My house is full of little things…it’s also full of necessary things, such as bread.  A loaf of freshly baked bread brings up a lot of good memories for me.  While some young couples go to the movies, eat dinner out, or spend a date dancing the night away, Jeff and I usually went on walks with field guides in hand to identify wildflowers and birds or hung out at my house and baked bread.  Most of the time we made the traditional whole wheat or white bread but sometimes we’d experiment and make potato bread or molasses bread.  We always made two loaves:  one for us to enjoy as a reward for our labor and one for my family.  Needless to say, not much of our loaf made it to the next day!  After smelling that delicious bread baking in the oven our taste buds couldn’t wait to enjoy whatever kind we’d mixed up. 
            Have you ever actually watched a loaf of bread rise?  After you mix the leaven in warm water, it looks rather cloudy and unappealing.  Adding it to a bowl of sifted flour only seems to make matters worse.  The result is a gooey, stretchy mess.  But the yeast bonds to the gluten of the wheat while it is being kneaded, and after the malleable ball of dough has been left sitting for about an hour, it's almost doubled in size!  I am sure there's a wonderful scientific explanation for this, but I don't know it!  What has always fascinated me is how quickly the bread rises, and how much the yeast causes the dough to expand.
            In Luke 13, after Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, He uses another unlikely example to picture God's kingdom- a lump of yeast!  It is a picture from everyday life, but this time, it has a twist.  Scripture almost always uses yeast as a negative image.  But in this case, Jesus uses yeast to symbolize the way the Gospel would expand and affect an unsuspecting world.  This time yeast is seen as a positive influence.
            So, what does the yeast in Jesus' parable do?  When it is placed in the dough, it changes the dough (Lk. 13:21).  Like the yeast which is placed into a ball of dough, the Gospel has been placed into the world.  It has been deliberately placed there by God.  The Gospel, or Kingdom, works like yeast in two ways:  1) it changes individuals until their whole being has been transformed.  2) It changes society as a whole.  When it affects individuals, they in turn affect the culture in which they live.
            Yeast changes and transforms bread.  Bread made from water and wheat alone, is hard, dry, and not too nourishing; but yeast, mixed into the dough, changes and transforms it.  Yeast does at least four things:  1) it makes bread soft, no longer hard.  The Gospel does the same.  It penetrates hearts and softens the hardness of life.  As a result we become softened toward God too (Col. 1:21-23).  We become a more caring and giving person.  Softness is one of the trademarks of a transformed person.  2) Yeast makes bread porous and moist, no longer dry.  The Gospel does the same.  It penetrates the dryness of a person's heart and life (1 Thes. 2:7-9).  The Gospel moistens our hearts so that we can grow into a moist or fruitful person (Col. 1:3-6).  3)  Yeast makes bread satisfying.  The Gospel changes a life with no purpose or meaning and gives a person purpose, joy and hope (Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Pet. 4:6).  4)  Yeast makes bread nourishing.  The Gospel not only gives purpose, but it inspires, commissions, and cultivates (Mt. 28:19-20; Rom. 7:4; Eph. 2:10).  A person transformed by the Gospel is able to bring truth to the world.  The Gospel is able to explain the reasons for the emptiness and loneliness of the human heart and to replace them with love and fellowship (Eph. 4:25).
            It should be noted that yeast works quietly and silently.  You don't hear it fizzing or crackling like Rice Krispies.  But you know it's working because you can see the difference in the dough.  This says something about the way we should be living as transformed people in this world.  As part of the "yeast of the kingdom" we are to be making an impact in the world that we live in.  Yeast changes the whole lump.  It permeates every pore of the dough's being.  And so it should be with the kingdom.  As "yeast" in this world, we should be impacting every pore of society.  As a disciple of the King of Kings, how will you be an effective lump of yeast this week?  How will you expand the kingdom?  Jesus is challenging you to make a difference (Lk. 13:18-19; 1 Cor. 10:31).
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            My house is full of little things… but it’s also got some larger more significant things too!  One of those items is my camera which can generally be found near the sliding doors which look out into our backyard.  I like having it handy there because you never know what’s going to wander in for viewing.  This past week we had a bear visit the bird feeder!  But I photograph more than animals.  In fact, when we’ve had a lot of rain, we get some pretty interesting mushrooms popping up all over the yard and they’re fun to photograph too.  In 2011 I joined an online photography group called the "365 Project".  Photographers of all levels of ability search out pictures that capture their daily routines in a creative and unique way.  The idea is to learn to look at the common, everyday things with a new perspective.  You don't need fancy equipment or a top of the line camera to do this.  All you need is eyes to see and my camera has certainly developed my ability to do that.
            The Christian walk requires us to look for God in a similar fashion.  Years ago (1984 to be exact) David and Karen Mains wrote a book called The God Hunt.  In it they encouraged families to search for "God sightings".  Seeing God in your everyday routine is much like developing the eyes to see a photograph each day.  I read about one young mom who used the walk to the school bus with her children as a way to see God at work in the world around them.  They looked at the birds and saw God's creativity.  They said hello and smiled at people they knew and saw His love.  What a wonderful way to inspire children to recognize that God is with His creation!  This woman is instilling a wonderful habit in her children- spiritual eyesight.
            Developing your spiritual eyes is a must on the walk of Christian maturity.   The author of Hebrews proclaimed spiritual eyesight to be the tell-tale sign that one has faith (Heb. 11:1-6 and following).  It's a challenge to see life through a spiritual lens, because as adults, we've been conditioned to be concrete and practical.  But if we do not learn to see things from a spiritual perspective, we may end up like the servant of Elisha, who could only see the enemies encircled around his camp (2 Kings 6: 8-17).  It took the prayer of Elisha to open his eyes to the spiritual realm.
            The Scriptures are full of people like you and me who experienced God-sightings.  Sometimes they we glorious (Ex. 33:18-23; Is. 6:1-4; Mt. 17:1-8; Acts 7:54-56).  Sometimes “seeing” was the result of determined individuals who were seeking Truth (Lk. 19:1-10; Jn. 12:20-23) or healing (Mk. 10:46-52; 2:1-12).  And on other occasions it was an invitation from someone who had “seen” (Jn. 1: 40-41, 44-46; 4:29).  Some people saw but did not understand what they were seeing at first (Dan. 3:24-28) while others knew right away that what they were seeing was the Lord Himself (Rev. 1:9-18).  While we may not physically see the Lord (Father or Son) as they did, we have the Indwelling Spirit who enables us to see Him at work in everything He has created (1 Cor. 2:10-13).
            Hebrews 11 has often been called the “Heroes of the Faith” chapter.  But I would contend it is not only a record of some amazing people in amazing circumstances who demonstrated and amazing faith.  Many of them had quite a few not-so-amazing moments.  Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and Moses all had major failures in their journey of faith.  But in spite of these disasters, they still had the ability to see beyond their immediate circumstances and believed that ultimately God would be faithful to keep His promises (Heb. 11:13).  Their faith was evidence of their spiritual eyesight.  They could see ahead to what God was going to accomplish through them even though they could enjoy the end result in the present time.  They were convinced God’s blessings were for more than just themselves (Heb. 11:39-40).
            Cultivating your spiritual eyes is not difficult, but it does require that you look beyond the ordinary and the usual.  One day, while I waited for my friend to check out her groceries, I was charged with the task of entertaining her 3 year old daughter.  How do you keep an active toddler in a shopping cart in a busy supermarket?  In a moment of inspiration I began a game of "I Spy".  Cloe loved finding the different colors and objects and I was amazed at her powers of observation!  The same is true in seeing God.  You are more observant than you think!  Seeing God at work does not always mean we will be looking at "supernatural" events in our lives or that we will even see immediate gratification at “seeing” Him in our circumstances.  More often it is learning to see those everyday events from a new vantage point.  It doesn't take fancy equipment or a top of the line camera to catch sight of God.  All you need is eyes o see (Ps. 66:5).
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            My house is full of little things.  Some are meaningful; some not so meaningful.  Some are useful, but some are losing their usefulness.  That would be true of the drawer full of maps I’ve collected from different travels over the years.  Some of those maps were specifically designed by AAA to get me to and from places I was going to visit (They called them Triptiks).  Some maps are in atlases which were up-to-date when I purchased them but are totally out-dated now.  One of these days, I’ll remember to clear out that drawer but today, its contents are reminding me of another “little” thing I have in my house.
            There is a picture hanging above my desk that I found in an issue of Life magazine back in the 1970’s.  It depicts a hapless couple in a sporty convertible stopped at a T intersection.  Spread across their dashboard is a map and the driver appears to be scratching his head.  Why?  Because across from them is a literal wall of signs indicating roads and highways, destinations and traffic instructions; but apparently they do not match the map.  Since this picture was taken long before the advent of Photoshop or digital cameras, I have every reason to believe this intersection existed at some time (although I’m sure it’s been improved by now!).  Even though I’m not sure exactly where it is/was, I’ve had many people tell me it could be somewhere on Long Island.  It doesn’t matter to me what the exact location was, it’s the caption on top that grabs my attention: “Life just isn’t that simple anymore.”
            Life certainly can seem like an intersection with too many signs and a map that doesn’t match.  You set out to travel along a road, feeling like you’re following the GPS directions without a hitch, when suddenly the journey comes to a screeching halt and you have no clue where you are!  Wouldn’t it be nice to always know where you are and where you must go?
            Real life Triptiks, GPS and Mapquest can be faulty and laden with mistakes.  They are only as good as the human hands that typed them into the computer or satellite system.  The best directions you can get, of course, are given those by someone who has been “there” (that is wherever you are going).  Jeff and I still get a chuckle over the time his brother was coming to visit us.  We’d warned him that GPS systems did not work well in the Poconos, but he insisted on using it rather than the directions I’d given him.  About 30 minutes after his expected arrival time we received a phone call from him stating the GPS had brought him to an entirely different location.  “Why did you use that when we told you it wouldn’t work?” Jeff asked.  Followers of Christ do not have to worry about faulty directions.  The writer of Hebrews put it this way, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  (Heb. 4:14-16)
            Life throws us a lot of roads to navigate.  However we have several “tools” at our disposal to use as a navigation system.  First we have God’s Word and God Himself (Ps. 119:105; Pr. 3:1-6).  We also have the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:25-26).  We have other believers who set an example for us (Phil. 3:17; 2 Thes. 3:6-9).  But most importantly, as the author of Hebrews noted, we have Jesus.  He has been where we are and He knows where we should be going.  Just as He called His disciples, He calls us to follow Him too (Mt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; Mk. 1:7; 2:14; Lk. 5:27; Jn. 1:43; Rev. 3:20) so that we can arrive at our destination.  The cost of discipleship (that is following Jesus) may appear to be difficult or demanding (Jn. 18:22; Phil. 3:7-8), but the destination and rewards are far greater (Jn. 1:50; 14: 1-6, 11-12; Rev. 3:21).
            As disciples of Jesus, we do not have to wander aimlessly on the road of life or end up at a T intersection with no clue as to which way we should turn.  We can look to Jesus for direction and guidance.  He can show us the way to go, because He Himself has been where we are and He knows which path to take.  Unlike those human resources we use for our daily travels, His information and guidance is perfect.  When you come upon an intersection in your life that makes you feel like the poor folks in that old picture, remember Jesus is waiting for you to turn to Him.  He will give you the right directions to your destination (1 Thes. 5:9-10) and make you more than ready for the road ahead (Phil. 3:12-14; Heb. 12:1-2).
