Since the challenge on Sunday to gain Godly wisdom, many have shared what God has already shown you through His Word. One grandmother told me her daughter-in-law is taking her 6yr. old twin girls through it, asking their mom to not stop reading.
I linked Pastor Wayne Cordeiro's (New Hope Community Fellowship, Honolulu Hawaii) S.O.A.P method with the parable of ten virgins (5 wise and 5 foolish). The gathering of wisdom causes our light to shine brighter and gives a never ending reservoir of wisdom's oil.
Here's the short of the message:
1. We must know the difference between planning and preparation (God plans, man prepares)
2. Preparation positions us to fulfill God's plans
3. The gathering of wisdom is a part of God's preparation for us.
4. Enter the S.O.A.P method for attaining wisdom in our lives.
Bring a Bible (devotionals, while good, are not a substitute for our reading the Word of God)
Bring a Pen
Bring a Reading Program (systematically read through the Bible)
Bring a Journal
S = Scripture: Choose a verse or two through which God is speaking to you
O = Observation: what God is saying here?
A = Application: What is God saying to you?
P = Prayer: write a prayer solidifying it in your heart.
Please share with me your stories as a result of taking this 30 day challenge through this blog, or by emailing me: daholck@peopleschurch.org
Proverbs 18:4 reads, "A wise man's words express deep streams of thought." (LB)
Be blessed! Be in God's Word. Drill deep. Be filled with God's wisdom!
Doug
2 comments:
Hello Pastor,
Last week I did the SOAP challenge as you suggested. The Scripture was the book of Jonah. I read chapters 1-4 Jonah was upset at the Lord because He sent Jonah out of his own country and out of his comfort zone even though he knew that the Lord would have mercy on those people (Chapter 4:2) so he was very angry when the Lord had mercy on them. The Observation was rebellion, pride and arguing with the Lord and an unwillingness to obey him. This had consequences and hurt other people (the men that were in the same ship as Jonah). The Application for me was that I was rebelling against the will of God in an area of my life. I wasn't accepting his plan for my life with rejoicing in my heart. This trial hurts like crazy. However, I am having to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ without understanding fully why He hasn't answered my prayer. I have obeyed him begrudgingly. I have fought the suffering He has allowed and that made it hurt even more. Instead I needed to see it as Him pruning me, purging me and making me a vessel for His glory. I realized I am to rejoice in my suffering knowing that He is making me in His likeness and that He will perfect that which concerns me. I think of the cross when Jesus said He was thirsty and He was given vinegar to drink, this is reminiscent of the bitter experiences I have had in my life but He has always quenched my thirst, He was there at the deepest darkest moment of despair and has never failed me. The Prayer was that the Lord would help me be childlike instead of childish. To stop striving with my maker (Isa 45:9) who am I to challenge His ways and His wisdom? This was my prayer and since I prayed the pain has minimized considerably. It's still there but it doesn't consume me anymore. Hard times are a bit like swimming in a turbulent sea. Being amongst the waves is hard but if I submit and submerge below the waves with my Lord I will be protected and I can experience the calm and the inner peace that He provides because His grace is always sufficient. Surely His ways are not our ways and His thoughts higher (Isa 55:8). My job isn't to understand but to trust and obey as the old Hymn says. It is amazing what the Lord revealed to me through SOAP, I definitely needed to be washed of that rebellion and pride I had eating away in my heart. God bless you Pastor thank you for inviting us to share what we learned in your blog.
Hi Victoria,
Thanks for sharing what you've been learning. Great observations and application. Just today I was talking with Carol about God's plan for our lives and for the church, wanting to make sure his will is being in ALL things. I like your "childlike instead of childish" comment! There is quite a difference. Keep up the reading! Blessings, Ps doug
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