Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s fantastic  to be here with you today.

Today is June 24.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.

Let’s begin.

Slow Down

We carry so much around every day — financial worries, relational stress, anxiety about the future, and the pressure to succeed.

Now is the time to set those things down for a few minutes and enjoy some time with Jesus.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, open my understanding.” 
As you exhale, pray: “Let me not miss what You are saying.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ ”
Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  
(Matthew 16:5–12, NLT)

Notice

What stands out to you in this passage?

Is there a phrase that surprises or challenges you?

Hold it in your heart for a moment.

Reread

Hear this exchange again — and notice the gap between what Jesus is saying and what the disciples initially think He means.

Meditate

The disciples forgot to bring bread. Jesus says: Watch out — beware the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. And the disciples immediately assume He is talking about literal bread — that His warning about yeast is somehow connected to their failure to pack lunch.
Jesus is gentle but direct: Why are you talking about bread? Don’t you remember the five thousand? The four thousand? The baskets of leftovers? He is essentially saying: after everything you have seen Me do, are you really worried about bread? Is provision really what you are concerned about right now?
And then He clarifies: the yeast He is warning about is not bread yeast. It is the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees — the subtle, pervasive influence of a way of thinking that looks religious but is actually built on demanding signs, elevating tradition over the heart of God, and missing Jesus even while standing in His presence.
Yeast is a small thing that works its way through everything. Jesus is warning His disciples that certain ways of thinking — certain habits of the heart — have the same quality. They start small and they spread. A little cynicism. A little demand for proof before trust. A little preference for religious performance over genuine encounter. Left unchecked, these things permeate everything.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
Is there a way of thinking — a subtle skepticism, a demand for signs, a preference for form over heart — that has been slowly working its way through my faith without my noticing?

Respond

Jesus, remind me — when I am worried about bread — of the twelve baskets and the seven. You have never failed to provide.

Exercise

The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Guarding Your Thinking 
Today’s habit is a moment of honest mental inventory: identify one subtle attitude — a quiet cynicism, a low-grade skepticism, a preference for religious routine over genuine encounter, a tendency to demand proof before trust — that has been slowly spreading through your faith life, and bring it to God today.
You may not have noticed it growing. Yeast works quietly. But somewhere in this series of episodes — in this time working through the Gospels — something may have surfaced. Name it.
Then pray: “Lord, I see this in me. I haven’t addressed it because it seemed small. But small things spread. I bring it to You now — and I ask You to replace it with something better: genuine trust, open-hearted faith, and the willingness to receive what You have already given.”

I have one ask of you before you go, would you please consider supporting this podcast? Click the support the podcast link and give a simple gift.

That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.

Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.

Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus