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

Heaven is Expecting You!

For Tuesday, June 9, 2026:

Romans 8:30 NLT: “Having chosen his people, God called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

Disciples of Jesus are part of God’s plan for eternity. You were chosen, earmarked for heaven, from the beginning. Since the Father cannot coexist with sin, he arranged for our sins to be forgiven by the work Jesus did on the cross. In the end, everything works out according to God’s plan, and we’re blessed to be included.

Do you appreciate the size of God’s gift? The Bible says that there is life after this life, and there are only two destinations: God’s Kingdom, or Satan’s place. The Kingdom will be fun, filled with activity, worship and other good things. Satan can only provide a lake of fire, leaving residents miserable – forever! Once we leave this reality, we cannot cross over from one side to the other. The decision to be with Jesus can only be made by humans on earth. So there’s an urgency to lock in our eternal position before passing. Me? I’m with Jesus!

Nothing could be worse than knowing you had a chance to spend eternity with the Savior, but never followed through on it. TODAY is the day to claim your reservation in the hereafter. TODAY is the best day to dedicate or rededicate your life to the Son. He’s already preparing a place for you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Jesus Way!

For Tuesday, June 2, 2026:

John 15:21 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The world will persecute you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.”

In my mind, Jesus should have been the unifying piece of the puzzle. When people heard him speak of heaven, watched him heal the sick and broken and raise souls from the dead, they all should have been on board. Jesus could be none other than the heaven-sent Son of the Most High! How anyone could reject him befuddles me!

Nonetheless, Satan wields significant influence on earth, and he was cheering for the status quo, the Old Covenant, whereby citizens weren’t getting into heaven very often. But people were familiar with the rules. They knew the system and didn’t have to change anything.

Jesus, on the other hand, ushered in a New Covenant whereby mankind’s sins could be forgiven and many more people would find their names in the book of life! But this new system required a change in beliefs, a theological reorientation. Jesus is right up front, telling believers that the new way wouldn’t be popular with everyone. In fact, if we do what Jesus said to do, we should expect a certain amount of trouble. Satan will do his best to sideline our efforts!

Our reward for following Jesus is eternity in the Father’s Kingdom. Once we realize the enormity of that reward, it becomes impossible to consider non-compliance. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him, and everyone seeking eternal residence in the Father’s House knows his name!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Peace with God!

For Wednesday, May 27, 2026:

Colossians 1:20b NLT: “God made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

Sin and God’s goodness cannot coexist. But God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. He wants us all to join him in the hereafter. Therefore, sin needs to be removed, blotted out from Heaven’s Book of Life registry. What could possibly pay the penalty for the sin of the world?

God, who has all resources at his command, knew that the earthly sacrifice of his Son was the only thing that could satisfy the debt. So Jesus went to the work of substitutionary atonement, paying for the trespasses of mankind through the ages. Past sins, present sins, and even future sins were paid for. Believers in Jesus have been granted special grace. When heaven looks up our name in the Book of Life, the column marked “sin” will be blank. No scratch-outs; no erasure marks; simply blank white space, as if we had never sinned. That’s how thorough Jesus’ forgiveness is!

As believers, we’ll be a part of the heavenly group only present because of the Son. “I’m with that guy sitting just to the right of the Father. He said he’d prepare a place for me in his Father’s Kingdom.”

And heaven will reply, “We’ve been expecting you!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Children of God!

For Friday, May 15, 2026:

Romans 8:23b NLT: “We believers wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

As believers leave this life to be with the Father, every problem gets solved. Everything that was wrong is made right. Sickness and disease are the result of sin, and there is no sin around the Father. Cancer is only in the past tense. Hearts that were failing are made strong again. Each believer will be restored to better than original specs, the way we were designed from the beginning. A glorified body is part of our reward.

Of course bodies may not be required as our spirits settle in with God, his Son and the angels. After all, God is a spirit-being. But being “God,” he could take on a bodily form if he chose to. He did walk in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, and that would have required a body! Either way, we’ll be adopted into the Holy Family with all the rights and privileges of a natural-born son or daughter.

This is all a part of why believers have perpetual hope for a glorious eternity in the presence of the Lord! The future looks bright!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Stay Connected!

For Thursday, April 30, 2026:

John 15:5 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus is restating the vine/branches example. But the last sentence adds a stern warning: “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

Believers have been endowed with incredible power. Jesus wants us to do the things he did, impossible as this seems. He sent disciples to disparate cities to spread the Good News that the Kingdom of God was now with them; that Jesus was the long-expected Messiah; and that there now is forgiveness through Jesus which leads to renewed hope for eternal life. Those sent were told to heal the sick including leprosy, raise the dead and cast out demons. Seems like a tall order, but those serving were on a first-name basis with Jesus. They were connected to the vine, as are we! Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he left instructions for us to do these same things.

Jesus said believers could ask a mountain to move in his name, and it would obey. Nothing frivolous, of course. But if you needed to move a mountain to block a stream and save 200K people in the downstream village from drowning, it’s possible, but only if your branch is still connected to the vine.

There are no Lone Rangers in Heaven. We can’t go off on our own and accomplish anything. But believers have been drafted to play on Team Jesus. That one vine can feed many little branches, and Jesus has invited you to be a part of the action! So get in the game, (already!)

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Eternal Life!

For Saturday, April 25, 2026:

Romans 8:11 NLT: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

Two important things happened between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. First, the sins of the world were heaped upon Jesus, who was otherwise sinless. His primary mission in coming to earth was the rescue of mankind from our sin problem. I believe this occurred when Jesus declared, “It is finished.” His mission had been accomplished. He would take those sins to the place of the dead, leaving mankind spotless, eligible to take up residence in God’s heavenly Kingdom.

And on resurrection Sunday, Jesus was raised from the dead and walked out of the tomb. He proved to everyone that there is life after this life, and that death is not the end. Believers, those who call Jesus “Lord,” will receive that same reward. We call it Assurance of Salvation.

If you’re looking for a guarantee of someday seeing heaven from the inside, here it is. No other religion can promise Assurance of Salvation. This scripture quotes the words of Jesus, which we know to be true! They’re in the Bible, which is also truth!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Restoration!

April 20, 2026, Monday Message:

John 14:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

As his ministry wraps up, Jesus wants to reassure the believers of what’s coming next. First off, there IS life after this life. Death is not the end! Jesus said so, so we know it’s true!

As Christians, we talk of dying and going to heaven, but my Bible says that’s kind of temporary. At the end of this age, God will create the New Heaven and the New Earth. By then, mankind will have really messed up the planet, and God will be the restorer, putting things back to the way they were designed. I’m thinking “Garden of Eden” specs, but only God knows what needs to be done.

The fully restored New Earth isn’t for all mankind. It’s a sanctuary for believers only. Everyone who lives here will have the same God. There will be no false gods. Mankind will all be on the same page, so to speak. There are no more wars. Everyone will love their neighbor. We will know shalom, the peace of God that surpasses our current understanding.

Jesus says, “We will come and make our home with them.” In other words, we’re not going somewhere to live with God. God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is going to walk the earth alongside us! God has it all planned, and it will be marvelous, beyond all expectations!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Decision/Assurance!

For Saturday, April 18, 2026:

Romans 8:3 NLT: “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”

God’s preferred outcome is that every sinner would repent, return to Him and join Him in the hereafter. Mankind has been given free choice to accept God’s offer or not. The correct choice is obvious, so only a few will intentionally decide incorrectly. The biggest hangup in the US is procrastination by fence-sitters. If someone hasn’t decided to accept forgiveness through God’s Son, it’s counted as a ‘no’ vote. When I did work for Billy Graham, we had a daily radio show called “Decision Today,” the premise being that “today” is always the best day, the preferred day, to make your decision for Christ. Tomorrow may be too late!

Other parts of the world are littered with false gods. Friends, there is only one God, the Creator of everything. The false gods may appear good on the surface. They encourage everyone to do good things and to be kind. Think of a balance scale, where a person is trying to pile up enough good on one side to outweigh the bad on the other. When do we have enough good? I don’t know, and neither do they! In the false religions, no one is ever guaranteed heaven (or paradise.)

Christianity is different. Jesus personally paid the penalty for our sins, past, present and future. Therefore believers, having a clean slate, are eligible to spend eternity in the Lord’s presence. Jesus promised to go ahead to prepare a place for believers, and we are blessed with Assurance of Salvation, something no other religion has!

Now sing a chorus of Blessed Assurance, thank Jesus for covering your sins, put a smile on your face and have a great day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Forgive First!

April 13, 2026, Monday Message:

Mark 11:24-25 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

That’s verses 24 & 25. Your Bible may not have verse 26. It’s only in some of the original manuscripts, but not all. It reads as follows: “But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.” That fits with the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Forgiveness is key to normal Christianity. Forgiveness is what makes everything else work, which makes it #1 on my list. Forgive everyone who has offended you, and hold no grudges. That person who dissed you last year isn’t even in the picture today, so let it go. Don’t dwell on it any longer. Take ‘getting even’ off your agenda, and move on. With a clean slate, you can now approach the Lord!

#2 Be 100% committed and devoted to God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Romantically, we say, “I love you with all my heart.” Paul counsels us to open the eyes of our hearts, our innermost self, not the eyes that see the world, but eyes perpetually focused on God. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” (Eph. 1:18)

#3 Jesus told believers to use his name. It commands respect and authority in the spiritual realm. Demons are afraid of Jesus. When preaching, evangelizing or healing, Jesus said we should use his name. When I die and show up at the pearly gates, I’m going to use Jesus’ name. He said he was going ahead to prepare a place for me!

How about you?

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

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

Image of God!

For Wednesday, March 18, 2026:

Genesis 1:27 NLT: “God created human beings [adam] in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.’”

In this context, adam refers to mankind or human beings, not Adam the man. We have temporary bodies because we live on earth. God, a spirit being, doesn’t need a body, so don’t start telling people that you look a lot like God!

When we leave this earth, believer’s bodies will remain. We won’t need them. Our soul and our spirit, our eternal essence, will meet Jesus in the hereafter, in heaven. Temporarily. God will remodel our planet to be the New Earth, removing sin and putting things back to his original intent. Then, forgiven and thereby sinless, mankind can move back in. God and his Son will walk alongside us!

Right now, we should think of our planet as a “fixer-upper!” Needs a lot of work! So trust in the Lord. He has a plan; He knows what he’s doing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Serve like Jesus!

For Sunday, March 15, 2026:

John 14:12 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”

There’s only one Jesus. He wanted to multiply his efforts. So he sent disciples, believers, to spread the Good News. “God loves you, repentant sinners can be forgiven, there is life after this life and you can be included.” Think of this like McDonald’s franchising new locations. Sending teams of disciples to other towns would open up entirely new markets, convincing more people to repent and return! Good plan, Jesus!

In the same way, as Jesus returns to the Father, he wants to empower the faithful to continue his work. “Go and make disciples of all nations,” he tells them. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and preach the Good News!” In 2K years, the job description for a believer hasn’t changed!

A non-serving Christian is a contradiction!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

 

Pay Attention!

For Friday, March 13, 2026:

Hebrews 13:22 NLT: “I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation.”

This Epistle is written to the Hebrew people. The writer has a certain advantage and a certain disadvantage. Let me explain.

The Hebrews have a history of believing in our God. They already know about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses (and the Lord) led them out of Egyptian slavery. God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai. The author of “Hebrews” didn’t have to convince anyone that there is a God, a Higher Power, a Creator, so half of the writer’s work is already accomplished. That’s the good news!

The disadvantage is having to convince these people that there’s more to their religious saga. The story of God’s interaction with mankind wasn’t finished, and still isn’t finished. I believe Christianity should have been, “Judaism, the next chapter.” Like Paul Harvey used to say, “The rest of the story!” Jesus, Son of God, coming to Earth, performing miracles and healings and eventually taking away the sins of the world is huge. We call it the New Testament, but it’s really the continuing history of God’s people, significant enough that we base our daily calendars on the event.

The story is not finished. The Bible includes prophecy about the last days, including Jesus’ second coming. I pray that a talented writer will document all that happens during the end times. The book, the story of God’s people on Earth, will be complete when believers are called home!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

For Sunday, March 8, 2026:

John 14:8 NLT, Philip speaking: “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus has been telling the disciples about the life after this life. Philip, one of the 12, has questions about the Trinity, the 3-in-1 God. I understand. As I meet with people to answer their Bible questions, this is the #1 topic!

Understanding the awesome power of God Almighty helps us make sense of the Trinity. First, God is omnipotent, meaning all powerful. Mankind can imagine supernatural things, but God can actually do them. God had the power to create planets, our solar system, the whole universe and the space into which it could all be put; plants, animals and human beings, from scratch! He can create anything and do anything, so don’t be surprised when God does something out of the ordinary, something kind of unusual.

Our all-powerful God is also omnipresent. He can be in more than one place at the same time, simultaneously. Being omnipresent, God can decide to walk on planet Earth to rescue mankind, while remaining in Heaven. Sort of like cloning, but still of one mind. God can also do different things at the same time, multi-tasking, if you will. And if you pray to God, He’s never too busy to take the call. God doesn’t have voicemail or call waiting. Omnipresence makes him perpetually available.

Omniscience is another God trait. He possesses all knowledge. God is smart, much smarter than any of us! He knows what’s good for us, and even if it hurts, He’ll give us what’s best for us. Mankind is better off living under God’s plan.

So can Jesus show the Father to Philip? Jesus answered, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” I hope Philip gets it; I hope we ALL get it!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church