Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 17, 2026:  SOAP #5889   Genesis 42-43; Psalm 5; Luke 17

SCRIPTURE:  Luke (NIV) 17:3  So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

OBSERVATION:  The above passage was not written to the one doing the offense, but to those suffering the offence.  Notice that it does not say “watch him,” but “watch yourselves.”  It does not say, “if you sin,” but “if your brother sins.” 

This is what I am to do.  This is what The Great Forgiver is telling me to do!   I am not to wait until my memory has forgotten the offence, I am to forgive while it is still fresh in my memory.  Forgiveness is a choice; forgetting is a process. 

APPLICATION:  Without forgiveness things can never be truly settled.  It is impossible for the offender to go back and undo what has been done. 

It will take acknowledgment and repentance to settle the issue in the heart of the one doing the offence, but the issue can only be settled in the heart of the offended by forgiveness.  Forgiveness is not looking into the future waiting for the offender to come with repentance.  In fact, when the offender does come, if he does, may he find that he has been long forgiven! 

PRAYER:  Lord, I can forgive because You have already forgiven me.  Lord, I must forgive because you have commanded me to forgive.  In the Lord’s prayer, you taught me to pray for you to forgive me as I forgive others.  And Lord, as The Great Forgiver living inside me, you help me forgive!   I know forgiveness is important to you, and I make it important also to me.  Amen

Pastor Leon Ma
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
November 24, 2025:  SOAP #5835: Matthew 17-19

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 18:23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

OBSERVATION: What a kind master!  It is good to know that the kingdom of heaven is like this king—willing to forgive and cancel debts, even big ones!

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 18:28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.29 “His fellow-servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

APPLICATION:  The servant was not willing to forgive a small debt just as the master had forgiven him the large debt, so the master treated the servant just as he had treated his fellow-servant!  
Note to me: My Heavenly Father will treat me just as this unless I forgive. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, help me be quick to forgive just as I have been forgiven!  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June2, 2025: SOAP #5660: Proverbs 22-24; Romans 14

SCRIPTURE:  Luke  (NIV) 11:2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

OBSERVATION:   After starting our prayer acknowledging God’s holiness and His authority, Jesus then teaches us to pray for personal things. 

We are to ask for our daily needs.  What are the pressing needs of the day?  Tomorrow, when I pray I will ask for tomorrow’s needs, so today I ask for what I need today.  If I was not sure that He would be around tomorrow, I might have to ask for tomorrow’s needs, but He lives inside me and has promised to never leave. 

Our relationship with God is very important to God, and it should be to us!   Sin separates us from God, so it is very important to ask forgiveness.   Forgiveness repairs relationships.  The one doing the offending, can apologize and ask for forgiveness, but only the offended can forgive.  We offend God and ask Him to forgive us.  I hear Jesus saying, “Ask God to forgive your sins in the same way you forgive those who sin against you!”  Clearly this forgiveness and relationship issue is a big deal with God!   

APPLICATION:   My relationship to God is the major priority!  He is the Most Important Person/Being in my life.  Sensing His pleasure in me and what I am doing means that I often must apologize, acknowledge that I have offended Him and asking Him to forgive me.  Thankfully He has promised that if I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness!  (1John 1:9)

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, you are loving and holy.  You provided your Son to die on the cross for those you love.  And when those you love confess their sins, you are faithful to forgive.  Your forgiveness brings peace to my heart and makes me want to serve and please you more.  I pray in Jesus’ Name,  Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
May 01, 2025: SOAP #5628:  1Chronicles 14, 15; Psalm 132; Matthew 18

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew (NIV) 18:32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant just as I had on you?’  34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

OBSERVATION:   Jesus was telling the story of a servant whose master had forgiven him a huge debt.  Later it was reported to the master that this same servant had refused to forgive a much smaller debt and had his debtor thrown in prison until he paid.   The servant did not consider the master’s generosity sufficient to cover the debt the other servant owed him.  The above verses give the master’s response.      

APPLICATION:   The Holy Father God considers Jesus’ death to be more than sufficient payment to cover all my sins against Him.  It honors Him when I consider Jesus’ death to be more than sufficient payment to cover all the sins of others against me!   Forgiven, I forgive! 

To say, “I cannot forgive just as He forgives,” is to ignore the presence of the Great Forgiver living in me!   He is not requiring of us something He has not done for us nor something He will not do through us. 

REMEMBER: Forgiving is a choice; forgetting is a process!  When I remember an offence, I must remember it as forgiven and use it as an opportunity to give praise to God for what He has done for me.

PRAYER:   Lord, I “show forth your death” when I consider your death as sufficient payment for sins against me.  May you be glorified in my life.   Amen

Pastor Leon
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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
April 07, 2025: SOAP #5604:  1Samuel 1-2; Psalm 66; 2Corinthians 7

SCRIPTURE:  2Corinthians (NIV) 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  

OBSERVATION:   Most of us do not consider sorrow something good, but it can be the road out of trouble.  Godly sorrow takes responsibility for our actions and seeks forgiveness.  Taking responsibility and apologizing opens the door for those offended to forgive.  And most important, for God to forgive! 

Worldly sorrow, however, blames others and refuses to take ownership.  It is not our fault.  Someone else made us do it.  We are sorry we got caught or sorry for the results that came our way, but not because we did it. 

APPLICATION:   It is wonderful that God is so willing to forgive and restore friendship with us.   For me to receive His forgiveness, I must take responsibility for what I have done.  When I cannot admit that I have sinned, I cannot experience the joy of His forgiveness and restoration.  But when I do, I have His promise of forgiveness.  (1John 1:9) 

We find that confession is the first step on the road out of trouble!  And when we take the first step, we find that He is right there waiting for us!   All the time we wasted while He was just one step away!  And then He walks with me on the rest of the road out of trouble. 

PRAYER:   Lord, I know that you are the only One who can truly forgive and remove the guilt of sin.  I want to be quick to apologize, to be quick to admit that I have sinned.  1John 1:9 says that if I confess my sins, you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.      Amen

Pastor Leon
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