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

August 11: Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

Scripture: John (NIV) 13: [Jesus speaking] 34 “I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples.”

Observation: The old command was to love each other the same way we love ourselves. The new command is to love each other the way Jesus loves us. Jesus love is choosing the highest good for the other. Jesus love is being willing to sacrifice self, even to the point of death, for others. This level of love is to be the identifying factor in those who claim to be disciples of Jesus. It is the proof of His life in us.

Application: With the old command I love others according to what I would be willing to do for myself. With the new command I love others according to what Jesus would do for them.

Prayer: Lord, help me see people as you see them. Help me see the needs into which you would have me pour your love. May people see your kind of love in me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 10: Jeremiah 5-6; John 12

Scripture: John (NIV) 12: [Jesus speaking] 49 “I did not speak on my own. The Father who sent me commanded me what to say. He also told me how to say it.
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So everything I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

Observation: Jesus was sent into the world to represent the Father. In these verses we see that Jesus was not only careful about at WHAT said, but also about HOW he said it. I have been taught that there are three parts to communication. First, there are the words we say. Second is our tone of voice. And third is our body language. Tone of voice and body language actually communicate more of a message than the words we use.

When someone in an argument is accused of saying something they often respond, “…but I said…” and they repeat it word for word. In my mind I say, you should to listen to what the other person said they heard. In listening to your tone of voice and in watching your face and hands, they got a message. It may not be the message you wanted to send, but they got it.

Application: Like Jesus, I need to communicate the Father’s message carefully. I must understand what he wants me to say, and then say it in a way that communicates his message clearly.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I need you to help me to fully communicate the love God has for those nearby and the holiness he desires. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 9: Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Scripture: John (NIV) 11:21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died.”…
32 Mary reached the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she fell at his feet. She said, “Lord, I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died.” …
37 But some of them [the Jews who were present at Lazarus’ house] said, “He opened the eyes of the blind man. Couldn’t he have kept this man from dying?”

Observation: When Lazarus was sick, his sisters, Mary and Martha, called for Jesus to come. But Jesus took his time and did not arrive until Lazarus was dead and had been in the tomb for four days. Mary and Martha’s faith, and those present with them, reached to the point of dying, but not beyond death. They believed Jesus could have healed Lazarus, but now that he was dead, there was no hope. Death was the barrier over which their faith did not lift them. Their faith was to death, but not past death. Jesus walked up to the open tomb and called out into death. He called for Lazarus to return. Lazarus’ body was dead, but Lazarus was not! He heard the call, recognized the voice, and returned!

Application: I am so thankful for the faith I have for this life. But I need to be sure my faith reaches beyond the grave. There is comfort in knowing my mom and dad are alive in God’s presence; a time will come when I will join them there. Death loses its terror when my faith reaches beyond it.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for a faith that does not stop at death’s door. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 8: Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Scripture: John (NIV) 10:20 Many of them said [about Jesus], “He is controlled by a demon. He has gone crazy! Why should we listen to him?” 21 But others said, “A person controlled by a demon does not say thing like this. Can a demon open the eyes of someone who is blind?” …
37 [Jesus said,] “Don’t believe me unless I do what my Father does.” 38 But what if I do it? Even if you don’t believe me, believe the miracles.

Observation: Those against Jesus questioned what he said, but they could not doubt his actions. His actions proved his words. Jesus even told the doubters to pay attention to his works. What if Christians today would say to those around them, “If my life does not show that I am a Christian, then do not believe what I say.”

Application: Whether I like it or not, the same is true about me as about Jesus. If people cannot believe how I live and what I do, they will not believe what I say.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to let Jesus live His life through me. When I say I am a Christian may people not be surprised. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 7: Zephaniah 1-3; John 9

Scripture: John (NIV) 9:39 Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge it. I have come so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Observation: Here is a purpose statement made by Jesus. He had come to bring judgment to the religious leaders who claimed to speak for God. But He came to bring sight to those who would admit they were blind. Judgment comes on those who claim to see while sight comes to those willing to admit their blindness!

Application: I want to be quick to admit my blindness, my weaknesses because then I will be quick to find God’s grace. When I claim to be strong and full of ability and I accomplish what I set out to do—then the glory goes to me. When I claim to be weak and dependent on God, God gets the glory. When I start out on my own, God often lets me go ahead in my own strength and soon I am at the end of my strength and back confessing my weakness and need for His strength.

Prayer: Lord, I need you desperately. I am dependent on your mercy, your wisdom, and your strength. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 6: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

Scripture: Habakkuk (NIV) 3:2 LORD, I know how famous you are. I have great respect for you because of your mighty acts. Do them again for us. Make them known in our time. When you are angry, please show us your tender love.

Observation: This book starts with the prophet, Habakkuk, asking why God allowed all the sin he saw around him. God tells the prophet that he will punish His people by sending the Babylonians to attack them. Then the prophet has an even greater concern: why would God use the less godly to attack those who were more godly? God had a future plan for the nation of Israel. The Babylonians would be God’s instrument to punish and correct Israel which would serve to preserve Israel. God was going to send the Messiah through Israel. But the judgment coming to the Babylonian empire would not correct that nation but destroy it.

Application: The United States of America was planted and preserved by God to have a major part in spreading the gospel throughout the world. In many ways we have been a police force in the world. But our usefulness to God as a nation is winding down. We are pulling back from places we should be standing for righteousness. That should come as no surprise for we do not even stand for righteousness within our own borders. An unarmed army is invading us from the south. Although I do not see a future for our nation, I do see a future for the church! When Jesus descends to rapture His church, may there a mighty army which ascends from our borders to meet Him in the air! May there be hundreds of thousands who have recently crossed our southern border joining with us to meet our Lord!

Prayer: Lord, as judgment comes to the USA, please show us your tender love! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 5: 2Kings 23; 2Chronicles 35; John 7

Scripture: John (NIV) [Jesus speaking] 7:38 “Does anyone believe in me, Then, just as Scripture says, streams of living water will flow from inside him.”
39 When he said this he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory.

Observation: Jesus has lived and died. Jesus has risen from the dead. Jesus has been raised to heaven and has received the glory. And on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was given. The scripture says that believers “would receive the Spirit later.” Good news! “Later” arrived a long time ago! “Later” is here! Praise the Lord!

Application: I am so glad for the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit. He personalizes the work of God in and through me. He empowers me to live and to reach out to others. He is the Comforter that Jesus promised to send.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for being that well of water that springs up in my life. Thank you for being that stream of living water that flows from me. Help me keep clean the channel through which you flow. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 4: 2Kings 22; 2Chronicles 34; John 6

Scripture: John (NIV) 6:66 From this time on, many of his disciples turned back. They no longer followed him. 67 “You don’t want to leave also, do you?” Jesus asked the twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, who can we go to? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Observation: In this verse we find that many turned back. The bible calls those who turned back "his disciples." What a sad day for Jesus. It always hurts when people leave, for whatever reason. What a sad day for the remaining "disciples." Surely there were friends among those who left. Probably there were friends they had introduced to Jesus. What a sad, sad day for those who left. They did not know it at the time, but it would soon become evident. What a mistake they made that day! They left the Teacher. They left the Healer. They left Jesus!

Application: I know of many people who have been badly hurt by rejection. There have been times when I have felt rejection. The deeper the love the greater is the pain of rejection. How the Lord’s heart must hurt when people that He loved so much to die for them—when those people turn their back on Him. His great love for them causes the pain of rejection to go deep.

Prayer: Lord, may I never cause you such pain, rather may my life be a comfort to you and a cause for rejoicing. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 3: Nahum 1-3; John 5

Scripture: John (NIV) Jesus is at the pool called Bethesda 5:3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie down.… 5 One person who was there had been disabled for 38 years. 6 Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that the man had been in that condition for a long time. So he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the disabled man replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when an angel stirs the water up. I try to get in, but someone else always goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was healed. He picked up his mat and walked.

Observation: I cannot help but think of this waiting area at the pool of Bethesda as the waiting room in a doctor’s office. People come with hope of getting better. They sit in the waiting room until their name is called. This man was at the pool in hope of getting better. The belief was that the first one in the pool after an angel stirred the waters would be healed—but this man did not have anyone to help him so he was always too slow. And then one day someone asked him a strange question, “Do you want to get well?” Then Jesus said something else…

Application: …when God gives me a command, like “Get up, pick up your mat and walk,” God will also enable me to do what he commands. Like this man, I should not question Him or explain why I cannot do it. I probably know more about Jesus than this man did, so I should obey even more quickly. If He says to do it, I should do it!

Prayer: Lord, you never give me a command that you are not willing to help me fulfill. I have no excuse for disobedience. When you command me to forgive; you will help me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 2: 2Kings 21; 2Chronicles 33; John 4

Scripture: John (NIV) 4:30 The people came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus. 31 His disciples were saying to him, “Rabbi, eat something!” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples asked each other, “Did someone bring him food?” 34 Jesus said, “My food is to do what my Father sent me to do. My food is to finish his work.”

Observation: Jesus got physical satisfaction out of “finishing” the Father’s work. It was such a pleasure to be engaged in the Father’s work that Jesus forgot his physical body was hungry. He was doing what he had been sent to do! He was telling these people about His Father! (Note earlier in this chapter.) What the Father had begun in creation, Jesus was in the process of completing. Man had been created for fellowship with God. God enjoyed the walks with Adam and Eve in the garden. Now God, the Son, was enjoying interacting with these Samaritans.

Application: I too have the privilege of doing my Father’s work. People around me were created to have fellowship with the Father. Jesus came to make that possible by dying to remove the sin barrier. Now I can help finish His work in their lives by telling them about my Father and what His Son has done for them. I too can experience the joy of spiritual satisfaction that overrides physical hunger.

Prayer: Lord, to bring joy to your heart—to do your will—that is my priority. Knowing that you are pleased with me brings joy to my heart, at times so much that I do not notice my physical hunger. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!