SOAPing UP

Yesterday, Jared brought a killer message about SOAP, the method we are using at NLC for personal study of the Bible and for prayer.

A couple disclaimers, first:
-We don't think this is the only way to study the Bible, but it is a great way, especially for people who are new to the Bible.
-We truly hate acronyms around here - even more than the phrase "truly hate" can describe - but this one works and we have to use it because we stole SOAP from someone else (a guy named Wayne Cordiero).

Over the next couple of days, several of us are going to enter our own SOAP journal entries in this blog to give you a feeling for how the process works. Here's mine from this morning:

Scripture (S): "Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6).

Observation (O): "The focus of my mind leads to whether I experience death or whether I experience life and peace"

Application (A): "I need to daily evaluate the focus on my mind - is it on things of flesh or of Spirit? I also need to consider that the mind can be self-deceiving even in considering that question!

Prayer (P): "Lord, this is weighty. Help me to discern thought patterns I have that are of the flesh - to recognize them immediately. Also, please focus my mind on the things of the Spirit - plant those things deep in my mind and heart. Thanks. Amen.

See..that's not so hard, right???