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

January 11: Genesis 27-28; Psalm 4; Luke 11

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 11:2 He [Jesus] said to them [his disciples], “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Observation: If a person prays this prayer as it is given, they are asking God to forgive them because they forgive everyone who sins against them. It is something to consider very thoughtfully. If I do not forgive, I am asking God to not forgive me. If I forgive slowly, I am asking God to be slow in forgiving me. If I hold a grudge, I am asking God to hold a grudge against me.

Application: It is clear; I have been forgiven and God expects me to forgive. I will continue to need God’s forgiveness. I cannot live without someone sinning against me. To not forgive those who sin against me further hurts me. To think that someone’s sin against me is too great to forgive is to not fully appreciate what Jesus did to provide God’s forgiveness for me. Recently the Lord showed me that His death on the cross not only provided forgiveness for my sins against God but also provided for the sins of other people against me. I am thinking that Jesus death enabled God to forgive me and when I receive that forgiveness it enables me to forgive others.

Prayer: Jesus, You are the great forgiver. Holy Spirit help me to forgive as I have been forgiven. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 10: Genesis 25-26; Psalm 6; Luke 10

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 10:16 [Jesus speaking] “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Observation: Jesus had appointed seventy-two to be sent out two by two into the places he would be going. He gave them instructions about what they needed to take and where they should stay. He told them to heal the sick and preach about the Kingdom of God. He told them what to do when rejected. He ends with the verse above. People who listened to them would be listening to Jesus. People who rejected their message were rejecting Jesus, AND the Heavenly Father who sent Jesus.

Application: Sometimes I am not consciously aware of the great power that stands with me and behind me. I act like I am out on my own. I act like it all depends on me. I let lack of results discourage me. BUT if I can hear Jesus speaking the above verse to me and know the Holy Spirit is living in me, there should be nothing able to discourage or distract me from His mission. My Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and me—what a team!!!!!

Prayer: Lord, my one goal is to please you. Rejection or failure means nothing when I know you are with me and Our Heavenly Father stands with us! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 9: Genesis 23-24; Luke 9

Scripture: Genesis (NIV) 24:19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.

Observation: I always enjoy reading Genesis, chapter 24. Abraham’s servant had been sent back to Abraham’s homeland to look for a bride for Abraham’s son, Isaac. He arrived at a well and prayed that God’s will would be shown to him in that the young lady who came to the well would be willing to give him a drink and then draw water for his ten camels. Rebecca had no way of knowing that everything those camels carried would become gifts for her and her family. She willingly gave a drink and she offered to draw water for the camels. She had no thought of what might be in it for her. And there seems to be no thought as to how much ten camels could drink. She seems only willing to serve. She “drew enough for all his camels.”

Application: I am God’s servant. In serving the Lord, I never know who it is He has brought my way. I may see it as just “drawing water for camels,” while God sees it with an eternal perspective. As Rebecca drew enough water for all the camels, I need to serve “enough”—not until I get tired or think it is time to quit, but “enough” to meet the need.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am your servant. My goal in serving is to please you—to bring joy to your heart and a smile to your face. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 8: Genesis 20-22; Luke 8

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Observation: Jesus is explaining the parable of the seed and the sower. The seed is the Word of God and the ground is the lives into which the Word is sown. He has just explained about the seed that falls on the path that is immediately taken away. Then He explained about the seed that falls on rocky ground that grows but has not roots to sustain it in hard times. Thirdly He explains about the seed that falls among the thorns which choke the life out of the plant. And in verse 15 He explains about the seed that falls on good soil. Here the seed reaches its designed potential of producing a crop.

Application: The King James Version reads “bring forth fruit with patience.” The NIV reads “by persevering produce a crop.” It takes time for the seed sown to produce a crop. In the natural world it may take two or three seasons to pass before the full crop is reaped. In the spiritual world, it may even take several years, or even several generations. But with patience and perseverance the crop will come.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You sowed your Son, Jesus into this world. You have been reaping a harvest of believers in every generation. One day before your throne will be a gathering of redeemed “from every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation!” (Revelation 5:9) What a great harvest that will be!!! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 7: Genesis 18-19; Psalm 3; Luke 7

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 3:1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

Observation: King David heard his enemies trying to convince him that it was foolish to trust God. According to them God would not help David. David was on his own in dealing with his enemies. So what does David do? He tells God what his enemies are saying. He confesses his faith to God. God is not only going to help David, God Himself is a shield around David!!! God gives David His favor, and causes him to lift his head from gazing at the problems around him to the blessings above him!

