Sabbath!

 For Sunday, April 26, 2026:

Luke 4:16 NLT: “When Jesus came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.”

 Looking at that text, we already know about Jesus, we know about Nazareth, we know about synagogues and the Sabbath. What strikes me as the teachable moment are the words, “as usual.” It was normal and customary to attend a religious gathering, to praise God and worship him on the Sabbath. It would have been far more unusual to NOT attend!

 I know a pastor whose son asked on Sunday morning, “Dad, do we have to go to church today?”

Dad: “That‘s about the dumbest question I’ve ever heard! We don’t HAVE to go to church; we WANT to go to church!”

 Church is where we meet our best friends, like-minded individuals. Church is our community, our fellowship. But most of all, we gather to praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, giving thanks for our creation and rescue from sin. We worship God as the head of everything. We’re thankful for the offer of life after this life, and for God honoring us with the offer of eternity in his Kingdom. We get to hear scripture from the Bible to inspire us to face another week!

 Church is a good, safe place to invite others. Bring your new friends. Help make disciples of all nations!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
The Father’s House
Truth and Freedom Church

Holy Saturday!

For Holy Saturday, April 4, 2026:

Matthew 27:64 NLT, asking Pilate: “We (the leading priests and Pharisees,) request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”

The leading priests seemed unconcerned with spiritual authenticity, unconcerned with truth. To them, Jesus was a threat to their power and money. People had left the Synagogue to follow Jesus, and their tithes had gone to Jesus rather than the Temple. Because Jesus was a perceived threat, the leading priests and Pharisees plotted to kill him, which goes against everything they stood for. Now they were worried that Jesus’ prophecy would come true, that he would rise in three days. Men were sent to guard the tomb so that no one could steal the body and falsely claim that Jesus was alive.

The Great Exchange: Remember that while on the cross, the sins of the world were heaped upon Jesus, and His innocence was imparted to believers. That’s a massive amount of forgiveness, but that was the Father’s plan to bring believers home. That was Jesus’ mission, to rescue mankind from Satan’s territory. You could say that Jesus was on a mission trip to planet Earth!

One more thing: Many of us learned the Apostles’ Creed growing up. There’s a mistranslation that has always bothered me. The creed states, “Jesus was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell.” Friends, Jesus did not go to hell. He went to Sheol, a place for the dead. It is not heaven, and it is not hell. It may involve judgment, since Moses wrote, “The anger of Yahweh is a flame which burns in the ‘depths’ of Sheol.” But believers are already forgiven by the work Jesus did on the cross.

I suspect that not much happened on Holy Saturday, since that day is the Sabbath for Jews. It’s the Lord’s day, not a day for customary work. Jesus will be back to work tomorrow, walking away from his grave. Christians worship on Sunday, the day we realized that Jesus had conquered sin and death at the same time! In the meantime, "Shabbat Shalom!"

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Good Friday!

For Good Friday, April 3, 2026:

Matthew 27:20 NLT: “The leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.”

Many people had pilgrimaged to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover at the Temple. So Jesus’ trial before Pilate was witnessed by many. The custom was to release one prisoner on that special day, giving them a second chance. Barabbas was a horrible man, but the priests convinced the crowd to ask for him rather than Jesus.

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

This dialog went back a forth a number of times. Pilate literally washed his hands of the matter, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” Pilate’s wife had suffered a nightmare over what was about to happen. The guards took Jesus to be flogged, and eventually crucified. It’s a horrible death. The body grows weak, collapses and dies of asphyxiation, unable to support itself to take in one more breath.

Jesus was fully God and fully human. We sadly remember the human part dying on this day. Our spiritual mentor, our life coach, was gone. His body was quickly placed in a tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea, and secured with a huge stone. No further work could be done as the Sabbath (Saturday) was drawing near. The women would finish preparing the body on Sunday.

The fully human part will remain in the grave, at least until Sunday. But what will the God-part be doing?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Kindness!

For Thursday, June 26, 2025:

Luke 14:3 NLT: “Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, ‘Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?’”

Jesus was a guest at the home of a Pharisee, about to be seated for the Sabbath meal. The Pharisees were watching him closely, hoping to catch Jesus doing something wrong. That was the Pharisee’s modus operandi, to catch people violating God’s commands and then call them on the carpet. Pharisees appeared to love nobody and were critics of everybody, and Jesus was no exception! How foolish they must have been to think that they could cite God’s Law against God’s own Son!

A man attending the feast suffered from swollen arms and legs. Pain made it challenging for him to move. Jesus saw an opportunity to make the man’s life better, and at the same time correct the Pharisee’s errant theology. He set up the lesson by asking: “Is it legal to heal this man on the Sabbath? You can see he’s hurting! Whaddaya say, guys? Should we heal him or not?”

