Believers!

For Sunday, September 6, 2026:

Acts 4:4 NLT: “Many of the people who heard Peter and John’s message believed them, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.”

Peter and John had been arrested and jailed for preaching the truth about Jesus. Nonetheless, many people believed them and the number of believers grew to about 5,000 men. Only counting the men was like counting “families,” as most men were married and had at least two children. So this probably represents about 20K people, thereby leaving a significant hole in the Temple’s population.

Previously, the Pharisees and Temple leaders ran everything. All the Jewish people and their tithes automatically went to the Temple. But with these kind of numbers, Jesus and his followers posed a serious affront to both the Temple’s power and its pocketbook.

I believe that Christianity was never supposed to be a new, separate religion. After all, Jesus was raised Jewish. His arrival should have been the next chapter. Instead, the desire for power and the love of money got in the way. Many of those who loved God wouldn’t accept the Son of God!

The life of Jesus is well documented in the four Gospels. If you only consider healings and raising of the dead, it would be hard not to believe that Jesus was heaven-sent. His other miracles serve to reinforce the truth we’ve already learned.

Christianity grows through attraction, so today is always the best day to invite someone to join you for worship. Everyone deserves to know the truth!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Afterlife!

For Wednesday, September 2, 2026:

Acts 4:2 NLT: “The priests and Temple guards were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.”

We tend to not believe what we haven’t seen with our own eyes. Jesus broke new ground by proving that there is life after this life. Although he was pronounced dead by Roman soldiers, he walked away from his tomb three days later. He could walk and talk, and appear to various groups seemingly at will.

The risen Jesus had supernatural abilities, and Peter and John were eyewitnesses to all these things. They were filled with enthusiasm having seen the miracles firsthand. So their natural response was to begin sharing the Good News with others.

At that time, most Pharisees were hoping that there was a life after this life, but they weren’t sure. Sadducees taught that there was no life after this life. So Peter’s and John’s preaching radically opposed the best thinking of the day.

As followers of Jesus, we now know the truth. Jesus rose from the grave, opening the door for us all to be welcomed into a life after this life. These eyewitnesses documented exactly what Jesus did so that all believers would know the truth.

Yes, friends, there IS life after this life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Truth!

For Saturday, August 1, 2026:

Romans 9:1a NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness.”

In Paul’s day, a lot of misinformation was preached. Alleged spiritual teachers pushed theories about what a god could do for them, the power of that idol. Even the Pharisees, who had basic knowledge of the real God, resisted the New Covenant. They favored power and money over spiritual accuracy.

Paul had learned from Jesus, the Son of the Most High. Paul’s preaching was accurate and true, since he was put back on track by Jesus himself. If Paul only repeated what Jesus had told him, it would all be true. Truth – that’s the whole point! Your eternal life depends on it!

We believe that our Bibles contain only truth. And the writings are God-inspired. We should share the truth of the Bible with our fellows, and also give them a guarantee: It’s 100% accurate!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Purpose!

For Wednesday, July 15, 2026:

John 16:2 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “You will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.”

In religion, things can get twisted around in unbelievable ways. In this case, those who know the Lord and exalt Jesus are thrown out of the worship center by others who think they know better. They do not! Those on the Jesus team will be killed (martyred) by the misled, who think they’re doing the Lord’s work. They are not!

Let’s use Paul as an example. He was loyal to the law of Moses, trained as a Rabbi, and sought to quash these renegade Jesus worshipers. He asked for a letter from the high priest to capture these Jesus-subversives and deliver them to Jerusalem in chains, or even kill them if chains didn’t work out. But Jesus personally tapped Paul on the shoulder on the road to Damascus. Paul was struck blind until he yielded to Christian baptism! He did a 180º, and became one of Christianity’s biggest supporters!

At the time, Pharisees were the religious elite. But they plotted the killing of Jesus by repeatedly lying. Lying is wrong, but plotting murder is even worse! Power and money kept them from accepting Jesus as the Son of God. They arranged Jesus’ crucifixion, and in a turn of events, Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, leaving mankind forgiven and able to reconcile with the Father. God used their evil ways for a holy purpose!

I’ve said before that God always wins! He can flip a hopeless situation and use it for his purpose. Jesus, who the Pharisees wanted to kill, is now seated at the right hand of the Father. It seems to be working out for him! And everything is also working out for Jesus’ followers, true believers and disciples like you and me!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

P.S. It’s National Hot Dog Day, in case you’re a little short on nitrites and sodium!

Sabbath!

For Wednesday, July 8, 2026:

Luke 6:5 NLT, Jesus, answering the Pharisees: “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”

Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man.” He is the Son of God, but born into this Earth as a man, hence this description. Being God’s Son, one-third of the Holy Trinity, and heaven’s only earthly representative, he has every right to be “Lord of the Sabbath,” God’s designated Holy day of rest.

The Pharisees had memorized God’s Commandments, often called the Law of Moses because God delivered them to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The first four commandments are about our relationship with God, while the next six talk about our interaction with our fellows. (There are actually 613 commandments!) I summarize the Law like this: Love God, and love your neighbor! Simple, right-to-the-point.

Pharisees honored God, but didn’t get the “love your neighbor” part. Instead of teaching their followers the right way to live, they preferred to catch them doing something wrong and punishing them. The commandment in question here is, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” They defined that as doing no manual labor on the Holy day.

The disciples were walking near the edge of a grain field, and found some stalks left unharvested. You could roll the grain in your fingers, remove the husk, and eat the inside. They were accused of working on the Sabbath. I don’t see that as any worse than if somebody left a tray of nuts on my table, and I quick grabbed a few for the drive to church. Speaking of which, is driving a car to church a kind of prohibited labor? Chassidic Jews don’t drive on their Holy day!

I don’t picture God splitting hairs on this, i.e. rigid enforcement. In our minds, we are to hold a “special” place for the Sabbath, remembering our Creator. After worship, a Sabbath day should be family time. God also wants us to use common sense. If we’re driving home from church and see a single mom with three kids and a flat tire, should we stop and change the tire for her? Even though that’s work? Yes, we should always be kind, helpful and do the next right thing. Loving our neighbors isn’t optional, and God will view your helpfulness as honoring His commands!

Jesus attended his Synagogue on the Sabbath. He would be called upon to teach, preach and read from the scrolls! Most of those present hadn’t learned to read or write, so they appreciated Jesus’ skill. Jesus even healed on the Sabbath, which got him in a lot of trouble with those Pharisees, but that’s another story. For now, “Love God and love your neighbor!”

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

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

Palm Sunday!

For Sunday, March 29, 2026:

John 12:12b-13 NLT: “A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet Jesus. They shouted, ‘Praise God! [Hosanna!] Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!’”

Today is Palm Sunday, when Christians everywhere celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus had recently healed Lazarus and brought him back to life. A large crowd had been present for that event, and there was much anticipation when word got out that Jesus was coming back into town. They lined the streets as if a parade were about to take place.

Meanwhile, Jesus sent two disciples to borrow a donkey, who were told to say, “The Lord has need of it.” The donkey had never been ridden, and I look at this like asking to borrow a new Buick off the showroom floor. It fulfills the prophecy, “Look, your king is coming to you,... riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.”

As Jesus entered the city, the crowd waved palm branches in the air and lined the streets with brightly colored cloth, shouting, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us; save us now!” I suspect that the crowd knew mankind had a sin problem, and the only solution was an alliance with the man who could raise someone from the dead. They wouldn’t have asked Jesus to save them, to rescue them, unless they believed it to be possible.

Shouts rang out, “Hail to the King of Israel!” Recall John (the baptist) saying, “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” as he introduced Jesus to the world. Only a King has a Kingdom, and Jesus is the one King! This upset the Roman Government, which thought Herod was their king. It also upset the Pharisees. “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

So this is all about money and power. Pharisees didn’t like worshipers leaving to follow Jesus, and they didn’t like tithes going to the Jesus team rather than the Temple. Furthermore, the Roman government already had a king and didn’t want another, and certainly not a Jew! Jesus’ demise seemed certain, and he predicted his own death.

