Serve the Lord!

For Friday, January 23, 2026:

Romans 6:12 NLT: “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let sin reign in your body, which is subject to death.”

Bob Dylan sang that each of us winds up serving somebody. We get to carefully choose who we will serve. This is the same declaration that Joshua, Moses’ assistant, made 3300 years earlier. “Choose today who you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Your decision is an alliance and an allegiance. Which team do you want to play for, Jesus’ team or the other team? Jesus’ team aligns with our Creator God, while the other team is always battling their wrongdoings. Surprisingly, it’s easier to align with God, although at times we may be outnumbered!

Choosing Jesus’ team doesn’t instantly make us perfect. But deciding in favor of heaven’s ways gives us standards, goals for which we can strive. Believers wisely choose to adopt God’s value system, and the longer we bond with God, the better we get at serving him. We see progress, but our goal is perfection!

Satan’s sinners face death, while Jesus’ team is destined for eternal life in God’s heavenly Kingdom. Jesus made it possible for believers to view that Kingdom from the inside! Choose today who you will serve.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Vision

Jan. 13, 2020 Monday Message:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish. Prov. 29:18a KJV

It is the job of a leader of an organization, in our case the church, to seek God’s divine burden on their heart, and then present a Spirit-filled, God-breathed vision to those they lead. If you’re in the top chair, you need to determine the direction, the mission and the goals for your organization. Everyone is looking to you for this leadership, this vision, so they can make sure that what they’re doing is pushing the organization toward the goals you have placed on the horizon.

Sometimes a leadership “team” sets the direction, but all must be on board and passionate about the cause. It would be unacceptable to not move in the direction of God’s calling. Ask, “What are we good at? What do we do better than others? If you and I weren’t here tomorrow, what’s the one thing we hope our church would keep in place?”

Ask, “If we could only do one thing, what would it be?” That should be your main goal, your primary mission. Now go cast the vision!

 If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t be certain when you arrive!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. In today’s lesson, Jesus gets baptized! (Luke 3.) Guest Worship Leader Jerry McCleskey.