Second Chance!

March 23, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 3:17 NLT, John the Baptist speaking: “The one coming soon (Jesus) is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

Before you can make bread from wheat, the protective outside part of each kernel, the chaff, must be removed. Nowadays, we just buy flour at a store, but in Jesus’ day, people had to do their own milling, so this was common knowledge, and a good analogy about mankind and the life after this life.

The good portion is preserved, gathered and kept in God’s storehouse. We call that God’s heavenly Kingdom. The remaining worthless chaff is permanently disposed of in a fire. In Revelation, John writes about a lake of fire for the unrepentant.

Friends, we are living in our second chance. We can choose Jesus as our Savior, or we’re allowed to make a bad choice. But there are no more do-overs! The right or wrong choice has eternal consequences.

Choose wisely!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

The Best is Yet to Come!

For Sunday, February 15, 2026:

Hebrews 13:14 NLT: “This world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

If only we could more clearly see the future! The Bible is truth. It tells us not only what happened, but also what lies ahead. History is interesting and important, but we can do nothing to alter what has already transpired. So it might be more beneficial to spend more time on Jesus’ words about what is to come. That’s something that we can change and make better!

Interesting sidebar: I’ve found that most Christians could retell a reasonably accurate version of the Christmas story with only a couple of missteps. They’ve sat through a number of Christmas pageants! The same group isn’t so clear about creation. Some know the Bible version, but don’t necessarily believe all of it. But when I teach about life after this life, I get a lot of blank stares. Our churches seem to teach a lot about what has happened, and very little about what is to come. Friends, I believe that we need to be prepared for the future!

Here’s the deal: If you’re alive today but headed in the wrong direction, there’s still time to set things right. By recasting our behavior, we can positively improve our place in eternity. We can join the group that calls Jesus the Lord and Savior of their lives. We can pray for Jesus to forgive our sins, wipe our slates clean and prepare a place for us in the hereafter. Eternity is a very long time! We want to be in the right place!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & 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

Angels & Baby!

 For Thursday, January 8, 2026:

Luke 2:8 NLT: “The night of Jesus’ birth, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.”

These are the luckiest shepherds ever! God sent his messenger angel to them with the Good News of Jesus’ birth. It can get quite dark in the countryside away from the city, but – not to be missed – the angel shone with the radiance of God’s Glory! The shepherds were terrified!

But the Angel told them to not be afraid. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Swaddled, wrapped up tightly in a package improvised from a small blanket. Baby warm, safe and secure!

Turns out that one angel wasn’t enough to herald this colossal event. A host of others showed up, all praising the Lord and declaring Peace on Earth! The angel armies had gathered to share the Good News! And having seen and heard this show of heaven’s strength, the shepherds had to check it out for themselves. “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

In the city, they found Mary, Joseph and the baby in a manger, just as they had been told. Before returning to their flocks, the shepherds told everyone about the angels and that everything was just as the angel said it would be. The angel told them that this was the promised Messiah, and there he is, lying in a manger! Praise God!

This baby was the Redeemer for all time, for those present and for believers 2,000 years later. This baby is our friend, the author of forgiveness. Jesus made it possible for forgiven believers to see heaven from the inside!

Thank you, Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Change!

December 29, 2025, Monday Message:

Romans 6:1 NLT: “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not!”

A change of heart on our part would be evidence of our gratitude for God’s gift of forgiveness and salvation. The Lord’s efforts are effective and efficient. He doesn’t seem to waste his time doing needless stuff. So God planned to rescue those who need rescuing. (Friends, that’s all of us!) A Savior wouldn’t have been sent unless people needed saving.

Being born again implies a second chance to get things right, to prioritize the Lord in our lives. We should learn from our past mistakes. The Bible word translated ‘repent’ means to change, like a change of direction. “We were going north, but God showed us that we should have been traveling south!” Radical transformation should be the result of God’s gift, God’s grace. Continued sinning should be out of the question.

God’s gift should bring about positive change!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Be a Shepherd!

For Friday, December 26, 2025:

Luke 2:8 NLT: “The night that Jesus was born, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.”

Let’s all pretend to be shepherds. The sheep are peaceful, quiet, down for the night. Everyone is relaxed, enjoying the serenity of nature. When all of a sudden this angel showed up! Big, audacious and scary! His first words are, “Be not afraid!” This messenger angel is friendly, bearing good news. “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem.”

Suddenly, he is joined by a chorus of other angels, all praising the Lord for sending a Savior to the Hebrew people. The shepherd’s curiosity got the best of them, and soon they were off to Bethlehem to see the baby for themselves. They were told to look for an infant, swaddled, lying in a manger, and that’s exactly what they found!

We’ve all seen Christmas pageants with the manger and Jesus in the center, Mary and Joseph right behind them, three shepherds on one side and three wise men on the other. It stages well, but it’s not too accurate, so let’s dispel some myths. The group of shepherds was probably 8-20 men. They could have been pungent as they’d been living with sheep. They never met the wise men, who arrived as much as two years later. They were following a star, and stars don’t move very fast. We don’t know the number of wise men, only that there were three gifts.

But wouldn‘t it have been fun to join the Holy Family in welcoming their Son, our Redeemer? Wouldn’t it have been exciting to celebrate the first Christmas with the shepherds? It’s such a big deal, we reenact it each year! Merry Christmas!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Merry Christmas!

For Thursday, Christmas Day, December 25, 2025:

Luke 2:11 NLT: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

If we are faithful, God promises that everything will be all right in the end. He will finish what he started, and that includes bringing faithful believers to his forever Kingdom, in spite of their sin. The coming of Jesus is a sign that we’re on the right path.

While sin is a problem, it can be overcome. God can decry the world’s sins while forgiving those who repent and desire to return to the Lord. Jesus will suffer the penalty for mankind’s sins. He is our Savior, our redeemer, our one-way ticket to heaven. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves!

As we shout “Merry Christmas” to one another, understand that the solution has arrived, and that’s good news! Father God will not abandon us if we’re loyal to him. So for today, celebrate the birth of our Messiah. Remain confident in believers being rescued. Believe that we all have a reservation in a better place. Baby Jesus will be very good to believers! That’s what the Bible says!

Merry Christmas!

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

Angels & Shepherds!

 Daily message of hope...For Tuesday, December 9, 2025:

Luke 2:8 NLT: “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.”

Being a shepherd was a challenging job. The sheep had to be guarded 24/7. Their enemies were wolves and bears, also foe to the human shepherds! On their own, sheep would stay in one place, eating the grass into the ground until there was nothing left. So each day required herding the sheep to new pasture. At night, shepherds could catch some zzzs by bedding down with the sheep, and they soon smelled just like sheep. A couple shepherds always had to stay awake, keeping the night watch for dangerous critters. If there was an incident, they would wake the others, and everyone would be up all night!

Shortly after the birth of Jesus, the night silence was broken when an angel appeared to the shepherds. Heaven’s glory radiated from the angel, who spoke the standard greeting: “Be not afraid!” He explained, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” That angel was joined by a host of others, the angel armies of heaven, praising God! My Bible doesn’t say they sang, but they could have!

The shepherds jumped up immediately and headed into town. They wanted to see for themselves this miracle delivered by Father God!

What an incredible time to have been alive!

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

Zechariah's Prophecy!

For Friday, December 5, 2025:

Luke 1:67 NLT: “Then baby John’s father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy.”

As Zechariah’s voice returned, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke prophecy concerning his newborn. This is not something he just thought up. This is God – the Holy Spirit – speaking through Zechariah.

Let’s review the high points. “The Lord has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior. God fulfilled his promise, his covenant with his people. We will be saved from our enemies and all who hate us. We will be rescued from our enemies. We can serve God without fear. And baby John will be called the prophet of the Most High, because he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will tell God’s people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven, is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Wow! Those are pretty big tasks, especially for a newborn, but history proves prophecy. We know baby John as John the Baptist, who indeed prepared the people for the ministry of Jesus. Jesus quashed Satan and his demons. Jesus personally died to redeem us. His life was the penalty for the sins of the world, now paid in full. Therefore, our relationship with Father God improved exponentially.

