Gone Missing!

January 26, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 2:46 NLT: “Three days later Jesus’ parents finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.”

Have you ever had a child go missing at the mall or at a theme park? We lost Melissa at the Atlanta airport. She had wandered around the corner and struck up a conversation with a friendly-looking, grandfatherly man. She was excited that she had made a new friend, but he was not one of our family. Fortunately, he was a nice man, and we located her quickly, but it could have been far worse! Children are both curious and precocious. Jesus was no exception!

Personally, I can’t imagine having a child of mine go missing for three days! Mary and Joseph must have been beside themselves with anguish. Picture losing the Son of God! They found him amongst religious teachers, asking them questions and answering theirs. How unlikely would it be for religious philosophers to enjoy conversing with a 12-year-old?

Jesus explained, “Why did you have to search? Didn’t you expect that I would be in my Father’s house?” For all they’d been through with angels, the immaculate conception, shepherds and wise men, and spending time as persecuted non-resident aliens in Egypt, Jesus’ parents still hadn’t connected all the dots.

The last line of the song, “Mary Did You Know,” explains it best. “That sleeping child you're holding is the great I Am!”

Those religious teachers were blessed to be getting answers from God himself. We’re blessed to know a relationship with God as he walked on earth. We worship the One who came to forgive us, to redeem our eternal essence, our souls. Jesus, our faith is in you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Conspiracy!

March 18, 2024 Monday Message:

Mark 14:53 NLT: “They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered.”

We’ve heard a lot in the news lately about conspiracies. A conspiracy is, “an agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act.” The leading priests, elders, and teachers of religious law were conspiring against Jesus. They should be ashamed of themselves. These teachers of religious matters were conspiring to falsely arrest and eventually murder Jesus. Obviously that was a bad decision and a violation of more than one commandment.

Jesus knew more about God, the Kingdom, and eternity in heaven than the alleged religious experts, so jealousy could have played a part in their decision. I believe position, power and money were also a part of their displeasure.

Jesus was an itinerant preacher, which means that he traveled around a lot and spoke in many different places. He acknowledged this, saying, “The Son of Man has no home.” And when these crowds gathered to hear Jesus, they were oftentimes not at the Temple, which means their tithes were not at the Temple.

The way in which these leaders “did” religion was part of the problem. They had studied Torah and knew God’s commandments well. For them, the goal was catching someone else doing something wrong, enforcing the commandments. They obviously skipped over the parts about God’s love, forgiveness and offer of salvation. The text about loving your neighbor as yourself wasn’t front-of-mind.

Having a complete Bible nowadays gives us a complete picture of what those religious leaders got wrong. Following Jesus, we have been taught how to live our lives. Other Christians should be the nicest people we meet!

Remember, God’s desire is that none would perish, and that all would repent and return to their creator!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship