Jesus told them still another parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A woman takes some yeast and mixes it with a bushel of flour until the whole batch of dough rises."

Those who claim to be respectable are more and more convinced they are right.

They are like trees planted in the house of the LORD, that flourish in the Temple of our God,

that still bear fruit in old age and are always green and strong.

The road the righteous travel is like the sunrise, getting brighter and brighter until daylight has come.

Let us try to know the LORD. He will come to us as surely as the day dawns, as surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth."

but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life."

He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.

It is not right for you to be proud! You know the saying, "A little bit of yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise."

And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus.

I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment,

Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.

May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being---spirit, soul, and body---free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He who calls you will do it, because he is faithful.

So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.