Joy!

For Tuesday, May 5, 2026:

John 15:11 NLT, Jesus speaking: “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

Jesus spent a lot of his time teaching the faithful. He wanted everyone to know how his Father expects them to live. He states unchangeable principles such as honesty and truth. And he foretells the future, wanting believers to have hope.

Many things will happen to fulfill God’s plan, things that may be confusing. Jesus wants to clear things up and let everyone know what to expect. One example is that mankind’s sins will be forgiven, taken away as if they never happened. That sounds good, but the human side of Jesus will die in the process, and that sounds bad. The truth is that everything is good that lines up with God’s plan. Seeing God’s plan come to fruition should bring us joy.

Happiness can be fleeting, but the joy of the Lord comes from substance. Happiness results from circumstances, and the circumstances around you are forever changing. Interestingly, “circumstance” is the same root word as “circus!” Does your life have three rings and a bear on a bicycle? That’ll put a smile on your face, make you happy, but nothing of substance, nothing that really matters lives there. When the bear falls off the bike, the smile falls off your face.

Not so with the joy of the Lord. God gives us a new day each morning and fills us with joy! We read God’s word in the Bible, and that reinforces our joy! We meet our friends and coworkers – more joy! God’s joy is permanent, something that matters, something of substance. It was God’s plan to rescue repentant believers. He took us under his wing, adopted us into the holy family, and that’s forever! We can look forward to living in God’s eternal heavenly Kingdom in the place Jesus has prepared for us, where joy abounds!

We can decide how to live our lives – substance or circumstances, God’s way or the world’s way, fleeting happiness or rock solid joy. Choose wisely!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Faith!

February 10, 2025, Monday Message:

Exodus 16:3 NLT: Israelites complaining to Moses and Aaron: “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

The people of Israel think they’re suffering from a lack of food. Actually, they’re suffering from a lack of faith! Time after time, miracle after miracle, God has been on their side. They should have been filled with trust and confidence in the Lord, knowing that he will always provide.

The Israelites don’t seem to have any long-term memory. They’re living day-to-day. Circumstances direct their lives. My advice to them would be to look at the big picture. Look for what I call a “God trend,” something of substance. Think about it – If God sent 10 plagues to get them out of Egypt and opened and closed the Red Sea on their behalf, he can probably take care of lunch too! God’s not going to let them starve out on the desert!

Faith is always what saves us. An extra dose of faith would have helped the Israelites cross the Sinai. Faith is what lets us see heaven from the inside! True believers have an abundance of faith in Jesus, who he is, and confidence that his words are truth.

John 1:12 “But to all who believed the Son and accepted him (put their faith in him,) he gave the right to become children of God.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Fickle Faith!

For Sunday, February 9, 2025:

Exodus 15:26 NLT: God said to Moses and the Israelites, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

People can live a long time without food, but only a short time without water. God had Moses lead the Israelites into the desert for three days, and they finally came to an oasis with bitter water. God purified the water. Once again the God of provision had met the people of Israel’s needs. He then gave them the covenant in the above scripture. If the Israelites would be his people, he would be their God!

That sounds like a good deal, but it’s also a test of faith. Each time a problem arose, would the people trust the Lord completely or complain about God putting them in that situation? Of course the correct answer would be to leave everything in God’s hands. Turns out the people of Israel weren’t very good at that.

If we are growing in our relationship with the Lord as we ought, we should learn from our mistakes and make corrections. We should also take note when things go right, and intentionally repeat those behaviors. The Israelites had fallen victim to what I call, ‘Fickle Faith.’ They’re believers when things are going well. But at the least sign of trouble, faith goes out the window. Fickle Faith.

Trusting God is something of substance, something with eternal ramifications. Trusting the Lord should not depend upon your current circumstances. Pray that God would fill you with unshakable faith!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Substance vs Circumstances!

August 19, 2024 Monday Message:

1 John 1:3-4 NLT: “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that your joy may be complete.”

Happiness may be fleeting, but the Joy of the Lord is permanent!

Earthly happiness is a reaction to circumstances, and circumstances can change, sometimes better, sometimes worse. But the work of Jesus on the cross – the forgiveness of our sins and his promise of salvation – fills us with the Joy of the Lord, a forever solution to mankind’s sin problem.

What really matters? My wife has a label printer, and our grandson loves putting labels on everything. Our living room houses a piano, two guitars and a ukulele, so he labeled it, “Music Room.” I want us all to dig out our mental label makers and separate everything in our lives into one of two categories: substance or circumstances.

The circumstances in which we find ourselves are constantly changing. We’re called upon to interact with other humans. What could possibly go wrong? (Joke! Sarcasm!)

But things of substance have eternal ramifications. Things of substance matter. Their worth is ‘til the end of time! When Jesus set believers up with assurance of salvation, it was both a “now and forever” solution. Gratitude for Jesus’ gift to us – the gift of eternal life in God’s presence – fills believers with joy that can not be taken away.

Laugh off circumstances. Live for things of substance!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Substance!

For Saturday, June 22, 2024:

1 Peter 2:21 NLT: “God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”

Jesus suffered doing his work of rescuing mankind, and we also may suffer doing the Lord’s work. In spite of good or bad circumstances, remember that they are just that: circumstances. It’s what happens in life. We may or may not have control over our circumstances.

What we DO have control over is if we live our lives in a good way or a bad way. Are our lives ordered in such a way as to please our maker? Is what we do good, right, fair and honest? If we stop and think, ask yourself, “Should we really be doing this thing? Will the way we live our life make God smile?”

God’s reaction is substance, something of eternal value. Circumstances don’t matter; they change – a lot! But pleasing the Lord is something of substance!

Pray that we will care less about what others think, and more about what God thinks! Blessings as your go about your day!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Fellowship!

For Thursday, May 9, 2024:

1 John 1:3-4 NLT: “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

Friends, this isn’t a bunch of lunatics conjuring up a new religion. What they’re telling people to believe is exactly what they saw with their own two eyes. The author personally knew Jesus, watched him minister and saw miracles with his own two eyes! What’s being stated here is truth. Much more than a religious plank, it’s an eyewitness account of what actually took place!

Note that the author isn’t gaining anything by adding others to this value system. It sounds like the believers are just trying to make new friends. “Fellowship with us! Fellowship with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.” Happiness can be fleeting. Happiness can come and go depending on circumstances. But joy, eternal joy, is a “forever” gift. Believer’s hearts are grateful for the joy of being rescued from sin by Jesus. Joy is something of substance; it’s unchanging Good News from above.

Joy is something to be shared with others!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Peace of the Lord!

For Thursday, November 30, 2023:

Romans 16:20 NLT, Paul speaking: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

It sounds like a contradiction: The God of “peace” is going to “crush Satan.” Sounds like we need to take another look of peace!

The “peace of the Lord” is a lot more than not being at war. Since believers are adopted into the Holy Family, it’s confidence that our Father is in control. It’s trusting in him. With God in charge, everything will be alright in the end. If everything is not alright, it’s not the end! God will protect you, care for you and love you just as any father would love his children. We can relax, not worrying about circumstances that come and go in our lives. We have been given something of substance – the love of a God who knew you in your mother’s womb.

I believe God is looking forward to crushing Satan so that all his children can experience that peace of the Lord. It’s Satan who sabotages peace on earth. When Satan is crushed, we’ll know true peace.

Jesus is returning to straighten things out! Shalom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Forever Convinced!

For Tuesday, October 10, 2023:

Psalm 42:11 CEV: “Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you, Lord! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.”

No matter what goes wrong in this life, you still have your God and his Son and a promise of salvation. Happiness can be fleeting; circumstances can change. Jesus said to expect a few problems. Things will go wrong in this life. But he also said that he has overcome the world, and that’s Good News indeed!

Believers are filled with the Joy of the Lord, and that’s permanent! Knowing that all of our sins are forgiven and that Jesus is preparing our place in the hereafter should put a smile on our faces. That’s why Paul could sing hymns while in prison. He had an encounter Jesus and was forever convinced. That’s something of substance that could never be taken from him. Are you forever convinced?

Throw off discouragement and do what the Bible says. Celebrate Jesus’ rescue of your soul and your reservation in the Father’s house! Know that you are blessed. Tell your face!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Pray for Peace!

May 29, 2023 Monday Message:

Psalm 46:9 NLT: “God causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.”

Today is “Memorial Day” in the United States. It’s a day to honor those who gave their lives to defend our country. And since our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, they died defending God’s values, and that is indeed a high calling!

Surprisingly there are still hundreds of little wars in the world, resulting in lives being lost. Right now the big war is in Ukraine. It’s on your TV every night. The war is about which government controls a small piece of real estate. To God this is just silliness, since they’re not fighting over anything of substance, anything of eternal value. The Lord says, v10: “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

So make no mistake: “Be still” isn’t about meditating. “Be still” means stop the fighting. Stop the loss of lives. Stop your foolishness and focus on your destination in the life after this life. Pray for peace in the world.

The Bible says there will be wars and rumors of wars until Jesus returns, so also pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Choose God!

For Saturday, November 12, 2022:

Psalm 50:15 NLT, God speaking: “Call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

Problems come and go in our lives. Conflicts arise and disputes raise their ugly heads. Satan is loose in the world, so some of this is to be expected. Our circumstances in the world are constantly changing, oftentimes not in a good way.

It’s time to trade circumstances for substance. The Bible says that “My God is like a rock,” permanent and unchanging. God says we should always call on him when we need help. God is always available - he’s not going anywhere! If fact he invites us to share our lives with him. God desires a personal relationship with each of us. So take him up on that offer!

Your friendship with the Lord can be the stability in your life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406