Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

September 30: Zechariah 7-9; Luke 13

Scripture: Luke 13:34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Observation: Jesus was overlooking the city of Jerusalem. He knew their history of rejecting those sent from God. He even knew what was in store for him—that they would soon crucify him. YET HE LOVED THEM! The love of God in Jesus was greater than the dread of the suffering he would soon endure in paying the price for their sin. The love motivating the sacrifice was greater than the drive of self-preservation.

Application: That is how God loves me! O how He loves me! He is willing to forgive me and draw me to himself as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wing.

Prayer: Lord, such great love motivates me to please you. May I do and say only those things that return and fulfill your love for me. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

September 29: Zechariah 4-6; Luke 12

Scripture: Luke 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Observation: Why give to missions?
…the opportunity to participate in God’s work
…the opportunity to please God
…the opportunity to sow
…the opportunity to help others
…the opportunity to gain rewards in heaven

Application: A major way one prepares for retirement is to save. A major way one prepares for eternity is to give. God allows me to store up reward in heaven by giving. God allows me to participate in His work by giving.

Prayer: Lord, you have given so much for me and to me. May I follow your example and become generous in my giving. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

September 28: Zechariah 1-3; Luke 11

Scripture: Luke 11:2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: "‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.

Observation: Many of us can pray the “Lord’s Prayer” without even thinking. If we actually thought about what we were praying, we might want to change some of the words.

Application: I am told to ask for “daily bread;” I would rather have a weekly or, even better, a monthly supply. But God wants me to come to Him daily. If He gave me enough for a week, he might not see me again until next week. He loves me like a Father who desires to see his child every day. He knows I need time with him every day, and so He tells me to pray for daily bread. How phony of me to pray the Lord’s Prayer on Sunday then not talk with Him for a whole week! Duh!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your faithfulness in providing daily bread from your Word. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

September 27: Haggai 1-2; Psalm 129; Luke 10

Scripture: Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

Observation: Here we see the Sent One being the Sender. Jesus had been sent by the Father into the world and now He was sending his disciples into the world. He told them to pray for workers; then he said, “Go, I am sending you…” Jesus is our example of what it means to be sent.

Application: I must see myself as being sent. I am not in this world for my own pleasure or purpose. I am here to do the will of the One who sent me.

Prayer: Lord, you are the One who sent me. I am here to do your will. My goal today is to make you smile! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

September 26: Ezra 4; Psalm 113, 127; Luke 9

Scripture: Luke 9: 18 ¶ Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"
19 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."
20 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

Observation: They all had heard people talking about Jesus and knew what the crowd was saying. But Jesus was more interested in what they had to say. A relationship with Jesus always has to become personal.

Application: The friends I work with might describe my Jesus as the One I visit on Sundays, but never talk about during the week. Can they hear a difference in my conversations? From listening to me, who do they say Jesus is?

And, what about me? Who do I say He is? I know what the preacher says. I even know what some of the verses in the Bible say. But who is Jesus to me? Do I call him, “Lord?” Do I live like He is Lord?

Prayer: Jesus, every day, and all through each day I want my life to demonstrate my confession that you are my God, my Lord and my Savior. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP from Pastor Leon

Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

September 25: Ezra 2-3; Luke 8

Scripture: Luke 8:16 "No-one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

Observation: In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said “You are the light of the world.” From the verse above, we can know that our light is not to be hidden. Anyone who comes near will see our light.

Application: I should not be surprised if people look at my light and make a comment. God intends for my light to be seen. God intends for my light to be helpful to others. As the lamp is place on a stand, so God has placed my life in special places so people can see the light.

Prayer: Lord, you did not put your light in me to be hidden. And you did not place me in some private dwelling. You placed me where people can see my light. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

September 24: Ezra 1; Psalm 84-85; Luke 7

Scripture: Luke 7:2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.
3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.

Observation: The miracle that took place in healing the centurion’s servant all began with the centurion hearing about Jesus. Someone had either been talking to the centurion or talking to someone else close enough that he could overhear.

Application: Today I will meet someone who needs a miracle from Jesus. The words that come from my mouth today can either discourage or encourage them to have faith in Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, may the words I speak today cause someone to have faith in you. Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP from Pastor Leon

September 23: Daniel 11-12; Luke 6

Scripture: Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Observation: So much of my satisfaction with life is based on my expectations. When life does not meet my expectations I am disappointed. When life exceeds my expectations I am happy. This verse tells me to place my expectations on God and His eternal rewards. To expect a good return on what I do in this life many times leads to disappointment. But to expect a good reward from the Lord in heaven—now that is a different story!

Application: I should to do good to those around me just because it is the right thing to do, even to those who stand against me. And I should do it without expecting anything in return. But I should never think that my good deeds go unnoticed nor will be un-rewarded! The Lord sees and He is the Ultimate Rewarder!

Prayer: Lord, keep reminding me that what I do for others I am really doing for you and that you are the Ultimate Rewarder! Amen.

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Luke 5:6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Observation: Jesus had told them to let down their nets even though they had fished all night and caught nothing. They were probably not too excited about doing it, but because Jesus said so they did it. In verse 6 we read the results of their obedience. In verse 7 we see the importance of having good friends nearby. They needed help in handling the nets full of fish.

Application: There are times when I need friends nearby to help me, and other times when I need to be the friend ready to help. I wonder what it will be today?

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a friend to others as others have been friends to me. Amen.

September 22: Daniel 9-10; Psalm 123; Luke 5

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

Scripture: Luke 4:3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
Luke 4:9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here.

Observation: The devil’s temptation of Jesus had to do with Jesus’ identity. If he could make Jesus think that his identity was in question, he could get Jesus to perform some act proving that He was really God. But Jesus had come to earth to live as a man, to be tempted as a man, to suffer as a man, and to die as a man. He lived a sinless life and did not deserve to die. Having no sins for which he must die, his death is received as payment for my sins! Wow!

Application: The devil strikes at my identity too. “Leon, if you really were a child of God you would not be having these problems.” But my identity is established in God’s Word! God’s Word lives in me and I live in the Word. His Word reassures me that I am His child.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit who lives in me. Thank you for the assurance that I am your child. I rejoice that my identity is not determined by my circumstances, but by YOU and your Word! Amen.

September 21: Daniel 7-8; Psalm 137; Luke 4

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!