rise up!

Galatians 5:7-12- You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Paul cares so much for these people, in verse 19 he describes his pain for them as “labor pains,” now that is some serious pain. The encouraging part is he is not trying to change these people with his own power, he knows he’s no match for the power of the devil and false teachers. He believes in God because he knows God is in control. (Verse 10, “I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings.”) Paul describes these false teachers as the yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough, I don’t know if you know much about baking, but when you bake dough only a little tiny bit of yeast goes in.

- I had the privilege of working in the bakery at Word Of Life Bible Institute my first year of college, which was an awesome experience. They bake everything except for the bagels, so I got to make lots and lots of breads and pastries. Now when we bake we are baking for around 400-500 people so you can imagine how much bread we have to make. In doing one kind of bread we would make it in portions up to 50 pounds, that’s really heavy bread! Just kidding we would then section them into loaves before letting them rise. But what I’m getting at is out of those 50 pounds, we would only put in maybe 1 pound of yeast. That little bit of yeast would work its way through all those pounds and make it rise and settle to make full, perfect, delicious bread. But what would happen if that yeast was old and moldy? Then all 50 pounds of that bread would be wasted even if it’s a little bit of yeast.

-Morel of the story: be careful what you’re putting into your body, ears, eyes, brain… Etc. One bad piece of information could ruin a lot more information already in your head than you think.

Phil. 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Answer This:

1.  Are you listening to trashy, foul language, false teaching, worldly music?

2.  Are you using foul/dirty/filthy words that you hear just because it’s cool and everyone else says them? (Think about your words before they come out of your mouth)

3.  Whatever goes in must come out. Are you aware of what you are allowing yourself to hear and be influenced by?

4. Take a minute and journal about what you read. 

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Written by Sarah Davis