Sabbath!

 For Sunday, April 26, 2026:

Luke 4:16 NLT: “When Jesus came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.”

 Looking at that text, we already know about Jesus, we know about Nazareth, we know about synagogues and the Sabbath. What strikes me as the teachable moment are the words, “as usual.” It was normal and customary to attend a religious gathering, to praise God and worship him on the Sabbath. It would have been far more unusual to NOT attend!

 I know a pastor whose son asked on Sunday morning, “Dad, do we have to go to church today?”

Dad: “That‘s about the dumbest question I’ve ever heard! We don’t HAVE to go to church; we WANT to go to church!”

 Church is where we meet our best friends, like-minded individuals. Church is our community, our fellowship. But most of all, we gather to praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, giving thanks for our creation and rescue from sin. We worship God as the head of everything. We’re thankful for the offer of life after this life, and for God honoring us with the offer of eternity in his Kingdom. We get to hear scripture from the Bible to inspire us to face another week!

 Church is a good, safe place to invite others. Bring your new friends. Help make disciples of all nations!

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

Teaching Truth!

For Sunday, April 19, 2026:

Luke 4:14-15 NLT: “Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.”

Jerusalem to Galilee is about 80 miles. In Jesus’ day, most people were on foot, so it was about a week-long hike. Depending upon the route, you might encounter mountains, have to cross a river or deal with unclean Samaritans. So many went to the Mediterranean and just proceeded North up the coast.

The region around the Sea of Galilee is where Jesus grew up, specifically the city of Nazareth. At the time, little is known about him other than that he’s Joseph the builder’s son. But immediately, he begins teaching in the Synagogues. The congregants are amazed by his knowledge and wisdom.

I like that my Bible calls this “teaching.” Personally, I’m better at teaching than preaching. I believe that if I teach the truth from the Bible, what someone should do becomes self-evident. I don’t like to harp at them. My 2¢.

This is Sunday morning, a good time to attend church. Hopefully, your church will teach truthful topics from the Bible. They should teach eternal salvation through the goodness of Jesus the Christ, fulfilling his Father’s plan for the rescue of mankind. It’s a good plan. We should leave with smiles on our faces!

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Jesus Direct!

For Friday, February 20, 2026:

Hebrews 13:15 NLT: “Let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”

The key words in this scripture are, “through Jesus.” Jesus is our heaven connection. Before Jesus, Jewish priests fulfilled that function. The priests could present our petitions, good or bad, to the Lord. Mankind would seldom hear God’s response.

After Jesus, the process changed. Jesus is part of our Holy Trinity God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So if we offer prayers through Jesus, we’re already praying directly to God. No middle-man needed! God desires a direct relationship with each of us. (Note: This scripture was written to Hebrews, who would need adjust their beliefs post-Jesus.)

Interestingly, when Jesus died on the cross and took mankind’s sins to the place of the dead, the thick, heavy curtain isolating the Holy of Holies from public areas was torn in half, top to bottom, so God had to do the tearing himself, and mankind was no longer separated from God. Again, this was God’s doing. He decreed that it should be this way.

So we can praise God directly for his goodness, exalt his omniscience and offer confessions and repentance. In return, God can offer us forgiveness and a “mulligan,” a do-over, a second chance. With Jesus, we don’t just have a religion; we have a relationship!

What a friend we have in Jesus!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Reciprocal Love!

For Thursday, December 4, 2025

Romans 5:5b NLT: “We know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

Love is reciprocal. Bi-directional. God loves us so much that it becomes easy to love him back. So put the Lord up on a pedestal and add worship to your lives in abundance!

God’s timing is always perfect. When mankind was floundering, he sent Jesus to rescue us. Now that Jesus has returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit has been sent to be our helper and our advocate. As children of God, Heaven is where we belong. Eventually. God is trying to make it easy for us to come home. The Holy Spirit will guide us. Home is where when you go there, theyhave to let you in!

 When we become believers, we’re adopted into the family of God. We receive the rights, privileges and benefits of being a family member. We can inherit salvation! As we transition from this life to the next, Jesus will be there to welcome us with open arms. Jesus is the light of the world, and we should always pursue light, not darkness.

I wish churches would teach more about the Holy Spirit. He’s one-third of the Trinity, but seems to be on the short end of receiving screen time. Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations, but I don’t think I could ever do that on my own. The Earth is just too big! But a team with each member possessing different God-given gifts and talents can bring Jesus’ goal into focus.

Can you heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons? By yourself, no. With the Holy Spirit, maybe, if it fits with God’s purpose and timetable. For example, if someone is dying because God is calling them home, we should leave well enough alone. But if someone is dying because demons are disrupting things, we should cast out the demon(s) and heal the illness. God’s way is always the right way! The Holy Spirit will help!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. He’s already loving you back!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Thanksgiving!

