Scripture

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Matthew 13:33)

IMPORTANT FIRST STEP

Before you start the lesson and watch the video, follow the steps for baking the bread so it can rise while you study the lesson.

Prayer

Have a family member pray for your time together.

Ask God to help everyone in the family understand His Word and who He is.

Lesson: God revealed that His love influences and changes whatever it is mixed into.

Opening Questions:

1. Yeast is a small ingredient. Do you think using it will make a difference?
2. Which recipe in the video do you think made better bread? Why?

Yeast is alive. The grains of yeast in the package that you put into your dough were alive, but not active. The warmth and moisture activates the yeast. When it becomes active, it ‘feeds’ on the sugar. This creates a gas called carbon dioxide that makes bubbles. The bubbles puff up the dough and make little holes in the bread. So yeast ‘influences’ whatever it’s mixed into. It ‘changes’ its surroundings.

What will happen to the bread with yeast? (it will grow, be soft, nourishing, good for eating)

What will happen to the bread without yeast? (it won’t grow, it will be flat and hard)

What do you think Jesus meant when he said God’s Kingdom is like yeast mixed into dough? (God’s love is the ‘yeast’ that changes us. God’s love causes us to grow in ways that are good for us and for His Kingdom. God’s love ‘influences’ us and ‘changes’ us)

Pretend that you (your heart) is a batch of dough that has had the ‘yeast’ of God’s love worked through it. You ‘grow’ on the inside and that ‘shows’ on the outside. God’s Word says that when we grow on the inside, we will outwardly show the fruit of the Spirit, we will be ‘changed.’

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23)

Gather 9 fruits, vegetables, or whatever you have, to represent the ‘fruit of the Spirit’.
Example:
Apple – love
Banana – joy
Green beans – peace
Lettuce – patience
Grapes – kindness

Chips - goodness

Granola Bar - faithfulness

Cheese - gentleness

Bread - self-control

Briefly explain what each ‘fruit of the Spirit’ means. Have each family member choose a fruit of the Spirit that they will allow the ‘yeast’ of God’s love to grow in them this week. Think of a
specific way that growth would look. (I will not lose patience with my baby brother when he wants to play with me or I will show kindness to someone who has not been kind to me)

When you are eating your bread talk about the difference between a life without God’s love (the hard, flat bread) and a life with God’s love (the nourishing, good-tasting bread)

Finish baking the bread and discuss the effects of yeast. Then enjoy some hot rolls!! 

Text a picture of your bread to Cheryl. There will be a prize at the Clarksville Highway Academy Awards.