People are fickle. In just a few days, they went from “Save us now!” to “Crucify him!” No one understood that Jesus would take the sins of the world to the place of the dead, and that mankind could be forgiven and have a shot at eternity! Those railing against Jesus were actually fulfilling God’s vast eternal plan!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Arrested!

For Thursday, October 2, 2025:

Mark 14:46 NLT: “Then a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs grabbed Jesus and arrested him.”

The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders had been planning Jesus’ demise for quite some time. They didn’t want to arrest Jesus in the Temple. It would seem wrong. It would look bad if a temple teacher were arrested. “Keep police action out of our worship space!”

One of Jesus’ defenders produced a sword and sliced off an ear of the High Priest’s slave. Jesus restored the ear, to which I would say, “Look at what just happened. The man you’re arresting can heal whatever’s wrong and cure any disease! Perhaps we should rethink this!”

But without knowing it, the Pharisees were fulfilling God’s plan. The blood of Jesus was to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. Mankind would thereby be redeemed. It would be a rough couple of days for Jesus, but after that, his mission would be complete. (“It is finished!”)

Jesus would have to walk through the fire by himself. (50) “All his disciples deserted him and ran away.” God was keeping them safe. If they stayed close to Jesus, they too would have been killed as accomplices. But God was counting on the disciples to function as leaders of “The Way,” the new Christian church! They needed to be preserved!

The church that the disciples established still exists nowadays, with many franchised locations. We worship at one each week. Thankfully, God had the disciples temporarily step back. When Jesus rose from the grave, they regrouped and came back stronger than ever. 2K years later, people are still signing up for the Jesus team!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Heaven-sent!

September 29, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 20:1-2 NLT: One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

It was an odd situation. Jesus had turned the Temple upside down as he threw out the vendors and money-changers. Now he’s showing up daily to teach the Good News, the Gospel. He would commandeer a space, and huge crowds would gather, hanging on his every word! None of this was authorized by the Priests or Elders.

Picture this in your mind’s eye. Pretend you have a new method for understanding higher mathematics. You go to your local high school and find that the cafeteria is unused most of the day. So you set up shop and begin teaching your methods. Soon, the room is bursting at the seams, filled with curious students (who are NOT in their regular Math class!) The principal faces a quandary. You’re not authorized to teach and should be thrown out, but the students seem to love their new teacher, and have threatened to riot if their opportunity to learn is cancelled. What to do?

Jesus was called on the carpet by the Pharisees: “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

Jesus responded to their question with one of his own. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” The Temple leaders didn’t have a good answer, so the confrontation died.

If Jesus claimed to be God’s Son, he might have been killed on the spot. We now know that his earthly mission was to share the Good News, to heal those who needed healing and to be the one-time sacrifice for the sins of the world. Because of Jesus, believers have been forgiven. Because of Jesus, believers have been redeemed! His authority comes from Heaven!

Have a blessed week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!

For Thursday, September 18, 2025:

John 13:36 NLT: “Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?”

And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”

Jesus gave Peter an answer, but the answer didn’t fit the question. In this exchange, Jesus never said where he was going. Jesus wisely avoided topics that most people wouldn’t understand. Remember that at that time, there was debate over life-after-this-life. Pharisees thought it was possible, but didn’t know much about it. Sadducees didn’t believe in a hereafter, so it was a dead topic with them. Jesus knew exactly what was to happen, but the true scenario would seem impossible to most people. Dying, going to the place of the dead, back to life in 3 days – doesn’t seem logical. Doesn’t seem possible!

Jesus challenges Peter with a prophecy: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Simon Peter – I call him Mr. Impulsive – shouts out, “Not me, Lord! I would never forsake you. I would be willing to die for you!” Dying in support of Jesus would be good, but dying unnecessarily would be bad.

In the courtyard: “Didn’t I see you with Jesus earlier today?”

Peter: “Nah, couldn’t have been me. You got the wrong guy!”

In the courtyard: “I think I recognize you. Aren’t you one of the 12?”

