Hypocrisy!

For Friday, May 30, 2025:

Luke 12:1b NLT, Jesus warning his disciples: “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy.”

This was a good analogy. The Hebrew people were all familiar with yeast. As they fled Egypt, God told them to make bread without yeast. It takes time for yeast to rise, and they didn’t have any extra time. When God said to get going, they needed to get going right away. Flatbread, bread with no yeast, isn’t light and fluffy, but it’s fast. When made with einkorn, it’s just as nutritious.

Jesus is comparing the false doctrine of the Pharisees to yeast. A little bit of yeast can raise a big batch of bread. A little bit of hypocrisy can grow into laws, traditions and ceremonies that overtake the fundamental religion. Suddenly, the made-up stuff is the focus, and the foundation is forgotten.

Our Savior is reminding the faithful to stick with what is true. Listen to what Jesus said; read your Bibles. Nowadays, many denominations are peddling yeast – a big show with little foundation, just like the Pharisees did. Religion with yeast may look big and fluffy and attract a lot of attention, but most of it isn’t true. Most of it isn’t required.

Don’t be taken in by a religion full of yeast!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Cornerstone!

June 10, 2024, Monday Message:

1 Peter 2:6 NLT: “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

Many people knew that there was a spiritual significance surrounding Jesus. But was this supposed to be Judaism 2.0? Or perhaps a whole new religion, something entirely different? Suffice it to say that there were believers before anyone knew how Christianity worked!

There’s a lot to take in – That all mankind has sinned; that Jesus, Son-of-God, came to arrange forgiveness of those sins. He gave his life to complete this assignment, and God calls his Son the Cornerstone, the solid foundation upon which the rest of our lives can be built!

God will be walking alongside us as we learn about his Son. As we garner more knowledge about Jesus, we’re locking in our salvation. God’s desire is that none would perish, and that all would repent and return.

Be a part of the group that repents and returns!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Solid Rock!

For Sunday, September 20, 2020. 

Matthew 7:24 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”

Where Jesus lived, shifting sands were a big problem. It was common knowledge that it would be futile to attempt to erect a permanent structure on sand. The sand could shift and your building would crumble. If your structure is to last, you need a more solid foundation. 

Jesus applies this analogy to our spiritual lives and religious education. In his day, people worshiped many idols, followed many false gods and had a plethora of errant teachers all too willing to disseminate their misinformation. At one time, God had called the Hebrews “His people,” but their religion had become polluted with rituals and traditions having little to do with what God desired.

Then along came Jesus to reintroduce the faithful to ‘loving the Lord’ and ‘loving their neighbors.’ The basics of believing really are that simple. Jesus is the only one with direct knowledge of God and heaven. Therefore his instructions are like solid rock, that unchanging foundation on which we can build our lives! And that gives us hope! 

Blessings and safety on this Sabbath,

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Psalm 40

April 18, 2016 Monday Message:

“The LORD lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a solid rock.” Psalms 40:2 NIV

As Christians, we’ve learned to live our lives a better way. When God first came into our lives, he found some of us up to our knees in the slimy pit, and others bobbing in the deep end of the mud and mire.

But our past doesn’t matter with God. He reassembled our lives, and we have all been given firm footing on the solid rock foundation provided by the LORD.

God is in the rescue business. His desire is that no one would be lost, so he will do everything in his power to salvage each one of us, if that’s what we want.

But God will not remove our free thought, our freedom to choose. When God opens a door for us, we can choose to enter or not. But his desire is that we would choose to enter.

David lived life both ways – he stepped in the mire, and then repented and returned to the LORD – and decided that life was much better on the solid rock.

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” (from #370, the Lutheran Hymnal)

Norton Lawellin

Come worship with us! Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday at 10 am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, April 24, 2016, we’ll look into Romans 7, living under the law vs redeemed by Jesus. See you at church!