Changed for the Better!

For Wednesday, April 29, 2026:

Colossians 1:6 NLT: “This same Good News (Gospel) that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

Years ago, (when I was a much younger man,) I wrote “Changed Minds, Changed Hearts, Changed Lives.” Some of it was about evangelism. We needed to change some people’s minds about attending church, who Jesus is and the truth of the Bible. For those already attending, a change of heart was needed. They needed to be “all in” for Jesus, more than just “pew sitters.” With a changed heart, they could then unflinchingly believe in the truth of the Bible, and that Jesus is God’s Son. And as lives would change, many could move into leadership. Their lives were changed permanently!

In this scripture, a word that stands out to me is “understood.” Paul is saying that you may not have been convinced when you first heard about this, but only after you understood deep down the truth of what was being taught.

The other word is “truth.” Remember, Paul was waylaid on the road to Damascus by the risen Jesus, struck blind, and then shown truth by Jesus himself. To him, believing in Jesus was now nonnegotiable. Jesus had commanded believers to make disciples of all nations, and Paul was doing his part. He took the Gospel out of Jerusalem, out of Israel, and was now spreading the Good News throughout Asia Minor. We continue that work nowadays!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

New Covenant!

For Wednesday, March 25, 2026:

Romans 8:1 NLT: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

If this announcement had been on TV, we’d hear, “Beep-pa-da-beep-beep! Breaking news!” That’s what this was, friends, breaking news! Things had been one way under the Old Covenant. Mankind was living condemned because of sin. But now, after Jesus, everything changed! Under the New Covenant, those who put their faith, hope and trust in Christ Jesus will be forgiven, given a clean start, have their sin-slate wiped clean. Jesus introduces us to a God of second chances and do-overs. I like the golf analogy. “That last sin I did – I’d like to take a mulligan on that!”

Notice that forgiveness isn’t universal. It’s reserved for the repentant who desire to restore God and his Son back to the place in our lives they should have had all along. It’s an apology and an amend to our higher power. There’s an implied, “I’m really gonna try to do better. I intend to change my ways.”

Those whose heart lines up with their words will get to see heaven from the inside. This is our “Assurance of Salvation.” If you belong to Christ Jesus, it’s a done deal. God’s heavenly Kingdom awaits you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

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

The Best is Yet to Come!

For Sunday, February 15, 2026:

Hebrews 13:14 NLT: “This world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

If only we could more clearly see the future! The Bible is truth. It tells us not only what happened, but also what lies ahead. History is interesting and important, but we can do nothing to alter what has already transpired. So it might be more beneficial to spend more time on Jesus’ words about what is to come. That’s something that we can change and make better!

Interesting sidebar: I’ve found that most Christians could retell a reasonably accurate version of the Christmas story with only a couple of missteps. They’ve sat through a number of Christmas pageants! The same group isn’t so clear about creation. Some know the Bible version, but don’t necessarily believe all of it. But when I teach about life after this life, I get a lot of blank stares. Our churches seem to teach a lot about what has happened, and very little about what is to come. Friends, I believe that we need to be prepared for the future!

Here’s the deal: If you’re alive today but headed in the wrong direction, there’s still time to set things right. By recasting our behavior, we can positively improve our place in eternity. We can join the group that calls Jesus the Lord and Savior of their lives. We can pray for Jesus to forgive our sins, wipe our slates clean and prepare a place for us in the hereafter. Eternity is a very long time! We want to be in the right place!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Turn Around - Face God!

For Thursday, February 12, 2026:

Romans 6:19b NLT: “Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.”

In the Hebrew language, a person caught up in sin is said to be far from God, whereas a righteous person is said to be close to God. That’s a good way to look at it.

If someone appears to have drifted from religion, they haven’t necessarily placed Satan in charge. But they have wandered farther and farther from God. It’s then time to turn, do a 180 and get back closer to God. Teshuva(h) means return, in this case, return to the Lord. Repentance requires acknowledging the sin, regretting it, and vowing to take a better path as the person changes directions and returns to be closer to God.

Who is Lord of your life? (Jesus.) Are you close to God, or far from God? (Closer is better.) If your eyes can’t focus on God, you may be facing the wrong direction. Time to flip around and head back the right way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Change!

December 29, 2025, Monday Message:

Romans 6:1 NLT: “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not!”

A change of heart on our part would be evidence of our gratitude for God’s gift of forgiveness and salvation. The Lord’s efforts are effective and efficient. He doesn’t seem to waste his time doing needless stuff. So God planned to rescue those who need rescuing. (Friends, that’s all of us!) A Savior wouldn’t have been sent unless people needed saving.

Being born again implies a second chance to get things right, to prioritize the Lord in our lives. We should learn from our past mistakes. The Bible word translated ‘repent’ means to change, like a change of direction. “We were going north, but God showed us that we should have been traveling south!” Radical transformation should be the result of God’s gift, God’s grace. Continued sinning should be out of the question.

God’s gift should bring about positive change!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Forgiveness!

For Friday, April 25, 2025:

Luke 24:47b NLT, Jesus speaking: “There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.”

Since Jesus offers forgiveness, we should repent and return to the Lord. Repent and return – those words should just roll off our tongues. Say it with me: “Repent and return!” When sins can be forgiven, that changes everything. Forgiveness of sin is a good starting place, but now let’s consider what’s possible following that.

For one thing, if you are without sin, you can live in the presence of the Lord. Sin is disobedience or disrespect for God. Therefore, sin and God never exist in the same place. But if your sins are not just forgiven, but blotted out as if they’d never occurred, you would be deemed suitable for heavenly residence, for a life after this life in the Kingdom! It’s either that or the lake of fire – pick one!

In my mind (and only in my mind), our afterlife unfolds like this. We approach the pearly gates, and they’re surprised to see us! “You lived on earth, where scripture says that ALL have sinned. What could you be thinking?”

I ask them to check the Book of Life one more time, and voilà, there’s my name! Now go across to the column marked ‘sin.’ Surprisingly, it’s completely blank! Nothing erased, no scratch-outs, just blank white space! Turns out that I qualify! Jesus personally paid the penalty for my iniquities. I’ve been redeemed! Meet me inside the pearly gates!

Yes, forgiveness changes everything – for the better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Jubilee!

For Friday, March 21, 2025:

Leviticus 25:39-40 NLT: The Lord said to Moses, “If one of your fellows falls into poverty and is forced to sell himself, he should not be treated as a slave. Treat him instead as a hired worker or as a temporary resident who lives with you, and he will serve you only until the Year of Jubilee.”

I like several songs that carry the message, “Some things never change; that’s just the way it is.” Some things in life are like that! The Serenity Prayer teaches us to accept the things we cannot change. But it also says to change or improve the things we can. Now we just need wisdom to discern the difference!

In Leviticus ch. 25, God offers change and optimism where perhaps at first we didn’t expect it. Back then the economy was agricultural based. People worked hard to plant, grow and harvest crops. God says six years is enough nonstop work. Take the seventh year off. He calls it a Sabbath year.

Seven Sabbath years lead to a Jubilee year. God says, v10 “Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there.” Slaves go free in the Jubilee year, and hired workers are free to go their own way. Those who have wandered can go back to the land of their ancestors. The Jubilee year gives everyone a fresh start, a do-over on life.

If someone sells real estate, they have up to a year to reconsider the sale, to change their mind about selling. Houses and pastures of priests may never be permanently sold.

The promised land and the people who live there all belong to the Lord, so his rules apply. That’s one thing that will never change!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Locusts!

For Thursday, January 30, 2025:

Exodus 10:3-4 NLT: Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country.’”

There was little left in Egypt, but the locusts would take down anything that remained. Locusts are grasshoppers that arrive in swarms, destroying everything in their path. They would eat any crops the hail hadn’t destroyed. They would eat the leaves off the trees. Locusts would cover the ground, invade homes and crunch underfoot.

