God's mercy
The 5th Sunday after Pentecost
Sing and shout for joy, people of Israel!
Rejoice with all your heart, Jerusalem!
The Lord has stopped your punishment... ~ Zephaniah 3:14-15 (GNT)
It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Savior of the people of Israel, as he had promised. ~ Acts 13:23 (GNT)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus saves us from judgment because God is merciful. Rejoice!
PRAYER:
Lord, you have found a way to save us from the punishment we deserve. I'm grateful for your mercy. Help me to share that mercy with others who are unaware and are living in fear of God. I'm going to live as a joyful witness of Jesus -- who is the ultimate carrier of God's mercy. 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)