Application: God Himself is a shield around me! He looks on me with favor! He causes me to lift my head from looking at the problems surrounding me to looking at the blessings above me!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am blest to be your child. In times of trouble I can cry to You and You will answer me! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 6: Genesis 15-17; Luke 6

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 6:38 Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Observation: Receiving starts with giving. Some want to give according to how they receive, but Jesus told us that we would receive according to how we give. Some want to meagerly give and then receive a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. But that is not what Jesus said. He said that the measure I use in giving is the same measure that will be used in giving to me.

Application: It starts with me. If I give with a good measure, I will receive with a good measure. If I give shaken together and running over, I will receive in the same measure. A Most Generous God wants me to be generous.

Prayer: Lord, you have proved the truth of this verse many times. But I have also discovered that you can press much more into the measure than I can. And the running over of your gifts far surpasses any excess of mine. I can never out give you! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 5: Genesis 12-14; Luke 5

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 5:20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” …24 … [Jesus to paralytic] ”I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

Observation: Some friends carried a paralytic on a mat to Jesus. They knew Jesus had the answer to their friend’s need. When they were unable to get to Jesus, who was inside a house crowded with people, they carried their friend to the roof, took up the tiles and lowered their friend in front of Jesus. “When Jesus saw their faith…” Many times Jesus responded to the faith of those needing his help, but here he responded to the faith of those who carried their friend. True faith always has action. What they did made their faith seeable. James 2:20 says faith without works is dead. Here we see that faith with works is seeable!

Application: It is good for me to consider that my faith could be the key to a friend’s salvation and/or healing. Like the friends of the paralytic, my priority should be to get my friends to Jesus. My faith should be seeable.

Prayer: Lord, help me bring my friends to you. May you see my faith and respond in meeting their need. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 4: Genesis 9-11; Luke 4

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 4:42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also, because that is why I was sent.

Observation: Earlier in this chapter I noticed how people were astonished that Jesus spoke with such authority. (vs 36) He quieted demons and commanded them to come out. (vs 35, 41) He rebuked a fever which left immediately. (vs 39) Of course the people in this community would want him to stay with them, but He had to be obedient to the authority that sent him. He did not have authority so that he could do what he wanted or what others wanted. Jesus, living as a man on earth, had authority because he was submitted to the authority of His Father.

Application: Only God has authority because He is worthy. Any authority I have is delegated authority. Obedience increases my authority.

My last duty in the US Navy was on the staff of a Commodore. When we went aboard the ships under his command, we went in his authority. Commanding Officers would often meet us at the quarter deck and invite us into their state rooms to review what we would be doing on their ship. That we were enlisted men did not matter to them; what mattered was who it was that sent us. Commanding Officers would answer to the Commodore according to our words. When we walked under his authority, we walked in his authority.

Prayer: Jesus, may I live in such obedience to you that my words are as true and faithful as your words. May I walk under AND in your authority! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 3: Genesis 6-8; Luke 3

Scripture: Genesis (NIV) 6:22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him. 7:1 The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
Genesis (NIV) 8:14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15 The God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives…”

Observation: After years of building on the ark, the time arrived for it to be used. But Noah did not move into the ark until God specifically told him to do so. The same was true when it came time to move out of the ark. The flood was abated and the earth was dry, but Noah did not move out until God specifically told him to do so.

Application: I have discovered that it is worth waiting for God to speak before making major changes. Circumstances may indicate that it is getting time to make a change, but it is best to wait for God to speak. If God told Noah to get into the ark, it was best for Noah to wait until he was told to disembark. If God clearly sent me somewhere or gave me something specific to do, I need to wait until He clearly sends me elsewhere or tells me that the assignment is complete.

Prayer: Jesus, I want to clearly hear what you say to me and carefully obey what you tell me to do. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

January 2: Genesis 3-5; Luke 2

Scripture: Luke (NIV) 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word… 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen..

Observation: People who have personally seen the things in question become the best witnesses. I have seen advertising money for new products spent to give free samples to people who hopefully will use the product and tell others. Their testimony is valuable.
-I enjoy walking through the areas at the state fair where new products are demonstrated. They want me to see how it works.
-God made sure there were people who SAW the angels and the baby. The shepherds were faithful to report what they saw.

Application: God wants people to see my life also. God wants people to witness the trouble I experience and how He works through it for His glory. Many times the testimony of others who have witnessed how God has worked in my life is better than my personal testimony.

Prayer: Lord, may your work in my life be visible to others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!