📧 In today’s email..

• 📕 Today’s reading

• 🙏 The SOAP Devotional of the day

• A word from today’s sponsor.

📕 TODAY’S READING
Genesis 12-15; Psalm 148; Mark 5

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🙏 SOAP DEVOTIONAL
SOAP: scripture, observation, application, prayer.

Today’s SOAP Devotional

S - SCRIPTURE:  Mark 11:17

"‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ But you have made it a den of robbers.”

O - OBSERVATION:

Mark 11 is a powerful chapter that begins with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where He is welcomed with shouts of "Hosanna!" Yet the same crowd that celebrates Him will soon turn against Him. This moment is a vivid reminder of how quickly human hearts can shift.

Jesus' actions in the temple demonstrate His zeal for true worship. By driving out those who had turned the temple into a marketplace, He exposed their corruption and declared the temple’s true purpose—a place of prayer and connection with God.

The chapter also includes the fig tree, which Jesus curses for its lack of fruit. This serves as a metaphor for fruitless religion—outward appearances without inner transformation. Jesus calls His followers to live lives of faith and prayer that bear real fruit.

A - APPLICATION:

Mark 11 challenges us to examine our hearts and our worship. Are we going through the motions, or are we truly bearing fruit for God’s Kingdom? Jesus is looking for genuine faith, not empty rituals.

Ask yourself:

• Is my life marked by prayer and a heart fully devoted to God?

• Am I producing spiritual fruit that glorifies Him?

Jesus' cleansing of the temple also reminds us that He desires to remove anything in our lives that distracts us from worshiping Him fully. We are now God’s temple, and our hearts must be places where He is honored above all else.

P - PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for calling me to a life of faith and fruitfulness. Examine my heart and remove anything that hinders my worship of You. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, marked by prayer, faith, and obedience. Teach me to bear fruit that glorifies Your name and draws others closer to You. Amen.

Challenge
Take 10 minutes today to examine your heart in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in your life that may be distracting you from fully worshiping and serving Jesus. Then take a step of obedience to remove it this week.

Closing Thought
Jesus calls us to live lives of faith, prayer, and fruitfulness. When we allow Him to cleanse our hearts, we create space for His presence to dwell fully in us, enabling us to be a light for the world.

What is a SOAP?

For each day of Bible reading, we do a SOAP devotional to go deeper into the word of God. We always provide an example SOAP from one of our authors, but we highly encourage you to do your own SOAP with today’s reading. God wants to speak to you personally, and will highlight a passage of today’s reading that’s just for you.

Here’s how it works:

S – SCRIPTURE
Physically write out the Bible verse
You’ll be amazed at what God will reveal to you when you
slow down to write or meditate on what you are reading!

O – OBSERVATION
What do you see in the verses you’re reading?
Who is the audience? Is there a repetition of words? What words stand out to you? What is the main lesson or theme?

A – APPLICATION
When God’s Word becomes personal
What is God saying to me today? How can I apply what I just read to my life? Are there any changes I need to make?

P – PRAYER
Pray God’s Word back to Him
If He has revealed something to you during this time in His
Word, pray about it. Confess if He has revealed some sin that is in your life. Take time to thank Him for His goodness in your life.