Episode 264: Jesus Said Pay Attention to the Fruit, So Let's Talk About That

How do you know if someone is the real deal, and what do you do with that once you do? In this episode, Dot and Cara open up Matthew 7 and talk through Jesus' principle of knowing people by their fruit. Not judging, not writing people off, but paying attention in the way a loving Father says you need to. They talk about what fruit of the spirit actually looks like, why we tend to excuse what we should just be noticing, and how this principle applies to the people in your life, the voices you follow, and the fruit you yourself are producing. Pull up a chair, grab your Bible, and lean in with us.Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! Episode RecapIntro (00:00)Matthew 7:15-20, the warning about false prophets and knowing them by their fruit (00:02)Cara shares that this principle is one Dot has taught her, and that she already feels conflicted about it after just the last ten minutes (00:56)The difference between judging and recognizing: Jesus didn't say you can judge, he said you will know them (02:15)Fruit takes time. It starts from a seed, and whatever is in the heart will eventually produce it, no matter how long someone can pretend otherwise (03:38)What good fruit actually looks like: love, joy, peace, gentleness, self-control, the fruit of the Spirit (05:43)A moment is not a full-grown fruit, but it does tell you something is there (05:15)If you want to know whether a voice, a relationship, or a situation is leading you toward God or away from him, pay attention to the fruit it is producing in you (08:06)Dot draws the line between understanding why someone behaves the way they do and excusing it. You can have compassion and still notice the fruit (09:35)Isolation is a fruit worth paying attention to. Dot clarifies: alone time with God is not isolation. Isolation means no trusted voice is speaking into your life (11:25)Cara gives a real-world example of subtle false prophecy on social media, and why posts that claim to know what God will do for you should give you pause (16:01)Dot brings it home: God gave us this principle because he is a loving Father who could not take us out of the world, but he could tell us how to live in it. The fruit doesn't lie (25:39)This Episode’s Scripture VerseMatthew 7:15–20 (ESV) — “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected] Write this Down! on YouTubeFind Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook