Galatians 5:9, "A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough." During this week of unleavened bread (Ex. 12:15) we are to rid our homes of leavening agents, and not eat anything that contains leaven. Most of us know that leaven is a representation of sin. Fasting from leaven for a whole week can put things into perspective for us, if we truly desire to be more holy, more like Him. If leaven is a representation of sin, then we should seek out how we can remove any type of sin from our lives! I like to call these types of sin "spiritual leavening agents". In reality, one only needs a very small amount of yeast (leaven) to make a loaf of bread. Without the yeast, it will be flat. The yeast or leavening agent is what makes it rise and become puffed up. This is applied the same way spiritually. If we only have a little bit of sin in our life, it will eventually take over and destroy us. The little bit of sin will form a root deep inside, and plant more seeds of sin, which will ferment and spread throughout our entire body. Sometimes we don't even know that it's there until years and years later (or maybe never). This is why this time of introspection is very important. We do not want to become consumed with our sin. We do not want any hidden sin! So let's break down what these "leavening agents" are, and how we can get rid of them.

Public shame is sadly a real thing. It is something that is so easy to do, and sometimes it is done unintentionally. A lot of times, however, it is something people use to cover up something that they don’t want to see, hear, or believe because it will hurt their pride or beliefs. Have you ever been bullied before? Bullying seems to be raiding through schools, deteriorating young people’s minds, and lowering their self-esteem to dangerous levels. Have you ever been ridiculed for what you believe in? How did you handle yourself? Was it difficult to stand your ground in who you are and what you believe in, or did you give in to the potential shame/discomfort that you may have felt? There are so many ways to attack a person and bring shame upon them; there are also ways to create a perception of someone and their situation and bring it to other’s attention without providing the reality and truth in its fullness. However, if we were put into such a situation, how would we deal with it?

F - Focus 

A - Audit 

I - Internalize 

T - Trust 

H - Hope

Faith is a common subject that people teach. It’s a common word that we hear in a sermon or that we read throughout the Bible. However, in my opinion, I don’t think it’s a common thing that is practiced enough. I also believe that people have different definitions of faith. If I type into Google what the definition of faith is, it says that it’s the “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” If I look up the definition in the Bible it says, “Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see” (Complete Jewish Bible). As we can gather, these are similar definitions, but the Bible gives much more insight into what it actually is and how we can walk it out. My friends, don’t rely on search engines such as Google, and don’t put all of your confidence in how other people or places define things. Put your complete trust and confidence in what the Bible says and how IT defines things. The Word of God should be your only reliable source to finding the gateway of where the Father truly desires you to be. How do you walk out true faith? In what ways or steps should you take to gain personal, emotional, or spiritual freedom? How can faith unlock the keys to the Kingdom?

Ephesians 1:7-8, “We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” HCSB

We are redeemed through the blood of the Lamb. We are forgiven because of His sacrifice. You already know this. But do you, truly? Even when your life is full of chaos and everything seems to be going down-hill, do you remember in the midst of it all that you are His? Do you remember that you are alive, forgiven, and free because of His sacrifice? Just something to think about. It’s not always easy to remember such promises in the midst of trial or chaos. In addition, He gives us LIFE, wisdom, and understanding! How blessed are we, praise God.