Baking With God
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
31 Jesus told them another story: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field. 32 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree. Birds even come and nest on its branches. 33 Jesus also said: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises.
Matthew 13: 31-33
Memory Verse
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Always be joyful 17 and never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
Ruby loves to bake. She makes cookies every Christmas and epic birthday cakes for her family and friends. But what she loves to bake most of all is bread. For years, Ruby and her dad have baked bread together on Sunday afternoons.Â
One afternoon, Ruby was getting bored while kneading the dough. She knew she needed to mix in the yeast well, or the bread wouldn’t rise. But her arms were tired from pushing and pulling the dough back and forth. To encourage her, Ruby’s dad said, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into… flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33). Ruby paused and turned toward her dad, confused. He chuckled and said, “Did you know the Bible mentions bread or baking over 250 times? In this verse, Jesus compares God’s kingdom to the yeast you are kneading into the dough. It may start small, but with a little time and careful kneading—it will grow and multiply!”
Now, every Sunday, when Ruby and her dad bake, they read a different Bible verse about bread. Mixing the ingredients, they talk about the verse and then pray as they knead the dough. Doing this each week has helped Ruby better understand God’s instruction to “…never stop praying. Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, CEV). For her, kneading used to be when she shut off her brain and just tried to get through it. Now, it was a time each week she enjoyed spending time with God.
Each of us has different routines. But we all have down times in our days that we can refresh with prayer. Maybe you could give thanks to God as you ride your bike to school or as you spend time building Legos. Maybe you could try praying when stretching for baseball or even while brushing your teeth. Be creative! There’s really no limit because God is with you always, and he’s always ready to meet you in prayer!
Prayer
Lord, as I go about my day, help me remember that you are there and that I can talk to you about whatever I want whenever I need. AmenRelated Resources
Robin Basselin
Robin loves being a part of the Kids Corner team - writing, editing, and dreaming about ways to share God's love with kids like you. Robin has a wonderful husband and four children. As a family, they enjoy cooking, traveling, camping, and serving in their local church.