SOAP

January 5th 2025

Series: 8 Habits of a Fully Devoted Christian

Sermon Title: Bible & Prayer

Topic: The importance of studying our Bible and praying consistently.

Key Passages: Matthew 23:27

Sermon Blurb: In this message, we will learn how God gave us the Bible and then how to study it and pray using a simple method called SOAP.

***1st week ODD months add communion & target message at 15 pages.

***1st week EVEN months add space for dedication, baptism, or ministry highlight & target message at 15 pages.

***Green in sermons means illustration, something we are looking for a response from, and/or a picture that goes on the screens.

***Yellow means what is yellow will be on the screens and in the handout.

Dedication, Baptism, or Ministry Highlight (1st Sunday, even months):

Sermon

Hello Family Church!!!

Welcome to Family Church… whether you are here in person or watching online…

Family Moment

Celebrate salvation / re-dedications / baptisms last week.

We are so glad you are with us today.

As we start this new year, we are also starting a new series.

If you are new, or newer, to Family Church, you might not know this, but every January, we have the same focus at Family Church.

As we start every year, we always look at Habits that are critical to being fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

We do this on an annual basis because we believe it is so important that we do not forget these things.

PAUSE

So let me walk you through what you can expect this month.

This week, week 1, we will look at the importance of reading our Bible and prayer.

We will also talk about how to study the Bible and how to pray.

You will walk out of church today knowing how God brought us the Bible and how to begin to study it.

You will also learn how God taught us how to pray.

So, hopefully, as you go into next week, you can begin to apply what you learned this week.

In week 2, we will examine the benefits of serving and being in the community.

In week 3, we will look at how we can be transformed by becoming generous people and fasting.

We will wrap up the month in week 4 by looking at Jesus' call to be disciples who make disciples.

This month we will learn the 8 Habits of being a fully devoted Christian.

Our goal is for everyone at Family Church to be a healthy follower of Jesus.

We hope that you will walk away from church every week this month with some additional things you can put into practice right away.

PAUSE

Let’s start by defining what a habit is…

Write this down:

HABITS are ingrained actions that have become natural because of continued repetition.

Repeat

So, here is our Acronym for the series.

It’s an acronym for the word HABITS…and it shows us, in order, the topics we’re going to be discussing over these weeks.

On the screen AND in notes

H – Holy Bible A – Abundant Prayer B – Beneficial Serving I – Intentional Community T – Transformational Generosity S – Sacrificial Fasting F – Fruitful Disciple-Making C – Continual Coaching

Do you see what we did there?

Habits at FC or Family Church!

PAUSE

Now, let’s start by talking about how God brought us the Bible, how to study it, and how to make that into a HABIT!

I know there are people here who have never opened a Bible, and if that is you today, I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE!

I also realize that many of us in the room have been in church our whole lives but do NOT know much about the Bible.

Now you will notice I put a big blank spot in your sermon notes that says Bible Stuff:

Bible Stuff:

The reason for that is that today, we are going to provide an overview of the history of the Bible to help us all get on the same page.

That space allows you to write down what you didn’t know or to write down something you find interesting to study later.

PAUSE

Let’s talk about how God brought the Bible to us.

It started thousands of years ago, somewhere between fourteen hundred and fifteen hundred B.C.

BC means BEFORE Jesus Christ lived…. AKA 20252 + another 1500 years ago would be approximately when the Bible stories began to be written down.

God started the whole thing when He wrote the Ten Commandments on stone in a language called Hebrew.

There is a picture of what this would have looked like on the screens (tablets).

Over the next thousand years or so, scripture was recorded on scrolls made of animal skins. A scribe might use the skin of a deer, a cow, or a sheep.

Here is a Picture (scroll)

PAUSE

By approximately 500 B.C., or about 2,525 years ago, the 39 books that we know today as the Old Testament were completed and continued to be preserved in Hebrew on scrolls.

PAUSE

The New Testament was completed by the end of the First Century A.D. and preserved in the Greek language on papyrus, a thin paper-like material made from crushed and flattened stalks of a reed-like plant.

Here is a picture of what that looked like (papyrus)

In the year 367 A.D., the Bishop of Alexandria, a guy by the name of Athenasius, wrote his Easter letter and in it, he listed all of the books that you read today in the New Testament.

Then, in the year 393 A.D., a group of church leaders gathered, and they approved all of the books that you find listed as the New Testament today.

By the year 500 A.D., the Bible was widely translated into other languages.

PAUSE

In the late 1300s, God used John Wycliffe to do tremendous things, one of which was translating the Bible into the English language.

PAUSE

The Bible contains 66 distinct books, Psalms, and letters, divided between the Old and New Testaments.

But it is one book.

The Bible was inspired by God and given through His Holy Spirit to over 40 authors from all walks of life like: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings.

Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book, which can only be explained by God inspiring all those writers.

PAUSE

Some of you might wonder, “What is the oldest almost-complete manuscript of the Bible now in existence?”

Here is picture of that.

The Codex Vaticanus, which dates from the first half of the fourth Century is located in the library of the Vatican in Rome.

However, older fragments of the Bible are still preserved—the oldest being a tiny scrap of the Gospel of John found in Egypt at the beginning of the second century.

PAUSE

If you are not aware….The Bible you are hold in your hands…..it is still the #1 selling book of all time.

More Bibles are printed every year than any other book in the WORLD.

The Bible has been translated into over 3,300+ languages.

The second most translated book is a French book called the little prince at 579 languages…

Coming in 3rd is The Adventures of Pinocchio at 240!

NO other religion in the world can say the same things I just said.

Let’s put it in perspective.

Muslims holy book is the Quran which is not more popular than Alice in Wonderland….

The Book of Mormon is not as famous as the Communist Manifesto…

Kabul is a fast-growing religion in America but has yet to surpass The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

PAUSE

So…Let’s talk about how to study the Bible.

And we are going to give you a study method that ties to your life and could serve as an amazing reminder every day!

Let’s see…

How many of you use Soap every day?

Raise those hands…

Now look around you and see whose hand is not up and make a note to NEVER shake their hand!

Studying the Bible is just like Soap….

Let me show you…

Put the SOAP slide up.

How to study the Bible:

S – Scripture O – Observation A – Application P – Prayer

I hope that every time you use SOAP in the days ahead, it reminds you to study your Bible and Pray!

Now, let’s unpack each of these steps.

S – Scripture: Read a passage in the Bible, and write out what speaks to you.

The first step in the SOAP method is Scripture.

This involves selecting a passage from the Bible and reading it thoroughly.

The Bible serves as the foundation for the entire study process.

I would encourage you to read the passage slowly and thoughtfully.

If you are just focusing on a verse or two…

Write out the whole verse.

That can help you learn it and think about it.

If you are reading a chapter or longer passage.

Once you are done, write down what you think God is trying to speak to you through that story.

PAUSE

O – Observation: What stood out to you about the verse? Were there any commands or instructions? What do you think God is communicating?

In the Observation step, take time to dive deeper into what you read.

Note any interesting details, repeated words or themes, and anything that stands out.

This step involves asking questions such as:

While you observe, ask: Who, what, where, when, and why?

Who is the Bible talking about?

Who is the main character?

What is happening in the passage?

What was going on in that culture?

What were their struggles.

What are the key messages or themes?

Where did this happen?

When did this happen?

Why did God put this story in the Bible?

And when you really begin to understand the who, what, when, where, and why, God’s word will really jump out of the pages and into your life!!!

This will help reveal a lot of things to you.

Again, I would encourage you to write down your observations because it helps you process and retain what you read.

PAUSE

A – Application: How can you apply what you learned to your life? How can you live in light of this truth?

Now this one should not be a shocker to anyone who has been at Family Church for some time because we end EVERY message with a life application…

But when you study the Bible…

Step three is application.

Consider how the passage applies to your life.

Don’t think about it just for the people the story is about.

Think about yourself.

Your life.

Is there a practical way you could implement the teachings or insights gained from the Bible into your life?

To help find a life application, ask:

• How does this passage relate to my life right now?

• What changes do I need to make in my behavior, thoughts, or attitudes to align with the Bible?

• What action steps can I take to apply this scripture?

Be specific…

Make concrete actions.

PAUSE

And last but not least….

P – Pray: Ask God to help you apply this scripture to your life and spend time listening to what He may be telling you.

The final step is Prayer.

This step involves responding to God based on what has been learned and observed.

Thank God for the insights you have gained.

Confess any sins or shortcomings revealed by the scripture.

Ask for help in applying the lessons learned.

This step solidifies the study and connects the participant's heart and mind with God.

PAUSE

So, with our time left today….

Let’s practice what we just learned!

Does anyone want to try out the SOAP?

Get it….

No…

Bad joke….

Grab your Bible… open to the Book of

Matthew 23:27

New Person Bible Connection:

If you do not have a Bible, that is ok!

After service, we will give you an AMAZING leather-bound study Bible!

Just go to ADD YOUR CAMPUS PLACE and get one for FREE!!

S – Scripture: Read a passage in the Bible, and write out what speaks to you.

So let’s read this passage….

Matthew 23:27 Woe to you, teachers of the laws and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, you are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.

Let’s read it again…slowly…

Matthew 23:27 Woe to you, teachers of the laws and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, you are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.

Now…for me, as I think about what God is trying to speak to me…personally…

To me, that sounds like for teachers or a leader…like me, to be real.

