Time?

For Thursday, June 18, 2026:

Colossians 1:26 NLT, Paul speaking: “The Good News message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.”

What time is it? We only think we know! Until our planet started spinning, there was no definition of a day. Until the earth began its orbit around the sun, we had no concept of a year. Jews started counting time from Adam. It’s now year 5786, which ends mid-September.

Christians count time from the birth of Jesus, AD = “In the Year of Our Lord.” Pope Gregory standardized this in 1582, authorizing leap years. You see, a year is actually 365.2422 days, so the system is still not perfect, but close enough for my lifetime.

Therefore, the Good News message of God’s love and forgiveness was hidden for 3760 years until Jesus’ birth. Mankind lived under the Old Covenant with rules and laws. With Jesus came mercy, forgiveness and absolution. Jesus not only forgives our sins, but removes them from our permanent record. It’s as if we had never sinned! That’s the free gift for those who call Jesus Savior and Redeemer! Being perceived as sinless (forgiven), we’re eligible for permanent residence in God’s eternal Kingdom. We have assurance of salvation!

That’s why today is the best day to lock in your commitment to Jesus. There are eternal ramifications from this decision, for both you and your friends. Your coworkers and extended family need to know the Good News too. Pray to become the hands and feet of Jesus, telling everyone the Good News of eternal salvation! Blessings!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

House of the Lord!

For Friday, June 12, 2026:

Psalm 23:6 NKJV: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David showed confidence and trust in the Lord. He was a man after God’s own heart, but he was far from perfect. But despite his missteps, he always trusted God to be loving and forgiving. He would rise out of all the turmoil as a loyal supporter of God Almighty. That’s called faith!

Most believers are a lot like David. We will not live perfect lives, but on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the world – your sins and mine. Believers all need to accept that free gift with open arms and a smile. God doesn’t want a bunch of sullen souls in his Kingdom. The Father’s love should elicit joy from everyone!

God’s goodness and mercy will follow us throughout this life, and follow us into the next as we take our place in his Kingdom. We’re enjoying a better life now that we’re adopted into the Holy Family, and it will be the best life ever when we move into the house of the Lord. Start filling out change-of-address forms today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Family Biz!

For Thursday, June 11, 2026:

John 15:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.”

This spiritual battle with the world is family business. Jesus defends Father God just as God keeps a heavenly hand on his Son. They’re inseparable. They’re family!

Believers are included in that Holy Family. John wrote, “To all who believed Jesus and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” And Jesus taught us to pray to “our Father in heaven.”

We should not be passive in defending our Holy Family. Active participants get a lot more done! We can testify about the goodness of the Father and his Son. We can advocate for God’s Laws as a better way to live. We can (gently) identify false religions as such, explaining how they’re off track.

All the work required for our eternal salvation was done by Jesus on the cross. Salvation came to mankind as a free gift courtesy of the Most High. This Assurance of Salvation is a major plank in the Christian platform. No other religion has this! Proudly tell others!

Our extended family is incredibly large, and yet there’s always room for a few more. People often arrive at churches when they’re down and out. Our love, kindness and sharing are some of the factors that draw people in. There is therefore agreement that Christians are a good family, a good way to live. People like what they see, and want to become a part of it.

Earthly families can have multiple children, just as our heavenly family always has room for one more. Have you been instrumental in adding anyone to our family? I hope so!

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

Grace = Free Gift!

For Sunday, February 8, 2026:

Hebrews 13:9b NLT: “Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.”

The Old Testament contains some dietary instructions. Certain animals can transmit various diseases, and God, who always looks out for us, wanted us to remain alive and healthy. But our meat-packing and inspection methods have so much improved that those kinds of diseases have long since vanished. And friends, dietary choice is not a redeeming ordinance. You’re not disqualified from heaven for eating a pig! That would imply that we could earn our way into heaven by doing something or not doing something, and that’s simply not true.

Our hope for our eternal future is God’s grace. It’s a gift. All we need to do is accept it. Our faith in forgiveness, Jesus taking away our sins, is our ticket to the hereafter. We are saved by grace through faith, not by obeying rules. But having said that, Christians strive to conform to God’s rules out of gratitude for all that Jesus did for us!

Salvation is God’s gift to those who place their faith, hope and trust in his Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Messiah = Rescuer!

January 12, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 2:25-26 NLT: “There was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him, and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.”

On the eighth day, Jesus was presented in the Temple. There, the Holy Family encountered Simeon, who was filled with the Holy Spirit. He believed that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. At that point, most of Israel had been watching and waiting for a Messiah. Angels verified Jesus’ identity to the shepherds. Gabriel confirmed Jesus’ mission for his earthly parents. And now the Holy Spirit helps Simeon identify the Son of God. There should be no doubt concerning Jesus’ true identity and his mission in coming to Earth.

At that time, Rome had captured Israel. The police keeping order were Roman soldiers. The Hebrew people were not happy about this, and the popular thinking was that God’s Messiah would rescue them from Roman oppression. They were only half right. Jesus would rescue them all right, but from their sin penalty, not from the Roman government.

Let’s keep this simple. Before Jesus, Israel was in disarray. After Jesus, everything got better. If he had fixed Israel, it would have benefitted mankind only for their lifetimes, perhaps 50-100 years. Instead, he fixed mankind’s eternal sin problem, ensuring us a safe life in God’s forever Heavenly kingdom.

Jesus gave mankind not what they asked for, but rather the gift with the greatest long-term benefit. Stick with Jesus, and in the end, everything will be OK! Jesus and his Father are always looking out for us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

A Gift for Christmas!

For Saturday, December 20, 2025:

Romans 5:21 NLT: “Just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I can’t tell you how many people didn’t see heaven before Jesus. This scripture tells us that sin ruled in our world, and the wages of sin is death. After Jesus, because of his forgiveness of our sins, many more people will get to see heaven from the inside! That forgiveness is grace, God’s free gift to mankind. We can’t buy it, earn it or trade for it. That’s not the nature of a gift. God sent the gift to us through his Son, Jesus. Our part is to put our faith, hope and trust in the Son. Believe that Jesus is who he said he is, and that he can do what he said he can do. Think of the truth in the Bible as a prophecy for our future.

Graciously accept God’s gift, personally brought to our world by his Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

God's Gracious Gift!

For Saturday, December 13, 2025:

Romans 5:15 NLT: “There is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.”

Which is greater – Mankind’s sin or God’s wonderful gift of grace and forgiveness? Given who God is, anything from him will be greater, more important, more significant than anything mankind could implement.

God has a commodity to which we should aspire – greatness! God’s Son was great and obedient to his Father. People were dying left and right, God wanted the problem solved and sent his Son to put the plan in motion.

Jesus took the sins of the world to the place of the dead, making mankind once again eligible to join the throng in God’s eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Forever is a long time, and God’s desire is that we join him in that reality.

Sounds good to me!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Mission Accomplished!

For Friday, December 12, 2025:

Hebrews 12:2 NLT: “We continue keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

When Jesus returned to the Father, God must have said, “Good job – well done! You have solved mankind’s sin problem!”

We honor God by claiming his Son as Lord and Savior of our souls. Our faith in Jesus includes us in the family of God. He was sent to rescue mankind, and from the cross he said, “It is finished. The job you sent me to do is completed. Souls of believers will now start coming home!” Jesus knew his mission, and – seeing the result – determined that the effort was worth the outcome.

Our Savior is now seated at God’s right hand, the seat of honor. His mission was a gift to all mankind because of our faith, trust and love for the Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Creation's Gift!

For Saturday, October 25, 2025:

Hebrews 11:3 NLT: “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

Having a “high view” of the Bible, we believe the words therein are God-inspired and truthful. The Bible states that Jesus was present during the creation of everything – all planets, all galaxies, all universes, and everything in them – and that nothing was created except through Him. God and his Son didn’t gather little pieces of dust and clump them together, hoping to make a planet. No, they spoke, and that of which they spoke became so! Our universe contains all new materials. It’s not the recycled remains of previous efforts. God started from scratch. He did a good job! We’re allowed to live on one of the planets!

Jesus was present at creation and again in the well-documented New Testament. So when he returns for the end times, what we call the Second Coming will actually be the Third Coming. We call it the Second Coming because it will be the second time Jesus is seen by any large number of humans. At creation, Jesus was known only to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and perhaps Adam and Eve. The earth had not yet been populated.

I pray that we can all enjoy our planet and remember to thank God for his magnificent creation. He keeps us perpetually spinning like a giant top and spinning in a year-long elliptical orbit around the sun. It’s all part of God’s vast eternal plan, and we’re all blessed to be included!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Faith = Good Idea!

For Wednesday, October 22, 2025:

Hebrews 11:1 TLB: “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.”

What is faith? Good question! Habakkuk 2:4b says that the righteous will live (eternally) by faith. So faith in Holy things assures us of residence in the forever Heavenly Kingdom.

Faith includes believing that God-the-Father loves us, and that he sent his Son to redeem us. The faithful believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and that all His promises (prophecies) are true. We believe through faith that Jesus can and will do what He said He will do. We believe that God-the-Father, Jesus-his-Son and the Holy Spirit are one God. Believers have no doubt that all of God’s promises will come to fruition. He is, after all, God!

Faithful believers know that Jesus preceded the bulk of mankind into the life after this life, to prepare our forever residence. The believer-filled church is the bride of Christ, and we will be honored to attend the wedding banquet in Heaven’s Great Hall!

Jesus is offering us a gift we cannot repay, residence in an unseen reality for an unending length of time. Our faith tells us that it will be the best thing ever! Sounds good to me! Does it sound good to you?

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
 

Gift for the Faithful!

For Sunday, October 19, 2025:

Hebrews 10:39 NLT: “We are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.”

Living our lives for the Lord requires effort. It takes a lot of work. It might be easier to give up on the project, to turn our backs on God. Of course, that would be wrong. Today’s scripture tells us that our souls can either be saved or left behind. As Christians, our desire would be to spend eternity in Heaven, in the presence of the Lord!

Jesus and his Father have given believers a free gift. We can’t buy it or barter for it. The gift is called forgiveness, and with it comes our ticket to heaven. You see, God and sin cannot exist in the same place. That’s why Jesus blots out our sins. There is no record of a sin. It’s as if we had lived a perfect life.

Christians have Assurance of Salvation. The work of Jesus on the cross brings us to the next reality. When you enter, look for Jesus. Tell him, “Thank you!” He’ll be just to the right of God’s throne!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Way, Truth, Life!

For Friday, September 26, 2025:

John 14:6 NLT: Jesus told Thomas and the others, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Everything Jesus ever said was true. Everything he prophesied came to be. Why would this statement be any different? Jesus is a walking example of truth!

I’ve had people tell me that choice of religion doesn’t matter. They’re wrong! Many religions seem similar, encouraging their congregants to lead good lives, be helpful and kind, to be the ‘right’ kind of people. They think that most everybody will wind up in heaven, but that’s not what Jesus said.

Good behavior alone won’t get people into heaven. The hereafter isn’t something that people can earn or buy. Life-after-this-life is grace, a free gift, given to those who call Jesus “Lord.” Think of it as the inclusion of family members. Jesus is God’s Son, and believers are his disciples. Christians show love and kindness out of gratitude for what Jesus did for us, not to earn heaven-points! You can’t work your way into heaven!

This fact differentiates Christianity from all the false religions of the world. Many hate us because of our preaching that Jesus is the only way. Jesus also prophesied that the world would hate us because of this, and again, he’s right!

Jesus is the only ‘way’ to afterlife in God’s Kingdom. ‘Truth’ is his middle name. And ‘life’ refers to eternal life, only possible with the Son. “No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Offering!

For Friday, March 7, 2025:

Leviticus 7:28-29 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present a peace offering to the Lord, bring part of it as a gift to the Lord.”

3,000 years ago, everyone had to raise their own livestock and harvest their own grain. You couldn’t just stop at Cub on the way home. Here, the Lord is telling Moses to tell the people to bring a little extra for the Priests. Not more fat to burn on the altar, but the breast, good meat, something of sustenance for the religious workers.

Nowadays we give mostly dollars. Cash and checks in the offering. Visa and Mastercard on the web site. Venmo and Paypal for direct deposits. The Old Testament suggested a tithe, 10%, for the Lord’s work. The good news is that we got to keep 90%! The New Testament suggests sacrificial giving. Don’t stop at 10%. Put a little extra towards God’s work.

In Jesus’ day, the mindset was that their Savior would be taking believers to heaven soon, so they really wouldn’t need money or property. Many in the first church, called The Way, sold their homes, their land, their livestock and donated the proceeds to the church. As the saying goes, “You can’t take it with you!”

So prayerfully consider what the Lord would have you do. Talk it out with God. You don’t have to decide this minute. Take this project home, and let the Lord determine your direction, your commitment to growing the church and to making disciples of all nations. What is your piece of God’s project? Then do what the Lord calls you to do.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Expectations!

October 28, 2024 Monday Message:

John 7:28-29 NLT: “While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.”

What were you expecting? When the prophets said a Messiah was on the way, most people expected a humongous warrior with awesome superpowers, not a baby in a manger. They were hoping to be liberated from the Roman government and the Roman army. After all, God’s chosen people deserve freedom and autonomy.

But Jesus’ mission was far different. He was to inspire people and re-teach God’s commands. Along the way he would heal people of any sickness or disease. But his primary mission was to rid the world of its sin problem. He would take the sins of the world to the place of the dead, and leave believers prepared for eternal life as members of God’s Kingdom. No greater gift could be bestowed on mankind!

God doesn’t always give you what you’re expecting; he gives you what you most need!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship