Confident Hope!

For Tuesday, April 28, 2026:

Colossians 1:4-5 NLT: “We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.”

Paul is writing this Epistle to the church in Colosse. It could have been written to any group of believers. Paul could have been writing to your church today!

Church is more than a social gathering. The common denominator is what Paul calls “confident hope,” also known as belief or faith. We believe everything that Jesus told us: Everything that we know was created by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is our rescuer, our redeemer. Jesus forgave our sins and proved that there is life after this life. When he said, “See you later,” he was going to prepare a place for us in the eternal Kingdom. Death is not the end for us, just as it was not the end for Jesus.

Believers share unshakable faith in the promises of Jesus. When we first heard the Gospel or Good News, it made sense to us. Our devotion has only grown stronger as time marches on. Like Paul and like the Colossians, we’re blessed by sharing confident hope!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

I Am the Way!

For Thursday, March 5, 2026:

John 14:4-5 NLT, Jesus: “You know the way to where I am going.”

Thomas: “No, we don’t know, Lord. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Thomas is sometimes called “Doubting Thomas.” I wonder how someone could live with Jesus during his three years of ministry and not “get it?” The disciples all took meals together. They traveled everywhere together. Shouldn’t it have been obvious to Thomas by this time that Jesus is the Son of God?

But we need to be forgiving, gentle in our criticism of his apparent ignorance. The disciples – all of them – were witnessing things no one had seen before! Jesus, of course, knows it all. He had come from heaven. John tells us that Jesus was even present during creation. But most of the Hebrews were still trying to decide if there even is a life after this life. Jesus, as we well know, was certain of it! In his mind, he can remember the heavenly Kingdom. He’s already planning to prepare a place for all who will be joining him there.

Friends, if you know Jesus, you already know the way. We are saved by grace through faith, our unwavering belief that Jesus is who he said he was, and that he can do what he said he can do. His promises are always good, and his word is always truth. If Jesus promised that we will join him in the life after this life, don’t plan on being dead for too long! Remember, even Jesus himself walked away from the grave after only three days!

Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that when we die, our soul, our eternal essence, would be, “Absent from the body; present with the Lord!” Count on it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Trust in Jesus!

March 2, 2026, Monday Message:

John 14:1 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.“

Followers of Jesus were worried. First off, all the Hebrews were living under Roman rule, and while the Romans tolerated religion, they really didn’t like it. They believed in all their false gods, like a god for rain, for a bountiful harvest, for the sun and moon and stars. Some Romans even claimed that Caesar was God. Of course, he wasn’t.

Next problem, the followers of Jesus found themselves at odds with the Temple leaders. The Temple wanted to be in charge of Hebrew religion, and didn’t like this relative newcomer Jesus pulling worshipers out of the Temple, which also pulled their tithes out of the Temple. As with many things in life, if you’re trying to figure out what’s wrong, just follow the money! Also, when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, they considered it blasphemy. The Temple attitude was, “We’ve always done things this way, and we’re not about to change.”

Jesus wants to comfort the loyal believers, put them at ease, have them not worry. Rest assured knowing that Jesus and his Father are in charge. Since they’re the creators of everything, we know their power. We can securely leave everything in their hands. Trust God, and trust his Son.

So friends, don’t worry about the future, in this life or the next. Don’t let your heart be troubled. Don’t give defeat a second thought. Put a smile on your face, a Bible in your hand, Jesus in your heart and optimism in your head. With Jesus at the helm, everything will be A-OK. He said so himself! He promised!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Messiah!

For Thursday, January 22, 2026:

Luke 2:28-29 NLT: “Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.’”

It had been prophesied to Simeon that he would not die until the Lord’s Messiah had been revealed to him. And now he’s personally lifting baby Jesus in his arms! Voilà! The Messiah had arrived!

