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

August 23: 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.
1John (NIV) 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Observation: John gives a warning that was necessary for his day, and even more necessary for today. Believing that Jesus is God who came to this world in the flesh to die for our sins is key as to faith. Living a life of love is key as to actions.

In considering what is happening in the world today (August 2014), we can see that religions that kill in the name of God clearly are not of God. But neither are people whose speech causes others to riot, even if they are called “Reverend” and speak from a church pulpit. How does that represent Jesus??? Those like Jesus in Ferguson, Missouri are those who set themselves in a place of potential danger and walk with the marchers in the streets to help calm high emotion. They stand between the police and potential rioters. They stand in front of the shops to protect them from looters. It is easy to see Jesus in them.

Application: Manufacturing companies want to have a trademark that is easily recognizable by the public. They want people to recognize their product. God’s trademark for His people is love. He wants people to recognize his ownership of me by the love that can be seen in my life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, bless the Christians in Ferguson. May their love be easily seen. May their presence in the place of danger be the open door for the Holy Spirit to bring your peace. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 22: Jeremiah 28-30; 1John 3

Scripture: 1John (NIV) 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.

Observation: James (2:20) tells us that “faith without works is dead.” Here John tells us that love without works is dead too! These two essential elements of the Christian’s life are designed by God to be expressed outwardly. They are meant to be seen by others. People should not be surprised when we claim to be a Christian because they have already seen proof in our actions.

Application: My actions should be shaped by love and faith.

Prayer: Lord, today I want my actions to be an expression of the high regard I have for you. May the faith I have in you be seen in how I respond to the things I will face today. And may the love you have put in my life shine through to others today. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 21: 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 an advocate with the Father—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: John is writing to the church. His goal is that as believers see how wonderful and loving God is to us through Jesus, they would stop committing sin. However, if we do commit a sin, we are not without hope. The same one, who forgives the sins of the whole world, still forgives the believer’s sins. Praise the Lord!

Application: How thankful I am that God still forgives my sins. He has removed the power of sin from my heart, and is working on the outside for me to walk without sinning. However I cannot count the times He has so graciously forgiven me for things I have done.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being so gracious to me. When I fall, you pick me up, forgive me, and encourage me to try again. Sometimes you give me a different path where I can learn to resist temptation. Thank you for working in me for my good. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 20: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 67; 1John 1

Scripture: 1John (NIV) 1:4 We write this to make our joy complete.

Observation: Joy is such an important part of a Christian’s life. As neat fields and healthy herds speak well of the farmer, joy in God’s people speaks well of God. God’s work in our lives brings joy, but joy is not complete until it is shared.

Application: Joy in my life shows other people that I have a wonderful Lord who rules my life with such love. But the joy in my life is only complete as I share it with someone else.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to miss the opportunity I will have today to share with others what you have done for me. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

August 19: Jeremiah 45-47; Psalm 105; John 21

Scripture: John (NIV) 21:3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

Observation: After the resurrection, the disciples had some time by themselves. They returned to their old way of life—they went fishing. They fished all night with no success until at the direction from the stranger on the shore they cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Then their net was full. Even in their own profession they could not be successful without the Lord’s input. That night their success was proof of His presence!

Application: I wonder how many times I have tried my best with no success while Jesus watched from a distance. I did not recognize His presence, so I stumbled along doing the best I knew how to do. I need to recognize His presence (He is always with me.) I also need to recognize His voice and follow His direction.

Prayer: Lord, you are the expert at all things. May I be quick to hear and quick to do. May my success be proof of your presence, not my own wisdom and ability. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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!