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

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Romans 12:2 - Think Outside the Box

, but . Then you will be able to test and approve what is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “?”

This is Paul’s version.

Having a is sometimes the hardest part of thinking. It tends to have you thinking about the expected answer without looking at the situation clearly.

“.”

Paul is telling the Romans to be careful about being so closely conformed to the desires -- expectations -- values -- and traditions of this world. If they (or we) have the world in their (our) hearts, then it will be all too easy to -- -- -- gloss over the times they (we) stray from God’s Will.

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.