God always makes good on his promises! He promised to send a Savior, a Rescuer, a Messiah for his people. As it turns out, God’s gift was much more important than what the people were expecting. They were frustrated with Roman occupation of their land. They would have been happy just to be free of the Roman Army. God’s almighty gift was forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness opens the door to eternal life and residence in God’s forever heavenly Kingdom! BTW, there is no Roman army in God’s Kingdom! Mission accomplished and then some!

Don’t expect to understand supernatural events. Just accept the results. The Holy Spirit brought Jesus and Simeon together that day in the Temple, and Simeon identified Jesus to the world. This was only eight days into Jesus’ life. So everyone would have known right from the beginning that Jesus was heaven-sent.

His promise to forgive the sins of all who repent and return is as good today as it was 2k years ago. And God’s desire is that ALL would repent and return. His desire is that none would be lost. You can sign up for that program for free. Just acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life and repent of past sins. Draw a line in the sand, before Jesus and after Jesus. The after Jesus side of the line will be clean and fresh. Garbage will be left on the other side of the line. It’s easy to make the right decision. The sun will be shining on Jesus’ side of the line. See you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Zechariah's Prophecy!

For Friday, December 5, 2025:

Luke 1:67 NLT: “Then baby John’s father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy.”

As Zechariah’s voice returned, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke prophecy concerning his newborn. This is not something he just thought up. This is God – the Holy Spirit – speaking through Zechariah.

Let’s review the high points. “The Lord has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior. God fulfilled his promise, his covenant with his people. We will be saved from our enemies and all who hate us. We will be rescued from our enemies. We can serve God without fear. And baby John will be called the prophet of the Most High, because he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will tell God’s people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven, is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Wow! Those are pretty big tasks, especially for a newborn, but history proves prophecy. We know baby John as John the Baptist, who indeed prepared the people for the ministry of Jesus. Jesus quashed Satan and his demons. Jesus personally died to redeem us. His life was the penalty for the sins of the world, now paid in full. Therefore, our relationship with Father God improved exponentially.

After Jesus, everything was different. After Jesus, everything was better, a lot better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Second Coming!

For Sunday, November 2, 2025:

Luke 21:25 NLT: “Everyone will see the Son of Man (Jesus) coming on a cloud with power and great glory.”

Jesus is referring to the end times scenario. His arrival will not be a secret – everyone on earth will know. This will be a time of great joy for believers and immense fear for those who rejected the Son. In an instant, the world will recognize Jesus as being God’s Son, and our decision to believe will be confirmed.

Up to this point, what believers have is a promise of salvation. But Jesus says that when we see these signs, “Stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” Excited yet? What has been prophesied will occur right before your eyes! If you’re a believer, Jesus has already put your name on a room in heaven. Everything’s ready.

And isn’t that our goal, to live in harmony with our Creator? We are to love the Lord and love our neighbors. That’s why we share this Good News with everyone. God says, “The more, the merrier!” (or something like that!) God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. He really wants everyone to join him in the hereafter.

So friends, accept Jesus’ invitation. Reject all wickedness. Kick Satan out of your life. Send his demons down the road. I don’t care where they land – they can go into pigs for all I care. (That’s what Jesus did!) Keep your eyes on the light; keep your eyes on the prize – eternity in the presence of the Lord! Hope to see you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faith!

For Thursday, October 16, 2025:

Hebrews 10:37-38a NLT: “In just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith.”

The “Coming One” refers to the second coming of Jesus the Messiah. He will arrive at the perfect time to fulfill God’s plans for the rescue of the faithful. The Bible speaks of the first Christians undergoing terrible suffering, public ridicule, beatings, losing all their possessions, and even jail. We have been blessed by living in the USA, where Christianity is the prevalent religion, and we are free to openly speak of Jesus. There’s no penalty for being a believer, but it may not always be that way. People on our planet are persecuted daily for their allegiance to Jesus.

We are saved (redeemed, granted eternal life) by grace through our faith, believing that Jesus is who He said he is, and that He will do what He said He can do. When Martin Luther was searching for Assurance of Salvation in the 1500s, he concluded that Habakkuk 2:4b was our key to eternal life: “The righteous will live by their faithfulness to God,” and that is quoted in today’s scripture. Our faith in Jesus opens the door to eternal life until He comes again to personally welcome us into the hereafter!

