Truth!

For Saturday, August 29, 2026:

Acts 4:1 NLT: “While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees.”

In these daily messages, a recurring theme is “truth.” The Bible is filled with God-inspired truth. Truth should be the only thing acceptable to our ears.

In this scripture’s juxtaposition of roles, the priests, the Temple guard and the Sadducees weren’t supporting truth. Might as well include the Pharisees in the untruth bunch, since they were a big part of worship at the Temple. Let me be clear: The religious leaders of the day were disseminating misinformation and denying truth, which was beyond unfortunate since the congregation was counting on them for guidance.

Ironically, Simon Peter and John, men with fishing backgrounds, knew the truth. They had lived alongside Jesus, eaten countless meals with him and had memorized words straight from our Savior’s mouth. They had watched Jesus’ crucifixion, saw the spear thrust into his side, observed his death as he was burdened with the sins of the world, and watched in amazement as three days later he walked away from the tomb! Sin and death had been conquered in a single event! Jesus proved that there is life after this life. Death is not the end!

I’m always amazed that the wholHeaworld isn’t cheering for Jesus. Two of the stand-out events for me are the miracle healings and the resurrection. Oftentimes, the healings weren’t small miracles. Sight was restored to the blind. People lame from birth stood up and walked! No surgery, no PT – fully restored instantly! And walking away from the tomb with holes in his hands and feet and a wound in his torso where the spear had been. Friends, there were eyewitnesses! Hundreds of people saw Jesus die, and hundreds saw him walking and heard him speak following his death!

So my advice is to double-check everything you’re told against what the Bible says. Don’t automatically trust spiritual leaders. They may have a personal agenda. Trust instead the eyewitnesses who lived with our Savior. See the amazement in their eyes as they boast about the resurrection. Sense their anticipation as Jesus prepares a place for believers in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom. God’s desire is that all of us would be a part of it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Ascension!

For Thursday, July 23, 2026:

John 16:5-6 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.”

John documents the life of Jesus, and Jesus knows he is leaving, returning to the Father. He wants all believers to understand that what is happening is not bad news, but good news!

Surprisingly, those listening don’t even ask where he is going, even though he’s told them about the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead of wishing him Godspeed and cheering for the event, the observers retreated into themselves, grieving the loss of their spiritual mentor.

Jesus: “Good news! I’ll be returning to Father God!”

Disciples: “Terrible. I don’t know how we can get along without you. This whole movement will probably die. I might just as well quit and go home!”

Friends, who should be the focus of this story? Jesus! (It’s not about us!) Who should be in the driver’s seat? Jesus! Who should we trust? Jesus, who is always truthful. Jesus, who is God walking alongside us. He’s celebrating being victorious. Jesus is about to conquer sin and death with one unselfish act. Shout ‘Hallelujah’ for the good path God has created!

As we live out the remainder of our earthly lives, let’s remember to keep God in the driver’s seat. He should set our agenda for each day. Do the right things for the right reasons. Do something nice and don’t get caught!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Kingdom Assurance!

For Friday, July 17, 2026:

Romans 8:35 NLT: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”

The Bible says that God is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And it says the same thing about Jesus. God declared everything he created to be “good.” But at the end, after the creation of mankind, he called it “very good.” God has been cheering for mankind since the beginning. That’s the trend, and it continues to this day.

Knowing God doesn’t insulate us from bumps in the road of life. Knowing the Lord is more about finishing strong, about our lives after this life. Jesus walked away from his tomb, proving with certainty that our lives don’t end with human death. So the real question is, in the next life, where will you be spending your time?

If you’re aligned with Jesus, he’ll make a place for you in the Father’s Kingdom. It’s a wonderful place where we’ll know a peace that exceeds our understanding. Like Father, like Son, we are loved. Forever! So, can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? The answer is clearly, “No.”

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

God's Purpose!

For Wednesday, July 15, 2026:

John 16:2 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “You will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.”

In religion, things can get twisted around in unbelievable ways. In this case, those who know the Lord and exalt Jesus are thrown out of the worship center by others who think they know better. They do not! Those on the Jesus team will be killed (martyred) by the misled, who think they’re doing the Lord’s work. They are not!

Let’s use Paul as an example. He was loyal to the law of Moses, trained as a Rabbi, and sought to quash these renegade Jesus worshipers. He asked for a letter from the high priest to capture these Jesus-subversives and deliver them to Jerusalem in chains, or even kill them if chains didn’t work out. But Jesus personally tapped Paul on the shoulder on the road to Damascus. Paul was struck blind until he yielded to Christian baptism! He did a 180º, and became one of Christianity’s biggest supporters!

At the time, Pharisees were the religious elite. But they plotted the killing of Jesus by repeatedly lying. Lying is wrong, but plotting murder is even worse! Power and money kept them from accepting Jesus as the Son of God. They arranged Jesus’ crucifixion, and in a turn of events, Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, leaving mankind forgiven and able to reconcile with the Father. God used their evil ways for a holy purpose!

I’ve said before that God always wins! He can flip a hopeless situation and use it for his purpose. Jesus, who the Pharisees wanted to kill, is now seated at the right hand of the Father. It seems to be working out for him! And everything is also working out for Jesus’ followers, true believers and disciples like you and me!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

P.S. It’s National Hot Dog Day, in case you’re a little short on nitrites and sodium!

Confident Hope!

For Tuesday, April 28, 2026:

Colossians 1:4-5 NLT: “We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.”

Paul is writing this Epistle to the church in Colosse. It could have been written to any group of believers. Paul could have been writing to your church today!

Church is more than a social gathering. The common denominator is what Paul calls “confident hope,” also known as belief or faith. We believe everything that Jesus told us: Everything that we know was created by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is our rescuer, our redeemer. Jesus forgave our sins and proved that there is life after this life. When he said, “See you later,” he was going to prepare a place for us in the eternal Kingdom. Death is not the end for us, just as it was not the end for Jesus.

Believers share unshakable faith in the promises of Jesus. When we first heard the Gospel or Good News, it made sense to us. Our devotion has only grown stronger as time marches on. Like Paul and like the Colossians, we’re blessed by sharing confident hope!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Predictions!

For Tuesday, April 21, 2026:

John 14:29 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.”

Q: How can you tell if a prophet is the real deal?
A: The prophecies all come true!

As his ministry draws to a close, I don’t think Jesus looked at these words as any long-term prophecy. But he didn’t want any of the believers to lose faith. He didn’t want them to give up or be scared. That could easily happen when your spiritual mentor is hanging from a cross!

As it happened, everything played out just as Jesus predicted. In death, he took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, leaving mankind forgiven, eligible for life after this life. Three days later, he walked out of the tomb. Death could not hold him! And with sin and death both conquered, mankind was given a fresh start! God is good!

Even the bad things that happened should increase our faith, because it all happened just as Jesus said it would!

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

Prophecy Fulfilled!

For Wednesday, April 8, 2026:

Luke 24:13 NLT: “The same day as the resurrection, two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.”

The story of Resurrection Day wouldn’t be complete without a look at the walk to Emmaus. The two men were believers, and had traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. But the crucifixion put a damper on things, and the two decided to return home.

Their walk began as the women discovered the tomb open, and the body of Jesus missing. Where was he? Suddenly a third man began walking alongside the first two, and they struck up a conversation. The newcomer asked, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

The first two looked sad. “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about what happened the last few days; bad things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth.” Somehow, they didn’t recognize Jesus. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.”

Jesus responds by explaining scripture: “Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Arriving in Emmaus, it was getting late, and the two invited Jesus to stay the night with them. He agreed. As they sat down to dinner, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and... Voilà! Their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus, who immediately disappeared from sight!

The two did a 180º and headed back to Jerusalem. They felt compelled to share this Good News with the remaining 11 apostles. Jesus is alive! He can walk and talk! He has risen from the dead, just as he said he would!

To Jesus and those who love him, death is not the end!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Believe!

April 6, 2026, Monday Message:

John 20:27 NLT: “Then Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’”

On the cross, Jesus himself said, “It is finished.” The mission trip to planet Earth was complete. Sins had been paid for and forgiven, and the barrier between God and mankind had been torn, top to bottom. The only thing left to do would be to make sure everyone understands what just happened. The crucified Jesus had been brought back to life, proving that death is not the end! Both sin and death had been conquered!

No one had ever seen anything like this before, so explaining the miracle proved more difficult than it might first appear. Among the doubters was Thomas, who had not been present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples. “Come over here. Look at my hands! Put your hand into my side, where the spear was. Let your own two eyes guide your faith! Believe!”

