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

February 28: Numbers 24-27; 1Corinthians 13

Scripture: 1Corinthians 13:13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (NIV)

Observation: Some consider 1Corinthians 13 the greatest chapter ever written on the subject of love. In finishing this passage, Paul compares love to both faith and hope.
Faith is so important that without it one cannot please God. Yet love is greater than faith. Hope is so important that without it one finds it difficult to live. Yet love is greater than hope.
The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as we love our self. The new commandment that Jesus gave was to love each other as He loved us!

Application: I am incapable of such love. If God wants me to love like that, He will have to come and live in me and love through me. Amazingly, He agrees with my assessment and that is exactly what He does. He lives in me and loves through me! Wow! And in so doing, He is making me more like Him!

Prayer: Lord, make me like you. Give me a heart that is filled with love! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 26: Numbers 19-20; Psalm 28; Mark 5

Scripture: Numbers 20:2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” (NIV)

Observation: These are the people God had delivered from Egypt with the ten plagues! These are the people who walked through the Red Sea on dry ground! These are the people who were eating manna! These were the people whose shoes did not wear out! These people had a problem: a short memory!

Application: When I come to similar situations, may my response be, “Lord, I remember what you did in the past, what are you going to do now?”

Prayer: Lord, you have been good! You have been faithful in every season of my life! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 25: Numbers 17-18; Psalm 29; Mark 4

Scripture: Mark 4:2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. (NIV)

Observation: Jesus was a Master Teacher. He often used stories from common everyday life to present truth. He never used fairy tales, but only stories that were true to life. Everyone could identify with His stories. They had experienced the story, they were in the process of working though the story, or they knew a close friend who was just like the people in Jesus’ story.

Application: Jesus wants to use my everyday life to teach and demonstrate the principles of the Kingdom of God. People should better understand peace, and joy, and love, etc. by watching me.

Prayer: Lord, use my life to demonstrate the truth of your teachings. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 24: Numbers 14-16; Mark 3

Scripture: Mark 3:1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.
2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (NIV)

Observation: Some people watched Jesus because they loved Him. Some people watched Jesus because of His teachings. Some people watched Jesus because they needed healing. Others watched Jesus because they had a family member or a friend who needed help. But there were some with stubborn hearts who watched him, hoping to catch him doing something wrong. He did not always follow their rules and they wanted to criticize Him.

Application: I want to be one who closely watches Jesus at work in the world around me. I want to be quick to recognize His hand at work. I want to be watching with a heart of love. I want to be quick to rejoice and give Him praise when I see Him working in someone’s life. Sometimes He may even let me have a small part! Wow!

Prayer: Lord, may my eyes be quick to notice Your work around me. May my ears be quick to hear You speaking. Use me to bring the attention of those around me to what you are saying and doing! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 23: Numbers 12-13; Psalm 90; Mark 2

Scripture: Numbers 13:32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.
33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Observation: Ten of the twelve spies returning from looking through the Promised Land had a negative report. How common it is for us to think that others see us as we see ourselves. They saw themselves as grasshoppers and thought that the Canaanites saw them the same way. In reality, the Canaanites were afraid of the Israelites because they had heard how the Israelite’s God had delivered them from Egypt. Note: The Canaanites were afraid of Israel because they DID consider Israel’s God. The Israelites were afraid of the Canaanites because they DID NOT consider God!

Application: What I think about God is much more important than what I think about my circumstances! It is good for me to get to know HIM as much as I can.

Prayer: Lord, I do not just want to know about you, I want to know you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 22: Numbers 10-11; Psalm 27; Mark 1

Scripture: Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour or slander me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. (NIV)

Observation: There are many promises in the Bible that we would like to claim, however they are not for everyone. When the Lord is our light and our salvation and the stronghold of our life, THEN we can laugh at fear. If the Lord is not those things to us, there is good reason to be afraid.
When walking in the dark of night with a friend who has a flashlight, we trust them to keep the light on the path and we must keep our steps within the lighted area. To walk outside the light is dangerous. And so Jesus is our light and we must stay within the safety of His light.

Application: WITHOUT HIM I do not have the wisdom or strength to face the troubles that come my way. But WITH HIM I am more than a conqueror! When I walk within the light He shines on my path, confident of the salvation He provides, depending on His presence for my strength, I can walk without fear!

Prayer: Lord, How desperately I depend on you. You have already won the victory over every struggle and temptation I will face today! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 21: Numbers 8-9; Acts 28

Scripture: Numbers 8:1 The Lord said to Moses,
2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’”
3 Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. (NIV)

Observation: The Lord gave instructions to Moses. Moses relayed them to Aaron. Aaron did “just as the Lord commanded Moses.” It is part of God’s design for His body that we need each other in order to complete His plans. If we are unable to let others speak into our lives, we will fail to completely understand and fully accomplish God’s perfect plans for us.

Application: Although the emphasis in the New Testament is on a personal relationship with the Lord who dwells inside each believer, it is important for me to be able to hear what God is speaking to me through others.

Prayer: Lord, let there be no resentment or un-forgiveness in my heart that would hinder me from hearing what you would speak to me through others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 20: Numbers 7; Psalm 23; Acts 27

Scripture: Psalm 23:1 NIV The Lord is my shepherd.

Observation: If not the most well-known portion of scriptures, Psalm 23 must be in the top two or three. I believe what makes this psalm such a favorite of so many is the fourth word. In the six verses there are twelve personal pronouns (me, my, and I).

Application: This was one of the first scripture passages I learned as a child. As I grew older and came to know and better understand MY Shepherd, this psalm has grown in value to me. Jesus is my personal Good Shepherd. This is how He takes care of me.
It is good to quote with the parents of a new-born baby in faith that the Good Shepherd will guide and protect their family, and especially this new child. I have quoted it with a family standing around the bedside of a dying parent. MY Shepherd gives courage and hope.

Prayer: Lord, although you are the Creator of all things, yet you see yourself as Leon’s Shepherd! That is indeed amazing! I can rest in your love and care. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Permission to speak…

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

February 19: Numbers 5-6; Psalm 22; Acts 26

Scripture: Acts 26: 1 NIV Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself. ”So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:

Observation: Festus, the ruler of Judea, was bringing Paul before King Agrippa in order to determine what charges should be brought against Paul who was being sent for trial before Caesar. Paul was given what we all have: the right to speak for ourselves.

Application: When I stand before God, only Jesus will speak for me. How proper it is that while here on earth, I speak for Him. In fact, God, Himself has given me permission to speak! My words and my actions speak for me in testimony of Jesus!

Prayer: Lord, may my actions speak so loud that if I do not have opportunity to use words, may those around me clearly see my appreciation for you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

February 18: Numbers 3-4; Acts 25

Scripture: Numbers 3:17 NIV These were the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

Observation: In this chapter we have listed the three sons of Levi and their sons. We also see their assignments in transporting the tabernacle through the wilderness into the Promised Land. The sons of Gershon are assigned the coverings and hangings (verse 25-26). The sons of Kohath are assigned the furniture (verse 31). And the sons of Merari are assigned the boards of the tabernacle and the pillars of the fence (verses 36-37) .

Application: Sometimes God gives me a specific individual assignment; sometimes God gives a specific assignment to my family, or my church, or to a ministry of which I am a part. I must be faithful in both settings.

Prayer: Lord, may I find joy in serving you individually and joy in serving you as a part of a larger ministry. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!