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

May 6: 2Samuel 11, 12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 51:16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Observation: David had sinned and he was living with a load of guilt. He was desperate to have his relationship with God restored. He would have made any sacrifice, but he knew God was really interested in only one sacrifice. It was not the sacrifice of an animal, but the sacrifice of a broken and crushed heart. He was extremely saddened that he had sinned and disappointed the Lord.

Application: Like David, I am helpless to undo or erase my sins. As I grow in understanding of your death on the cross, I grow in understanding of how my sin hurts and disappoints you. I too must come knowing that a heartfelt sorrowful confession of my sin will be met with gracious and loving forgiveness. I will receive what I do not deserve!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your willingness to forgive, cleanse, and restore our fellowship. On the cross, you paid a debt you did not owe. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 5: 2Samuel 10; 1Chronicles 20; Psalm 20; Matthew 22

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 22:37 Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.
40 All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments.

Observation: It is always good to be reminded of the bottom line. Everything is based on these two commandments.

Application: I am to love my neighbor as I love myself, but I am to love God with ALL my heart (the center of all physical and spiritual life), and ALL my soul (the center of all my feelings and desires), and ALL my mind (the center of all my understanding).

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for not loving you as completely and intensely and thoughtfully as you deserve. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 4: 2Samuel 8,9; 1Chronicles 18,19; Matthew 21

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 21:23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him, “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

Observation: Authority is the right and responsibility to make decisions and to hold others accountable. Authority is expressed through words with an expectation that those words will be obeyed. There is only One with all authority—God. All other authority is either delegated or usurped. I learned in the Navy that they way to have authority is to submit to the ones with authority over me. No body questioned if Jesus had authority. The religious leaders wanted to know its source.

Application: Authority flowed perfectly from Jesus because he was perfectly submitted to His Father in Heaven. God’s delegated authority to and through me will only be to the level of my submission to God.

Prayer: Lord, I surrender all; I surrender all. All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 3: 2Samuel 7; 1Chronicles 17; Psalm 2; Matthew 20

Scripture: 2Samuel 7:22 How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

Observation: King David was responding to God’s message that God would establish David’s line as King forever. I hear David saying, “I have never heard anyone speak of any God like you. From what I hear of the other gods, not one of them even comes close to you! You are far superior to all other gods!”

Application: If David was in awe of God during his days, how much more should I be in awe of God today! People worship the gods of nature and the gods of their ancestors. I have never heard anyone talking about their god being infinite in strength and also both holy AND loving! I have never heard of another God as holy—existing in perfect rightness and demanding a perfect sacrifice to pay for my sin! I have never heard of another God as loving—loving us so much that he sent his only son to die for my sins that I might have access into His presence!!!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am in awe of your perfectly demonstrated holiness and your perfectly expressed love! You are amazing! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Past, Present, Future

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

May 2: 1Chronicles 16; Psalm 106; Matthew 19

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 106:10 He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.

Observation: When they forgot what God had done, they did not wait for God to show them what to do. They would go ahead and do what seemed best to them. They would approach their problems according to their own plan. All too soon they would be crying out to God to come help them out of their troubles. If only they would have remembered what God had done for them in the past!

Application: If only Leon would remember what God has done for him in the past! Then he could trust God in the present and have a much better future!

Prayer: Lord, I know that tomorrow will be much better if I remember what you did yesterday and trust you today! Holy Spirit, help me remember! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

May 1: 1Chronicles 14, 15; Psalm 132; Matthew 18

Scripture: Matthew 18: 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 ¶ Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Observation: I believe the primary application of these verses is about offending new believers and causing them to fall away from their faith. However Jesus began this line of teaching by bringing a little child to stand before them. So every time I read these verses, I think of children, and I think of those who murder/abort them and call it “choice”. If we receive the children, we receive Jesus. So if we reject them, we reject Jesus. I hear the Lord say, “Woe to the nation who makes it legal to murder their children.” I hear Him say, “Woe to those who know it is happening and stand by and do nothing!” Our nation is being forced to deal with this issue through the trial of the abortion doctor who murdered the aborted children who were born alive. If he would have murdered them a minute before they were born, it would have been OK. But he did it after they were born. But, in all of this I am thankful; I am so very thankful God forgives!!!

Application: I want to be like Jesus and welcome children. I want them to know they are safe in my presence.

Prayer: Lord, show me how to share your love with children. Love them through me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 30: 2Samuel 6; 1Chronicles 13; Psalm 68; Matthew 17

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 68:1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.
2 May you blow them away like smoke— as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.

Observation: God’s enemies do not have even the slightest of possibility of escaping God’s judgment. Just as surely as the wicked will perish, surely the righteous will be “happy and joyful.”

Application: The more I know God and the more I understand His plan for man, the more I rejoice in Him and in His work. I am glad to be a part of what He is doing! It has become illogical to complain or be discouraged. That does not mean that I never complain or get discouraged, but when I stop to think I have to admit, it is totally illogical! It just does not make any sense!

Prayer: Lord, I want the smile on my face be a true expression of the joy in my heart. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 29: 2Samuel 4,5; Psalm 139; Matthew 16

Scripture: Psalm (NIV) 139:7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settles on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Observation: Verse 7 shows us that playing “hide and seek” with God is foolish. We can never win! When He does not want to be found, we can never find Him. But He always knows where we are. There is no place to go to escape His presence.

Application: But verses 8-10 show me I can play “hide and seek” with God. I am His child and He lives within me! So I can find Him. I know where he is. Wherever I am, He is there too!

Prayer: Lord, there is no place I will go today that you will not accompany me. And when I arrive at my destination I will look and find you are already there! Wow! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 28: 2Samuel 3; 1Chronicles 12; Matthew 15

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 15:32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
15:34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked

Observation: Around Jesus were 4,000 hungry men besides women and children. They had been with him for three days and food was gone. The disciples had seven loaves and a few small fish. Jesus had something better: He had compassion.

Application: The compassion in Jesus motivated him to look further into the problem. Compassion motivated him to use what was available. Compassion can motivate me to stop and give what I have, even if it is only a word of encouragement. When I feel compassion, I need to investigate further and see what I have.

Prayer: Lord, I believe you can arouse compassion in my heart to direct my attention to where your compassion is already flowing. Today, may I be an instrument of your compassion. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 27: 2Samuel 2; 1Chronicles 11; Psalm 142; Matthew 14

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 14:17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he (Jesus) said.
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the people.
20 They all ate and were satisfied and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children

Observation: The disciples took what was available and gave it to Jesus. Then they took what He gave them and gave it to the people.

Application: Here is a good pattern for me and for any disciple of Jesus. I take what I have available and give it to Jesus. Then I take what He returns to me and give it to those around me. NOTE: The disciples only gave out what Jesus had given to them! ALSO NOTE: Jesus only multiplied what they had given Him!

Prayer: Lord, at your direction, to place in your hands the little I have is the wisest thing I can do! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!