And that’s why we worship together, to share our faith with one another and to bolster our belief in the Messiah Jesus and the Father’s Forever Heavenly Kingdom. Remember, God always keeps his promises!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Count On It!

For Sunday, October 5, 2025:

Hebrews 10:23 GNT: “Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise.”

God only deals in truth. It is not in God’s character to lie or deceive any of us. His Son is the same way. And Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”

I think we all want to experience life after this life. Jesus knows the way. He promised that our loyalty would be rewarded. He ascended first to prepare a place for believers in the hereafter. It’s like having a hotel reservation, except that these are forever rooms. We’ll have everything that we need. People will love one another and love the Lord, and in that respect, Heaven sounds far better than Earth! We believe God’s Kingdom will exceed our every expectation, because that’s what Jesus promised, and his word is good, trustworthy.

So closely guard the hope we have been promised. Spend a little time thinking about Heaven and what our lives will be like living in the Lord’s presence. Thank God for his Son, for making forgiveness available! Our ticket to the afterlife is the best present we could ever receive from our God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Servant's Heart!

For Sunday, June 29, 2025:

Luke 14:11 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

A disciple of Jesus should look and act the part. In Jesus’ example, those who think more highly of themselves than they ought may be (embarrassingly) asked to step back. The humble have left room to be moved up, to be honored.

Remember that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve others. If we are to follow in his footsteps, we need to have a servant’s heart. No one could ever repay Jesus for healing their malady. He was kind and helpful without any expectation of repayment.

There’s a saying attributed to the army advising soldiers to never volunteer for anything. Too much extra work, and you never know what you’re getting yourself into. There’s a persistent negative attitude in today’s world where a person’s first response is to say “no.”

But Christians should do the opposite of that. We should be helpful, showing kindness to others, doing the next right thing, because that’s what Jesus would have done. Our first response should be to say yes, or at least find a way to help.

One more thing. Stick with what you’re good at. Ministry is sustainable if we stay in our lane, using the gifts and talents given to us by the Almighty. Jesus talks about rewards for doing the right things: “God will repay you on the day the good people rise from death.” I’m good with God’s promise!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Eternity Promised!

For Tuesday, April 1, 2025:

John 14:19 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.”

Jesus knows he will be returning to the Father in heaven. His disciples have trouble understanding this, so Jesus wants to set the record straight. His words are a great explanation of eternal salvation.

Jesus-the-human will die, and those on earth will no longer see him. But forgiven believers will get to see heaven from the inside, where Jesus now resides alongside the Father. It’s like he’s saying, “You believers will see me, because I’m preparing a place for you. But it’s a place non-believers cannot enter.”

The Son of God sums up what will take place with the best words ever: “Since I live, you also will live.” He’s promising the best life-after-this-life we could possibly imagine!

Claim today what Jesus promised!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faith in God!

For Friday, January 17, 2025:

Exodus 4:31 NLT: “The Israelites were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.”

The Lord had designated Moses as the point person in the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. But the Israelites needed proof. God had given Moses a shepherd’s staff that could turn into a snake, and a skin disease cured by simply putting his hand into his cloak. Seeing is believing, and the people of Israel worshiped God for remembering their plight as they accepted Moses and Aaron to lead the liberation effort.

The Israelites weren’t free yet, but Moses had reassured everyone that God was still on their side. To the best of everyone’s knowledge, freedom was only in the planning stages. But still, they worshiped! They worshiped out of faith in a God they could not see.

Today, our faith in a God we cannot see is still what saves us. God’s desire is that none would be lost, and Jesus has prepared a place for believers in the hereafter.

God always makes good on his promises, and we are the beneficiaries of his mercy. Knowing that, we worship! That’s why we praise himßå!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Parents and Families!