Peter: “You’re thinking of someone else. I’m from out of town!”

In the courtyard: “You were talking to Jesus earlier, over by the fire.”

Peter: “You keep talking about Jesus. I’ve never even met the guy!”

Rooster: Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!

Some folks call Peter a coward or say that he abandoned Jesus. Yes, he saved his own skin, but I prefer to line that up with God’s vast eternal plan. You see, God had already earmarked Peter to lead the disciples following the resurrection. He was the point-person for the first Christian church, The Way. Peter needed to stay alive to do the work God had given him to do! God gave Peter purpose.

If you’re not dead, you’re not done! Peter lived to fulfill God’s purpose for his existence. We all live to fulfill God’s purpose for us. We can love our neighbors, serve others, love our Lord and encourage others to love him too. That’s our mission; that’s our assignment.

Without purpose, it may be our time to leave the planet. (Just my opinion.)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Death Is Not the End!

September 1, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 18:31-33 NLT: “Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, ‘Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.’”

The “going up to Jerusalem” would be the Triumphal Entry, what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. Following that, things would quickly go downhill. The Pharisees had been plotting to kill Jesus for quite some time, and this time they would get their wish. Judas-the-traitor would betray our Savior, who would be arrested, mocked, beaten and spit upon. On the following Friday, he would be nailed to a cross. Crucifixion always ended in death. The Romans were diligent about their evil task.

On the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus had lived an innocent life, but at that point, I believe the sins of the world were heaped upon him. Since he really died, Jesus visited the place of the dead, and there he left the sins of the world, separating sin from believers as far as the east is from the west, as far as the ocean is deep.

Three days later Jesus went missing from the tomb. Everyone he encountered could see him, talk to him and hear him speak. Jesus continued to teach, and I suspect the main message was that death is not the end! Jesus was a walking, talking example of resurrection! In the life after this life, the sheep are separated from the goats, and Jesus will prepare a place for his flock in the Eternal Kingdom

Jesus was fulfilling prophesy after prophesy, proving him to be beyond a shadow of a doubt the expected Messiah. God’s plan was that mankind’s sins could be forgiven through faith in the Son. Jesus’ obedience made it possible for us to see heaven from the inside. God’s desire is that none would perish, but that all would repent and return. Have you made arrangements to join Jesus in the hereafter?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Humble!

For Sunday, August 17, 2025:

Luke 18:9 NLT: “Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else.”

Two men entered the Temple to pray. They could not have been more different, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee thought highly of himself, saying, “I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!”

Tax collectors are thought to be the worst of all sinners. This traitor had switched sides and was working for the Roman oppressors. This man clearly knew he was in the wrong. “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.”

The repentant sinner was justified that day, not the Pharisee.

Jesus concludes his lesson: “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” The Bible says, “Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought!”

Oftentimes, taking a step down results in being lifted up!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Impress God, Not Others!

For Sunday, August 10, 2025:

John 12:42-43 NLT: “Many people did believe in Jesus, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.”

Think back to high school. Were certain kids ‘cool,’ standing out from the others? It’s like there was a ‘cool clique!’ They were usually involved in sports or cheerleading. (Scholastic achievement didn’t make you cool.) They knew each other from their parents’ Country Clubs. Their families were successful in business, and had more money than many of our parents. Growing up, I really wanted to be accepted as one of the ‘cool’ kids. But I now know that none of that mattered. Impressing other humans isn’t where God wants us to direct our efforts. We should be doing the right things for the right reasons, and God’s OK with that.

Many Jewish leaders were caught up in a similar predicament. They wanted to appear to be one of the ‘in’ group that could hang out with the Pharisees. They had seen Jesus’ miracles and healings, and had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But that belief was incongruous with the Pharisee’s beliefs. Regrettably, their desire to ‘fit in’ overrode their desire to worship the Messiah!

 The lesson here is to always honor God. It matters not what others think. They’re ‘circumstances,’ part of the circus going on all around you. You want to concentrate on things of ‘substance,’ things that matter in your relationship with God Almighty.

Do the right things for the right reasons and please the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship