David's Anointing!

For Tuesday, March 24, 2026:

1 Samuel 16:11c NLT: “At once, send for the youngest, the shepherd,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

God had told Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons was to be anointed as Israel’s next king. Samuel thought he had interviewed all the young men, but God had yet to pull the trigger. So Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” Voilà: David, anointed to be the next king of Israel! Not because his father Jesse decreed it, not because Samuel said so, but because he was God’s choice! Because God said so!

Frankly, there was no way David could have turned down the assignment. Think back to Jonah, called to deliver the “repent and return” message to the people of Nineveh. Fearing for his life, Jonah took off in the opposite direction, went overboard during the voyage, was swallowed up by a giant sea creature who spit him out. Where? On the beach of Nineveh, right where God had called him to be. God always gets his way! It would take a few more years, but David would ultimately assume the position for which he had been earmarked by God.

Have you ever been called by the Lord? First, identify your God-given gifts and talents. God will not call you to a task for which you have no skill, no knowledge. He will not send you on a mission without supplying the tools needed for success. If you’re volunteering to join the “God team,” something He needs will jump out at you, will fall right into your lap. You’ll be better at it than others. It wouldn’t be the same without you! God knows what he’s doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

David!

For Tuesday, March 24, 2026:

1 Samuel 16:11c NLT: “At once, send for the youngest, the shepherd,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

God had told Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons was to be anointed as Israel’s next king. Samuel thought he had interviewed all the young men, but God had yet to pull the trigger. So Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” Voilà: David, anointed to be the next king of Israel! Not because his father Jesse decreed it, not because Samuel said so, but because he was God’s choice! Because God said so!

Frankly, there was no way David could have turned down the assignment. Think back to Jonah, called to deliver the “repent and return” message to the people of Nineveh. Fearing for his life, Jonah took off in the opposite direction, went overboard during the voyage, was swallowed up by a giant sea creature who spit him out. Where? On the beach of Nineveh, right where God had called him to be. God always gets his way! It would take a few more years, but David would ultimately assume the position for which he had been earmarked by God.

Have you ever been called by the Lord? First, identify your God-given gifts and talents. God will not call you to a task for which you have no skill, no knowledge. He will not send you on a mission without supplying the tools needed for success. If you’re volunteering to join the “God team,” something He needs will jump out at you, will fall right into your lap. You’ll be better at it than others. It wouldn’t be the same without you! God knows what he’s doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

For Sunday, March 1, 2026:

Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT: “Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.”

This is not only a beautiful prayer of conclusion, but also a commissioning of the Hebrew people to continue doing the will of Jesus. Oddly, the author of Hebrews is uncertain. It was thought that Paul wrote this, but it doesn’t seem to be his writing style. Some experts say the style is more similar to Luke in Acts. Perhaps Paul wrote it in Hebrew and Luke translated it to Greek? Interesting. The writings have been included in the collective works of Paul for 20 Centuries. Nowadays, the authorship isn’t as important as the fact that it reinforces other writings in the Bible and contradicts nothing. If it was Paul, he would have been leaving to plant churches in Asia Minor, so saying goodbye makes sense.

The prayer is also what we should pray for each other—that the Almighty would equip you with everything you need to accomplish his will, and that good things, things pleasing to God, would be the result.

May the Lord walk alongside each of you as you go about his work today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Be a Shepherd!

For Friday, December 26, 2025:

Luke 2:8 NLT: “The night that Jesus was born, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.”

Let’s all pretend to be shepherds. The sheep are peaceful, quiet, down for the night. Everyone is relaxed, enjoying the serenity of nature. When all of a sudden this angel showed up! Big, audacious and scary! His first words are, “Be not afraid!” This messenger angel is friendly, bearing good news. “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem.”

Suddenly, he is joined by a chorus of other angels, all praising the Lord for sending a Savior to the Hebrew people. The shepherd’s curiosity got the best of them, and soon they were off to Bethlehem to see the baby for themselves. They were told to look for an infant, swaddled, lying in a manger, and that’s exactly what they found!

We’ve all seen Christmas pageants with the manger and Jesus in the center, Mary and Joseph right behind them, three shepherds on one side and three wise men on the other. It stages well, but it’s not too accurate, so let’s dispel some myths. The group of shepherds was probably 8-20 men. They could have been pungent as they’d been living with sheep. They never met the wise men, who arrived as much as two years later. They were following a star, and stars don’t move very fast. We don’t know the number of wise men, only that there were three gifts.

But wouldn‘t it have been fun to join the Holy Family in welcoming their Son, our Redeemer? Wouldn’t it have been exciting to celebrate the first Christmas with the shepherds? It’s such a big deal, we reenact it each year! Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Angels & Shepherds!

 Daily message of hope...For Tuesday, December 9, 2025:

Luke 2:8 NLT: “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.”

Being a shepherd was a challenging job. The sheep had to be guarded 24/7. Their enemies were wolves and bears, also foe to the human shepherds! On their own, sheep would stay in one place, eating the grass into the ground until there was nothing left. So each day required herding the sheep to new pasture. At night, shepherds could catch some zzzs by bedding down with the sheep, and they soon smelled just like sheep. A couple shepherds always had to stay awake, keeping the night watch for dangerous critters. If there was an incident, they would wake the others, and everyone would be up all night!

Shortly after the birth of Jesus, the night silence was broken when an angel appeared to the shepherds. Heaven’s glory radiated from the angel, who spoke the standard greeting: “Be not afraid!” He explained, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” That angel was joined by a host of others, the angel armies of heaven, praising God! My Bible doesn’t say they sang, but they could have!

The shepherds jumped up immediately and headed into town. They wanted to see for themselves this miracle delivered by Father God!

What an incredible time to have been alive!

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

Eternal Address!

For Saturday, June 21, 2025:

John 10:11 NIV, Jesus speaking: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Jesus again uses an agricultural analogy to make his point. Most young men and some women had experience in sheep-tending. So let’s examine the commitment level of the various shepherds.

Hired hands are just that. “I’ll watch your sheep, but I expect a paycheck.” They’re only in it for the money. You don’t have enough money to get them to stay on through big problems.

The chief shepherd is a leader. He makes certain that the sheep have food and water. Pesky little varmints come by, and he runs them off.

The real test, though, comes when a bear or a lion approaches. These carnivores threaten not only the sheep but also the life of the shepherd. And this is where we separate the men from the boys. Hired shepherds may turn tail and run for safety. But if the shepherd is the owner of the sheep, he will fight to the finish to protect them. He would jeopardize his own life to protect the flock.

And that is what Jesus did. He laid down his own life to settle our sin debt, thereby buying believers eternal life in the Kingdom. Jesus was the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his flock.

You can have an eternal heavenly address because of what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Jesus Saves!

For Saturday, January 4, 2025:

Matthew 1:21 NLT, Angel speaking to Joseph: “Mary will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Have you ever heard a Christian ask someone, “Are you saved?” The name “Jesus” means, “The Lord saves.” So what we’re really asking is if Jesus is YOUR Lord, and if you’re counting on him for salvation.

Knowing what “Jesus” means in the original language simplifies things. Nothing and no one else found on earth fit that definition. The only thing that God promises will save us from eternal suffering is this one guy, His Son, Jesus the Christ. So we are to put our faith, hope and trust in him. He IS the way; there is no other way!

As mankind transitions to the next reality, God will separate the sheep from the goats. The good sheep will be taken care of by the Good Shepherd, and I want to be in that group!

So stop, and tell your neighbors to stop looking for another way. Jesus is the only way, sent from heaven to earth with a specific purpose: the rescue of mankind! Let him help you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Shepherds!

For Tuesday, December 24, 2024:

Luke 2:20 NLT: “The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.”

Have you ever seen an angel? Neither had the shepherds. When angels appear to humans, their first words are typically, “Be not afraid.” That’s because everyone who sees an angel is quite shaken. This isn’t a common sighting!

Angels are not like the cute little figurines you see at Hallmark. The Bible refers to them as the Angel-armies of heaven, defenders of truth. And the Bible later refers to the “heavenly host,” meaning the sky was filled with many of these creatures. The shepherds were told where to go and what to look for when they got there. “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem. You will find a baby wrapped snugly in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Amazed, the shepherds worshiped, and then moved outside the stable to share this Good News with everyone!

The shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. Reflecting on the scene, they realized everything turned out exactly how the angels told them!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

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

Sheep vs Goats!

For Tuesday, May 2, 2023:

1 John 3:10 NLT: “Now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”

Friends, on judgement day there will only be two groups. The Bible says that the sheep will be separated from the goats. Sheep will go with their shepherd, who will lead them to their Father’s house.

Remember Jesus said that those who are not with me are against me. In this scripture, John tells us how to identify who is in Jesus’ group, the children of God. They will live righteously and exude kindness and love for their fellows. In short order, we can identify who is with us and who is in the other group.

Believers who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. Sinning isn’t an option because believers are children of God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Jesus Our Advocate!

For Thursday, March 16, 2023:

1 John 2:1-2 Phillips: “I write these things to you (may I call you “my children”—for that’s how I think of you), to help you to avoid sin. But if a person should sin, remember that our advocate before the Father is Jesus Christ the righteous, the one who made personal atonement for our sins (and for those of the rest of the world as well).”

Early Christians did life together. They hung out as a group, as a community. They would take meals together and worship together. The leader, perhaps someone who had known Jesus personally, would be thought of as ‘leader’ or ‘shepherd’ or ‘father,’ one who watched out for those in the flock.

The goal, of course, was to make everyone aware of what Jesus taught. Ideally the entire group would meet Jesus’ standards. But we’re all flawed humans, so that never happened. Therefore the next reminder needed to be that Jesus is our advocate, the intercessor between mankind and our Father in Heaven. Jesus’ mission was forgiveness and redemption, with the goal of returning more of the flock to eternity in God’s presence.

This is such Good News that we willingly welcome new believers and share Jesus’ message with the world!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Harvest Workers!

For Tuesday, March 7, 2023:

Matthew 9:37-38 NLT: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’”

Jesus saw the people lacking direction as an opportunity, as a harvest that was plentiful. In his description, those people were like sheep without a shepherd. He, Jesus, was the shepherd they needed! By teaching the Good News, he could bring in the plentiful harvest God had provided!

A good crop is pointless if there are not enough harvest laborers. Without workers – in this case teachers and mentors – the crop would rot in the field. Obviously God’s plan is for a bountiful harvest! He sent Jesus and the disciples to bring in the bounty!

Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus commissioned ALL believers to help bring in the harvest. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” So we are all part of God’s plan to insure the great harvest gets to the storehouse! 

Believer, you have been deputized!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Sheep Need a Shepherd!

March 6, 2023 Monday Message:

Matthew 9:36 NLT: “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Those who heard Jesus speak were a puzzle. They seemed to believe in God and were obediently at the synagogue, but they learned little and were headed nowhere. They gathered like sheep in a herd, but without a shepherd to lead them. Jesus was sent to change all that!

With the arrival of Jesus we have the “New Covenant,” God’s plan for forgiveness and redemption. Eternity in heaven was now achievable for all who would repent and return and claim Jesus as their Savior!

Jesus never wrote out a mission statement, but I believe it was to spread that Good News of the New Covenant to as many people as possible, and then to personally be the sacrifice for mankind’s sins, paying our penalty and thereby making heaven possible for repentant sinners.

Paul wrote that we should keep our eyes on the prize, and for us that’s eternity in God’s presence – heaven! Each of us needs to personally claim the gift Jesus prepared for us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship