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

April 5: Ruth 1-2; Psalm 53, 61; 2Corinthians 5

Scripture: Ruth 1:6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. (NIV)

Observation: Naomi’s husband had moved from Israel to Moab during a time of famine. Her sons had married. Her husband and her sons died and now she was left alone with her daughters-in-law. But without the help of radio or television news stations good news had come to Moab. The famine in Israel was over! Naomi decided to go home!

Application: When God does something good for me, it is good to let others know. When I hear of God doing something good for others I get to pass along the news. God does not depend on radio or television or even the internet. God depends on people to pass along His good news. He depends on me.

Prayer: Lord, send someone my way today who needs to hear some of Your good news. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 4: Judges 19-21; 2Corinthians 4

Scripture: 2Corinthians 4:10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (NIV)

Observation: Here is the purpose of our physical bodies. They are to reveal the life of Jesus. As we die to our desires, we become alive to His desires and our body becomes an avenue to express His life rather than ours. Many times it is the difficult things we experience that get the attention of others. They too experience difficulties and they respond in anger, frustration, etc. When we face the same troubles and respond differently, they become aware that we have a something different in our life.

Application: The life of Jesus will be seen in me as I respond in the same way He would respond to the circumstances surrounding me. If I depend on myself, I will fail. But if I follow His lead, He will help me succeed. It is not what happens to be, but how I follow Him in responding to what happens to me.

Prayer: Lord, it is obvious to me that I need you! Speak to me, as only You know how, and direct my responses today. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 3: Judges 17-18; Psalm 89; 2Corinthians 3

Scripture: 2Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NIV)

Observation: Paul had just claimed that the people of the church in Corinth were the proof of his ministry. Then he quickly acknowledges that success was not because of their skills, but totally because of their dependence on God.

Application: Today I will depend less on me and more on the Spirit of God living in me. Today I will be less stressed. Today I will be more confident that I will succeed because I have more faith in God’s ability than my ability. I will be more humble, knowing that success did not come because of my intelligence or my skills. Today my life will become a living expression of the Life of Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I want to live my life depending on you so that others can see you instead of me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 2: Judges 13-16; 2Corinthians 2

Scripture: 2Corinthians 2:10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake.
11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Observation: Satan’s scheme is to drive a wedge between us to separate us. The way to overcome his plan is to forgive. Forgiveness is not saying that nothing bad happened. Forgiveness is not saying I was not hurt. Forgiveness is not saying I am going to give you the opportunity to do the same thing again. Forgiveness is saying even though what happened was wrong and I was hurt, our relationship is more important than getting even. From Jesus example, the offender does not even need to apologize in order to be forgiven! Forgiving is outsmarting Satan!

Application: Forgiving is definitely a God-thing. I cannot do it on my own. I need God sharing my life to help me. Satan would like to keep me reliving the hurts, but when I forgive, the healing starts.

Prayer: Lord, I do not want Satan to outsmart me; with Your help I can forgive. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

April 1: Judges 11-12; Psalm 50; 2Corinthians 1

Scripture: 2Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Observation: God is known as the “Father of compassion” and the “God of all comfort.” He has these titles because compassion and comfort are priorities to Him.

Application: Two applications I see: First, when I need comfort, I know where to go! My Heavenly Father is the expert on comfort! He invented it! He created me and knows how to comfort me. Second, when I see someone needing comfort I have the opportunity to pass along what God has given me! Comforting others is being a part of God’s ministry to those He loves.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the comfort you have given me; now use me to comfort others. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

From a devotional written by Skip Heitzig and forwarded to me by my cousin, Don Boese: “If you just have the inerrant Word of Scripture but you don’t have an experience with God yourself, then it’s not personal. If you have your personal experience but it doesn’t match what the scripture says, then it’s not reasonable. Put them both together, it’s powerful. It’s unshakeable.”

Friends, I trust you have a wonderful time of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord! What an amazing victory He won for us on the cross! What an amazing victory He won over the grave! What an amazing future He has in store for us! May your celebration be personal, reasonable, and powerful! Wow! Pastor Leon J

What’s Ahead!

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

March 31: Judges 9-10; Psalm 49; 1Corinthians 16

Scripture: Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. (NIV)

Observation: If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our faith would be useless. Death is the final result of sin. Jesus overcame sin in his living and overcame death in his resurrection!

Application: The resurrection is the proof that my faith is not in vain! His resurrection is proof that death is not the end for me. The Resurrected One lives inside me! He empowers my living and He will escort me through death into eternity!

Prayer: Lord, I am amazed at what you have done for me. But I know what is ahead will even be better! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 30: Judges 8; Psalm 42; 1Corinthians 15

Scripture: 1Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

Observation: Paul has been writing about death and the resurrection. Presently we live and die in the physical realm, but when we die we will come alive in the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm is so far superior to the physical that death will have lost its sting! Instead of death being seen as a defeat, we will see it as a glorious door through which we enter into the spiritual realm. This victory over the power and sting of death has already been won for me and is given to me in the Lord Jesus Christ as He dwells in my life! Wow! It is one of the bennies (benefits) of knowing Jesus!

Application: The great joy is in knowing the wonderful Person of Jesus! The more I get to know Him, the more I learn about the other great benefits I have in His Lordship. Sharon and I recently purchased a newer car for our trip to Delaware. We took possession just a few hours before we left. We bought it for dependable transportation, but it has several extra benefits to make driving more enjoyable. On the long drive we often read the owner’s manual to find out how something worked or the purpose of a particular button. And in life’s journey with Jesus, I often get out the Bible (owner’s manual) to learn about something new I have discovered in Jesus!

Prayer: Lord, every day I have the potential of discovering a new benefit! I want to be faithful in Your Word and open to Your Spirit. Teach me, I pray. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 29: Judges 6-7; Psalm 52; 1Corinthians 14

Scripture: 1Corinthians 14:26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, or a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. (NIV)

Observation: When we gather for our church meetings, we expect the pastor to have something prepared to say; we expect the teachers to have their lessons prepared for their class; we expect the worship leader and musicians to have songs prepared. Many go to church prepared to receive, but not prepared to give. However this verse says that “EACH OF YOU” has something to give.

Application: What the Lord has for me to give may not be a public expression of God’s grace from the front of the congregation when everyone is listening to me; it may be a word of comfort or encouragement given to an individual. It may be more than the tithes I put in the offering; it may be the two or three, five or ten dollars the Lord has me give to someone with a special need. I must go ready to give as the Lord shows me a need. When I arrive at the church, even in the parking lot, I should begin looking for an opportunity to share God’s grace.

Prayer: Lord, prepare me to be an instrument of Your grace when I gather with other believers. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Continuing to Please Him

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

March 28: Judges 4-5; Psalm 39, 41; 1Corinthians 13

Scripture: Psalm 41:1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the LORD delivers them in time of trouble.
2 The LORD protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
3 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness. (NIV)

Observation: The weak are important to God and those who care for the weak are important to God. God considers those who help the weak as His helpers. Of course He protects and preserves them; they are doing His work. Of course He restores them to health so they can continue doing His work. (This would be like Dorcas in Acts 9:36-41 who was “always doing good and helping the poor.”)

Application: I know that God is a gracious God and treats me FAR better than I could ever deserve. But still I want to live my life is such a way that God would want to restore my health. It would be to His benefit, and the benefit of others, to have me continue doing what I had been doing.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be like Dorcas. I want to please you in the way I live my daily life. May you smile and may others be blest. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

March 27: Judges 1-3; 1Corinthians 12

Scripture: 1Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (NIV)

Observation: The blood of Jesus is applied to each of our lives to cover our sins and make us acceptable. The Holy Spirit is given to make us useful.

Application: There are times when tired and weary that I can feel used. Sometimes I can feel like others are taking advantage of me. But much worse than feeling used is feeling useless. The Holy Spirit works in my life to make me useful. He works through me for the benefit of others. When I am useful, I get used! When I know I am useful and being used by the Holy Spirit, being used by people is not an issue.

Prayer: Lord, to be used Oh God, to sing, to speak, to pray. To be used Oh God to show someone the way. I long so much to feel the touch of Your consuming fire. To be used Oh God is my desire! (Audrey Mieir) Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!