SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Hebrews 3.

Scripture

“But encourage one another day after day as long as it is still called, “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” –Hebrews 3:13

Observation

Sin is deceitful. It lies to us. It tricks us.
Sin hardens our heart. It makes us calloused and insensitive to God.
Sin springs from an evil, unbelieving heart (vs. 12)
We need encouragement from one another. Also, as we encourage others, we become encouraged ourselves.
We need DAILY encouragement.

Application

I need to encourage others every day I need the social interaction where I both give and receive from others who are actively seeking the LORD. I must proactively make opportunities for this to happen.

Prayer

Father, I acknowledge that my heart is a very delicate thing which can easily drift, become hard and unbelieving. Keeping a tender, faithful and believing heart must be my number one priority. Help me guard my heart diligently by both giving and receiving daily encouragement in the ways of the Lord!

For Your glory I pray this, Amen.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Hebrews 4.

Scripture

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.” –Hebrews 4:13

Observation

God sees everything and everyone. We can’t hide from Him. Using words like “naked” and “exposed” make us so vulnerable, but that is what the Judgment will be like. We will have nowhere to hide, and we will be all alone when we stand before Him on that Day to give an account for our lives.

Application

God sees me always. He sees everything I do in public and in private. He even sees deep into my heart. Realizing this is such a motivation to holy living. I truly believe it impossible to sin if I thought God was actually there and that whenever we sin, we are temporarily being an atheist. I must also help others realize that God is always there and always watching.

Prayer

Father, it is a fearful thing to realize my entire life is naked and exposed before You. But because of Jesus’ sacrifice, this is now a place of peace and security for me. Help me to daily live in light of Your presence and help others to do so as well. This is reality!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Here is a guest SOAP journal from Mandy, Administrative Assistant for TSCM.

SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 17.

Scripture

“As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with you.” –Psalm 17:15

Observation

David is praying for deliverance from the wicked–men of the world whose portion is in this life. David ends the Psalm with, “I shall be satisfied with you.”

Application

Be satisfied with God and His likeness more than the things of this world or in this life. Make quality time (daily) for God and sit at His feet.

Prayer

Lord, help me to love You more. You are enough. There are people and things in this life that I love, but help me to love YOU more and to be satisfied with You.

Thank You, Lord, for your love and mercy. Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Hebrews 2.

Scripture

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so we do not drift away from it.” –Hebrews 2:1

Observation

For what reason? Because God has spoken to us in His Son (chapter 1). This message of the Son is of greater importance than that of angels, prophets or law-givers. This is God’s ULTIMATE message of salvation in His Son.

Most Christians don’t simply abandon the Lord in one dramatic step. They DRIFT away from the Lord little by little, not realizing what is happening until it’s too late. Therefore, we must pay very close attention to where we stand with the Lord and regularly check our bearings.

Application

Daily seeking the Lord is the ONE ESSENTIAL THING to prevent drifting away from Him. The world’s temptations are so subtle. Seek Him and listen to Him with extraordinary care.

Prayer

Father, keeping my soul close to You is the one thing that matters most. It’s so easy to drift–to be captured by the lure of the world. Help me guard my heart and listen carefully to Your word–to keep close to You always. Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Luke 10.

Scripture

“But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Observation

One thing is NECESSARY. We must choose to do the one thing. Martha was worried and distracted by so many other things–perhaps good things–but Mary chose the one necessary thing, and for this, she was commended by Jesus.

Worry and anxiety in life seems to come when we fail to choose the one necessary thing.

Application

It’s so easy in life to NOT choose the one necessary thing–sitting at the Lord’s feet and hearing from Him. Even good things crowd out this necessary priority. My application: do this one thing FIRST and then move on to other things.

Prayer

Father, like Martha, I get distracted by so many things. Forgive me for this subtle way in which I take ownership of my life. I belong to You, and I should be listening to You everyday–sitting at your feet–doing the one necessary thing FIRST. And this because I love You!

Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Titus 1.

Scripture

“For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” –Titus 1:10-11

Observation

There are things that should not be taught, and we should 1) not listen to them and 2) seek to silence the empty talkers and rebellious people. There are many teachers like this–deceivers–and their false teaching upsets and confuses genuine people who are seeking truth. Money is often the reason these false teachers say what they do.

Application

It’s commonly believed that all people can process and handle all information, but this is not true. Many sincere people get confused when they hear false doctrine. False teachers are really good at deceiving others.

“Censorship” is seen as such a terrible thing that people pendulum swing and think they should read/see/hear everything without any boundaries imposed either by themselves or people who watch over their souls. What a clever strategy of the evil one to pollute our souls with false teaching.

That being said, we can’t “silence” our culture–we must “out-preach” it. But we must silence false teachers from the church and our homes.

Prayer

Father, our world is engaged in a “Truth War.” Evil, rebellious men are deceiving millions. Might Your church out-preach false teachers outside the church and silence false teachers within the church. Please use me as a mighty weapon in the Truth War. And in doing so, be glorified in me, Your servant. Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 63.

Scripture

“I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night.” –Psalm 63:6

Observation

At times, David awoke in the night. At such times, his thoughts went to God and His Word.

Application

Sometimes I wake in the night and am too awake to fall back to sleep. Grabbing my iPad and reading stuff that doesn’t require me to think helps me fall back asleep–stuff like the news or Facebook. But their sites can simply be distractions.

Perhaps God has awoken me and wants me to meditate on Him or His word. Perhaps He wants to speak to me in the still darkness of the night. So my application: think about the Lord when I lie awake at night.

Prayer

Father, thank You for giving me good, peaceful sleep. It’s one of Your gifts to me. Help me to recognize and remember that in times I awake in the middle of the night, it is You who has awakened me. You have something to say to me. You want me to listen and mediate on You and Your word.
It’s so easy to grab my iPad and read what men are saying; help me instead to tune my heart to hear You.

I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading 1 Thessalonians 1.

Scripture

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” –1 Thessalonians 1:5

Observation

The gospel is powerful when it comes with a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. We must preach with conviction. When peached without power and conviction, it lacks power.

So often today, the gospel goes out in weakness–presented as merely an option to consider without the full conviction that it is the truth–presented by people whose lives don’t demonstrate a powerful God because their lives haven’t been changed.

Application

Preach with Power. Speak as if I really know this to be true. Speak with Authority–not mine, but God’s! Let my radically changed life be seen.

Prayer

Father, You have radically transformed my life. Let the students see what You have done. As I consider what You’ve done, deepen my conviction and the power with which I speak and preach. Your word is true and is much more than just a suggestion; let me proclaim it with authority, speaking the very utterances of God!

For your glory and in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

My daily journaling from God’s Word. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 44.

Scripture

“You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob.”–Psalm 44:4

Observation

Earlier, the Psalmist talks of how he has heard stories of God working in and through his forefathers. But God seems so far away and removed. So now he prays, “God, show Yourself in my my life as You did in theirs.”

Application

I pray that my interns will see great acts of the Lord this semester. The best stories are yet to be told!

Prayer

O Father, command victories for my interns. Command victories for me. I pray my best stories are yet to come.