Jesus also needed to let as many people as possible learn the truth of what had taken place. So he continued to teach, to speak publicly and heal those who needed healing. The man who everyone saw die on the cross was up, out of the tomb, walking around and carrying on conversations. He was a miracle that everyone could see with their own two eyes!

Over 2,000 years later, we’re still talking about it. Check it out for yourself. Read the testimony of the eyewitnesses. Then Jesus told Thomas, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” So friends, believe in your heart. Your eternal destiny depends on it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Resurrection Sunday – Easter!

For Resurrection Sunday, April 5, 2026:

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Matthew 28:6 NLT, an Angel speaking: “Jesus isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.”

According to Jewish tradition of that time, women would prepare a body for its final resting place. So it’s logical that Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons, would be the first to show up, along with the other Mary, mother of James and Joseph. They had been frightened by a sound like an earthquake, made by this gigantic angel descending to earth and rolling away the humongous stone from the tomb. The angel sat on the stone, as if to make a point!

By this time, most believers had given up. Jesus died three days ago. We saw the spear in his side. We watched as his limp body was placed in the tomb. No one person could move the stone sealing the burial place. Besides, it was being guarded by Pilate’s soldiers.

When the women arrived to tend to the body, they were confronted by the angel sitting on the stone that no one could move. “Don’t be afraid!” he said, always an angel’s first words. You should know that angels aren’t those cute little figurines that you see at Hallmark. ‘Angel Army of Heaven’ would be a better way to put it. Big, hairy audacious angels. (I don’t know if they’re hairy; it just sounded cool…) “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.” Mark this down as one more time that prophecy turned out to be true, that Jesus’ words were synonymous truth!

The angel further instructs the women: “Now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.”

The women took off immediately, but suddenly encountered Jesus along the way. “Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Jesus conquered sin and death with the same event! Repentant believers are snatched from Satan’s hand and granted eternal life in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom. And death is not the end. Believers are born again!

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

One God!

For Saturday, March 7, 2026:

John 14:7 NLT, Jesus speaking: “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three forms of the same God. Think of it like this. We turn on our tap and get water, good for cooking, drinking and washing. In the freezer, it’s known as ice, good for cooling beverages. We might say that a summer day feels humid, and that’s a surplus of water vapor in the air. It’s all still water, H₂O.

As I compose these daily messages, I often mix up our God labels. Jesus may have said it, but I might call it a command of God. Or the other way, Jesus tells us to do something and research shows us that the words originally came from the Father. I usually catch myself and straighten it out, but the truth is I don’t believe it really matters. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all of one mind, with the same goals, pulling in the same direction. They will never contradict one another. So there really is only one God.

Prophesy told the Jews to expect a Messiah to rescue them, they believed from Roman oppression. God indeed sent Jesus, the Messiah, but to rescue them from their sin burden, not the Romans. Jesus was sent to love and forgive. In this case, the desire of the God “team” is to return more souls to God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom. Jesus is the one who puts the plan in motion. On the cross, the sins of the world are heaped upon him, and as he dies a human death, he takes those sins to the place of the dead and leaves them there. Now repentant humans can be forgiven, be made suitable for residence in the eternal Kingdom.

If we repent of our sins and claim Jesus as our hope and salvation, we will be forgiven. We will get to see heaven from the inside. Friends, that’s assurance of salvation!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Kingdom!

For Wednesday, March 4, 2026:

John 14:3 NLT, Jesus speaking about our next life in the Kingdom: “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.“

Jesus said he would prepare a place for loyal believers, and when that’s ready, he’ll meet us with open arms as we transition to the next reality. At that time, it might have seemed like a lot was going wrong around Jesus. But he’s not worried, and he doesn’t want the believers to worry either. It’s all going to work out for the best!

Think about it. If Jesus hadn’t been betrayed, he wouldn’t have been arrested. Without the arrest, there would have been no mock trial in the kangaroo court where he was found guilty and eventually crucified. We usually think of death as a bad thing, but this time Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, and mankind was given a fresh start! With our sins forgiven, we could once again seek residence in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom! You see, everything that happened was part of God’s vast eternal plan!

It all played out exactly as Jesus knew it would, a series of illogical steps in exactly the right order that allowed God’s plan to come to fruition. God knows exactly what he’s doing, wouldn’t you say?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Eternity Reservation!

For Friday, February 13, 2026:

Romans 6:23 NLT: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Eternal life or eternal death – pick one. The human death rate is hovering right around 100%, so you and I WILL transition to the next reality. We get to choose our destination. Unrepentant sin will grant us a dip in the lake of fire, whereas children of God inherit the gift of eternal life in his heavenly Kingdom. Wouldn’t it be better to spend eternity in God’s presence?

This scripture was our “go-to” verse when counseling seekers or those who came forward at crusades. It simplifies a lot of theology. For as thick as the printed Bible is, it really boils down to only two choices – God’s way or the wrong way. (Although you may have to spend some time on the inerrancy of the Bible.)

Have you made your own personal decision to go with God’s plan? Is Jesus the Lord of your life? Is your name irrevocably written in the Book of Life? Are you awaiting God’s eternal gift? 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Believe the Eyewitnesses!

For Thursday, February 5, 2026:

Mark 16:14 NLT: “Jesus later appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.”

That Jesus would appear to the remaining 11 disciples. This should have removed all doubt concerning his resurrection. They could all see him and hear him speak. Unfortunately, he spoke a chastisement for their previous unbelief!

Jesus previously told them that he had to leave, but would come back for them. Prophets long ago had said that the Messiah would be persecuted, suffer and die. God saw to it that the disciples knew everything in advance. They were warned! But when it actually happened – when Jesus was crucified – they didn’t believe they’d ever see him again. They could not fathom their spiritual mentor dying a human death. And in their experience, once someone died, that was final.

But not for Jesus! He took another 40 days before ascending to God’s heavenly Kingdom. In that length of time, hundreds could have seen the risen Jesus! By then, life after this life should be known by all. “Should be...” The reality is that most didn’t understand what was taking place and tended to dismiss what they had seen with their own two eyes! It’s hard to convince people of conclusions that differ from their personal experiences!

Evangelists fight this same battle daily, trying to coax faith from unbelievers. Remember that Jesus said, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” So believe! Be blessed by the Messiah!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Expect the Unexpected

For Wednesday, January 28, 2026:

Three days after Jesus’ crucifixion, the women visited the tomb to care for his body. They encountered a man dressed in a white robe.

(Mark 16:6 NIV:) “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

Jesus conquered both sin and death during the same event. He first took the sins of the world to the place of the dead. Then he rose from the grave, defying death. When dealing with Jesus, expect the unexpected!

We’ve been retelling this story for 2K years, so we’ve heard this all before. But Jesus’ followers were witnessing this scenario for the first time. The closest to this anyone had seen was when Jesus resurrected the daughter of Jairus, or perhaps when Lazarus was brought back to life. But never before had anyone made themselves alive again. Clearly, Jesus had authority over life and death.

This is extremely good news for those of us who believe. Jesus had proven beyond a doubt that there indeed was life after this life. Death is not the end. Because our sins were taken away and forgiven, believers have a reservation in God’s forever heavenly Kingdom. We are blessed with Assurance of Salvation, something no other religion has.

Put your faith, hope and trust in Jesus, and your life after this life will be a good one. Jesus won’t let you down!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Worship with David!

For Sunday, January 18, 2026:

Psalm 122:1 NLT: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’”

Do we have to go to church? No, we WANT to go to church, we GET to go to church, we’re ALLOWED to attend. David said that visiting God’s house made him glad, put a smile on his face! This king David is the same one who kept his sheep safe. He stood up for God when facing Goliath. You could say that David was a fan of the Lord all his life.

David was a worshiper and a worship leader. He authored songs for corporate worship. He led the congregation in singing those songs. They’re timeless, because our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Musicians frequently echo David’s words when composing new songs for us to sing.

Today is Sunday, worship day for Christians. It’s the day Jesus conquered both sin and death. It’s the day he walked away from the tomb. He had left the sins of the world in the place of the dead, and became a living example of eternal life. Jesus’ believers get to share in his forgiveness and resurrection. When it’s our turn to enter the next reality, Jesus will welcome us with open arms!

When we arrive in the life after this life, there won’t be any doubt about attending worship! Look for a lot of smiles. We’ll all be glad!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church