To NOT be a hypocrite who says one thing and does another.

PAUSE

O – Observation: What stood out to you about the verse? Were there any commands or instructions? What do you think God is communicating?

Let’s dive deeper…

Remember…look at your notes….

While you observe, ask: Who, what, where, when, and why?

Who is the Bible talking about?

Who is the main character?

Seems to be teachers of the laws and Pharisees to me.

What is happening in the passage?

Jesus is confronting leaders.

What was going on in that culture?

The leaders must have been acting like hypocrits.

What were their struggles.

They were living a double life.

What are the key messages or themes?

Seems like the end means it matters more what is on the inside then the outside.

Where did this happen?

This happened in Israel….

When did this happen?

Thousands of years ago…

Why did God put this story in the Bible?

I would say because God does not like fake people.

PAUSE

A – Application: How can you apply what you learned to your life? How can you live in light of this truth?

How does this passage relate to my life right now?

Well…I am a religious leader…so this definitely ties to me.

What changes do I need to make in my behavior, thoughts, or attitudes to align with the Bible?

I mean, my application would be to be the same person on both the inside and outside.

To make sure that I am the same leader with all people.

That I do not fake it and be real all the time.…

What action steps can I take to apply this scripture?

I could ask my wife and kids to call me out if they see me not being real.

I mean they know me better than anyone after all.

PAUSE

And last but not least….

P – Pray: Ask God to help you apply this scripture to your life and spend time listening to what He may be telling you.

The final step is Prayer.

This step involves responding to God based on what has been learned and observed.

So let’s pray….

God, thank you for the insights into being a real person.

God, forgive me for the times when I feel like I cannot be real and nee to put on a fake face.

God help me apply this into my life.

PAUSE

DONE!!!!

See how easy that was church?

Anyone can do that!

PAUSE

So, to help you practice this in the coming year….

As you exit today!

We have a present for EVERYONE!!!

Does anyone want to guess what it is????

That’s right, your own SOAP to remind you!!!!

PAUSE

Life Application: Commit today to try to study your Bible and praying more this year. As a result of today’s message, I Will __________________

Communion (1st Sunday, odd months)

Communion Flow #1 – January, July

Today, as we prepare to take communion.

I want you to understand you are called to serve.

The greatest servant ever was Jesus…. Jesus left Heaven…. to come to earth and give His life for us….

to become the bridge for our sins….

to take on our sins so we can be forgiven and enter into a perfect heaven.

That is why we take communion….to remember Jesus and what he did for us!

We believe and confess that our Savior Jesus Christ has ordained and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper to nourish and sustain those who are already grafted into his family, into his church . . .

Communion, is a means of grace for nourishing and strengthening disciples of Christ.

And to prepare our hearts to take communion I would like us all to raise and read the Apostles Creed together.

What I would like us to do is do a responsive reading now…to prepare our hearts to receive communion….

For those of you who are newer to the church, this is a creed that the church has memorized and stated for thousands of years.

On Screens, read aloud togather:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead;

he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;

from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

You may be seated.

As we prepare to take communion,, I want to let you know that anyone here who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior is welcome to do so.

Parents, you are also welcome to take communion with your kids if you think they are ready… feel free to talk to your children during communion and explain things to them.

Communion is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.

Jesus instituted Communion on the evening He was betrayed. In

Mathew 26:26-28 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples,

saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,

‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

Now we are going to listen to a song and as you listen I want to encourage you to take a moment and reflect on what it means that Jesus was willing to sacrifice His body for you and shed his blood for the forgiveness of your sins….

Take a moment and thank Jesus for his sacrifice for you.

Take a moment to ask Jesus to forgive you of any hidden sin in your life.

If you have not given your life to Jesus…take a moment now and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and tell him you now submit your life to him…

And then after this song, I will explain how we will take communion…. together….

AFTER THE SONG ENDS…..

In the seat in front of you there is a cup the looks like this……

EXPLAIN HOW TO OPEN based on style….

Just so you all know, the bread is gluten-free…

Let’s first take and eat the bread of life and give Jesus thanks for sacrificing his body for us.

Scripture tells us then Jesus took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

Drinking this cup symbolizes Jesus shedding his blood for our sins….

AND us asking Jesus to give you an increased portion of his Spirit to keep us away from sinning in the future!

Take and drink the cup in remembrance of Jesus shedding his blood for your sins.

Prayer:

Make sure to do a salvation call!

Offering:

Thank you all for being here today!

If you would like to continue your worship through giving, there are offering boxes by the doors as you exit, or behind me on the screens. You can also see other ways to give here at Family Church.

You can also place any connection cards you filled out in there.

***Each week we want to highlight a different way to give.