DAY20

Luke 6:43-45

A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

A Tree and its Fruit
We are reminded in Luke 6 that people, just like trees, can be identified by the fruit they produce. I’m sure you know this to be true in your own life. You can probably think of some people that fit into the “treasury of a good heart,” category – people who bear good fruit in the world. Likewise, you can probably also think of some “treasury of an evil heart,” people – people who bear bad fruit in the world. But what would people say of you? What type of fruit do you produce in the world? We learned in Galatians 5 about the type of fruit produced by the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Examining the presence of these qualities in your life, keeping in mind that we are all in process, can be a great place to begin.

Questions:
How have you sensed your heart change since coming to know Jesus?
Have others noticed a change in you as well – in the type of fruit you are producing in the world?
What “fruit of the spirit” is the most difficult for you?

Prayer:
God, our source of goodness, reveal to me the state of my heart. Help me to honestly examine the type of fruit I am producing in the world. Show me the areas that have experienced the most growth, and what areas are in need of tending. Help me to tend those areas well so that new fruit may begin to grow in my life.

Story

Serving as the ministry leader for Celebrate Recovery has strengthened my relationship with Christ. Helping others that are broken realize that there healing and hope through Christ Jesus is true discipleship. Loving and serving others is the outward manifestation of how God has changed me. – Larry