For Thursday, November 27, 2025:

Genesis 12:7 NIV: “The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

The purpose of Thanksgiving is twofold: worship and expression of thankfulness. In the US, today is Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday with a checkered history and a biblical precedent. God established this covenant: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Consequently, God took very good care of his people, who then gave thanks to God for all he had done for them, and for all he would continue to do.

 As the US began, George Washington declared a time of thanksgiving, gratitude for our independence from British rule. God had granted them freedom, and saying they were grateful would be an understatement. (I’m sure Washington was also thankful for the ability to remain standing in tLincolnhat boat as his image was captured for posterity!)

The nation grew, and observance of Thanksgiving varied from state to state. It was not always on the same date. President Abraham Lincoln finally declared Thanksgiving a national holiday on the last Thursday of November. During his term, the internal conflict between North/South ended, so there was plenty for which to be thankful.

May the Lord be at the center of your Thanksgiving day events. Have a warm and safe day filled with gratitude. May God’s blessings go with you and your families, not just today, but always! In Jesus’ name...Amen!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

 

Attend Your Local Church!

For Wednesday, October 8, 2025:

Hebrews 10:25 NLT: “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

If ever there were a good time for attending church, this would be it. Of course, it goes without saying that corporate worship of the one true God is always good. But what are some of the benefits for us?

We can double-check that we’re still on the same page with other believers. We can double-check that our beliefs still conform to the truths found in the Bible. We can encourage and support one another. We can fellowship together, even when it’s not a worship moment. We can “belong” in our community of believers. Our church friends can be our best friends.

I remember when I started a business with a partner. A lot of remodeling was necessary to make the space suitable for our business, and we did the work ourselves. If I became overwhelmed and discouraged, I still kept working because I didn’t want to let him down. He did the same for me. Even after we both decided it was time to take a break, one of us would jump up and pound the last few nails or measure a board for the next cut. It seems that we didn’t even know how to properly take a break! The point is that we accomplished way more as a team than I would have by myself.

A pastor told me that he believes we are in the end times of the end times. Jesus told us to watch for certain signs, and we’re routinely seeing some of them. I always hesitate when discussing eschatology, because Jesus said that no one knows exactly when it will all happen – the Second Coming of Christ, death, judgment, and the afterlife. After today, we’re one day closer than we were yesterday. The Bible says that God may be moving slowly to give more people a chance to be redeemed. God’s desire is that none would perish, but that all would repent and return. God will set the wheels in motion at the perfect time.

Watch for it with your brothers and sisters as you meet together!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Impress God, Not Others!

For Sunday, August 10, 2025:

John 12:42-43 NLT: “Many people did believe in Jesus, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.”

Think back to high school. Were certain kids ‘cool,’ standing out from the others? It’s like there was a ‘cool clique!’ They were usually involved in sports or cheerleading. (Scholastic achievement didn’t make you cool.) They knew each other from their parents’ Country Clubs. Their families were successful in business, and had more money than many of our parents. Growing up, I really wanted to be accepted as one of the ‘cool’ kids. But I now know that none of that mattered. Impressing other humans isn’t where God wants us to direct our efforts. We should be doing the right things for the right reasons, and God’s OK with that.

Many Jewish leaders were caught up in a similar predicament. They wanted to appear to be one of the ‘in’ group that could hang out with the Pharisees. They had seen Jesus’ miracles and healings, and had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But that belief was incongruous with the Pharisee’s beliefs. Regrettably, their desire to ‘fit in’ overrode their desire to worship the Messiah!

 The lesson here is to always honor God. It matters not what others think. They’re ‘circumstances,’ part of the circus going on all around you. You want to concentrate on things of ‘substance,’ things that matter in your relationship with God Almighty.

Do the right things for the right reasons and please the Lord!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Love of Money

For Thursday, July 24, 2025:

Luke 16:13 NLT, Jesus speaking: “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

In the audience listening to Jesus’ teaching that day were Pharisees, who dearly loved their money. Jesus is challenging them to love God more than their money, to always put God first. Let me summarize this for us: Money – you can’t take it with you. But the love of God can be an eternal part of your life, and even the life after this life! Jesus is counseling us to pick one!

When the subject of money comes up, I’m always reminded of one of my go-to sayings: “People get squirrelly about money!” That’s not good, but it’s my observation. Regular people, nice guys and gals, sometimes turn possessive and narcissistic when money is involved. It’s like something within them changed when the topic turned to money. Irrational statements are made, and irrational decisions come forth all because of money. Squirrelly.

We need money and we need God, but they’re two separate things. Money is never to be worshiped; God is! It’s that same God who gives us money so that we can help widows, orphans and the poor among us. So be generous and love your neighbor! If you run short, God can always give you more!

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

Acts 2 Church!

For Sunday, June 8, 2025:

Acts 2:42 NLT: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.”

Christians always seemed to be at odds with the world, so they stuck together. Caesar claimed to be god, and he didn’t like the competition. Pharisees didn’t appreciate this new splinter-group draining their power and resources. Jesus never succumbed to the world, so being on the “outs” seemed normal to the disciples. Therefore, the Christians hung out with each other, forming their own community within Jerusalem. They prayed together, worshiped together and took meals together. Remembering Jesus, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

Q: How many people are coming to dinner? A: 3,000 more than yesterday! It’s a good thing that supper wasn’t in the church basement! Many of these new believers were from out-of-town. They didn’t have jobs in Jerusalem or places to live. This proved to be a test of Jesus’ new command, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Property and possessions were sold, with the proceeds donated to those in need. The church thrived!

Never forget that the Holy Spirit moved within this group. That’s what made it work! The apostles performed many signs and wonders, healings and miracles. The Holy Spirit had fueled the “Repent and Return Revival,” kicking off the entire Pentecost scenario!

"And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” In other words, adding 3k believers that first day was just the beginning. Today, there are 2.4B people worldwide who identify with Christianity, about one-third of the world. That number is increasing, but we still have work to do.

Count yourself blessed if your church mirrors the Acts 2 church. Your new members may not look like you or speak your language. That’s OK. Worship together, take meals together and love one another. Be kind, be helpful, be generous and do the next right thing. That’s what Jesus would do!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

PS: Jesus called the Samaritan “good,” even though he was a Samaritan!

Sabbath!

For Tuesday, February 25, 2025:

Exodus 31:13a NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you.”

On weekdays, most of us put on our work clothes and leave home to do whatever we do to earn a living. Anything from a suit to a hard hat is appropriate, depending on our careers.

The Sabbath day is different. Believers wake up focused on our God, the central theme of the day. We dedicate this special day to honor the God Almighty who makes us holy. We gather with our fellows to worship and pray. Fellowship is a key part of honoring the Sabbath. Families meet with other families. Worries, cares and disagreements from the previous week are set aside as we celebrate together. Our focus is on loving the Lord and loving our neighbors! The Sabbath is a good day!

I serve at a church that, for logistical reasons, meets on Friday nights. I don’t think God is as concerned with what day of the week it is, as he is that we consistently designate a special time to worship and honor him. For most people, their work week is wrapped up and they immediately turn to the Lord, and that’s good!

I don’t ever think of the Sabbath as a “do nothing” day. For obvious reasons, priests, pastors, church musicians and Bible teachers have a very busy day. Even observant Jews in Moses’ day would have to feed and water their animals on the Sabbath. You could help with some of the Lord’s work: visit shut-ins and the sick; help at the food shelf or serve meals to the needy; be an usher or park cars at church. Think of things that would be helpful to the Kingdom. Do good!

Above all, remembering the Sabbath reminds us of the goodness of God, the one who sent his son to be the offering for the sins of the world. If we repent and return, God is willing to forgive and forget, and welcome us into his eternal kingdom! God is good!

See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Prayer and Worship!

February 24, 2025, Monday Message:

Exodus 25:8 NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.”

God wants to live among his people. The people miss not having a designated place to worship. The solution to both dilemmas is to build something suitable. God was the architect. He specified all the dimensions and chose the materials to be used. The Israelites were the workers, bringing God’s vision to fruition! This tabernacle needed to be portable, as everyone was still wandering across the sand, so it was called an ark. The tablets God created of his 10 Commandments, his Covenant with mankind, would eventually be placed inside, hence the “Ark of the Covenant.”

Jews would worship at that tabernacle until they could build Synagogues and eventually the Temple. Christians build churches where believers can gather for worship and a sense of community. But remember that we can pray and worship anywhere. God is omnipresent, meaning he’s everywhere, not just in church buildings. Prayer and worship are trusting and loving the Lord.

We’re also commanded to love our neighbors, and a church gathering is where we often meet them. Being a believer isn’t a solo endeavor! So let’s all show up, roll up our sleeves and get to work.

See you at church!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Dark and the Ultimatum!

For Friday, January 31, 2025:

Exodus 10:21 NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.”

Living in the city, we never experience total darkness. There are street lights, porch lights and lights on vehicles. But in Egypt 3k years ago, it was totally dark for three days. No one could see each other. No one dared move.

Pharaoh called for Moses: “Go and worship the Lord,” he said. “But leave your flocks and herds here.”

That wasn’t going to work. Part of worship back then involved animal sacrifices, so Moses needed to bring the livestock too.

On the one hand, Pharaoh had been challenged by the plagues Moses and his God had brought on the Egyptians. But on the other, he was just plain sick and tired of the whole thing. After all, there weren’t any problems like these until Moses showed up! So Pharaoh issued an ultimatum: “Get out of here! I’m warning you. Never come back to see me again! The day you see my face, you will die!”

Even after darkness, the ninth plague, Pharaoh still didn’t understand God’s power, so he’s leaving himself vulnerable to God’s final effort on behalf of the Israelites. As believers, we understand and believe what Pharaoh did not, that God is all-powerful and totally in control of everything. We love our God; Pharaoh resented God, thinking that he, Pharaoh, should have had the last word. But we know that the one true God is the final word on everything!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship