Thursday's SOAP - Matthew 7:24-29

²⁴ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
 ²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

S(cripture) - (I like the NIV here) "Whoever hears these words of mine and puts them ino practice is like a wiseman who built his house on rock."

O(bservation) - Hearing and doing.  Faith without works (James).  The message is clear.  Christianity is and is more that a philosopihcal argument.  It is a way of life.  I think much of the mess the American church is in is that we have made it a belief system (The European church has alread died using this approach.).  Do you believe in Jesus?  I believe in Jesus.  But the word belief has been drained of its depth found in the greek. - The word, pisteuo, is deeper than knowledge.  It's having faith in -putting your whole trust in - Jesus.  It is so deep a belief that your whole life (not just your life after death) is founded on it.  Descartes wrote, "I think therefore I am."  Christ followers proclaim "I believe therefore I act - llive this way."

How do we act?  Well, if you've been paying attentiion to SOAP and Jesus' sermon on the mount, he spells out how we should act and live and love!  It is the Kingdom life - an invitation into a new way of living.

A(pplication) - I want people to see Christ in me by the way I treat them, how I live, what I do.  Somewhere I read "you're the only Bible some will ever read."  I want to be the Jesus that some will ever see.  And I don't want that to sound presumptious - that I am rightoues and perfect and can or would want to somehow elevate myself to Jesus' perfection.  No.  But I am part of the Body of Christ and I do have his Holy Spirit residing in me.  I have this treasure in a jar of clay. (I just read  2 Corinthians 4 - wow.)  And that is enough.

P(rayer) - Abba, what a Gift in me - a Treasure - one worth selling all that I have to attain.  Yet, the paradox is, you say all I need to do is ask - that You love to give good gifts to your children.  So I ask - more love, more power, more of You in my life.  Fill me to overflowing with Your living water and let it flow through the cracks in this jar to a thirsty world.  Amen.