Tag Archives: jesus

Who is in your boat?

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
February 25, 2025: SOAP #5563:  Numbers 17-18; Psalm 29; Mark 4

SCRIPTURE:  Mark (NIV) 4:37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

OBSERVATION:   At least three of Jesus disciples were fishermen. (Peter, James and John) Quite probably others were too.  So, as people with knowledge and experience, they knew what a storm could do to a small boat.  They were afraid.  They looked at their environment.  They looked at their boat.  They probably heard fear filled comments of those who were not fishermen.  Surely, they were frantically bailing out the water from the waves breaking over and swamping the boat.  This was a serious situation!   They had every reason to fear.  It would have been unnatural not to fear. 

BUT there was something that could overcome such fear.  Faith!  Not faith in their ability as fishermen, nor faith in people on the shore.  Only faith in Jesus!  …and He was present with them!!!!    He was already in their boat!!! 

APPLICATION:   We all face storms that can swamp our physical bodies, our family relationships, our finances, whatever boat we are in.  We are powerless against them.  We all face trouble that only Jesus can solve. 

Is Jesus in your boat?  You are either in a storm, or a storm will be coming.  We all have faith, but where is your faith?  The object of our faith must be worthy and capable.  Jesus is both!   I invite you to pray with me…

PRAYER:   Lord, I need you in my boat.  You see the things that are beyond my ability.  I place my faith in you to forgive my sins.  Make me clean in my heart and mind.  I set you as the Lord of my life. 

Pastor Leon
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A Well-Used Path!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
February 22, 2025: SOAP #5560:  Numbers 10-11; Psalm 27; Mark 1

SCRIPTURE:  Mark (NIV) 1:2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—3 “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” 4 And so John came,

OBSERVATION:   Mark begins his gospel telling about John the Baptist who had been prophesied in Isaiah 40.  He was to introduce Jesus.  He was to “prepare the way for the Lord,” What caught my attention was the phrase “make straight paths for him.”  One can travel two ways on a path, so, the path would be a way for Jesus to move to the people, and a way for people to move to Jesus. 

Straight speaks to me of being not crooked and level.  It speaks of easing the journey and being able to look and see what is ahead. 

APPLICATION:   For those who have committed their life to Jesus and invited Him to live in their life as Lord, our lives become a path that Jesus can travel to the people around us.  Our lives also becomes a path that our family and friends can travel to Jesus. 

We should make sure our lives are a straight path to Jesus.  We should remove things that may make Jesus hard to see.  Our lives should provide a “straight” path to Jesus, a path without things that block the view of Jesus.  May people quickly and easily see Jesus in all we do, in every conversation and every action. 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, make my life a path that Jesus can easily travel to get to those around me, and that those around me can easily see and get to Jesus.  Lord, may my life be a well-used path between you and those around me.  Amen         

Pastor Leon
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Oh, what a change!!!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
February 2, 2025: SOAP #5540:  Exodus 33-34; Psalm 16; Acts 9

SCRIPTURE:  Acts (NIV) 9:19 …Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who caused havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. 23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him,

OBSERVATION:   What a change!  Paul was on a trip to Damascus to take those who believed in Jesus as prisoner and take them before the religious court, probably to kill them.  That is the way it started, but Jesus interrupted Paul’s trip and Paul came to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah for which the Jews were waiting.  Before leaving Damascus, he preached powerful sermons proving that Jesus is the Christ.  He even became a target of being potentially killed

APPLICATION:  No one can change a life like Jesus!  When He comes into a person’s life and is given the place as Lord, He makes changes!   Our nation is presently undergoing great changes as we have a new president!   Every day, the news has stories about how President Trump has changed something.  But the political changes are small compared to the changes Christ brings to our lives.  2Corinthians 5:17 says “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.  The old has gone, the new is here!”

PRAYER:  Lord, what a special blessing it is to be a “new creation” in you.  Life is not boring with you because every day you have something new for us.  Being faithful in reading your word, in prayer, in consciously being aware of your presence all day long keeps us spiritually alert for a new adventure with you.  Amen.

Pastor Leon
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Programmed for Victory

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
January 23, 2025: SOAP #5529:  Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

SCRIPTURE:  Exodus (NIV) 6:6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’” 9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.

OBSERVATION:   What promises!   And consider who it is that is making these promises!   It is none other than The Creator of the Heavens and Earth!   If anyone had the power to keep such promises, GOD DID!!! 

If God almighty made such a promise to me, I believe I would be shouting, and dancing, and having a happy party!!!  But not the Israelites, no. They were so discouraged, they did not even hear the promises, or Who it was making such great promises!   We often criticize them, but we must be careful. Because we do the same thing!  

APPLICATION:  Knowing us as well as He does, He has given us a whole book filled with His promises!   If we forget we can go back and read them again!  

And knowing us as well as He does, He has given us the Holy Spirit to accompany us throughout our lives!   He accompanies us 24 hours a day.   He teaches up; He reminds us; He guides us!   We are never left alone.  We must apply what we have been given.  

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ who suffered and died in payment for our sins.  We are so blest!    AND thank you for your Word, written and available.  It teaches us to live in victory.  AND thank you for the Holy Spirit!  His presence assures us that we will always have someone to guide us and remind us of what you have said.   Heavenly Father, you have programmed us for victory and you have provided for our victory.  We rejoice.  Amen 

Pastor Leon
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HE made it all; HE lives in me!

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Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
July 04, 2024: SOAP #5327:  2Kings 15-16; Hosea 1; Hebrews 1

SCRIPTURE:  Hebrews (NIV) 1:10 He [God speaking to Jesus] also says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

OBSERVATION:    In these verses, God is speaking through the author of the book of Hebrews the same thing He said through the apostle in John 1:3  “All things were made by him and without Him was not anything made that was made.” 
This work of His hands will perish.  It will wear out like a suit of clothes.  It will all change, but JESUS will never change!   He eternally remains the same! 

APPLICATION:  Pick any day in the future; pick tomorrow, or a day next week, or next year, or 50 years from now, or 1000 years from now…Jesus will be the same!   He will be just as loving then as He was when He died on the cross for our sins.   He will be just as holy then as He was when He paid the price for our sins.  He wants us to know that God loves us!  He wants us to be holy, free from the stains of sin.  Because of His death, He forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness!  (1John 1:9) 
What a mistake to let my attention be captivated by that which is going to change and perish rather than keep my attention focused of Him who never changes!!!  What a mistake to focus on the temporary things rather than on the Eternal One!!! 

Note: Your circumstances have changed. They will change again. Some changes will be better and some worse.  Know that He will use the changes to change you for His glory.  Keep your attention on HIM who never changes.  He is with you and will be with you through all the changes.  Keep your ears open to His voice and your hand in His. He loves you!  Amen

PRAYER:  Lord, whatever happens in this temporary world does not change the truth that you, the unchanging God, have made me your dwelling place.  I can always count on your presence.  “You walk with me, and you talk with me, and you tell me I am your own…”  Amen

Pastor Leon
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