My S.O.A.P. Box: fellowship

Showing posts with label fellowship. Show all posts

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Acts 9:26-28 - Are You A Barnabas?

When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

Have you ever had a poisonous snake as a pet? How about an adult crocodile -- or an un-altered skunk?

No? Probably because you were afraid of them, or not sure you could completely trust them.

What would you do if a known murderer sat next to you in church? Would get up and move . . . to the next city?

We have a natural aversion to dangerous things, and once we know something is dangerous, it is hard for us to accept them as anything else but dangerous!

Imagine what it was like for those in the church in Jerusalem who gathered for prayer only to recognize the "new guy" as being none other than -- , "!"

Luke 13:24-25 - The Party Is Inside!

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.'
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’"

When people get together, it can be enjoyable. A large group of people? -- That’s called a !

No one wants to be left out of the party. You don’t even have to know what the celebration is about to have fun! Some of us just want to be “where the action is” . . . whether we know what the "action" is or not.

Here, urged His followers to do all they could to enter through the narrow door. It would not be easy to pass through -- and once the door was closed -- it would stay closed.

Jesus used this story to suggest that would not be an easy place to enter. It had only one door in . . . a narrow one at that!

My Blog's Purpose

This blog really started out as something simple. I was just trying to keep track of my daily Bible study notes—little thoughts, insights, and questions that came to me as I read. I wanted a way to look back at what I’d learned and remind myself of what God had been teaching me. At first, it was just for me. Then I thought, Why not put these online so I can reach them from anywhere? That’s when I started using Google’s Blogspot.com. Before long, I realized that if I was already writing and sharing online, maybe someone else might benefit from what I was learning too. Maybe my thoughts could encourage someone, or even spark a conversation that would help me understand God’s Word better. That’s really how My S.O.A.P. Box came about. It’s a collection of those reflections—personal thoughts that grew out of my own time in Scripture and in everyday life. They’re not meant to be deep theological studies or scholarly commentaries. They’re simply what happens when an ordinary person sits down with God’s Word and listens. The name comes from the S.O.A.P. Bible study method: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. It’s a simple way to slow down and really engage with what you’re reading. That’s what I try to do in each piece—look at what God is saying, notice what stands out, think about how it applies to my life, and end with prayer. My hope is that as you read through these pages, you’ll be encouraged to spend time in the Word yourself. Maybe something here will speak to your heart, help you grow in your faith, or simply remind you that we’re all learning and walking this journey together. If these thoughts of mine can help you draw a little closer to God, then this blog has done exactly what I hoped it would.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Acts 9:26-28 - Are You A Barnabas?

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Luke 13:24-25 - The Party Is Inside!