Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 14, 2026: SOAP #6098: Jeremiah 16-17; Psalm 96; John 16

(I am repeating this devotion from last year.  We have about 200,000 new believers who receive the SOAPs; many who do not have a Bible. It is important that they learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to them.)

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you….
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

OBSERVATION:   Jesus was preparing the disciples for His departure.  After His crucifixion and resurrection, He only remained on earth for 40 days, and then returned to heaven.  He told them that it was good for them that He was going!  That must have been hard for them to accept, but He told them why it would be good for them.  When He left, the Holy Spirit would be sent to them. 

It would be good for them because God the Holy Spirit would not have the limitations that God the Son had to accept in order to be crucified for our sins.  The Holy Spirit would not be limited by a physical body.  He would remain omnipresent and could be with each disciple 24 hours every day! 

They would not have to wait until Jesus arrived, or go find his location, the Holy Spirit would make each believer’s heart His home!   Through the ministry and presence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is always with us! 

APPLICATION:   When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts.  Jesus spoke of Him as “another counsellor.”  (John 14:16)  Jesus was leaving, but He was not going to leave the disciples without someone like Himself to walk with them through this world.  He had been with them when they were together, but the Holy Spirit would be IN them!   Really, this was so much better. 

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, I need you to guide my thoughts as I write these SOAPs.  And I pray for each reader.  Speak to them so that they learn to hear your voice in their heart and mind.  Reveal truth to them so that they may grow stronger each day.   Amen

Pastor Leon

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 13, 2026: SOAP #6097: Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

OBSERVATION:  Who can understand the love of God!  God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only Son!   God the Father so loved His Son that He sent Him to win a family of sons in His Beloved Son’s image.

Amazing!  And here the Son says that He loves us the same way His Father loves Him!   Not only are we loved by the Father, we are also loved by the Son!

In response to being loved, we love.  And we always desire to bring joy to the one we love.  It becomes our goal. 

APPLICATION: And because we love Him, doing His will becomes the source of our joy!

Our goal:  to make Jesus smile! 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, you know the Father so much better than I do and have known Him so much longer than I have.  Please help me bring joy to the Father’s heart.  Show me what I can do that will not only please Him but also bring Him much joy.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 12, 2026: SOAP #6096: Jeremiah 10-12; John 14

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me. 
John (NIV) 14:30  I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming.  He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. 

OBSERVATION:   In the first verse (John 12:26) the love the Father has for His Son is seen in that He honors those who serve His special Son. 

In the second verse (John 14:30-31) the love Jesus had for His Father would be easily seen by those around Him.   The intensity of the suffering he would endure was proof of His love for His Father and His willingness to do as commanded in spite of personal suffering.  Oh, how Jesus loves His Father!   

APPLICATION:   I always walk in the love my Heavenly Father has for me.  And the love I have in my heart for my Savior can be easily seen by others when they see me doing what He directs even when it takes me through tough times.   

Note: Children are blessed when they are caught in the middle of two great loves.  When their father has a committed love for their mother, and their mother has a committed love for their father.  A child will grow and flourish in such a loving environment. 

PRAYER:  Lord, it is special when I get a glimpse of the love you have for your Father and the love He has for you. I am blest to find myself right in the middle!  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August11, 2026: SOAP #6095: Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 13:1 …Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.  … 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 

OBSERVATION:  Jesus knew that the culmination of His time was just before Him.  He knew He had come from God and was soon to return to His place in the heavens—so what did He do?   Did he force His authority on them?  Did He take charge and give orders?  Did He impress them by making sure they understood just who He was? 

SCRIPTURE: John (NIV) 13:4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  5 After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 

OBSERVATION:  He knew who He was, yet He took the position and responsibility of a servant. 

APPLICATION: When I know who I am, I become a better servant.  There is no need for me to impress others with my importance. 

The One who lives within me came to serve.  Knowing that the Creator God lives by His Spirit within me, should not make me arrogant, or demanding, or pushy.   The authority I have in His name is given to me for the purpose of making me a better servant.   

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, I want to please you by being like Your Son, Jesus.  Holy Spirit, help me to serve others like Jesus did.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August10, 2026: SOAP #6094: Jeremiah 5-6; John 12

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 12: [Jesus speaking] 49 “I did not speak on my own.  The Father who sent me commanded me what to say.  He also told me how to say it. 
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life.  So, everything I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”         

OBSERVATION:  Jesus was sent into the world to represent the Father.  In these verses we see that Jesus was not only careful about at WHAT said, but also about HOW he said it.  I have been taught that there are three parts to communication.  First, there are the words we say.  Second is our tone of voice.  And third is our body language.  Tone of voice and body language actually communicate more of a message than the words we use. 

When someone in an argument is accused of saying something they often respond, “…but I said…” and they repeat it word for word.  In my mind I say, “you should to listen to what the other person said they heard.”  In listening to your tone of voice and in watching your face and hands, they got a message.  It may not be the message you wanted to send, but they got it. 

APPLICATION: Like Jesus, I need to communicate the Father’s message carefully.  I must understand what he wants me to say, and then say it in a way that communicates his message clearly.   I want my tone of voice and actions to communicate the same message as my words.      

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, I need you to help me to fully communicate the love God has for those nearby and the holiness he desires.  Knowing that the message given me has the potential of leading to eternal life, use my whole being to communicate.  May my words, my tone of voice, and my actions all communicate the same message.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 09, 2026: SOAP #6093: Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

SCRIPTURE:  John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”…
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

OBSERVATION:  It is good for us to quickly understand that Jesus’ love for us does not always mean that he will do what we want when we want it.  His actions may seem to us that he has ignored our request or not taken it very seriously.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  He loves us!  Even in this passage that fact is repeated in verse five. These were people that Jesus loved!  They were important to him!

I wonder if at least one of the disciples had the thought, “Jesus, you sure missed it this time.  You said this sickness would not end in death.”  For those of us who now know the rest of the story we see that the end result was not death but death was one step in the pathway that led to “God’s glory.”

For the Christian, nothing ends in death!!!

APPLICATION: I can trust the Lord.  I may not understand why He does some things or the way He does them, but I can trust Him.  Everything I know about Him tells me I can trust Him.  I can trust his love for me! 

Even my physical death will be but one step that into God’s presence! 

PRAYER:  Lord, when you do not do what I want, or do it when I want it, I still know I can trust you.  Your love for me never changes.  Amen. 

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 06, 2026: SOAP #6090: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

SCRIPTURE: John (NIV) 8:2 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

OBSERVATION: In this passage we see that Jesus carefully did what the Father directed; He was sent by the Father. He was here to do the Father’s will.

Note that the One who sent Him, was also with Him. According to His own words, “He was not left alone.” The Heavenly Father was with Jesus.

Jesus was aware of the presence of the Omnipresent God. Even as he laid aside His deity to live as a man on earth, he had fellowship with His Father. He often spoke to and with Him. His awareness of the presence of His Heavenly Father can be seen in many places.

APPLICATION: As Jesus did not live His life on His own, so He has designed that I do not live my life on my own. He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. He has sent His Holy Spirit to empower me to minister to others in His name. I am not here on my own. Jesus and the Father have made me their dwelling! (John 14:23) My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit!

Jesus did not drop me off, leave me on my own, promise to check up on me from time to time, and finally promise to return later to take me where He lives. He placed me here; He remains with me; He does His work through me.

PRAYER: Jesus, it is you and me—we are in this together! My desire—to always do what pleases you! Amen

Pastor Leon
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