Lacking a good answer, the Pharisees remained silent. Jesus reached out, touched the man, and instantly he was healed. Jesus turned to the Pharisees and explained, “Every one of you does work on the Sabbath. If a family member or one of your animals fell into a pit, surely you’d pull it out, even on the Sabbath!” The Pharisees remained speechless.

Lessons learned: We should worship God every day, but with special focus on the Sabbath. Because the Sabbath is the Lord’s day, it’s the perfect day to show kindness to our fellows. The Sabbath should never become an excuse for not doing the right things for the right reasons. If you’re loving your neighbor, God will smile on you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Working the Sabbath!

For Wednesday, June 18, 2025:

Luke 13:12-13 NIV: “When Jesus saw the crippled woman, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.”

This story sounds OK so far, but it’s the Sabbath and Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, and therein lies the problem – doing work on the Sabbath, even if it’s good work. Some people, obediently serving the letter of the law, have forgotten the spirit of the law. Love and compassion are high up on the list of doing the next right thing, and those actions please God. Jesus says that if we can relieve 18 years of suffering with a simple act, we should put the miracle in motion even though it’s the Sabbath.

The synagogue leader confronted Jesus. “There are six days for work. So heal on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

Jesus points out that even the most religious people water their livestock on the Sabbath. Are they saying that one kind of work is OK, but another is wrong? Out of which side of their mouths are they talking?

But friends, let’s get to the real heart of the matter. Jesus explains that Satan and his demons had kept the woman bound for 18 years. So the real problem wasn’t one of healing. Casting out demons was the issue, and the Sabbath is the perfect day to take Satan down a notch!

The people were delighted with all the wonderful things Jesus was doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sabbath!

For Tuesday, February 25, 2025:

Exodus 31:13a NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you.”

On weekdays, most of us put on our work clothes and leave home to do whatever we do to earn a living. Anything from a suit to a hard hat is appropriate, depending on our careers.

The Sabbath day is different. Believers wake up focused on our God, the central theme of the day. We dedicate this special day to honor the God Almighty who makes us holy. We gather with our fellows to worship and pray. Fellowship is a key part of honoring the Sabbath. Families meet with other families. Worries, cares and disagreements from the previous week are set aside as we celebrate together. Our focus is on loving the Lord and loving our neighbors! The Sabbath is a good day!

I serve at a church that, for logistical reasons, meets on Friday nights. I don’t think God is as concerned with what day of the week it is, as he is that we consistently designate a special time to worship and honor him. For most people, their work week is wrapped up and they immediately turn to the Lord, and that’s good!

I don’t ever think of the Sabbath as a “do nothing” day. For obvious reasons, priests, pastors, church musicians and Bible teachers have a very busy day. Even observant Jews in Moses’ day would have to feed and water their animals on the Sabbath. You could help with some of the Lord’s work: visit shut-ins and the sick; help at the food shelf or serve meals to the needy; be an usher or park cars at church. Think of things that would be helpful to the Kingdom. Do good!

Above all, remembering the Sabbath reminds us of the goodness of God, the one who sent his son to be the offering for the sins of the world. If we repent and return, God is willing to forgive and forget, and welcome us into his eternal kingdom! God is good!

See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Blind!

For Thursday, January 9, 2025:

John 9:25b NLT: “I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

This man, born blind, had been given sight by Jesus. He’s being questioned by Pharisees about the miracle. They want all the details. They’re trying to determine Jesus’ source of power. That Jesus healed on the Sabbath just complicates matters.

But they’re all missing the big point, and the man who was healed tries to simplify things. “I was blind, and now I can see!” Get it? If you couldn’t see before, but now you CAN see, little else matters. It’s time to say thanks, praise God and get on with life.

But the Pharisees already had their minds made up. No testimony was going to convince them that Jesus was heaven-sent. They were predisposed to reject eyewitness testimony.

Turns out it was the Pharisees who were blind!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sabbath!

For Thursday, December 12, 2024:

Deuteronomy 5:12 NLT, God’s words: “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.”

God knows that we all need a break from our regular work. We need time to recharge our batteries, so to speak. So instead of just goofing off, let’s make it the Lord’s day, the Sabbath day. Dual purpose! God walks with us for six days, and we dedicate the seventh to him! Not really. God should always be included as we live out our lives, and he’s never far away from us. But the Sabbath is different; the Sabbath is special!

Hebrew tradition places the Sabbath from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. Christians worship on Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. I don’t don’t think God is as concerned with which day you set aside for him, as long as one day out off seven becomes his. (Just my opinion…)

After worship, the Sabbath should become time for family and community. Gather the children and honor their grandparents. If your fellow Christians need a hand, this would be a good time to love your neighbor. And as we’re fulfilling the right things for the right reasons, keep your Creator front-of-mind. By serving others, we’re being obedient to the Father and fulfilling the teachings of the Son!

We should look forward to God’s Sabbath with joy, excitement and anticipation. It’s not, “I have to go to church,” but rather, “I GET to go to church!” God has your name on a chair at his place of worship. See you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sabbath!