Pharaoh’s advisors had had enough. “How long will you let Moses hold us hostage? Let the Hebrews go to worship the Lord their God! Don’t you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?”

Pharaoh put forth another question. “How many of you need to go?”

Moses replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.”

Pharaoh wasn’t stupid. If he let the Hebrews pack up their wives, babies and livestock, it was obvious they’d be leaving for good. He threw Moses out of the palace.

Pharaoh was quick at promising to change, but also quick on going back on his word, a trap we should all avoid. An oath before God should be a forever promise. Just as God’s word to us is always good, our word before God should also be good. It’s both respect and love. Don’t disappoint your Father!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Arrival!

December 23, 2024 Monday Message:

Luke 2:7 NKJV: “Mary brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Birthing a baby is no easy task, especially in a stable! There’s no mention of a midwife or doula assisting the young couple. God’s Son came to earth without pomp and circumstance, a rather mundane event, especially if you consider its colossal significance in mankind’s future!

Do you know how to swaddle a baby? First you lay the baby on a pointy-side-up blanket with that top corner folded down just a little, and then pull a side corner over baby’s body, tucking it tightly under baby. Raise the bottom corner and tuck it in as best you can. Then, wrap the remaining corner of the blanket around everything. Success is when baby and blanket are as one, a warm, secure package. Mary and Joseph must have known that the birth was imminent, since they had packed swaddling clothes for the trip!

Since they had no crib or bassinet, a feed trough or manger would have to do. Baby was safe in there and couldn’t roll out, although newborns don’t tend to roll much!

Now Jesus was in the world. That changes everything!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Oral Tradition!

For Friday, December 20, 2024:

2 Thessalonians 2:5 NLT: “Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?”

This is one believer counseling other believers in the same way that Jesus counseled disciples when he walked alongside mankind. Even before there was written language, people learned in this way. It’s called ‘oral tradition,’ one believer sharing with others what he had been taught.

The older teaching is still valid. God’s value system is not about to change. If God said something was wrong 2k years ago, it’s still wrong today. And if God assigned us a task or established a principle, we should still follow those instructions nowadays.

Jesus is the only one to alter a few things. We call his way the “New Covenant.” A couple of examples: 1. We no longer have animal sacrifices because Jesus himself was the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. 2. We celebrate Holy Communion because Jesus said to do this “in remembrance of me.” That’s being obedient!

We still use oral tradition nowadays. Each Sunday your pastor should research a topic and give the congregation the ‘inside scoop’ on that topic. Week by week we increase our knowledge of God, our Savior and the Holy Spirit!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Eye for an Eye!

For Wednesday, November 27, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT: “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.”

Jesus changed everything for the better. In the old way, typical behavior was “eye for an eye.” If a person was injured a certain amount, they were justified in retaliating a similar amount.

But Jesus taught love and forgiveness. How many times? Seven times? No – Jesus said 70 x seven! And that doesn’t mean 490 times! It means to remain in forgiveness mode more times than you can count, more times than you can easily keep track of.

Let the Lord handle judgment, discipline and revenge. We should all just keep smiling and loving our neighbors, loving the good life we have been given.

The desire to get even comes not from God, but from the evil one!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Forever!

For Wednesday, June 5, 2024:

1 Peter 1:23 NLT: “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”

When you became a Christian – when Jesus occupied a permanent place in your life – everything changed! Your eternal destination changed from the lake of fire to eternity in the presence of the Lord! Instead of just looking out for #1, we were taught to love and care for our fellows. We were taught to share! Widows and orphans became our friends, friends who could count on Christians when they needed help!

When we became Christians, our life span transformed from earthly days to forever days in the Kingdom that never ends. We have Assurance of Salvation, a reservation on the inside of heaven. Jesus said so!

Pretend that you’re an orphan with nothing in this world, and suddenly you’re adopted into the best family ever! Wow – big transformative change! The Holy Family wants to include you – in everything!

When Jesus taps you on the shoulder, say “Yes!”

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