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

August 18: Jeremiah 26, 35-36; John 20

Scripture: Jeremiah (NIV) 26:3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn form their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.
36:3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.

Observation: Here we see the same inner conflict within the heart of God that can be often seen within the heart of a parent. The parent knows that the child they love so dearly needs punishment, but does not want to proceed, so they threaten punishment and give their child another opportunity to obey. Punishing their children is the last thing they want to do. They would so much rather forgive than punish.

Application: God is perfectly holy so punishment is not a question when his children persist in sin. God is perfectly loving so he loves to reward me when I obey. God is so wonderfully wise that he found a way to forgive me in a holy way that acknowledges the sinfulness of my sin: He sent His holy Son, Jesus to die in payment for my sins that he may express His love to me in forgiveness!!! It is truly AMAZING!!!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you by ignoring your holiness. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 17: Jeremiah 23-25; John 19

Scripture: Jeremiah (NIV) 23:23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.

Observation: God fills the heaven and earth; how foolish to think there is a place one can hide from him. How foolish to think there is someplace where he cannot hear. How foolish to think there is someplace where he cannot help.

Application: How foolish to think that I am beyond his reach or outside his care. Knowingly walking in sin will stop God from listening to my prayer. My bad attitude may hinder me from understanding what God is saying to me. But location will never be a problem to God and should not be to me. No matter how far away are the ones I love, God is just as close to them as he is with me.

Prayer: Lord, you are amazing! You fill the heaven and the earth! Keep reminding me of this truth. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 16: 2Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalm 112; John 18

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 112:1 Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands…
7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

Observation: The first verse gives the subject of this Psalm. Then the next 8 verses give various characteristic of those who fear the Lord and delight in his commands. Our lives today are almost constantly bombarded by bad news. Television news is full of bad news. Bad news can come from the doctors, the economist, even our family. But what is there to fear when our lives have been placed in God’s hands.

Application: What I believe about God has great effect on my life. The God who lives in my life is the creator of the universe. He knows all things and nothing is impossible to him. He created me with the purpose of fellowship. He loves me and wants me to trust Him. My trust affects my life, my death, and my eternity. In verse 7 above, it affects my heart!

Prayer: Lord, there is no need to be alarmed when I trust you. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 15: Jeremiah 18-20; Psalm 93; John 17

Scripture: John (NIV) 17 [Jesus talking to his Father about the disciples] verse 25 Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

Observation: Jesus is loved by God the Father for two obvious reasons. First is because of who Jesus is. Jesus is God’s Only Begotten Son and is God just as the Father is God. Second is because of what Jesus did. Jesus willingly became the sacrifice in the greatest gift of love ever known in the universe. Jesus, unquestionably innocent, suffered and died for those who are unquestionable guilty! His payment completely clears our debt and brings us back into fellowship with the Heavenly Father who loves us so! It is no wonder the Father loves Jesus!!!

Since Jesus was going to live, by His Spirit, in His disciples, it follows that the Father’s love would now focus on the disciples as much as on His Son!

Application: My greatest earthly joy is to be loved by my wife, Sharon. But even greater than that, is to be loved by God. It is difficult to fathom that God the Father loves me even as He loves His perfect and wonderful Son!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am blest! I am blest that you loved me so much that you sent your Son to die for my sins. I am blest that He now lives within me by His Holy Spirit. I am blest that the love you have for your Son is now directed to me! I am loved measure! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 14: Jeremiah 16-17; Psalm 96; John 16

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 96:1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD all the earth.

Observation: It is not uncommon in churches to day to hear the older generation wishing the church would sing the old songs. Of course most of us do not want the really old songs of Beethoven and Mozart, or even ancient Hebrew songs from the book of Psalms. We want the old songs that were being sung when we were younger. (Maybe we are really admitting that we are growing old! Ha.) I like the songs in the hymnal. I sang them when I was struggling with the beginning of my faith walk. God used them to comfort and strengthen me. They are still dear to my hearts and bless me. But…

Application: …when I hear a new song I know God is still putting songs in the hearts of His people. He is still doing things about which people write songs. The musical phrases are different, the rhythm is different, the melody is not always easy for me to follow—but I can rejoice because someone is praising my Lord! Someone thinks He is worthy of a new song of praise.

Prayer: Lord, Your mercies are new every morning; it is so right that there be a continual stream of new songs to you! I rejoice when you are being honored! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 13: Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

Scripture: John (NIV) 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
NOTE: John 13:35 If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples.”

Observation: In John 13 it is our love for each other that proves we are the Lord’s disciples. And today in John 15, the proof of discipleship is our fruit. A tree that has the nature of apples will bear apples. A tree that has the nature of cherries will bear cherries. The fruit is an outward expression of the inner nature. When Jesus lives inside a person, the proof will be in their outward expressions. The way they speak and act will be proof of Jesus living inside. And the more fruit one bears, the more God our Father will be glorified.

Application: It takes time for fruit to mature or ripen. Maturing is a process. The first stages usually do not look very much like the ripe fruit. But If I allow God to keep working in my life, He will bring the fruit to maturity.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that enough fruit will be seen in my life that people will easily recognize that I am your disciple. Your goal is that I bear “much” fruit. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 12: Jeremiah 10-12; John 14

Scripture: John (NIV) 14:2 “There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If this were not true, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and do that, I will come back. And I will take you to be with me. Then you will also be where I am.

Observation: In looking at the universe, a better environment has never been found for man. This earth was custom made for man. It is the right distance from the son to give it heat, but not too much. It contains a variety of food for man. It has oxygen for man to breathe, yet that same oxygen when mixed properly with hydrogen becomes water for man to drink. God prepared a perfect planet on which to place man. If God so perfectly created earth, can we expect anything less as he prepares a place in heaven for us!

Application: I can hear the heart of God in these verses. He is preparing a place for me. I am important to Him. He is preparing an appropriate place for me. But why? Because He wants me to be with Him!!! He wants me to be where He is!!! His heart longs for a place of fellowship like he had with Adam and Eve in the garden before they sinned.

Prayer: Lord, I too am looking forward to the fellowship we will share in heaven. But I want to live my life in such a way that you are pleased to be identified with me and you enjoy my company here on earth! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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!