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div
 https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            I was on a mission.  I was in a toy store in Boston searching for a souvenir to bring home for my granddaughter.  There was a colorful array of stuffed animals, games and assorted toys and gadgets to delight any child of any age.  My eyes landed on a display bin full of bath tub toys.  There were little yellow ducks, green frogs, blue sharks and a little pink pig with a tube around her tummy.  I found some glitter stickers for Leigh, but I kept looking back at the little pink pig.  I finally went over, plucked her out of the display and bought her- not for Leigh, but for me!  In my mind I could see she’d be fun to photograph and that proved to be true.  She has appeared in countless photographs as part of my on-line photo club and since her purchase, has been joined by several other companions.  My photo friends always look forward to seeing what “Piggy and the Critters” are up to.  Some have even contributed to my “collection”!  And I confess, I do enjoy the excuse to play with toys once in a while!  Finding a playful outlet for oneself can be a good thing, even as an adult, but when adults behave more like children and are obsessed with playing more than taking on adult responsibilities, it’s a sign of immaturity- and that’s NOT a good thing!
            All living things are meant to grow and mature, especially people.  For example, the Book of Proverbs is full of admonitions and instructions on how to raise children (Prov. 22:6) and what a mature person should act like (Prov. 11: 19, 25, 27).  This is true in our walk of faith as well.  The Apostle Paul was perhaps one of the most passionate people to see faith come to maturity and there was no church he was more interested in seeing this take place in than the church at Corinth.  Corinth was a virtual playpen of earthly delights.  Its prosperity afforded the residents the resources and leisure time to take advantage of that too.  In 1 Cor. 3:1-3 Paul lets the church know he is disappointed to still be feeding them “milk”.  Their obvious favoritism, immoral behavior and over-emphasis on certain spiritual gifts has revealed their level of immaturity.  In writing to the Corinthians, Paul used the adult/child analogy to explain what Christian maturity looked like.  He commands them to “not be children in their thinking” but to be “mature” (1 Cor. 14:20).  This word, teleios is an adjective based on the noun which means goal or purpose and  in this passage it basically means “something that is finished, come to an end, reached its goal or finished its term”, in other words, meaning something that is complete.  In 1 Cor. 14:20 it specifically means a person who has reached adulthood and is full-grown in mind and in knowledge of the truth (see also 1 Cor. 2:6; Phil. 3:15; Heb. 5:14) and in Christian faith and virtue (Eph. 4:13) set over against those who are “babes in Christ” (1 Cor. 2:6; Heb. 5:14).
            Some would argue that maturity is a relative rather than absolute concept in the New Testament.  Perhaps this is because maturity is something that occurs in stages (just like a child who first crawls, then stands and holds on to the edge of a couch, and finally lets go and takes a few steps) and it will appear to be slightly different from person to person.  Or it could be that no individual will actually achieve sinless perfection in this life (1 Jn. 1:8-10).  But there are some characteristics that even though they will vary in appearance from individual to individual, will identify the mature/maturing Christian to someone who is not.  Lawrence Richards wrote, “The mature Christian is one who by obedience to God has trained him/herself to distinguish good from evil (Heb. 5:14), presses on toward the goal of knowing Christ and becoming more like Him (Phil. 3:10-15), and makes a full commitment to do the will of God (Col. 4:22)”.  Simply put like the child who says, “I want to be like _____ when I grow up!”, believers pursuing maturity say, “I want to be like Jesus when I grow up!”. 
            But it’s not just the Corinthians who need to be reminded that faith is not a stagnant thing; it is meant to grow and flourish.  One look at the church at large today and you can easily see we face the same maturity issues they did.  Indulging in disputes (I’m with Paul!  Well, I’m with Apollos!  1 Cor. 3:4) and other un-Christlike behavior, such as the immoral relationship described in 1 Cor. 5 demonstrated the Corinthians were infants in Christ.  Paul commanded that they put their childish behavior behind them (1 Cor. 13:11) and practice a higher love to build one another up (1 Cor. 13:7).  Why should that be any different for us?  Maturity is possible for all believers, but it is not a given (compare Heb. 5:11-6:1).  To grow Christians must be involved in the church (Eph. 4:12-13), persevere in their faith despite trials (Jas. 1:4), and apply Scripture obediently to daily life (Col. 1:9-11; Heb. 5:14).  An active prayer life, regularly giving to God’s work, and serving others in the body of Christ are also signs of a mature/maturing Christian.  So now it’s up to you.  When you grow up, who do you want to be like (1 Cor. 13:11-12)?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre