Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 27, 2023: SOAP #4984: Isaiah 50-52; 2Peter 1

SCRIPTURE:  2Peter (NIV) 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

OBSERVATION:  Here are two words that should never describe a Christian! …ineffective and unproductive.  Knowing and experiencing the life of the Lord Jesus Christ makes me effective and productive. 

Having the life of Christ living within us draws attention.  It is hard to keep Him from being noticed.  He begins to make changes.  He enters our lives on the basis of our faith.  He accepts us as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. 

He entered our life because of our faith.  Now that He has established His presence, He begins to rearrange our heart and mind.  To the faith, He helps us add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love!  And as He fills our lives with these, the things that once marked our character (selfishness, impatience, anger, slothfulness, etc.) are crowded out of our lives.  The new creation on the inside begins to be seen on the outside!  

APPLICATION:  The presence of Jesus living inside me makes me effective.  Faith filled prayers make changes.  Little things I do get noticed and bring glory to God.  The presence of the Holy Spirit living inside me makes me productive.  The gifts of the Holy Spirit make me a blessing to others. 

PRAYER:  Lord, may I never be ineffective or unproductive.  The more I know you, the greater my desire to be an effective and productive part of your Kingdom.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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