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

November 27: Psalm 125; Matt 26-27

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 27:42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Observation: If Jesus would have come down from the cross they would have believed in him—or so they said. But their believing in him would have gained them nothing. There would have been no forgiveness of sin if Jesus had come down from the cross. Our sins are forgiven because he stayed on the cross. The wages of sin is death, not suffering. Jesus had to do more than suffer; he had to die. He stayed on the cross until he died, and now we can believe on him!

Application: I am so thankful that Jesus did not take a short cut in dealing with my sins. He took my sins as if they were his own. He suffered, shed his blood, and died. My sins are more than covered by the payment Jesus made.

Prayer: Lord, such love is worthy of continual thanksgiving. As Andre Crouch sings, “How can I say thanks…the voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude!” Lord, your love is worthy of my worship. It is worthy of committing my all to do your will. It is worthy of saying, “No,” to what pleases me in order to say, “Yes,” to what pleases you. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 26: Matt 23-25

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Observation: Jesus is talking about the end time. There will be lots of trouble in the world and trouble for his followers. It will not be easy for those going through these times, but salvation is promised to those who endure, who stand firm to the end.

Application: Like everyone else, my faith will be tested. The important thing is not how much my faith can accomplish, but how long it will last. It must last till the end.

Prayer: Lord, for my faith to endure to the end I need your Word planted in my mind and heart. I also need your Holy Spirit to keep me aware of your presence. Obviously I cannot do this by myself. I am so thankful that you are aware of my need and have made the necessary provision. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

Questions – Others, Mine, & His

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

November 25: Matt 20-22

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 22:45 “If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Observation: The Herodians (verse 15), the Sadducees (verse 23), and a lawyer from the Pharisees (verse 34) had all asked Jesus questions to trap him. He gave wise answers. Then He asked them a question. They had no answer.

Application: I can trust the Lord with questions of others. He does have the answer! I can trust the Lord with my questions. There too, He has the perfect answer. I can also trust Him when He questions me. He may be teaching me something. He may be helping me see something I am overlooking. He may be showing me how much greater His wisdom is than mine.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for using your wisdom to show me your love. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 24: Matt 17-19

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 18:15 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church, and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or tax collector.

Observation: These guidelines have great benefit. First: They are relational. There is high value on the relationship. Second: They allow for misjudgment and correction. One may find out that things are not as they appear. Third: There is a strong emphasis on restoration and working to restore the fallen. Fourth: They allow for sin to be dealt with without hanging out the dirty laundry for all to see. Fifth: They show that the church is too important than to allow sin to continue. Sixth: They show the Father’s love flowing through people. The guilty person is important to the one doing the confronting and there is a desire to help and not cause further hurt.

Application: I should not be surprised that God gave specific standards for dealing with sin. Sin harms the individual, the church, and the Savior. There is great wisdom in following the scriptures.

Prayer: Lord, Thank you for caring enough to provide for correction and restoration. How you love us, and how you love your church! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 23: Matt 14-16

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 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 they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “The do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Observation: When Jesus said they do not need to go away, he did not say that they could not go away. Maybe some had already evaluated the situation, seeing the time of day, the size of the crowd, and the eating possibilities available, or not available. Perhaps some left early in order to be home in time for "dinner." Maybe some had left, but they would not have needed to. There was nothing wrong with their evaluation of the visible facts. They had not lost their mind. They could see what was obvious. They could be compared to the baseball fans who leave disappointed in the 8th inning because their team is losing, only to hear on the radio the roar of the crowd as their team wins in the bottom of the ninth, or to hear about it on the news the next day. They could have been there! What a blessing for those who stayed!

Application: What was about to happen did not depend on the disciples. It was because of His presence. It was at His direction. Everyone was fed because of Him! The disciples did what Jesus first commanded; they fed the people. But first they took what was available and gave it to him. Only when He had placed it back in their hands could they do as he directed.

Prayer: Lord, check me when I want to give up too soon. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 22: Matt 11-13

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 11:4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

Observation: Jesus had a message for John’s disciples to take back to John. It was not only a message of words to be repeated, but of things witnessed to be reported. They were to report both what they heard, and saw! Jesus’ ministry was more than just one of words, but also one of action. The actions of Jesus were as important as the words.

Application: Will people talk about me? Not everyone, but some do and will. What will they talk about? They will talk about what I say and do. They will talk about what they hear and see. May they hear me say things that are worth repeating and see me doing things that are worth copying.

Prayer: Lord, most of all, I want people to hear you speaking through me and see you at work in my life. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 21: Matt 8-10

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 10:7 As you go, proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Observation: Jesus gave these instructions to his disciples as he sent them out to minister. He gave them the subject of their message: the kingdom. He told them how to demonstrate the authority of the kingdom: with miracles. And he told them to provide the ministry just the way they had received it: at no cost to the hearer.

Application: Those hearing the message should never get the idea that the preacher is after their money. It is not their possessions that God wants; He wants them—He wants their lives! The message was not to be polluted with money. The cost of the message was paid by Jesus on the cross. The cost of proclaiming the message is paid by those Jesus has sent with His message. To those hearing the message, it is proclaimed and demonstrated freely.

Prayer: Lord, you paid the cost to provide the message. I want you to find me willing to help provide the cost of proclaiming the message. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 20: Matt 5-7

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 6:19 ¶ "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Observation: In speaking of our earthly treasures, Jesus notes the futility of placing it in earthly places that are unsafe. We need to insure our investment is safe. When one compares the safety of earth’s most secure investments compared to heaven, well, there can be no comparison. Heavenly stored treasures will not rust or decay. They will not mildew or mold. Insects cannot spoil our heavenly treasures. We do not need to invest in a security system, for there are no thieves in heaven!!

Application: And one of the best reasons for investing in heaven is that my heart follows my treasure. If I put my treasure in the stock market, I will be continually checking to see how it is doing. I remember the Lord instructing me to begin supporting a certain radio ministry. Once I started monthly support, I hardly ever missed listening to that broadcast, although I did not listen very faithfully before. Truly, my heart followed my treasure.

Prayer: Lord, help me clearly see where my treasure is leading. I want my heart to follow my treasure all the way to heaven! Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 19: Matt 1-4

Scripture: Matthew (NIV) 4:6 “If you are the Son of God,” he (Satan) said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Observation: The devil, always wanting us to doubt who we really are, approaches Jesus in somewhat the same way. Prove who you are! Force God to send His angles to uphold His word.

We should know who we are, and not need to prove it to anyone. We do not need to put God in a box, or back Him in a corner to get Him to fulfill His word. He will gladly fulfill His word when we move in obedience to Him!

Application: When the devil tempts me in this manner it is often along the line of, “Who do they think you are to treat you like this?” And I pick up the thought, “Yes! Who do they think I am? I deserve better than this.”

Prayer: Lord, I am so glad that you have already overcome this temptation. You live in me as the victorious one who helps me to be an overcomer also. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!

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

November 18: Ps 124, 2Cor 11-13

Scripture: 2Corinthians (NIV) 12:14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you….

Observation: Paul had given a lot of time and effort in ministry to those in Corinth. He had visited them twice and was about to make a third visit. This is at least his second letter to them. The King James Version says “I seek not yours but you…” Paul was not going to Corinth because of the big offerings he would receive or that people would give things to him. His motive was to see them grow in their faith and glorify God.

Application: In other places Paul clearly writes that it is proper for those who work in ministry to make their living by the ministry. He even received support from others. However at Corinth Paul had joy in making his ministry free. During the years I have lived by the ministry, I have always involved myself in ministries from which I would receive no salary and ministries for which I was not the main leader. I appreciated the volunteer ministry of so many in the churches I pastored, it seemed only proper that I should serve others as a volunteer. The joy of the Lord and the joy of the ministry was the reward.

Prayer: Lord, what a privilege and joy to serve you. Your smile and approval is the greatest of all rewards. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!