Corrupt Tax Collectors!

For Saturday, February 28, 2026:

Luke 3:12-13 NLT: “Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ John the Baptist replied, ‘Collect no more taxes than the government requires.’”

A lone Roman didn’t feel safe amongst the Jewish population. The Jews were angry, having been mistreated, persecuted and over-taxed. So Rome lined up others to do their dirty work. They arranged for Jews to do the tax collecting from other Jews. This meant that the tax collector would have to have abandon his fellows, his family and probably his religion. Consequently, he had no friends and was known as a scoundrel, a traitor. But he got paid well for his misery.

Our scripture today calls them “corrupt tax collectors.” That’s almost a redundancy! Tax collectors were known for assessing a little extra to put in their own pockets, so most tax collectors were wealthy. Now, they may have put religion on the back burner, but it never entirely left them. So here we find them listening intently to John the Baptist. He stops their sinful, corrupt nature in its tracks. “Collect no more taxes than the government requires!”

A few listened to John, many vowed to change their life and stop the skimming. This is an example of the radical transformation we talk about as people come to know the Messiah. Each of us has habits in our lives that we’ve put off changing. It’s never too soon to change direction, to leave the sin behind and follow the right path. Don’t put it off! Cause God to smile down on you! Do the right thing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Radical Transformation!

For Wednesday, February 18, 2026:

Romans 7:4 NLT: “This is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.”

In the Bible, we can read about lives lived before Christ and lives lived after Christ. Remember that there are those in the Old Testament who had faith, who believed in the coming Messiah. They’re part of our group. Some made their commitment after they saw or heard Jesus, and still others joined the believers following Jesus’ death and resurrection, when they could see the complete story of life after this life. My point is that a radical transformation separates the “before Jesus” person from the “after Jesus” person. After Jesus, everything typically changes – for the better!

The “harvest of good deeds for God” isn’t mankind trying to curry favor with the Lord. Believers serve God out of gratitude. God sent Jesus to earth, Jesus died as the offering atoning for our sins, and we thereby became eligible for eternal life in God’s presence. We call that Heaven. God is good to us!

What changed from your “before Jesus” person to your “after Jesus” person? Can you point to the radical transformation in your life? What’s the last good deed you did for the Almighty?

May the Lord walk with you as you go about your day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Shepherd!

For Sunday, June 23, 2024:

1 Peter 2:25 NLT: “Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.”

I like sheep. I think they’re cute animals, soft and woolly, but incredibly stupid! Sheep would forget to eat if the shepherd didn’t lead them to where new grass was growing. Sheep would forget to drink water unless the shepherd led them past the pond. Sheep can wander up a ravine, hit a dead end, and not know how to get back out!. Sheep wander away from the herd, because, just like the saying, the grass is always greener somewhere else!

Sheep need a shepherd and mankind need a solid leader. Thank God we know about Jesus the Christ! We can follow him anywhere, and he will keep us safe and well fed. When this life ends, he will prepare a place for believers in his Father’s house. Then we’ll eternally enjoy our shepherd!

What someone commits to being a Christian, their life should change – a lot! This should be a change for the better. We call it a radical transformation, the difference between someone living a sinful life and someone following their new shepherd, Jesus.

Jesus is the only way. He teaches us only truth, and the life he offers is eternal. Jesus wants to be your shepherd! You need one!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Consecrated People!

June 3, 2024 Monday Message:

1 Peter 1:16 NLT: “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’”

Peter is referring to writings in Leviticus where we are instructed to “consecrate ourselves.” The radical transformation of becoming a believer should start this process in each of us. Rather than living for the world, we should now be living for Jesus, with our eyes on eternity!

To get started, we learn the principles of setting ourselves apart, but we’re probably not good at it right away. God, who knows everything, already knows that we won’t be perfect when first undertaking the task of self-sanctification. But at that point, we’re put God’s goals for us in place. We strive to be worthy of Kingdom residency. With progress but not perfection, we become more worthy day by day.

There will come a day when honoring God’s wishes will become second nature. Your “Things To Do Today” list will include fewer worldly endeavors and far more of what God would have us do! Our love for our Savior should be constantly increasing.

Dedicate yourself to the Lord; sanctify yourself!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Repent = Change!

