Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 25, 2026: SOAP #6108: Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 79; 2John

SCRIPTURE:  2John (NIV) verses 5  And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

OBSERVATION:  John is not giving them something new.  He is just repeating what he had heard Jesus say.  Jesus’ command is that we “walk in love.”   So, when we “walk in love” we are walking in obedience to Jesus. 

In the Old Testament the command was to love others as we love ourselves, but Jesus tells us to love one another as He loves us! 

In his gospel, John quoted Jesus, John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

APPLICATION: A common characteristic of Christians should be that they love each other.  Our love for each other should be visible; others will recognize us as a Christ-follower by the way we love. 

PRAYER:  Lord, you lift us to a new height of love.  You set yourself as our example of how to love one another.  Lord, you know that this is difficult for us to do, so we really need You to live in us and love your way through us.  Lord, we are thankful that living in us was your plan all along!  Just be yourself living in us, we pray.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 24, 2026: SOAP #6107: Jeremiah 33-34; Psalm 74; 1John 5

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 5:10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

OBSERVATION:  When God touches our lives, it is impossible that we do not know that something happened.  We may not understand what, but definitely, something has changed!  When we confess that we have sinned and ask forgiveness from our Lord, and then He forgives us, we often have a sense of a burden being lifted.  The joy that He puts in our heart when He comes to live in us, is so great that others notice the difference. 

Yes, we have a “know-so” salvation. 

APPLICATION: It is impossible not to feel the presence of Almighty God in our hearts!  The joy of His Presence should be noticeable by those around us. 

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for the joy of my salvation.  Thank you for the joy of having you live in me.  May those that know me want the joy and peace you have given me in their lives also.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 23, 2026: SOAP #6106: Jeremiah 31-32; 1John 4

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

OBSERVATION:  John was writing a letter to the church, the gathering of believers.  They did not have Bibles and the few parts of the Old Testament were in the synagogue.  John could not tell them to read the gospels about Jesus.  They had not yet been written. 

So, he gave them a good way to test the spirits and prophets.  What do the prophets say and teach about Jesus!  Some would say that Jesus is just a man.  Others would say that He is just a Spirit-man.  But the truth is that Jesus is God and is man.  That Jesus was born of a woman, Mary, he is fully man.  That Mary was impregnated by the Spirit, He is fully God.  He was born without sin and had no sin for which he must die, so he could then die in payment for our sins.  By resisting every temptation placed before Him, He defeated sin in His death.  He defeated death in His resurrection!  After completing His assignment, He returned to His Father and now awaits our arrival. 

APPLICATION: Jesus is my example.  But He is even more.  He sent the Holy Spirit to live in me and help me live a life pleasing to God.  I must follow the teaching of Jesus in the scriptures and listen to the Holy Spirit apply truth to my life. 

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for coming to earth at great cost to yourself but for great benefit for me.  Holy Spirit, Show me, speak to me, help me live a life that honors Jesus.  Make my life a testimony to others,  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 22, 2026: SOAP #6105: Jeremiah 28-30; 1John 3

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

OBSERVATION:  In His great love, our Heavenly Father has called us His children.  “And that is what we are!”  That is reality.  We are God’s children. 

Yes, He is our creator.  And being the creator, He knows the purpose for which we were made.  And knowing the purpose, He is best suited to be the law giver.  He is God-Almighty!  He is wisdom and full understanding all wrapped into one,

Yet the disciple whom Jesus loved wrote in his gospel “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life!” (John 3:16)  And here he calls Him “Father,” and writes that the Father has “lavished” His love on us!  His extravagant love is seen in that He has called children that had wondered entangled in sin but were now redeemed by the blood of His Son, Jesus—He calls us “children of God!”  

APPLICATION: Through the regeneration of being born again, we are children of God!  We are related in Christ Jesus.  In us dwells a life that is created by God and born-again as children of God!  We are brothers and sisters!  We share the same life source.  We share the same promises of eternity! 

PRAYER:  Lord, what a great family you have, on every continent and in every nation.  May our love for You and for each other cause you much joy and bring you much honor.   Amen 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 21, 2026: SOAP #6104: Jeremiah 21, 24, 27; Psalm 118; 1John 2

SCRIPTURE:  1John (NIV) 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

OBSERVATION:  When we receive Jesus into our hearts and He forgives ALL our sins, it is natural that we would want to please Him.  We want to live a life that honors Him.  We do not want to sin.  But everyone who has been born-again for a week, or a month, knows that sin has a strong hold in our lives.  Habits may be hard to break.  Friends have a strong influence to do what we know is wrong. 

How grateful we should be that we have a wonderful Friend who has taken up residence in us—the Holy Spirit!  When we do things that are contrary to God’s desire, we lose our inner peace and have a guilty sense.  We all need to learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to us.  And we need to quickly respond. 

APPLICATION:  How thankful we should be that the same sacrifice that paid for our past sins, also pays for any sins we commit after becoming a believer.  Once we are born into the family of God, Jesus represents us before His Father in heaven.  As we confess our sins, His blood continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9) and Jesus continues to be our defense counsel before the throne of heaven. 

PRAYER:  Lord, how thankful I am that you forgave my sins when I first accepted you as my Lord and Savior.  What a change you made in my life!   But I am also thankful that you have continued to hear my confessions and continued to forgive me.  I am thankful for your Holy Spirit who lives in my heart and brings conviction when I sin.  Thank you for the confidence you give that I am forgiven.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 20, 2026: SOAP #6103: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 67; 1John 1

SCRIPTURE:  1 John (NIV) 1:6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

OBSERVATION:  Four verses all beginning with the big word “if.”  They acknowledge choices that we have: 
Verses 6 and 8:  These “ifs” have negative results.  If we claim one thing yet live another we lie.  If we claim to be sinless, we deceive ourselves. 
Verses 7 and 9:  These “ifs” have desirable results.  Walking in the light brings fellowship with others and cleanness of heart.  Confessing our sins brings forgiveness and purity. 

The choices of the Lord are clear and understandable.  He does not give me a choice between two closed hands and then berates me for making a wrong choice.  But He extends open hands, palms up, so that I can readily see the choice before me.

APPLICATION: When I come to a place of choice, I have usually found one of three general scenarios: 
First:  Examining the choice, I may find I already know which choice He would make.  The better I know Him the better I know what He would do. 
Second:  I may find that he has made or shortly will make His will clear through a scripture or input from another source. 
Third:  I may see that it is not a right or wrong choice, so I pray and do what I think would best please Him. 

Everything I know about the Lord convinces me that doing His will and making choices that please Him will always work for my good. 

PRAYER:  Lord, choices are the way I show my love for you.  And choices are the way I can demonstrate my love for you to others.  May even the smallest choices, that no one sees but you, show you my love for you.  Amen 

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 19, 2026: SOAP #6102: Jeremiah 45-47; Psalm 105; John 21

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

OBSERVATION:  As John came to the final sentence of the final chapter of his biographical presentation of Jesus, he looks back at the life of Jesus and what he has written.  He realizes that he has left out more than he has included.  It would have been impossible for one man to write everything that Jesus had accomplished in coming to earth. 

I believe the ones who send me reports of what God is doing in West Africa would have a similar thing to say.  It is just impossible to include everything God is doing.  They just do not have enough time to write about all the miracles. 

APPLICATION: When I pause to consider all that God has done for me, I have to acknowledge that God has done more for me than I can even recall.  If I started a list, it would never be finished.  Every morning another thing would come to mind that I should include on the list. 

Starting with His presence now living in me…the peace He has given me…the joy…purpose…future here on earth…promised future in heaven… healing … provision…promises…etc.  There is no end to what Jesus has done and is doing for me!  

PRAYER:  Lord, after all you have done for me…after all you have promised me, how could I ever complain.  May my mouth be filled with your praise all day long.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 17, 2026: SOAP #6100: Jeremiah 23, 25; John 19

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 19:33  But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20; Zechariah 12:10

OBSERVATION:  The Old Testament prophecies about the sacrificial death of Jesus were fulfilled while He was dead.  He had no power to affect these prophecies, yet they were fulfilled by others.  Many prophecies were fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus.  They serve as proof that Jesus did indeed come from the Father and that He was who He claimed to be. 

These two prophecies (no broken bones in contrast to the Roman custom, and the piercing of his body to allow blood and water to gush out), these two stand out to me as they were fulfilled when Jesus had no power to bring about their fulfillment.  He had no part in their completion. 

APPLICATION: I have confidence that Jesus accomplished the full payment for sin on the cross.  The knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, and that His death is accepted as payment for my sin brings me much peace and comfort. 

PRAYER:  Lord, I thank you for dying on the cross as the payment for sin.  I thank you for your willingness to forgive my sins.  I thank you for joining me and living in my body.  Thank you for sharing my life with me.  Most of all, thank you for sharing Your Life with me.  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!   
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