For Sunday, November 3, 2024:

Hebrews 4:9-10 NLT: “So there is a Sabbath still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.”

God had big plans! When we call God our Creator, we’re typically thinking of our planet and the things it contains, things within the limits of our knowledge. But God is much bigger than that. He designed a sun and set our planet 93M miles from it to facilitate life. God completed our neighboring planets, and then set thousands of stars in the sky, each with its own galactic system, all gravitationally balanced with the others in the sky. Like I said, it was a big job, but God was up for the task!

He completed the work in six days. (Let’s not argue about how long a day is. Our planet didn’t even have days until the sun was in place and the earth started spinning!) On the seventh day, God stepped back, looked at all he had created, and declared it to be “very good.” Following God’s example, we should take a day, temporarily step out of our lives, look in the window and make an honest assessment of how things are going. Most of us won’t find “very good.” Some things will need adjustment, course corrections. The knowledge we gain from a rigorous self-examination allows us to proactively live the Lord’s way rather than simply reacting when something goes wrong!

We can use the Sabbath to get ourselves back on track, back to the Lord’s ways!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Common sense!

For Saturday, October 26, 2024:

John 7:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Jesus was criticized for healing on the Sabbath. Some even wanted to kill him for that sin. But it turns out that our God is also a God of common sense.

Jesus, Son of God, saw that someone could be healed. They were miserable, and he held the solution. What a wonderful gift for that person to be healed on God’s Holy Day. The man will never forget just how good a Sabbath can be!

Male Jewish infants are to be circumcised on the eighth day, and if that falls on the Sabbath, they still do the work. 2,000 years ago, people lived in an agriculture-based society, so everyone fed and watered their animals, even though it might be the Sabbath. It seems the Temple leaders were OK with their agenda for the Sabbath, just not Jesus’ Sabbath behavior.

I’ve used this example before. Pretend you’re driving home from church, and you see a mom with two little kids in her car, and the vehicle has a flat tire. Should you stop and help, or express sympathy and tell her you’ll be back on Monday when work is allowed? She has a big problem now, and needs a solution now, not tomorrow. It’s the perfect time to love your neighbor and to do what Jesus would have done, and Jesus always did the right thing!

Kindness, helpfulness and compassion are not limited to six days a week!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Worship!

For Saturday, September 28, 2024:

Psalm 150:6 NIV: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (Hallelujah!)”

I once asked a Jewish lady if she could pick up her project on a certain day. She replied, “No, that’s the Sabbath (Shabbot).”

"What about the day before?”

"No.”

"What are you doing then?”

"Getting ready for Shabbot!”

Worshiping God on the Sabbath is that important! It’s a time to re-prioritize your life, a time to put the Lord “first.” Next comes family and loving your neighbors, being kind and helpful.

Put yourself on the Sabbath list too. God knew that we’d benefit from having a day off, a day to rest up and relax; a day to take the pressure off and recharge our batteries, so to speak.

But above all, celebrate the awesomeness of God, the Creator, and his Son Jesus, the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit who lives with us day-to-day. Remember that God is wondrous on his own. He doesn’t need us to worship him, but personally I choose to be among those that do!

Choose wisely! See you at church tomorrow!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sabbath!

For Sunday, September 8, 2024:

Luke 6:9 NLT: “Jesus said to his critics, ‘I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?’”

Jesus’ character trend doesn’t change with the day of the week. So if your trend is as it should be – being kind, helpful, forgiving, loving, doing the next right thing – keep behaving that way. That’s what Jesus would do.

Q: If you’re driving home from church and you find a mom with two kids in the car at the side of the road with a flat tire, should you stop and help them change the tire? A: Yes. That’s what Jesus would have done.

Q: Isn’t that working on the Sabbath? A: Yes, but it falls under the “loving your neighbor” exception. When Jesus and his disciples needed food, they gleaned grain from the edge of the road. When a man with a deformed right hand showed up at worship, Jesus healed the man. Yes, Jesus was criticized for these exceptions, but he explained, “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

So this Sunday and all future Sundays, do what Jesus would have done. Love your neighbor and do the next right thing. See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Sabbath!

For Sunday, July 07, 2024:

Luke 4:16 NLT: “When Jesus came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.”

I’m moved by the matter-of-fact nature of this statement. No one was surprised when Jesus visited the Synagogue on Shabbat. Believers love the Lord, and this is where they worship. It would be far more unusual if Jesus DIDN’T attend worship on the Sabbath!

I knew a pastor with young children. Once one of them shouted out: “Dad, it’s Sunday! Are we going to church today?”

The Pastor responded, “Duh! Of course we’re going to church! We’re Christians – we’re believers! It’s what we do! Not attending is not an option!”

The church we attend should be filled with our best friends. These are the people with whom we have chosen to live our lives. Jesus said to love the Lord and to love our neighbors. We can do both at church!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship