855 The Fruit and the Tree - Matthew 7:15-20

This powerful analogy has been used many ways. But what does Jesus mean. Notice where this is in the sermon.   Do you ever think about the impact you have on others?   "Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits." Matthew 7:20   When you interact with others, how do they feel? I confess there were long periods in my life where anyone I interacted with got angry or disappointed. I can be an critical jerk. I hope that doesn't cause you to stop listening. If you're honest, you can probably also judge the impact you have on others, too.   This passage is famous. We know a tree by it's fruit. Healthy trees bear good fruit. Diseased trees produce diseased fruit or none at all. As God's people we're challenged to bear good fruit. So what kind of mark does a meeting with you cause? How do you make others feel?   Jesus is making a point in this section about false prophets. (See verses 15 and 16). But our lives speak for God. How we live is a testimony of what we believe. When people interact with a Christ-follower, it should be different, in a good way. Even if the outcome is negative. Even if you have to report bad news. Even if you have to fire someone, a great question is, how would Jesus do this? What would Jesus do?   Today, let's do our best to produce good fruit. Let's create positive interactions with people today. Let's be God's blessing to them.   Also, are you blessed by these podcasts? We're a donor-supported ministry. Would you consider making a gift so we can grow this ministry. Our goal is to help everyday marketplace Christ-followers be intentional about integrating their faith at work. Head over to www.followerofone.org/partner to share a gift. We even have a matching gift going on right now that will double your new contribution to our ministry. Thank you for making a positive difference in your interactions today.