Fruitfulness
The First Sunday in the Christmas Season
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Who gives people the ability to speak?.. Isn’t it I, the Lord?" ~ Exodus 4:11 (CEB)
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit... ~ John 15:16 (NLT)
Lord, you are in charge. No doubt. And in your wisdom you have appointed your followers to live fruitful lives. I'm not as fruitful as I could be. I'm not always very focused. But I do believe that you have given me the gifts necessary to bear fruit. And you have called me. So, I'm going to continue to strive for godly fruitfulness. No doubt. It will happen because Jesus is occupying my life. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
