S.O.A.P.
Journal
Introduction to the Book of Colossians
from The Message
Hardly anyone who hears the full story of Jesus and learns the
true facts of His life and teaching, crucifixion and resurrection,
walks away with a shrug of the shoulders, dismissing Him as
unimportant. People ignorant of the story or misinformed about
it, of course, regularly dismiss Him. But with few exceptions,
the others know instinctively that they are dealing with a most
remarkable greatness.
But it is quite common for those who consider Him truly important
to include others who seem to be equally important in his
company: Buddha, Moses, Socrates, and Muhammad for a
historical start, along with some personal favorites. For these
people, Jesus is important, but not central; His prestige is
considerable, but He is not preeminent.
The Christians in the town of Colosse, or at least some of them,
seem to have been taking this line. For them, cosmic forces of
one sort or another were getting equal billing with Jesus. Paul
writes to them in an attempt to restore Jesus, the Messiah, to the
center of their lives.
The way he makes his argument is as significant as the argument
he makes. Claims for the uniqueness of Jesus are common
enough. But such claims about Jesus are frequently made with
an arrogance that is completely incompatible with Jesus himself.
Sometimes the claims are enforced with violence.
But Paul, although unswervingly confident in the conviction that
Christ occupies the center of creation and salvation without
peers, is not arrogant. And he is certainly not violent. He argues
from a position of rooted humility. He writes with the energies of
most considerate love. He exhibits again what Christians have
come to appreciate so much in Paul--the wedding of a brilliant and
unco promising intellect with a heart that is warmly and
wonderfully kind.
------------------What might this letter to the Colossians have to teach
us about the uniqueness of Jesus? And what does it
say about our true identity, Who we really think we are!
1.
What is S.O.A.P?
S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and
Prayer. It is a way of getting more out of your time in God’s word.
We did not invent it; we just decided to share it with you and provide a notebook so you can try it out.
How to use S.O.A.P.:
You’ll need three items (Bible/Bible App, Pen & S.O.A.P. Journal)
to S.O.A.P. each day!
Some notes about Bibles:
•We typically use the NIV translation of the Bible, but
want you to use whatever translation helps you the most. It
sometimes helps to look at a couple translations.
• If you do not own a Bible, or a Bible in a translation that
makes sense to you, please take one from us! They are
located in the chairs and in the Info Centers at all three LFC
locations.
Scripture
Open your Bible/Bible App to your reading for the day - noted on
the top of each page. Take your time reading and allow God to
speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly
spoke to you that day and write it down.
Observation
What are one or two things this passage is intended to teach us?
Ask the Holy Spirit to teach and reveal to you more about Jesus
and more about yourself. Write down what strikes you most--a
word, a phrase, an idea, a situation.
Application
Personalize what you have read by asking yourself how it applies
to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement,
a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life.
Write how this scripture can apply to you today.
Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture,
or even a prayer for a greater insight on what He may be revealing
to you. Write your prayer out.
Check out the S.O.A.P. example on the next page....
2.
How to S.O.A.P
SAMPLE SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:18-4:1
18 Wives, submit to your husbands in a way that is appropriate in the Lord. 19
Husbands, love your wives and don’t be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your
parents in everything, because this pleases the Lord. 21 Parents, don’t provoke
your children in a way that ends up discouraging them. 22 Slaves, obey your
masters on earth in everything. Don’t just obey like people pleasers when they
are watching. Instead, obey with the single motivation of fearing the Lord. 23
Whatever you do, do it with all your heart for the Lord and not for people. 24
You know that you will receive an inheritance as a reward. You serve the Lord
Christ. 25 But evildoers will receive their reward for their evil actions. There is
no discrimination. 4:1 Masters, be just and fair to your slaves, knowing that you
yourselves have a master in heaven.
Boy, if I hadn’t read the first part of this chapter,
I might be put off by all of the ‘do’s’ and commands and such. and I had
to stop and regroup so as not to get tied up in the whole ‘women submit’
and ‘slaves obey.’ this isn’t the crux of the passage. in the first part of
Colossians 3, the ground work for all these practical commands is laid out.
‘above all put on love, which binds us all together in perfect unity.’ For me
the KEY VERSE is v 23... ‘Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, for
the Lord and not for people...You serve the Lord Christ.’
OBSERVATION:
Whatever I do, I do it as to Christ? for him? With all
my heart?? So I made a list of all the things I did today--and not once
(until now) did I say ‘Jesus, I’m doing this for you.’ Yikes. How can I have an
attitude of ‘everything I do, I do from my heart. for you Jesus. Even the
most mundane and unpleasant of things. Brings to mind the idea of an
audience of One. Shifting my focus off of the circumstance (whining
kids, boss, spouse, co-worker...) and reminding myself I am doing it with
for Jesus and also WITH ALL MY HEART. That’s hard. But hopefully being
mindful of this verse will cause me to pause and remember and shift.
APPLICATION:
Lord, I am turning my gaze to you. to who you are as described in the Bible and as seen in the people who love you all around me.
give me the strength, the desire, and the focus to do whatever my day
holds today with all my heart. giving my best effort, my kindest word,
my most patient waiting, etc--because I am doing all of it, the important
and ordinary for you. Amen.
PRAYER:
3.
SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:1-8
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:9-14
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:15-20
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:21-23
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:24-29
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:1-5
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:6-12
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:13-15
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:16-19
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:20-23
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:1-11
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:12-17
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:18-4:1
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 4:2-6
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SCRIPTURE: Colossians 4:7-18
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18.
APPS FOR YOUR SMARTPHONE:
Bible by LifeChurch.tv (free)
- an online Bible with many different translations.
There are also several reading plans that can help you choose scriptures to S.O.A.P.
Bible Gateway by HarperCollins (free)
- another online Bible with a lot of translations and reading plans.
There are also several commentaries, dictionaries,
and encyclopedias to access.
S.O.A.P.- Your Bible Study Journal
by Brandon Trebitowski ($1.99)
- for people who enjoy online journaling.
You have your own scripture reference. This is
basically just an online notebook with the King James Bible for you to access.
WEBSITES:
Bible Gateway
- also has an online version with the same
information as the app.
https://www.biblegateway.com/
Bible Study Tools
- another online study, reading & commentary site.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/
19.