Scripture

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 

(Matthew 7:16-20)

Prayer

Have a family member pray for your time together.

Ask God to help everyone in the family understand His Word and who He is.

 Lesson

Today we will be learning how to identify good fruits and bad fruits in our lives. 

When Jesus says, “You will know them by their fruit,” what does “fruit” mean? Jesus gave the illustration of grape vines and fig trees. When we see grape vines, we expect them to contain grapes in season. We also expect fig trees to produce figs. Like the Hunter Canyon video, good fruit and bad fruit are easy to identify. It doesn’t just happen or appear in the woods like it did in the video. It’s the result of the type of tree and if A farmer notices one of his fruit trees not bearing any fruit they will cut it down. It is useless. 

In our lives, every word and every action is fruit from our hearts. Sinners sin because that’s what is in their hearts. Thieves steal, liars lie, and bullies are mean to others because those sins are the fruit being produced from an evil heart. Bad hearts (trees) produce bad fruit. Read the passage below and work through the questions as a family. 

Matthew 7:16-20 

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot

bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 

Discussion Questions 

1. According to the scripture, how can it be known if a tree is good or bad? 
2. In this parable we as people are the trees; so what kind of fruit should Christian people produce? 
3. How we live matches what kind of person we are inside. Take an assessment, are your actions (fruits) matching the kind of person you are inside? 
4. What would be some good fruits in the lives of Christians? What are bad fruits in the lives of Christians? 
5. What does it take to make sure you are producing good fruits in your life?