Sin's Influence!

For Wednesday, April 22, 2026:

Romans 8:5 NLT: “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.”

Think about it. What dominates your mind? If your mind wanders and you find yourself daydreaming, what was your topic?

Satan wants to plant sinful thoughts in your mind because the result is so predictable. At first, a lot of sin can appear to be fun, releasing dopamine, the feel-good hormone, into our brains. Mankind seems to find excitement in taking a little risk, in doing something just a little bit naughty. But as Christians, that isn’t where we should be.

The lie is in thinking that sin is fun, but the truth is that in the long run, sin is devastating. (Satan is always telling us lies!) Sin destroys homes and families, can separate children from their parents, and is a bad example for the next generation. But even worse, it saddens your Father in heaven.

Let me make a broad theological assumption. I’m guessing that if you’ve prayed and asked Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life, you weren’t intending to exclude Father God or the Holy Spirit. Being a Trinity, you can’t really have one without the others. Being a Christian is family business, the family of God.

So get out of the driver’s seat of your daily life, and let the Holy Spirit call the shots. The Holy Spirit is not influenced by Satan’s temptations, and your life will immediately improve. Tune your ears to only listen to the words of God!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Lies!

For Tuesday, April 7, 2026:

Matthew 28:11 NLT: “As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened.”

The tomb was discovered open, and the body of Jesus was missing. This is exactly what the Jews didn’t want to happen. That’s why guards were placed at the tomb. But what happened next is even more unbelievable.

The leading priests met with the elders and agreed to pay a large bribe, asking the guards to lie. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’’’ Religious leaders without truth have no platform on which to stand. Lying violates every commandment that they teach.

Verse 15 concludes this section: “So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.”

Question: Why would anyone stick with a religion predicated on a lie? This is one more example of religion getting seriously off-track. God rescued his people from Egypt and gave them the Promised Land. Then God’s Son came to Earth to rectify mankind’s sin problem. Forgiven, the people should reconcile with the Lord, not be fighting over the authenticity of the Son. God had everything worked out until mankind lied. It’s like the Garden of Eden all over again!

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Love all three and love your neighbor, and the Lord will smile on you!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Righteous vs Devil!

For Saturday, April 29, 2023:

1 John 3:7 NLT: “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.”

Believers tend to be kind, compassionate and forgiving. They (We) stand ready to be helpful. Our lives tend to reflect the life of Jesus.

The Bible goes on to say that those who go on sinning belong to the devil, who was sinning since before mankind’s creation. Serpent Satan was right there to tempt Eve and then Adam with the false promise that they could be like God.

God allows us to choose our friends, and to choose our forever group. Which group have you chosen? There are only two groups. Jesus said that those who are not with him are against him!

Get ready to do the next right thing!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

End Times!

For Tuesday, March 28, 2023:

1 John 2:18 NLT: “Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.”

Are we in the end times? There are many signs that the end times is growing closer each day, but no one knows the exact day or hour. Jesus said that only the Father knows. But seeing the nature of our times and what the Bible says about the end times, we should regard ourselves as being in the last few minutes.

Q: Is there a clock in heaven, or are hours and days only applicable for the earth’s residents, based on the earth’s rotation? Jesus said that he will return. John certainly thought it would be within his lifetime, and yet we wait patiently. If we can estimate Jesus’ return date based upon God trends, it will be at the perfect time!

Antichrist means the opposite of Jesus or instead of Jesus. The Antichrist is placed in our midst by Satan to divert our attention from the true Savior. Interestingly, John speaks of many antichrists paving the way for the supreme Antichrist. Satan can be slick. The Antichrist will appear to be wonderful, charming and successful. He will be the ultimate winner, and appear as an angel of light. It’s all a lie. Do not be deceived.

There is only one way to spend eternity with the Father. Jesus told us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

False Witness?

November 05, 2012 Monday Message:

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

A false witness is a liar, a prevaricator, and if he lies about his neighbor, he probably lies about everything and can’t really be trusted at all. Of course, “deceiving your neighbor” flies in the face of “loving your neighbor as yourself.”

This well-known commandment isn’t just about courtroom testimony. In fact, it includes gossip, exaggeration, slander, and anything put forth as a truth, which is, in fact, false. Speech intended to rob a person of his good name or character is against the spirit of this law.

Suppressing the truth when the truth could benefit your neighbor is wrong, as is putting forth the truth when it can only injure someone. Not everything true needs to be said.

None of us likes being lied to, but we sometimes experience it in an imperfect world. We do not expect lies to come from the mouths of believers. It’s far worse when we’re deceived by pastors or church elders, and the Bible says that God will hold them to a higher standard.

“There are things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate … someone who tells one lie after another." from Proverbs 6:16-19 GNT

Godliness and honesty must walk hand-in-hand. That’s what the Bible says.

Norton Lawellin

Exceptional worship and teaching last Sunday, and if you weren’t there, you missed it! This week we continue in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF,) North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27^th Street & Bloomington Avenue, 10:30am.

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