvation.” If you belong to Christ Jesus, it’s a done deal. God’s heavenly Kingdom awaits you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Jesus' Heavenly Plan!

January 5, 2026, Monday Message:

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

The New Covenant gives us God on speed-dial. Direct access! Under the Old Covenant, the general public didn’t know a lot about God. They only knew theology the priests chose to teach. God bless the priests, but some would repeat rumors, theories and traditions. They were no longer speaking for the Lord. They were no longer speaking truth!

Christians have been given Assurance of Salvation. We are saved by grace through faith. Grace means that our salvation is a free, undeserved gift from above. Our faith is in Jesus, believing he is who he said he was, and that he can do what he said he can do. Jesus’ primary mission in coming to earth was the rescue of mankind, reconciling our relationship with the Father, and believers put their faith in Jesus’ promise.

So believers’ assurance comes not from any priest or rabbi. Our assurance is not from any church, denomination, synagogue or temple. Our salvation deal is authored and guaranteed by Jesus, God’s own Son. Bypass any middlemen. Lock in your eternal destination today. At the pearly gates, Jesus said we should use his name!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Jesus, our Mediator!

For Friday, January 2, 2025:

Hebrews 12:24 NLT: “You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”

God made two sets of rules for mankind, the ‘Old’ and the ‘New’ Covenants. The ‘New’ Covenant, by definition, was an update, a revision to the old rules.

God’s desire is that none would perish and that all would repent and return to the Father. For this to happen, God revised his expectations for mankind. Humans would never achieve perfection, sinlessness, but could be forgiven. Jesus was put in charge of that. From the cross, he took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, leaving believers suitable to take up permanent residence in God’s presence.

We come to the Father, to his heavenly place, through his Son, the source of forgiveness, the author of salvation. Jesus qualifies us under the ‘New’ Covenant, freely sharing it with repentant believers. God has exchanged vengeance and anger for forgiveness and mercy. God decided that things would be better this way. He’s glad to see us again!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Perfection!

For Wednesday, September 10, 2025:

Hebrews 10:7 NLT: “Jesus said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”

Obedience is what’s required. King Saul offered sacrifices to God, but failed to obey. His successor, David, also had shortcomings, but he prophesied the perfectly obedient one: Jesus! One way we can identify Jesus as the Messiah is in how he fulfills prophesies.

Some people didn’t do too well on the “Obedience-to-God” test, but Jesus scored 100%! When it’s time for us to enter the life after this life, loyal believers can count Jesus’ score as their own. Although we could never be perfect, Jesus has wiped away the sin-record of the faithful. He’s doing FOR us what we could never do on our own. So when it’s time to enter heaven, thank God we signed up for the Jesus team! He has already prepared a place for us!

Jesus cancelled the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. God’s will is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time! No need for us to do anything further. The work has been done FOR us! Thank you, Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Tabernacle!

For Friday, August 15, 2025

Hebrews 9:2a NLT: “There were two rooms in God’s Tabernacle.”

God gave very specific instructions about the Tabernacle, a place to worship and honor the Lord. The outer room, called the Holy Place, contained a lampstand, a table and sacred loaves of bread. Next was a heavy curtain separating the inner and outer portions. The inner space was called the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. This was thought to contain the presence of the Lord. In that room were the gold incense altar and a sizable wooden chest covered in gold known as the Ark of the Covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. That ark itself housed a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves and the stone tablets of the covenant.

Priests regularly performed their religious duties in the outer chamber. But only once a year could the High Priest enter the inner sanctuary. He would always offer blood sacrifices for his sins and the sins of the people, both intentional sin and sins of ignorance. Of importance to Christians is that the Holy of Holies was not freely accessible while the Old Covenant was in place.

But Jesus brought with him a New Covenant. As he spoke, “It is finished” from the cross, the curtain was torn from top to bottom. Mankind was no longer separated from our Creator. We no longer needed a priest to intervene on our behalf. We can now pray directly to God, because our sins have been forgiven. Jesus himself was the blood offering for the sins of the world.

Try it out! Pray directly to God today. It’s OK because you are forgiven! God is always listening and wants to hear from you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God's Commands!

For Thursday, March 20, 2025:

Leviticus 24:1-2 NLT: The Lord said to Moses, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.”

The light in the Tabernacle was to burn continuously, as a sign that God is looking out for his people 24/7. God is never on holiday, unable to help. We are commanded to do no work on the Sabbath, but God still keeps his eye on believers because Satan never takes a day off!

Nowadays there is no Temple, no Tabernacle, the location of the Ark of the Covenant remains a mystery and the Old Covenant has been replaced by Jesus’ New Covenant.

Later in ch. 24, God teaches that punishment should fit the crime: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” If someone injures another’s animal, they should replace it or pay for it. That seems fair. The most severe punishment, stoning, was reserved for those who take another’s life and for those who blaspheme the Lord. Only God determines when life begins and when life ends. And don’t dis God!

Jesus taught us to be more loving and forgiving. The New Covenant offers us second chances. If a repentant person has injured a believer, we are to forgive them 70 X 7 times. Jesus said we should not only love our Lord but likewise love our neighbors! Jesus was God coming to earth to rescue mankind from our sins. Jesus’ way is a good way to live!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Punishment

For Sunday, March 16, 2025:

Leviticus 20:1, 2a NLT: The Lord said to Moses, ““Give the people of Israel these instructions.”

In the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant, those who sinned were to be punished. The most severe penalty was to be stoned to death. For lesser sins, God says the sinner should be punished but doesn’t specify the penalty.

Songwriter Bob Dylan always claims his song that chants, “Everybody must get stoned,” is about this scripture. The Bible says that, “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Therefore, all people deserve to be stoned. Bob was raised Jewish. (You decide...)

People were sacrificing children to the idol Molech and consulting mediums. And God seems especially concerned with sexual relations and family systems. If God plainly lays out his rules, mankind will never have to question if a practice is right or wrong. The answer is in the Bible. Seek out the “God Trend.”

The New Covenant gives us a second chance, a do-over. If we confess our sins and claim Jesus as our Savior, he will take away any record of our sin and usher us into the hereafter. Jesus is the only way we can quality for the life after this life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Reconcile with the Lord!

For Thursday, March 6, 2025:

Exodus chapter 40 ends with the construction of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. The account of the Israelite traveling to the Promised Land continues in Leviticus.

Leviticus 1:1-2a The Lord called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.”

Building the Tabernacle had been quite a project. God had specified dimensions, materials to be used – even colors! The construction must have been satisfactory since the Lord now spoke to Moses from within that Tent of Meeting.

God details procedures and rituals from the Old Covenant, things that seem foreign to us nowadays. Leviticus chapter 1 deals with animal sacrifices. Chapter 2 talks about grain offerings. Chapter 3 asks for peace, and chapter 4 details offerings for those who sin, so they could reconcile with the Lord.

The New Covenant, brought to us by Jesus, does away with those things. Jesus himself, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for the world’s sins. There is no greater sacrifice. In the “Great Exchange,” Jesus took the sins of the world upon himself, and imbued his holiness upon believers, those who would trust their eternal destiny to Jesus, the Son of God. He promised to go ahead and prepare a place for the faithful, and his word is always good.

Thank God for Jesus! Thank God for the New Covenant!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Covenant!

March 3, 2025, Monday Message:

Exodus 34:27 NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.”

A covenant is an agreement or a contract. It’s a 2-way obligation. “You do this thing for me, and I’ll do that thing for you.” Since this covenant was given to Moses, it’s often called the Mosaic Covenant, but it’s really God’s Covenant. We also call it the Old Covenant, since Jesus updated it and gave mankind a much better deal.

The Law given to Moses contains dietary instructions and marks celebrations to honor what the Lord had done for the Hebrew people. The New Covenant, our connection with Jesus, acknowledges that mankind isn’t very good at remembering or observing all those rules and traditions. Instead, we worship Jesus as God’s Son and claim him as Lord and Savior of our lives. In return, Jesus removes our sins, as far as the East is from the West. Our sin lies at the bottom of the deepest ocean. The Book of Life no longer contains any record of our sin. That’s Jesus’ gift to believers!

Mankind is destined to die once and then go before the judgment seat to determine our eternal destination. This will be a terrible time for non-believers. But those walking with Jesus will have him as their advocate, as their defense attorney, so to speak. With our sins forgiven, our destination is predetermined. Jesus has already gone ahead to prepare a place for us in the hereafter!

"But to all who believed him (Jesus) and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” Believers are adopted into God’s Holy family. Enjoy eternity with your brothers and sisters!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship