God's Love!

July 27, 2026, Monday Message:

Romans 8:38 NLT, Paul testifying to the church in Rome: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”

Our God is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And the Son Jesus is just like his Father. What that means is that if God says that something is good, it will be good forever. God’s value system isn’t going to go through a recalibration.

Think about the 10 Commandments. It is written that honoring the Lord is good, and it will always be good. Honoring our parents is good, and it’s not a changing value. We are to give out parents the respect they deserve forever. It’s wrong to steal, not just because our laws say so, but because God said so. Murder? Same thing. God said. And always speak the truth. God is always listening, and we will be judged! Besides, that’s what Jesus would have done.

God’s love for mankind is unshakable, and that’s not about to change. In spite of mankind’s sins, God’s desire is that all would repent and return and take up eternal residence in his Kingdom. Nothing good or nothing evil can separate us from the Father’s love. That’s what the Bible says!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Healing Restoration!

Daily message of hope...
For Sunday, July 26, 2026:

Luke 6:19 NLT: “Everyone tried to touch Jesus, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.”

Word was out about Jesus! Not everyone knew all the details, but if you needed healing, Jesus was the man. People would come not only to hear him speak, but for healing. If they didn’t personally need healing, they wanted to witness others receive Jesus’ divine touch. There were plenty who had been healed by the Son, but even more who served as witnesses to the healing events.

Healing restoration seemed to flow out from Jesus. Here, people were trying to touch him. Another Bible account describes a woman who wanted only to touch the hem of his garment. They were fully restored, as are we all, by our faith and the grace of God Almighty.

This is basic Christianity 101. God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. Jesus was here to pay the penalty for mankind’s sins. Sinless individuals get to spend eternity in the Father’s Kingdom of heaven. It’s all a gift from above, dependent upon our faith in God’s ability to get it done!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
The Father’s House
Jesus In the City Fellowship
Truth & Freedom Church

Ascension!

For Thursday, July 23, 2026:

John 16:5-6 NLT, Jesus speaking to believers: “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.”

John documents the life of Jesus, and Jesus knows he is leaving, returning to the Father. He wants all believers to understand that what is happening is not bad news, but good news!

Surprisingly, those listening don’t even ask where he is going, even though he’s told them about the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead of wishing him Godspeed and cheering for the event, the observers retreated into themselves, grieving the loss of their spiritual mentor.

Jesus: “Good news! I’ll be returning to Father God!”

Disciples: “Terrible. I don’t know how we can get along without you. This whole movement will probably die. I might just as well quit and go home!”

Friends, who should be the focus of this story? Jesus! (It’s not about us!) Who should be in the driver’s seat? Jesus! Who should we trust? Jesus, who is always truthful. Jesus, who is God walking alongside us. He’s celebrating being victorious. Jesus is about to conquer sin and death with one unselfish act. Shout ‘Hallelujah’ for the good path God has created!

As we live out the remainder of our earthly lives, let’s remember to keep God in the driver’s seat. He should set our agenda for each day. Do the right things for the right reasons. Do something nice and don’t get caught!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Rescue Plan!

For Thursday, July 9, 2026:

Romans 8:33 NLT: “Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.”

Who can stand in God’s presence? Certainly not anyone with a sin history! To make that so, the Son and his Father first chose believers. Then, knowing that sin and holiness cannot coexist, Jesus personally took the sins of the world to the place of the dead and left them there. A further check into the Book of Life will find believers’ names inscribed, and the column titled ‘Sin’ will be empty. No scratch-outs, no erasure marks, just blank white space. In the official record of our life on earth, it will appear that we never sinned.

That’s not quite true, and to be honest, Jesus has to keep on his toes! By nature, mankind will sin again. But now, having a relationship with the Almighty, mankind will be sorry and repent, and Jesus will be quick to forgive, keeping our flawless record intact.

If anyone questions this, they’re not just doubting man; they’re doubting God himself. Never forget that God’s desire is for all to repent and return. He doesn’t want to lose a single soul! And God always gets his way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Doctor in the House?

June 29, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 5:31 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”

Jesus’ analogy compares physical health with spiritual health. Healthy people have little use for a doctor. But those with a malady or injury will be first in line at the emergency room.

Those who think they have religion all figured out have little use for the Son of Man. That works out, because Jesus has no time for ‘know-it-alls!’ He came for the repentant, sinners trying to return to the straight and narrow, backsliders who have done a 180º. Jesus dispenses mercy to all who repent and return.

“Repent and return” is a key phrase in Jewish theology. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they were told to repent and return. Be truly sorry for what went wrong, and submit to God’s leadership. When the Hebrews leaving Egypt rebelled, Moses told them to repent and return to the God who had rescued them. When God called Jonah, he went in the opposite direction. He feared for his own safety. He finally repented, either on a stormy ship or in the belly of a great fish, who spit him out on the beach at Nineveh. He returned to his God. He was able to counsel the people of Nineveh to repent and return. They did, and God restored their kingdom!

Remember, God’s desire is that ALL would repent and return. He doesn’t want to lose a single soul. You can lock in your eternal destiny today by calling Jesus your “Lord and Savior.” God loves everyone who loves his Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Preaching Good News!

For, June 8, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 4:43 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

Early the next morning, Jesus left Simon’s house, preparing to leave the city. People begged him to stay, but he explained, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” Jesus was on a mission trip, sent from God’s Kingdom to planet Earth with a goal, an agenda, a mission.

The Good News is that Jesus himself would pay the penalty for the sins of the world, and that believers would be redeemed. He could explain the Tanakh and Torah, and teach us God’s ways, that God loves us, and that he made a way for us to return home.

There are far too many cities for Jesus to visit himself, so eventually he sent his Apostles and disciples to proclaim the Kingdom on his behalf. And before ascending back to the Father, he told the believers to continue making disciples of all nations. That’s still our mission nowadays. Jesus wants us to share the Good News with as many as possible before his return.

He’ll be returning soon, and that’s our Good News for today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Who's First?

For Saturday, May 23, 2026:

Colossians 1:18 NLT: “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, firstborn over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.”

The Bible says that the church is the bride of Christ, making Jesus the head of the church. Without Jesus, there would be no reason for any church to exist. Mankind could have just stayed with Synagogues. It’s important that we understand the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

Under the Old Covenant, mankind was expected to conform to God’s commandments, sometimes called the Law of Moses since God sent most of the commandments through his servant Moses. The grading scale was tough: Live life 100% right, pass; miss one, fail. Any sin disqualified a person from accessibility to heaven.

God’s desire, though, is that none would perish, so he gave us a chance to repent and return. We call this the New Covenant. God’s Son Jesus died to atone for the sins of the world. In other words, He gave us a second chance, a do-over! Forgiven believers, those who would put their faith in Jesus, are given an opportunity to see heaven from the inside!

Abbott and Costello asked, “Who’s on first?” The answer should always be, “Jesus!” He’s responsible for creation, the forgiver of mankind’s sins and head of the church! Jesus is first in everything!

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

David's Anointing!

For Tuesday, March 24, 2026:

1 Samuel 16:11c NLT: “At once, send for the youngest, the shepherd,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

God had told Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons was to be anointed as Israel’s next king. Samuel thought he had interviewed all the young men, but God had yet to pull the trigger. So Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” Voilà: David, anointed to be the next king of Israel! Not because his father Jesse decreed it, not because Samuel said so, but because he was God’s choice! Because God said so!

Frankly, there was no way David could have turned down the assignment. Think back to Jonah, called to deliver the “repent and return” message to the people of Nineveh. Fearing for his life, Jonah took off in the opposite direction, went overboard during the voyage, was swallowed up by a giant sea creature who spit him out. Where? On the beach of Nineveh, right where God had called him to be. God always gets his way! It would take a few more years, but David would ultimately assume the position for which he had been earmarked by God.

Have you ever been called by the Lord? First, identify your God-given gifts and talents. God will not call you to a task for which you have no skill, no knowledge. He will not send you on a mission without supplying the tools needed for success. If you’re volunteering to join the “God team,” something He needs will jump out at you, will fall right into your lap. You’ll be better at it than others. It wouldn’t be the same without you! God 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

 

Christian Focus!

For Thursday, March 12, 2026:

Romans 7:21 NLT, Paul speaking: “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.”

Paul is living in a world filled with sin, and as much as he tries to honor God by doing right, frustrations of this life find him slipping back into his old behavior. Remember, when he first set out, Paul was armed with a letter from the Temple leaders authorizing him to stop these radical new Christians, to return them to Jerusalem in chains! The risen Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus, striking him blind and helpless, saying, “Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?” This was enough to make Paul do a 180, to realize that Jesus was indeed the heaven-sent Son of God. Paul became a Jesus advocate. He was brought into the city and his sight restored by a believer. Paul was immediately baptized and became an instant evangelist! (By the way, “Saul” was his Hebrew name, like King Saul. “Palus” was his Greek name, which we translate into English as “Paul.”)

God gave mankind the power to think and reason. If we were forced to follow Jesus, our loyalty would mean nothing. Therefore, God lets us choose, wants us to choose Him! We’re taken off track by Satan and his demons shouting, “Pick me! Pick me!” At first, sin seems to be fun and exciting, but it never works out in the long run. God’s desire is for everyone to repent and return — repent of our sins and return to the roster of believers. When this life ends, we want to find ourselves on God’s short list, unwavering in our commitment to the Father and his Son.

The longer we’re Christians, the easier it will become to stay on the high road. God wants us to succeed!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Healing Messiah!

Daily message of hope...
For Wednesday, February 25, 2026:

Matthew 4:23 NLT: “Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.”

As he gathered his disciples, Jesus continued his ministry around Galilee. Tradition said that if a guest showed up to worship in a Synagogue, he would be invited to speak. Jesus had plenty to say!

He could tell the people to repent and return to the Lord. He could explain God’s willingness to forgive all who would call him Lord and Savior. He could explain that he was God’s Son, God’s representative on earth. He could share the knowledge that believers become Children of God, eligible for residence in the Heavenly Kingdom. He could explain assurance of salvation!

Jesus would take as much time as needed to heal all who needed healing. No disease or illness was higher than the prayers of God’s Son. Jesus would oftentimes begin by casting out the demons, which were the root of the problem. No demon is higher than God’s Son.

People were quick to notice the healings and would tell others. Although they had no television, no newspapers and no internet, somehow the word spread swiftly. Soon, all who needed healing were being brought to Jesus. He healed them all, even though that wasn’t his purpose in coming to earth.

Soon, large crowds were following Jesus around, people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem – people from all over Judea, even those east of the Jordan River. The Hebrew people had been expecting a Messiah, and here was Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
The Father’s House
Truth and Freedom Church

Do What's Right!

For Tuesday, February 24, 2026:

Romans 7:15-17 NLT: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

Have you ever found yourself in a similar predicament? You’ve been introduced to Jesus, you believe, and want to live your life his way. And yet you find yourself slipping back into your old, sinful behavior. In spite or your best intentions, the author of sin makes sin look attractive and drags you down into the muck once again. You don’t want to do wrong. You swore you’d never do those bad things again. And yet here we find ourselves!

The author of this Epistle is as human as we are. “I want to do what is right, but instead I do what I hate.” Fortunately, there is no limit to God’s love. If our heartfelt desire is to do the right thing, we can confess, repent and return to the Lord as often as need be. God offers forgiveness in abundance, free to all who confess and plead for redemption.

I believe that the longer we’re believers, the fewer encounters we’ll have with sin. We will become better people, more acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. He’ll need to forgive us less often because we’ll have a firmer grip on living according to God’s instructions.

When in doubt, just do what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

1-on-1 with Jesus!

 For Friday, February 6, 2026:

Luke 3:8 NLT, John the Baptist speaking: Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.”

 How you live and what you do will be signs that you have discarded your sinful ways and repented and returned to the Lord. God has stretched out the hand of forgiveness. All we have to do is grab on and decide that God’s way is the better way.

 People tend to make excuses for not doing the right things. In those days before Jesus, the excuses ranged from, “I was born Hebrew,” to “I’m in the Synagogue every Sabbath.” Those are good things, but they won’t open heaven’s gates. Salvation is a contract between you and God. It’s dependent on your heartfelt belief, your faith in the Father and his Son. We are saved by grace through faith.

 When evangelizing, people tell me, “When I was young, I went to Sunday School; My mom was a Baptist; My wife attends a church; and We’re pledging members.” All good things, but they won’t get you into heaven. Assurance of Salvation is a 1-on-1 deal with Jesus, putting your faith, hope and trust in God’s Son.

 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” The way to heavenly eternity, and everything he speaks is truth about the life after this life. “No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship
The Father’s House
Truth and Freedom Church

Baptized!

     February 2, 2026:

Luke 3:4, 6 NLT: Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ Then all people will see the salvation sent from God.”

Today, we’re looking at John the Baptist, who was on a mission trip for God. He was to encourage everyone to repent and return to the Lord, and to be water-baptized as part of God’s plan for forgiveness and reconciliation. And he was privileged to introduce Jesus the Messiah to the world.

Jesus would eventually be baptized by John. Being without sin, Jesus didn’t really need to be baptized, but chose to do so as an example of what others should do and to identify John as one of God’s servants. John protested, “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you!” But Jesus insisted they fulfill all of God’s requirements.

As Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy spirit descended upon him like a dove, and a voice boomed out from heaven: “This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Jesus’ ministry just shifted into high gear! What lies ahead will truly be exciting!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Repent & Return:

Daily message of hope...

For Saturday, January 24, 2026:

 

Mark 16:15 NLT: “Then the risen Jesus told the believers, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

 

Throughout the Old Testament, the bottom-line message has always been to repent and return. Repent of sin, and return to the Lord. Come back to God’s way, his commandments and his thinking. God has a plan to reward loyalty.

 

As the New Testament begins and Jesus enters our world, the plan unfolds. Jesus’ mission is to put the Father’s plan in motion. As He dies on a cross, He will take the sins of the world upon himself and carry them to the place of the dead, leaving the forgiven faithful as eligible for eternal residence in God’s heavenly Kingdom. Didn’t Jesus promise to prepare a place for us? And doesn’t Jesus always speak the truth? You might as well start packing, because we’re leaving soon

 

Before we leave, we should be doing what Jesus commanded: “Preach the Good News to everyone!” How we do that may look different for each of us, but if we combine our gifts, we can get the job done. Everyone needs to know that the heavenly train is leaving soon. There’s plenty of room, but we need to get on board with haste. That train won’t wait forever!

 

If you believe Jesus is who he said he was and have faith that he can do what he promised, you’re “IN!” You have something that only redeemed Christians have – Assurance of Salvation! Relax. God has you covered!

 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Messiah!

For Thursday, January 22, 2026:

Luke 2:28-29 NLT: “Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.’”

It had been prophesied to Simeon that he would not die until the Lord’s Messiah had been revealed to him. And now he’s personally lifting baby Jesus in his arms! Voilà! The Messiah had arrived!

God always makes good on his promises! He promised to send a Savior, a Rescuer, a Messiah for his people. As it turns out, God’s gift was much more important than what the people were expecting. They were frustrated with Roman occupation of their land. They would have been happy just to be free of the Roman Army. God’s almighty gift was forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness opens the door to eternal life and residence in God’s forever heavenly Kingdom! BTW, there is no Roman army in God’s Kingdom! Mission accomplished and then some!

Don’t expect to understand supernatural events. Just accept the results. The Holy Spirit brought Jesus and Simeon together that day in the Temple, and Simeon identified Jesus to the world. This was only eight days into Jesus’ life. So everyone would have known right from the beginning that Jesus was heaven-sent.

His promise to forgive the sins of all who repent and return is as good today as it was 2k years ago. And God’s desire is that ALL would repent and return. His desire is that none would be lost. You can sign up for that program for free. Just acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life and repent of past sins. Draw a line in the sand, before Jesus and after Jesus. The after Jesus side of the line will be clean and fresh. Garbage will be left on the other side of the line. It’s easy to make the right decision. The sun will be shining on Jesus’ side of the line. See you there!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Forgiven & Forgotten!

For Saturday, September 27, 2025:

Hebrews 10:17 NLT: Then the Lord said, “I will never again remember their sinSos and lawless deeds.”

We need to take God at his word. If He says our sins are forgiven and forgotten, we should expect that to be the case. As imperfect humans, we may remember erring in our ways. But if we exalt the Son and repent and return to the Lord, our sins will not only be forgiven; they will also be forgotten. God says!

When it is time for a believer to approach the Pearly gates, his or her name will surprisingly be in the Book of Life! The surprise is that the Bible says that ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But God promised “forgiven and forgotten,” and that’s His policy for believers. The column labeled “sin” will be blank white space. No scratch-outs, no tell-tale eraser marks; forgiven and totally forgotten, as if our sin never happened. That’s what God says!

If you need a reference, use Jesus’ name. Today’s believers are today’s disciples. Come on in to Heaven and sit down. You belong there. Believers have been adopted into the Holy Family, and Heaven is our future family gathering place.

Get to know all your brothers and sisters!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Temptation!

 Daily message of hope...
August 4, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 17:1 NLT: “One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!’”

In this dissertation, Jesus identifies two types of sinners. The first is like most of us, average, everyday people who easily fall into sin. We’re not careful enough. We’re not constantly guarding against sin. Therefore, sin easily falls into our lives. We need to repent and return to the Lord, and realize that Jesus helped us by dealing with our sin problem. We can and will be forgiven.

The other type evilly leads others into sin. It’s not just their sin that’s wrong. It’s doubly wrong to encourage others to sin. It’s as if they set up sin traps, attempting to ensnare as many as possible. This is far worse than just falling away from the Lord. This is treason, switching sides, going to work for the bad guys. God will deal with these turncoats. Jesus says it would be better for them if they tied a millstone to their neck and dived into the deepest sea. Redeemable? Probably not.

Jesus goes on to explain that if another believer sins, we should call them on it. Don’t give it time to fester into something bigger than it is. And if they repent, we are obligated to forgive. If they sin seven times and repent seven times, we are to forgive them seven times.

We should always guard against the ever-present sin. The ever-present sin should highly regard the loving forgiveness offered through Jesus. Repentant sinners should be met with our forgiveness. If we forgive others, we’re following in Jesus’ footsteps!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Lost Coin!

For Sunday, July 13, 2025:

Luke 15:8 AMPC: “What woman, having ten [silver] drachmas [each one equal to a day’s wages], if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and look carefully and diligently until she finds it?”

Jesus is teaching the mixed crowd – tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and teachers of religious law – the parable of the lost coin. In today’s dollars, about $200 had gone missing, and if any of us lost $200, we’d certainly look until we found it! Note the ratio, 1 out of 10 missing. We’d check every dresser drawer and go through our purses and pants pockets. Is it time to clean out the car? Check every nook and cranny. The search wouldn’t be over until the sum was located!

In real life, something far more valuable than a coin had gone missing. In this parable, the lost coin represents the soul of a lost sinner. Heaven is patiently waiting for that sinner to repent and return, and heaven will not abandon that soul until they have had adequate chances to reconcile with the Creator. God’s desire is that none would be lost, and that all would repent and return!

When the sum is retrieved, the woman invites her neighbors in to celebrate the victory. “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin!”

Jesus summarizes his teaching: “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

You are extremely valuable to the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship