OBEDIENCE
The 20th Sunday after Pentecost
1 SAMUEL 15:22 9 (ABP)
God is uninterested in your mastery of religious practices. He'd rather that you do what he asks you to do.
ROMANS 16:19 (CEB)
The news of your obedience has reached everybody, so I’m happy for you.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
We celebrate obedience to Christ.
PRAYER
Thank you, Gracious God, for the forgiveness that is ours when we fail to follow you. I confess that I can take that forgiveness for granted and become lax about following your instructions for my life. Forgive me. And help me to love you and my neighbor whole-heartedly. That's what you want of me -- obedient outwardly focused love. And with your help, that's what I'm going to do. 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)