After Jesus, everything was different. After Jesus, everything was better, a lot better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Paid In Full!

September 15, 2025, Monday Message:

Hebrews 10:12 NLT: “Our High Priest (Jesus) offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”

Jesus fully understood his primary mission. He was the final sacrifice atoning for the sins of the world. That includes your sin and my sin, and past, present and future sins. Yes, even future sins not yet committed are covered by Jesus’ sacrifice. If we repent and return to the Lord and acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, He will confirm our heavenly reservation. We will be seated at the wedding banquet in the Kingdom, thereby confirming our relationship with the Son.

Jesus did it right the first time. We don’t need another sacrifice. Nothing could be greater than the offering of God’s Son’s life to atone for the sins of the world. One and done!

By that one offering, Jesus made perfect all those lined up behind him. None of us are perfect. All who walk on the earth have fallen short of God’s glory. And yet when we fall in behind Jesus, he renders us sinless, forgiven and in a way, “perfect,” eligible for residence in the Kingdom!

So my advice is to repent and return, and to then follow Jesus into the hereafter! Eternity can be awesome! Our transition to eternity fulfills God’s vast eternal plan for believers! Believers are “IN!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Throne Room of Heaven!

 For Wednesday, August 20, 2025:

Hebrews 9:12 AMP: “Jesus went once for all into the Holy Place [the Holy of Holies of heaven, into the presence of God], and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, having obtained and secured eternal redemption [that is, the salvation of all who personally believe in Him as Savior]”

 The Amplified scripture not only gives us the text, but also explains it. Jesus returning to his Father in Heaven following his sojourn to earth only happens once. In other words, Jesus came to walk alongside mankind and then returned to the Father from whence he came. It will not happen again. God will not keep sending Jesus back and forth, hoping that mankind can ‘get it’ this time. Once should be enough!

 Jesus, Son of the Most High, did not return to the general population of heaven. The Tabernacle had a “Holy of Holies,” but the one in heaven is the “most Holy of all Holy places. It’s where the spirit of God Almighty lives. Jesus returned to that most holy place to sit at the right hand of his Father.

 This occurred not because of any animal sacrifice as mankind practiced. Jesus had shed his own blood, paying the penalty for the sins of all mankind, once and for all. All who call Jesus Messiah, Savior or Redeemer have a reservation in heaven. We call that “Assurance of Salvation.” It’s a gift from Jesus and his Father. It’s not debatable or negotiable. God said, and it is so! Salvation is for all who personally believe in Jesus. God said!

 I believe the principal goal of Jesus coming to earth was to redeem mankind. So, do you have Jesus in your heart? Does there remain any question in your mind about your eternal destination? Today is the best day to cement your relationship with Jesus, to make an irrevocable decision to call him Lord of lords!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

Omnipresent!

For Thursday, August 14, 2025:

John 12:44-45: Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.”

Omnipresence is a challenging concept for some individuals to grasp. That God could be on the throne of heaven, Jesus could walk on earth alongside mankind with the mobile Holy Spirit on the bench, waiting to be called into action seems unbelievable. But it’s true. Our God, the Creator of the universe, isn’t limited by human constraints. Time and location cannot put chains on our God! He can be in more than one place at the same time. Omnipresent. But they’re all the same God!

Every word Jesus spoke was true, and this is no exception. He said, “I and the Father are One.” Hearing this, our opinion of the Son should go up considerably! This spirit-being, living within believers, is actually God himself. We are indwelt by a version of our Creator! Believers belong to Jesus; believers belong to God!

By definition, God and the Holy Spirit cannot be seen by human eyes. Jesus was sent to give us a glimpse into heavenly standards. His truth, honesty and love for God and his neighbors were unequaled. Our biggest challenge is to imitate the Savior.

When in doubt, do what Jesus did!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Beginning of the End!

For Tuesday, July 29, 2025:

John 12:23 NLT: “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.”

In this Gospel, the Palm Parade is behind us, and the cross is in the future. Answering questions, Jesus predicts his death.

A terrible time is coming. Betrayal, false arrest, kangaroo court, whippings and finally crucifixion lay in Jesus’ future. Sounds terrible, and it was. But if Jesus is to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world, his death is part of God’s vast eternal plan! Like many things in life, this too will pass, and things will be much better when it does. Jesus’ life will be better as he is resurrected and eventually returns to heaven. Our lives will be better as the penalty has been prepaid for our sins. Jesus made it possible for mankind to spend eternity with Almighty God in His Kingdom.

All those who serve Jesus, those who call him Savior, are holding heavenly tickets. We will join Jesus in the hereafter. Remember that God’s desire is that none would perish; that all would repent and return. Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us. No need to pack. Everything will be provided. God is good!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Count the Cost!

For Tuesday, July 8, 2025:

Luke 14:28a NLT, Jesus speaking: “Don’t begin (following me) until you count the cost.”

Disciples of Jesus don’t come and go. They come and stay. Accepting Jesus as your Savior, as Lord of your life, is a forever decision. So before you climb aboard, be certain you understand the cost.

Personally, I’m blessed, fortunate that my parents knew Jesus and brought me to church. My spouse was raised attending church. It’s easier to be a Christian yourself when everything is harmonious.

However, those coming from different countries or religions have a much more challenging row to hoe. They may find themselves at odds with friends and/or family. Therefore, their new Christian friends will be instrumental in cementing their decision.

Jesus says that only a fool would lay out a foundation but lack the funds to complete the building. So if you’re choosing to get on the Jesus train, be prepared to ride it to the end of the line. There’ll be plenty to do along the way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Persistence!

For Wednesday, June 25, 2025:

Hebrews 3:13 NLT: “You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.”

Stick-to-itiveness. That’s what we need. Goofy word, but it’s in my dictionary! This scripture encourages us to help each other stick with what we learned from Jesus. He IS coming back, but we don’t know when. Our hearts need to be right today, because tomorrow may be too late!

If we could graph the Hebrew relationship with God, it would look like a rollercoaster – up and down, up and down, closer to God, farther from God. When God has things going well in our lives, humans tend to say, “Thanks, God, but I can take it from here!” We eventually fail and crawl back to God, whining, “Please, God, help us out of this mess we’ve made.” God again rescues His people, giving them a second chance, a third chance, etc.

Things are no different nowadays. Unfortunately, mankind’s tendency is to grow complacent in our worship and in our devotion to the Almighty, and we begin to let things slide. Christianity gets put on the back burner. It’s not that we completely stopped believing. It’s just that religious matters don’t hold the priority they once did in our lives. People caught up in this are called backsliders!

Some theologians teach that if we can fall away from Jesus, we were never really “in” in the first place. Asking Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life should be an irrevocable decision.

The Bible says, “If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.” We should all strive to be with that group!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Vast Eternal Plan!

For Sunday, June 22, 2025:\

Luke 13:32 NLT, Jesus replying to the Pharisees: “Go tell that fox (Herod Antipas) that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose.”

Herod Antipas had threatened to kill Jesus. Jesus was disruptive to the stable world maintained by the Romans. Romans weren’t Jewish, but they tolerated religion as long as it kept the population peaceful.

But this new guy, Jesus, was rocking the boat! What should have been a continuation of the Hebrew relationship with God Almighty had turned into a kind of church split. People were leaving the Temple to follow Jesus. Tithes were leaving with the people. (Remember the words of Pastor Norton: People get squirrelly when there’s money involved. Count on it!)

Pharisees offered to kill Jesus for splitting their congregation. They claimed blasphemy, false doctrine, not understanding that the Son of God would surely know what his Father prefers!

Jesus was not afraid, even though he knew exactly what was coming. He vowed to cast out demons and heal people right up until the end. And when it was time for his earthly demise, those who opposed him would actually be fulfilling God’s plan. Jesus could then take the sins of the world to the place of the dead. It’s great that Jesus could heal, cast out demons and teach. But I believe his primary purpose was to solve mankind’s sin problem.

And everything played out just like Jesus knew that it would. After three days, he stepped out of the tomb, declaring, “Problem solved!” The gift of forgiven sin is for each of us who claims Jesus as our Savior.

Today is the accepted day to repent and return to the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship