Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 06, 2026: SOAP #5998: 2Samuel 11, 12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 23:25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.

OBSERVATION: A life that is acceptable to God starts on the inside.  The inside is always more important than the outside!  The inside sets the standard for the outside.  If the inside is good, the outside will not be allowed to remain bad.  If the inside is bad, the outside can be made to look good to hide the inside.  So, cleaning up the outside is not a guarantee that the inside will follow.       

APPLICATION: I must remember that God lives inside me and is the first to become aware of my thoughts and attitudes.   By the time they get to the outside where others see them, they are often made more acceptable, but God sees them from the beginning.  If I want God to enjoy living in me, I will need His help in rearranging my thoughts and attitudes.  If I set myself to know His Word and to keep myself aware of His presence, I will be able to count on His help in setting both the inside and the outside of my life in proper order. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, how I need your help to clean up the inside, to keep it clean, and to express Your life on the outside.  May others see evidence of your presence in me.  But most of all, I want you to feel at home in me. May you enjoy living in me. You bring me great joy; may I also bring you joy.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 03, 2026: SOAP #5995: 2Samuel 7; 1Chronicles 17; Psalm 2; Matthew 20

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 20:25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

OBSERVATION: Leadership issues in the Bible are much different than those found in the world, especially in political leaders today.  In some countries, key leaders may have the title “Public Servant” and they use the term “ministry” to describe their office, but it seems they have forgotten what those words mean.  They use their authority to rule and control, instead as a tool to serve others. 

APPLICATION: “How does this work,” I may ask.  Jesus says, “…just as the Son of Man…”  He is saying, “Here’s the way, just follow my example.”  Even in this He is serving me by giving himself as my example.  The emphasis in the gospels is not so much what we can do for Jesus, but what Jesus does for us!!!  And as I grow in my spiritual life, my focus will not be on what others can do for me, but what I can do for others.

I should not be surprised that the Spirit of Jesus dwelling in me inspires me to serves others.  I should not be surprised when I suddenly become aware of a need—the Spirit is showing me an opportunity to serve.  It is usually a need far beyond my ability to meet but when I step out in faith God either multiplies my little or fills in what is missing. 

PRAYER:  Lord, I am your servant.  Use me for your glory today.  Use me to serve others.  I find joy in bringing you pleasure—in making you smile.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 29, 2026:  SOAP #5991: 2Samuel 4,5; Psalm 139; Matthew 16

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

OBSERVATION: The disciples has found in Jesus a man who was worth following.  He spoke truth with wisdom.  He was a healer.  He was kind and compassionate.  He could quiet the critics with a simple answer.  But He was so much more!  

What they knew of Jesus they had reasoned from their own understanding of what they had observed, but there was more.  The real truth of the nature and being of Jesus needed divine revelation, and in the verse above, Peter had received that revelation from our Heavenly Father. 

Jesus is the Christ, the anointed Messiah, the promised One, the Holy One sent by the Father to reveal the Father and by the sacrifice of Himself to pay for the sins of the world!

APPLICATION: Jesus is definitely worth following; He is my Savior and worthy of being my LORD! 

PRAYER:  Jesus, you were sent by Father God to the earth to pay for and forgive my sins.  I have received your forgiveness and made you the LORD of my life.  I live each day to honor you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 28, 2026:  SOAP #5990: 2Samuel 3; 1Chronicles 12; Matthew 15

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 15:17 [Jesus speaking] “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean’.”

OBSERVATION: Uncleanness is a heart matter.  Unclean thoughts may enter through the eye gate or the ear gate, but it is in the heart that they are accepted and reviewed, and reviewed again, and reviewed again until a plan of action is worked out in the mind.  Maybe the plan never gets put into action, but the issue can remain in the heart. 

Forgiveness is the detergent for cleaning the heart of past sins: asking God to forgive me and me forgiving others.   The presence of the Holy Spirit gives us strength to resist present temptations. 

APPLICATION: I must rule my private life if I am ever to rule my public life.  From time to time, those around me may get a glimpse of what is inside my heart, but God always sees my heart.  Living in an immoral world, I must continually guard my heart.  I may not be able to keep evil from entering my eye or ear gates, but with the presence of the Lord in my life and His help, and by thinking on the good things God has brought to me, I can stop evil from getting settled in my heart. 

PRAYER:  Lord, when I received you as my Lord, you forgave my past sins.  Now, I want my heart to be always full of you.  May your will be done in my heart as it is in heaven.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 27, 2026:  SOAP #5989: 2Samuel 2; 1Chronicles 11; Psalm 142; Matthew 14

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew 14:15  As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. … 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: Jesus told them to feed the hungry crowd.  They responded, “We have only….” –they did not reckon on the presence of Jesus!!! 

They had enough to feed 5000 men plus the women and children.  Wow!  They even had more than enough!  They had twelve basketsful of leftovers!  WOW!!  The miracle could have been done with much less!   One loaf, and one fish, would have been more than sufficient! 

Their attention had been on what they had in their hands (which was clearly insufficient), rather than on who was among them (Who was completely sufficient)!

APPLICATION: To limit my potential to what I have in my possession is foolish.  His resources are far greater than what I have and far greater than what I need.  Through Him I can do whatever God tells me to do. 

I do not have enough education…  I do not have enough money…  We do not have enough SOAPs…  God can use what we have and multiply it to meet the need.  We have God; and we can always depend on Him!  He is sufficient! 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, keep reminding us that we are enabled to do what we are told to do. Our obedience assures us of Your provision.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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