Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 01, 2026: SOAP #6024: Proverbs 19-21; Romans 13

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 8:17  Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

OBSERVATION: So we can be confident that we are God’s children.  As children live and grow in their family, they come to understand that there is both responsibility and privilege in being a member.  As a child, I am also an heir.  As a young child, that might not mean too much, but I will come to learn that it is very important!   It means that when I leave my childhood behind, I will walk out with the possessions and authority of the family.  This will bring even greater responsibility and privilege!

I come to learn that there is one very special member of this family.  His Name is Jesus!  He is the Anointed One, the Messiah.  I am a part of His family!  I am a joint heir, a co-heir with God the Son!  It is amazing, but true!  Here too, I share in both the suffering and the glory.  I share in the suffering of the troubles and struggle in the battle against the devil.  I also share in the glory He has rightfully earned!  I have the responsibility of sharing in his sufferings and the privilege of sharing in his glory.

APPLICATION:  Suffering and glory are intertwined, however Paul says that though intertwined, they are not comparable!   The amount of future glory far outweighs any present suffering!  They are not even worth comparing!

The suffering is earthly; the glory will be heavenly!  The suffering is temporary, the glory will be eternal!  The suffering is often from the hands of man; the glory will come from the hand of God! The suffering is often misunderstood, even by our closest friends, but the glory will be clear to all!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, what a great privilege you have given me, making me a joint-heir with your Son, Jesus!  You made me your child, now I need the Holy Spirit to show me how to live as your child.   Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 309, 2026: SOAP #6022: Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11

SCRIPTURE:  Romans 8:10  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

OBSERVATION: Here is the big “if.”  If in our freedom to choose, we choose to go back into sin, we will die.  BUT if we choose to live in the power of the Spirit we take control of the body and its tendencies to sin, we will live!

The choice is ours, but the performance is Spirit powered! We may make the choice, but attempts to fulfill that choice through the power of the flesh will only fail.  Neither can “will power” bring victory.  Victory is only available through the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit!

The life of the Spirit has great effect on us.  He gives us power to direct our fleshly body.  Through Spirit-directed choices our bodies which once were used selfishly to serve Satan, are now used to glorify the Lord!  Instead of being instruments of death, our bodies now become containers of life and instruments of life. This is not accomplished by will power, or by good training, but by the Presence and Power of the Spirit.

While living under sin’s control, we did not have a choice.  We were slaves, blind and bound.  God sets us free!  He frees us from the darkness and the chains that bound us.  We use that freedom to choose to follow Him.  We are obligated to do so because of the great price He paid for us.  We clearly owe Him our very selves. However those who are His serve Him because they are convinced He is worthy, not because they have no other choice.

APPLICATION:  It is in being led by the Spirit that I grow into sonship.  I must learn to hear, to understand, and to obey God’s Word.  I must be direct-able.  I must be use-able.  I must be send-able.

PRAYER:  Lord, I am yours.  Mold me, fashion me into that which pleases you.  Amen.

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 29, 2026: SOAP #6021: Proverbs 10-12; Romans 10

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

OBSERVATION: One of the great changes in a person’s life when they accept Jesus as Lord is the way they think.  Their perception changes and continues to change the more they grow in Christ Jesus..

As believers, the control of our lives is now under the authority and power of the Holy Spirit indwelling our lives.  It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that is the essence of the new birth.  Birth has to do with life, and the life received when we are born again is the Spirit. If we do not have the Spirit, we are not born again.  If we are born again, we do have the Spirit of Christ.  In John’s letters he emphasizes that we can know.  It is impossible to have the Holy Spirit move inside us and we not know it.  It is impossible for others not to know it either!  It is impossible for there to be a new manager on the inside of one’s life and it does not show in some way on the outside!

APPLICATION: Instead of filling our thoughts with the things pertaining to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—as born-again believers we should train our minds to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.  A mind so controlled is concerned about the things of God, considering all things in the light of our knowledge of God.  It is a mind full of life and at peace!

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, you now dwell inside my life.  Speak to me and show me how I can express my appreciation to the Heavenly Father for sending Jesus to die for my sins.  Help me live each day in ways that honor Him.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 28, 2026: SOAP #6020: Proverbs 7-9; Romans 9

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature; God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so, he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

OBSERVATION: Praise God that the Law of Moses was not God’s final answer for sin! That the law could not bring righteousness into the lives of those following it is clearly seen by the fact that sacrifices for breaking the law were given at the very same time the law was given. God did not give the law and then wait for 200 – 300 years to see how well man was doing in keeping it.  He knew from the beginning that man could not keep the law, and so He gave the sacrifices to cover the sin. The sacrifices were just as weak; the blood of bulls and goats could never cover sin.

People have no hope of ever meeting the righteous demands of the law.  But there was an offering so powerful that it could not only pay for sin but purify the heart!  It was an offering that would only need to be given ONCE, for all time!   God had been willing to accept the sacrifices of animals because He knew the power of that ONE offering!

The righteousness of the law is not some dream that has no chance of ever being lived.  As I receive Christ, I receive the end of the law.  He has forever completed the law and now He lives in me!  The Perfect Law Keeper lives in me. 

When I followed the law, I was always looking for another sacrifice and saying “I will never be able to do everything required.  It is beyond me.”  Now that I follow the Spirit I say, “We (the Holy Spirit and me) can do this.  With His help, this is possible!”

APPLICATION:  I still from time to time stop to repent of something I have done, BUT now my emphasis is not on a set of rules, but on the Spirit.  I am not focusing on the law, but on the Spirit, and on what the Spirit is speaking into my life.  Even more than focusing on the Spirit, I am following the Spirit.  I am putting into action what He directs.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, you sent your Son, Jesus, to take care of sins I have or may commit.  And you sent your Holy Spirit to live in me and help me take care of the present temptations I face.  Teach me to listen carefully to Him.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 27, 2026: SOAP #6019: Proverbs 4-6; Romans 8

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

OBSERVATION: In the following verses we see three laws: the law of the Spirit of life, the law of sin and death, and the law given through Moses.

There are many important laws of nature that affect the airplane industry, but there is one law that supersedes all the others.  The law of gravity and the laws of mass hold it in place on the ground, but as the laws of motion propel it down the runway, the law of aerodynamics lifts it above the law of gravity and the law of mass.

As so it is with us.  We are held captive by the law of sin and death.  The law of Moses made that law crystal clear.  But as we moved down the runway of faith, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus lifts us above those laws and their limiting effect. We are free to soar in the glorious knowledge of our Lord and Savior!  We can fly‼

APPLICATION: Now, as to verse one:  We can live above condemnation as we keep our focus on the victory we have in Christ Jesus.

 Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit to draw us closer to God. Condemnation is the work of the flesh to push us away from God. Condemnation says, “You are wrong; you will never make it!”
With conviction, the Holy Spirit says, “You are wrong, let me help you”

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, thank you, thank you, thank you for dying to fulfill the penalty for my sins.  Holy Spirit, thank you, thank you, thank you for accompanying me 24 hours every day and helping me to resist Satan’s temptations to sin.  Help me live my life to bring honor and glory to Jesus and to our Heavenly Father who sent both Jesus and the Holy Spirit.   Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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NOTE:  As I write these daily SOAPs, my thoughts are often on how they can bless the new Christians, especially those who do not have Bibles.  I desire that the SOAPs help them grow in the knowledge and  appreciation for who God is and what He has done for us.  In reading through Romans 8, there are so many thoughts that are foundational to our new life in Jesus, that I am going to pause in this chapter and prepare SOAPs for several days.  I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me to do so.   Please pray with me for God to use them in the many who receive the SOAPs on their flip phones that can receive text messages. 

Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 26, 2026: SOAP #6018: Proverbs 1-3; Romans 7

SCRIPTURE:  Romans 7: 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

OBSERVATION: As a God-lover, my struggle to live under the law is over.  The struggle ended, not with my victory in fulfilling it perfectly, but in my death. My freedom from the law did not come in that I mastered it but that I died to it.

I used to be a “slave” to Wells Fargo.  I sent them money every month to pay on a mortgage.  But in making a contract with Chase Home Finance, Chase paid Wells Fargo in full.  I died to Wells Fargo and became a “slave” to Chase.  In a much more wonderful way, Christ paid my sin-debt to the law and by His Spirit has come to live with me in His new residence. 

My goal was to serve God, so I worked to keep the Law.  My goal is still to serve God, but now I serve Him by allowing the Holy Spirit to direct my life.  Instead of focusing on the law telling me what I should not do, I focus on the Spirit tell me what I should do. -Once I relied on my memory, now I rely on His Presence. -Once I relied on my memory of the law, now I rely on the Presence of the Holy Spirit. -Once the emphasis was on remembering, now the emphasis is on hearing. -Once I sharpened my reading skills, now I sharpen my listening skills. -Once the emphasis was on what I had heard, now it is on what I hear. -Once I relied on what He said, now I rely on what He is saying!

APPLICATION:  I am still His servant, now more than ever.  I used to check in with Him to be sent out with a list.  Now I pause for a time of fellowship; then we go out together to fulfill the day’s assignments as we continue our fellowship.  This way is so much better!  HE enjoys it too! 

PRAYER:  Lord, I know we will be spending all day together, but I sure enjoy the uninterrupted time we have together.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 25, 2026: SOAP #6017: 1Kings 10, 11; 2Chronicles 9; Romans 6

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 6:9  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

OBSERVATION: Christ’s death took place in history.  We know the time and place.  It is a completed task that never will take place again.  In contrast, His life continues!  His death is a fact of history, His life is eternal.  He is alive today! 

I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord and I am to “count” myself dead to sins control over me.  Jesus death set me free and His life keeps me free!  I do not claim to be dead to make it true but because it is true, I make the claim.  Sin no longer has legal authority over me. 

APPLICATION:  Verse 12 is my application.  Not being legally bound to sin, I am to refuse it. 

Christ’s victory and presence does not keep sin from knocking at my door.  With the authority I have in the Name of Jesus I can now refuse to obey sin’s desires. With His presence living in me, He empowers me resist temptation.  In Christ I can live free!    

PRAYER:  Lord, You are the Victor!  Only with your Presence in my life can I have full victory over sin.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 24, 2026: SOAP #6016: 1Kings 9; 2Chronicles 8; Psalm 136; Romans 5

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

OBSERVATION: The emphasis on chapter four was on the faith of Abraham.  At the end of chapter four, the author applies the faith concept to us. Chapter five begins, “Therefore, since WE … “

In the first five verses:  WE have been justified, WE have peace, WE
We have all this, not because of our works, but our faith.  We have been justified through faith!

Here in verse one, we read that our justification came by faith. This is not the promise of justification that we will receive at a later time, but what we have presently.  Along with being cleansed and made as though we had never sinned comes peace.  Our sins destroyed any hope we might have had regarding peace with God, but through the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, we have peace.  Again, this is not something that we will be given in the future, but something we have now in the present!

APPLICATION:  We have peace when Jesus Christ becomes “our Lord.”  When He has the power of decision, the power of directing, we have peace.  He alone, through His Holy Spirit, can establish peace and maintain peace with God.  It is by our faith placed in Jesus Christ that we enjoy freely the riches of God plan for our lives.  We are not working or struggling to enter this place of blessing.  This is not a progressive attainment.  We are not in the process of climbing the mountain to gain God’s favor.  We are presently standing on the mountain top. The action is complete.  The struggle is over!  The action was completed on the cross and it was over when Jesus cried, “It is finished!”

PRAYER:  Lord, with my faith in you, I have great peace.  I have confidence in what you have provided for me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 23, 2026: SOAP #6015: 2Chronicles 6, 7; Psalm 135; Romans 4

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 4:21 [Abraham] being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness— for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

OBSERVATION: Behind the Word of God is the Character of God.  God’s Word is fully trustworthy because God is fully trustworthy.  Abraham was fully persuaded.  He was convinced.  There was no doubt.  Abraham was a friend of God.  He knew God.

This was not faith based on what Abraham commanded God to do, or what Abraham desired God to do, or what Abraham would have liked God to do; this was faith based on what God promised to do.

Faith is no better than the foundation on which it is placed.  Life cannot be lived without faith.  We put faith in the people from whom we buy our food.  When we depend on others, we are exercising faith. Whether they come through or not is not based on our faith but on their faithfulness, on their character.  Sometimes we discover that our faith has been misplaced, placed in something that proved un-trustworthy.

APPLICATION:  My faith may be weak or strong, but it is not bad.  The choice as to where I place my faith is right or wrong.  I can make a bad decision to put my faith in my works to get me to heaven.  I can make a bad decision to place my faith in an idol.  When God created man, He placed within man the capability of trust and faith.  Further in Romans we are even told that God gave a “measure of faith” to everyone.  I am commanded to “have faith in God.”

PRAYER:  Lord, I choose to place my faith in you and your Word.  You said if I would confess my sins, you would forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  You promised to make my life your living place.  Thank you for forgiving me, accepting me, and living in me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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