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S.O.A.P. – “Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer”
Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.
Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day. Genesis 1:20–31 NLT
God first creates, then blesses. Take time to be grateful to God for his amazing creation!
How are YOU going to be a unique blessing to others today?
Lord, thank you for being a God of creativity and blessing. Help me to be filled with gratitude and awareness so that I can become a partner in your desire to bless others!
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.
When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the LORD God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land. Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:1–9 NLT
Sermon Insights:
God created a human being because he wanted someone to bless.
In blessing the “seventh day,” God is blessing the human race with the capacity and ability to rest.
Considering that rest was something God designed and personally exemplified, do you embrace appropriate and routine rest as a blessing from God?
God gave Adam and Eve both freedom and responsibility—a choice to do good and a choice to rebel. Do you believe that giving someone the freedom and responsibility to make their own decisions is a “blessing”? Why or why not?
Lord, teach me to rest—physically, mentally, spiritually, relationally. Help me to receive your refreshing blessings so that I can be a blessing to others.
God called Abram (later renamed Abraham) to step out in faith. God promised he would build a family through Abram who would become the nation into which Jesus would eventually be born in order to bring the opportunity for salvation to the world!
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him. After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the LORD, and he worshiped the LORD. Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. Genesis 12:1–9 NLT
Sermon Insights:
God loves to bless, so he created human beings in his image to be both blessed and to be “blessers” – to be able to give blessings away! The power of blessing comes from God, but the ability to extend blessings is ours.
How has God impacted your history so that your future can be a blessing?
Whose “shoes” are you going to walk in today so you know what blessing they need from you?
Lord, thank you for giving us the desire and power to do what pleases you! Thank you for my history; help my future to be a tremendous blessing to others!
One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. Matthew 5:1–12 NLT
Sermon Insights:
Sin has disrupted the flow of blessings through us. As a result, people are “blessing-starved.” Sometimes the desire to be loved, accepted, encouraged, and blessed goes unfulfilled. Many experience a gnawing, aching loneliness.
Who is the most lonely person you know? How might God use you to bless them?
Pick two or three “destinations” in the Scripture above—places you want to be so you can be blessed by God. For example, “I am going to choose to mourn my losses instead of pretend they don’t have any effect on me…so I can receive the blessing of comfort from God.”
What blessing do you need from God? Have you discussed your need with a close friend?
Lord, thank you for teaching me the pathways to blessing. Help me to receive your blessings so I can be a blessing to others.
The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.
Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.
If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!
Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise.
The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, what will happen to wicked sinners? Proverbs 11:23–31 NLT
Sermon Insights:
1) Count your blessings! 2) Joyfully give all the blessings you can possibly give!
Application suggestions from the sermon:
Make a written list of your blessings!
Write a note, text some encouragement, Facebook some kind words, give someone a hug, encourage a child, buy someone a meal, go on the mission trip; be a person through whom the blessings of God flow!
God sends you through the day to bless the next generation. Every generation craves blessing from the one that went before them. “How about all you with grey deliberately look for people who don’t have grey hair—cheer them on and bless them?”
Lord, thank you for blessing us with wisdom to be able to be a blessing to others. Thank you for giving me a new day to be a blessing!
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