About

The significance of leaven as a metaphor is the impact that a little leaven has on the whole batch of bread. In other Scripture references, both in the OT and NT, the impact of leaven is symbolic of the negative impact of sin or error. But here Jesus uses the metaphor to talk about the positive impact of the Kingdom of heaven (or the more familiar Kingdom of God). The Kingdom of God is to affect all parts of our lives as leaven affects the flour in making bread. And that raises the question, is the leaven of the Kingdom of God noticeably impacting all of our lives?

"Given how much time is actually spent at work, I think it's almost irrational to not intentionally invest time where our vocation intersects with our spiritual growth and development."

— Amy S.

Many experience God when they are engaging in church activities. It is primarily through volunteering in their church that they have a sense of serving God with their gifts and talents. But they struggle to experience God in their lives outside of their church involvement. People not in "professional ministry" often lack a genuine understanding and experience of the Kingdom of God in their occupational lives, which is where they spend most of their time and energy. This compartmentalizes their lives into a realm where their faith is expressed and where it is not. Or to use Jesus' metaphor, their occupational lives are not well leavened with the Kingdom of God. This is a real problem because that is a much bigger part of people's lives than their engagement with church.

"My old approach left work flat and stagnant, focused solely on executing tasks and finishing projects. The new approach encourages me to see each day as an opportunity to encounter God."

— Elizabeth F.

I desire to be used by God to change this for people who believe that their work is a matter of the Kingdom of God and long to grow into experiencing that as a reality and not just a theological idea. I believe that will take intentional and intensive engagement both for me and for them. Recognizing that there is an enemy committed to preventing the spread of the Kingdom of God, I believe this situation is by design and will be heavily guarded because of its tremendous potential for the spread of the gospel. This is why the intensity is required and why it is worthwhile.

"Integrating my faith and work feels satisfyingly wholesome. As I am becoming more intentional about it, it seems to build upon itself, encouraging me to continue the work of bringing God into my vocation."

— Keith D.

Leavened Lives is about confessing that we are lacking a rich experience of God in our work lives, believing that we will find God if we seek Him, and realizing that we need help and encouragement in seeking Him.