For Friday, December 13, 2024:

Deuteronomy 5:16 NLT, God’s words: “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Oh my, it’s Friday the 13^th! Good thing Christians don’t believe in superstition and sorcery!

Interestingly, when little babies are born into a family, there is no doubt who will care for them – their parents! But when the tables are turned, when the parents grow old, who will care for them? The answer is not as clear as it used to be!

The Bible says that a man will leave his parents and take a wife, thereby creating a new family. In Jesus’ day, that might mean building a second house on the family farm, or at least within the same city. Nowadays the new family might reside in a different state or a different country, wherever work or life’s circumstances might take them. So it becomes honor and respect, and not so much ‘care.’ By the way, there are bad parents, and that changes the rules somewhat. We can still honor them as our parents, not speaking ill of them, but also steering clear of them. Sometimes going your separate ways is the best way to honor someone.

Personally, I have become a fan of extended families. Grandchildren are the best! I think that honoring parents makes a lot of sense when those parents honor their children and their children’s progeny. It’s kind of like loving your neighbor, except this is family!

This is the only commandment with a promise!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

One More Time!

 For Saturday, November 9, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT: “People everywhere speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.”

Jesus is the center of Christian life. He was at the beginning of this age as we know it, for a time he walked on earth alongside mankind, and he will come again, ushering us into the next era. It’s an important part of Christian theology that Jesus is eternal, and it’s important to remember that he will come to us again. He promised, and everything else Jesus told us came true, so we fully expect this also to be true!

In fact, one test to determine authentic Christians is the eager anticipation with which they await Jesus’ return! It will be the best day ever as Christians are ushered into the next reality, eternity in the Lord’s presence. Jesus said that he would prepare a place for each of us in the hereafter, and again, we take him at his word!

Jesus is holding our first-class tickets to heaven as we prepare to board the glory-land express. Be ready!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Promises!

For Tuesday, August 6, 2024:

2 Peter 3:7 NLT: “And by God’s word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.”

The scary news is that judgment day is coming and that we’re all accountable. The Good News is that believers are among the forgiven. Jesus took the sin of the world to the place of the dead, leaving those with faith acceptable to live in God’s presence for eternity. In plain words, believers get to go to heaven!

Those with faith in Jesus as the Son of the Most High no longer have to live in fear of judgment day. We have Assurance of Salvation, Jesus’ promise that we would meet him in the hereafter. Everything Jesus uttered was truth, so we expect this also to be true. We can trust the promises of the Son of God!

See you in paradise!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

More Faith!

For Tuesday, July 23, 2024:

2 Peter 1:4 NLT: “Because of his glory and excellence, he (God) has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

We’ve been looking at “Faith,” the unshakable belief in the testimony of an eyewitness. Jesus himself taught Peter about the promises of God, the promises of life after this life for true believers.

Believers are not only given a ticket to heaven. We are invited to “share his divine nature.” In other words, we’re then adopted into the Holy Family, brothers and sisters with all the rights and privileges of any son or daughter of the most high! When Jesus rescued us, he didn’t do it half-way! And when Jesus went ahead to prepare an eternal place for us, it’s a special place!

So leave the world behind. The world is no big deal, and it’s for such a short time vs eternity in the Lord’s presence. God promised believers redemption from the sins of the world, and when God makes a promise, we can count on it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Grace and Peace!

For Sunday, July 21, 2024:

2 Peter 1:2 NLT: “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.”

Followers of Jesus Christ don’t stand in one place for long. The longer we worship Jesus, the more appreciative we become. Grace – our free gift from Above – is continually poured out upon us in ever increasing amounts. Therefore our love, understanding and knowledge of our Savior continues to increase as well.

"Peace” refers to the inner peace that comes from knowing the Lord, and possessing the faith and confidence that God’s way is the best way. God and his Son Jesus can and will do everything as promised. As believers, we’ve signed on to the “God team.” It’s proven to be a good decision, and believers would all make the same decision again!

This is the peace that passes all understanding!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship