Teenside Daily Devotional

4/23/20
Read Matthew 7:15-20.

In Jesus’ time, it would not have been uncommon for some people to claim that they were prophets when they were not. This was due to the fact that political power in this time would have been associated with your religious standing, and who is more religious than a prophet? Thus, Jesus takes the time to warn against people like this. The existence of false prophets is one of the greatest reasons that Jesus has had to correct certain interpretations of Old Testament scriptures. People were believing what they said! What Jesus says about them is very interesting though.

He says that “You will recognize them by their fruits.” A person’s actions should be able to tell us everything that we need to know about them. This is how we are to distinguish between those that have true wisdom and those that spew nonsense. Does the person standing before me, teaching me, live out what they are teaching? What kind of “fruit” have I seen them bear? We should not only apply this when it comes to those that teach from God’s Word, but also those who have committed to living it out, including ourselves. Again, Jesus doesn’t leave room for any gray area. If you bear bad fruit, you are a “diseased tree,” and if you bear good fruit, then you are a “healthy tree”. And, let’s not overlook the verse that says a tree failing to bear good fruit is thrown into the fire. Bearing good fruit means that you are glorifying God, and if you aren’t doing that, then how can you be useful to His kingdom? Evaluate what your fruit looks like. Let us strive together to bear only good fruit!

Questions:
*Take a moment to journal these questions. Write down your thoughts, questions, and concerns. Then date your entry. One of the coolest things is being able to look back and see how God came through for you.*

1. Take a moment to think about the people you admire. Try to list at least three people. What is the fruit of their life? What are their priorities based on their actions?

2. Take a moment to think about the friends you are close to. Try to list your three closest friends. What is the fruit of their life? What are their priorities based on their actions? Do the things you value align with the fruit they are producing?

*Reminder: we are talking about your closest friends (the ones who hold the most weight in your life).*

3. Take a moment to think about yourself. Try to list the “fruit” of your life. What do your actions say about what you value? 

4. Based on what you determined about the people you admire, friends you’re closest to, and the fruit of your life, what do you value? Are there any changes you need to make so that your life bears (and leads to you bearing) good fruit? 

Prayer: Spend some time praying about the things you journaled. Pray that God would reveal and weed out any bad fruit of your life. Ask Him to empower you to take the necessary actions to produce good fruit. Pray that you would choose to admire people that yield good fruit and build close friendships with people who are striving to live according to their Kingdom calling.


Song: Beautiful Things- Gungor

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/169Fs68hROYRdS362T8D9w