For Tuesday, December 5, 2023:

Mark 1:15 NLT: “The time promised by God has come at last!” Jesus announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Jesus adds clarity to what prophets had been saying. Remember that Jesus is a preacher who sometimes heals, not a healer who sometimes preaches. He always speaks the truth.

Jesus counseled the people to repent. That requires more than just being sorry for sinning. True repentance requires action. It speaks of a massive reorganization of our actions. It implies a radical transformation, intentionally abandoning the old and heading in a new and better direction, living life a better way on purpose.

Today is the best day to change for the better. After all, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus said so. We may not have a lot of time!

Enjoy each day as you serve the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Imitate Jesus!

September 25, 2023 Monday Message:

Philippians 2:12b NLT: “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”

Did you just hear about Jesus or were you changed for the better? True believers have been radically transformed into different, better persons than the ones who first heard the Gospel.

Christians do their best to imitate the life of Jesus, loving their neighbors and being helpful and encouraging. I should point out that before Jesus, most people were just out for themselves. This practice of being helpful and nice was new. But people witnessed this changed behavior and liked what they saw. They wanted to join in. They wanted what the believers had, which was a much better life following the example of Jesus. So sign them up!

Paul’s message teaches us to be intentional about this reformed behavior. Go out of your way to show kindness. Figure out what you could do that would be helpful, and do it on purpose. Do your best to imitate the “Jesus model” for life.

Lead by example and others will follow!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Transformed!

For Tuesday, July 25, 2023:

Romans 2:29c NLT: “A person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.”

For years I attended a church where “radical transformation through our Lord Jesus Christ” was part of their mission statement. I couldn’t agree more! When a person accepts Jesus and is filled with the Holy Spirit, they are changed for the better! Expect a different person now, greatly changed from the unsaved person who first came through the church door.

If you’re doing the right things for the right reasons and if both you and God are OK with it, it matters not what your fellows say or think. Believers are living for the Lord, not for our neighbors.

Father, change me into what you would have me be, that I may be of service to the Kingdom. Amen!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Baby Christians!

For Saturday, May 27, 2023:

1 Corinthians 3:3 TLB, Paul writing to the church in Corinth: “For you are still only baby Christians, controlled by your own desires, not God’s. When you are jealous of one another and divide up into quarreling groups, doesn’t that prove you are still babies, wanting your own way? In fact, you are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord at all.”

Most seekers were living in the world, where people sin freely. Then they learn the Good News of salvation through Jesus, become a part of it, but haven’t yet abandoned the ways of the world. Baby Christians.

Paul is looking for what I call a Radical Transformation, a 180º turn-around of a person’s value system. When new believers have God on their mind, Jesus in their heart and the Holy Spirit’s protection, they become a new person, born again.

Believers have been given a fresh start, and it should show!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Faith, Hope, Truth!

For Friday, October 21, 2022:

Titus 1:1-2 TLB: “From: Paul, the slave of God and the messenger of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know God’s truth—the kind of truth that changes lives—so that they can have eternal life, which God promised them before the world began—and he cannot lie.”

As Christians, what is our overall goal? I believe it’s to spend eternity in the presence of our Creator God. We call it heaven!

We have been given the gift of salvation through our faith in God’s Son, Jesus the Messiah, so Paul’s mission becomes one of strengthening that faith. He does so by teaching God’s truth, something we all need to understand. Knowing God’s truth can result in a radical transformation of lives – a change for the better! That all sounds like what most churches and pastors aspire to nowadays – teach truth, strengthen faith and encourage believers! From the very beginning, God hoped everyone would repent and return. His desire is that none would perish. He truly wants us all to come home!

God made the promise of eternal life to all who would believe, and God cannot lie!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

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

Touched by Jesus!

For Friday, February 11, 2022

Mark 6:56 NLT: “Wherever Jesus went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.”

It's kind of like that nowadays. Whoever is touched by Jesus is changed, changed for the better. The believer is reborn, made new, radically transformed by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. The old way of life has died, replaced by a life of hope centered around God's value system.

We've all heard testimonies of reformed criminals and addicts, crediting the change in their life to the time they met Jesus. Being indwelt by the Holy Spirit is serious business, not to be taken lightly. They all testify that life is better being a part of God's Holy Family!

I have never met anyone who was sorry they accepted Jesus!

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