A Little Yeast - Galatians 5:9

Galatians 5:9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” (NIV)

I’ve never made bread, so I don’t know what the process involves. I understand that the little portion of yeast enables the bread to rise when being baked and creates a great texture for eating. All I truly know is that I love bread – buttered, toasted, freshly baked or shaped into rolls, sticks, and loaves – to dunk in my soup, or at the side of my plate, or even filled with meat, cheese, tomatoes, and pickles. I may not know how to bake it, but I sure know how to take and consume it!

Last night, I attended an ecumenical meeting in our town called ‘Justice Knox.’ Two other folks from our congregation were also at the event. The whole purpose of ‘Justice Knox’ is to encourage people of all faiths to come together from our churches, synagogues, and mosques to tackle social justice problems in our city. Individually, we cannot do much on our own, but when we combine our focus and resources together, we can act like yeast to work with our local leaders and authorities in dealing with issues of Affordable Housing, Mental Health, Public Schools, Accessible Health Care, and Drugs and Crime. If we pray, meet, and work together, we can effectively influence local politicians and policies to make life better for everyone in Knoxville.

Being the yeast is something that Christ calls all of His followers to become so that the Bread of Heaven may be effectively and fairly shared with everyone. If we are willing to do this, then we will bring better and more lasting changes to our community and society.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to effectively give of ourselves to lovingly share and support all whom we meet today. Allow us to be the yeast of Your grace that is needed in whatever circumstances, events, or encounters we experience. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Call to action: Ask God to bless people of faith in our community by providing us with opportunities to share in ministry, mission, and service together. Please share this devotion with your family & friends, too.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of my Knoxville drawings called Sunsphere City. If you want to view a larger version, please click this link: Sunsphere.

Choices - Hebrews 1:9

Hebrews 1:9    “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (NIV)

            We live in an age of moral ambiguity. There is so much distrust in our society right now that we’ve forgotten how to tell the difference between righteousness and wickedness. Fear and suspicion cause division; only faith and trust can restore the unity that communities and civilizations need to thrive. If we equate righteousness with self-righteousness and excuse wickedness as a means of getting what we want, then we will lose our connection to godliness and one another. And if we think that our society is immune from immoralism, then we have also forgotten the lessons from both History and the Bible.

            In today’s highlighted Bible verse, we read the words of commendation that God gave to Jesus, His Son, for being obedient and authentic. Christ kept His integrity by both loving and living righteousness; He also opposed and condemned wickedness wherever it occurred. Loving righteousness was an act of faith; confronting wickedness was an act of courage. Christ could never have been accused of mendacity or duplicity. He remained loyal to God and spoke the truth, no matter how unpopular or how unacceptable it had become. The world rewarded Christ with a Cross for His integrity; God rewarded Him with a Crown for His loyalty. Jesus loved righteousness and hated wickedness, therefore God anointed Him with the oil of joy.

            If we believe we are followers of Christ and disciples of Jesus, then we must guard righteousness and confront wickedness. It may cost us a great deal and make us unpopular, but to reward wickedness and to follow in its wake is to disregard all that Jesus taught, all that He stood for, and all that He died for. At the end of our days, when we will all stand before God, would we rather receive the oil of joy or the slime of wickedness? The choice, as always, is ours.

Point to ponder

What righteousness does Christ love in our community? What wickedness does He hate in our society?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You never said that having faith in You was going to be easy, or that following Your ways were going to keep us safe. Open our eyes to really see both the righteousness and wickedness in our community. Help us to embrace goodness and to avoid evil. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and earnestly pray. Amen.

If you enjoyed this devotion, you can read more in John's devotional e-books like "The Light of Love" which has forty-two devotions inspired by the Gospel of John. You can find the book at this link: 

"The Light of Love."

Today’s image is one of John’s simple bulletin cover designs called “The Way.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Way.