Gone Missing!

January 26, 2026, Monday Message:

Luke 2:46 NLT: “Three days later Jesus’ parents finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.”

Have you ever had a child go missing at the mall or at a theme park? We lost Melissa at the Atlanta airport. She had wandered around the corner and struck up a conversation with a friendly-looking, grandfatherly man. She was excited that she had made a new friend, but he was not one of our family. Fortunately, he was a nice man, and we located her quickly, but it could have been far worse! Children are both curious and precocious. Jesus was no exception!

Personally, I can’t imagine having a child of mine go missing for three days! Mary and Joseph must have been beside themselves with anguish. Picture losing the Son of God! They found him amongst religious teachers, asking them questions and answering theirs. How unlikely would it be for religious philosophers to enjoy conversing with a 12-year-old?

Jesus explained, “Why did you have to search? Didn’t you expect that I would be in my Father’s house?” For all they’d been through with angels, the immaculate conception, shepherds and wise men, and spending time as persecuted non-resident aliens in Egypt, Jesus’ parents still hadn’t connected all the dots.

The last line of the song, “Mary Did You Know,” explains it best. “That sleeping child you're holding is the great I Am!”

Those religious teachers were blessed to be getting answers from God himself. We’re blessed to know a relationship with God as he walked on earth. We worship the One who came to forgive us, to redeem our eternal essence, our souls. Jesus, our faith is in you!

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

End Times Loyalty!

October 20, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 21:19 NLT, Jesus speaking: “By standing firm, you will win your souls.”

The end times will not be pretty. Countries will succumb to the armies of evil nations. Longtime companions will betray you. Some believers may even be murdered. Jesus suggests running to the hills – and standing firm, not abandoning our faith in God’s Son.

The world is confused and evil in this picture Jesus painted. But while the world is in disarray, Jesus will be our rock. Since the beginning, there has been good vs bad, right vs wrong and God’s way vs Satan’s way. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have always been on the side of fairness, righteousness and love.

Satan, on the other hand, has no real agenda other than to oppose God. He has no Kingdom, no heaven, no paradise. The only thing a follower of Satan can hope to receive is a toasting in the fires of hell.

Deciding to become a believer is a simple decision. Almost anyone can understand the benefits and join the good guys. So stand firm in your convictions. Jesus promises that your reward will be the eternal salvation of your soul!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Gift for the Faithful!

For Sunday, October 19, 2025:

Hebrews 10:39 NLT: “We are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.”

Living our lives for the Lord requires effort. It takes a lot of work. It might be easier to give up on the project, to turn our backs on God. Of course, that would be wrong. Today’s scripture tells us that our souls can either be saved or left behind. As Christians, our desire would be to spend eternity in Heaven, in the presence of the Lord!

Jesus and his Father have given believers a free gift. We can’t buy it or barter for it. The gift is called forgiveness, and with it comes our ticket to heaven. You see, God and sin cannot exist in the same place. That’s why Jesus blots out our sins. There is no record of a sin. It’s as if we had lived a perfect life.

Christians have Assurance of Salvation. The work of Jesus on the cross brings us to the next reality. When you enter, look for Jesus. Tell him, “Thank you!” He’ll be just to the right of God’s throne!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Plant Seeds!

For Wednesday, October 15, 2025:

John 14:22 NLT: “Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to Jesus, ‘Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?’”

As churches grow, they seem to attract seekers, people searching for the truth about God, Jesus and religion. If a person is looking for Jesus, they will likely find him. But if that person isn’t seeking the Lord, any information about God is superfluous. It’s the right answer, but our person hasn’t asked that question yet!

So the question shouldn’t be, “Will Jesus reveal himself?” A better question would be, “Will the seeker be searching for the Son?” Is their mind open to new information? Is the timing right to connect with this soul?

I believe in planting seeds. If we plant a little Jesus information here and a little more there, our spiritual garden will one day blossom! Planting seeds is enables curiosity, and the curious will be inspired to seek truth!

Christians are blessed in that we already know the truth!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

I Am = Messiah!

For Thursday, September 4, 2025:

John 13:19, Jesus speaking: “I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah.”

Magicians, sorcerers and the like were common 2K years ago. They would perform a trick and claim to be someone special. They were not. People became wary and weary of them. Jesus had executed many miracles and healed thousands, but several wondered if it was all some kind of trick. After all, Jesus had arrived as a little baby, born to a builder and an obedient mother. That this young man who had grown up in their midst could be the Messiah seemed unlikely.

But magicians and sorcerers cannot predict the future. Jesus, who was riding high at the time, predicted his betrayal and unlikely demise. Quite a contrast! But everything happened just the way Jesus said it would. When he was gone, not only theologians but also everyday men and women could compare what happened with Jesus’ predictions, and immediately recognize him as the Messiah!

In the original language, Jesus refers to himself as the “I am,” the same name God gave when Moses asked that question. “I am” implies a perpetual existence. It’s not “I was” or “I’m going to be.” It’s just “I am,” I was from the beginning and I always will be. I am everything from God-the-creator to God-of-the-future. I was God of your ancestors, and will be God of your progeny. Forever!

Thank the Lord today for the privilege of knowing the Son, who died paying the price for mankind’s sinful nature. He personally redeemed the souls of all who believe. That’s why Christians have assurance of salvation. Jesus said so, and he’s the I am!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Wash Your Soul too!

May 26, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 11:41 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.”

I tell my grandchildren to wash their hands before we eat. God told the Jews to wash their hands before a meal. The Pharisees called it a commandment or a law, and they came up with an elaborate ceremony ensuring its implementation. Sure, it pleases God if we don’t put germs and dirt into our God-given bodies. But God’s words weren’t about religion; they were about keeping mankind healthy!

Jesus was invited to a Pharisee home for a meal, and he skipped the hand-washing part. To say the Pharisees went nuts would be an understatement! Time for Jesus to separate man-made ceremonies from common sense!

The Pharisees washed their dishes, inside and out, but only cleaned their bodies on the outside. The inside portion, their souls, were a filthy mess. Obsessed with their concern for observing the Law, they overlooked God’s commands telling them to love their neighbors. That principle was huge with Jesus, who taught that the most important commandment was loving the Lord, and the next, like it or equal to it, is to love our neighbors. A person could perform a perfect religious ceremony that would be meaningless if they showed no compassion for their fellows.

Today is Memorial Day in the US. We remember and honor our ancestors. We remember and honor those who gave their lives so that we could live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I don’t like wars, and there are currently about 80 conflicts in our world where people are shooting at one another with real bullets! Wars are typically about power and money. And wars become good people defending themselves against evil aggression. How much better our world would be if everyone could love their neighbors like Jesus taught, rather than shooting at them!

God will eventually have his way!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

God's Channel!

For Thursday, May 22, 2025:

Luke 11:28 CJB: “Jesus said, ‘Far more blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it!’”

As Jesus was teaching the crowd, a woman shouted out blessings to his birth-mother. Yes, Mary was obedient and highly favored by God. But the Father is even more pleased when one of us hears him and follows his instructions. Mary is history, but we are right now! Believers represent the future of the church for our generation. That’s what Jesus was saying.

God’s instructions will be heard by those with whom he has a relationship. If someone chooses to hear nothing from God, he won’t force his message on that person. Listening for God is like adjusting a radio receiver. If someone is not tuned in to the right frequency, they’ll never hear his message! So put God on one of your mind’s “preset” buttons! Let your Bible gather no dust!

Even more important than simply hearing God’s message is giving life to those instructions – obedience. Don’t think of serving God as an obligation. Consider it an opportunity to build an ongoing relationship with your Creator.

Believers have been drafted to play for God’s team. He wants us to win souls for the “good” team, those who, at the end of life’s game, are the winners.

Batter up!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

No Vacancy!

For Wednesday, May 21, 2025:

Luke 11:24-26 NLT, Jesus speaking: “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”

Jesus is speaking of the danger of someone being delivered from a demon, but not yet committed to God and the Savior. Remaining neutral on eternal life’s decision isn’t possible. You might as well hang up a “vacancy” sign. If your soul is unoccupied, demons will assume they can move in. Pick one – hot or cold, but Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm!

Life doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Everything interacts. So if we’re evangelizing and a demon leaves our candidate, it’s important to fill that space with Jesus – right away! Don’t afford Satan an opportunity to return.

Do the same for yourself. I was once told that the Holy Spirit is like gas in our cars. We need to top off our Holy Spirit tanks daily. Then we’ll be safe and protected. We’ll be armed for whatever life throws at us!

Therefore, fill any vacancy with Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Judgement!

For Thursday, May 16, 2024:

Matthew 23:33 NLT, Jesus speaking to teachers of religion and Pharisees: “Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?”

Hell represents perpetual misery. I’ve heard people about to do something wrong jokingly say: One more thing won’t matter. I’m already headed for hell!

Of course it DOES matter. That would be the perfect time to turn one’s life around and pray for mercy and forgiveness. You can’t do anything so bad that Jesus won’t offer forgiveness, pull you out of the fire and allow you a second-chance reboot!

Jesus poses a good question: “How will you escape the judgment of hell?” Choosing heaven or hell is an irreversible monumental decision. Once you’re committed to an eternal path, there’s no going back, no do-overs. If you’ve been dancing with the devil, you’re no longer welcome in heaven! But if your dance card is filled with Jesus, there won’t be room for Satan!

Choose wisely while there’s still time. Claim Jesus as savior of your soul. That’s the only way to stay out of the lake of fire!

If you have a better plan, I’d like to hear it!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Reconciliation!

December 4, 2023 Monday Message:

Romans 16:26 NLT, Paul concluding his letter to the Roman church: “Now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message (the Gospel) is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him.”

We know that the Messiah came through the Jews, but redemption is truly for all people. ALL! The Messiah, the Rescuer, our Savior came to help you and to help me, and that’s Good News! Don’t ever think you don’t deserve being rescued, because God has forgiven you, loves you unconditionally, and has qualified you to take up residence in the heavenly hereafter, and God is always right! His Son Jesus went ahead to prepare your place in eternity!

Forgiveness and reconciliation follow confession, whereby we acknowledge our own sin. That not only works with God; it works with humans too. Pretend that someone offended you, and you’re still holding a grudge. The relationship will remain in that damaged state until one of you makes a move. But if that person comes to you and says, “I’m really sorry; please forgive me,” of course you’ll forgive them. That’s what Jesus said to do. And now the ball is rolling toward rebuilding the relationship, reconciliation.

God’s desire is that everyone would repent and return. He doesn’t want to lose a single soul. Believers are the ones who say “yes” to Jesus. They’ll get to see heaven from the inside!

Have a blessed week as you serve!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Spirit and Truth!

For Saturday, November 18, 2023:

John 4:23 NLT, Jesus speaking: “The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.”

Mankind tends to repeat things. Ritual and tradition often win out. But ritual and tradition aren’t always right!

Samaritans worshiped on Mt. Gerezim, while Jews worshiped in Jerusalem. The woman at the well asked Jesus which is correct, and he tells her it really doesn’t matter. (Jews would consider that blasphemy since it’s contrary to their tradition.)

Jesus explains, “God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Each of us has a soul, a spirit, an eternal essence made to worship the Lord. It’s our spirit that can communicate worship and devotion directly to God’s Spirit. Our spirit and God’s Spirit reside in the same realm, in the same reality. Our spirit can connect with God’s Spirit instinctively. That’s how we bond with God, in his reality.

For Christians, our goal in this life should be to be on the same page as God. God is truth, and we should always stand up for what is true. We don’t worship idols or imaginary false gods. Our worship should only acknowledge truth, that our God is the creator of everything that exists and that Jesus is his Son. God is only capable of living in the truth. Lies and deceit come from Satan.

So set aside ritual and tradition in favor of spirit and truth! That’s what Jesus said!

More tomorrow! Blessings!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship