Rooted and grounded in Christ   Illustration by Amy Arandia

In MATTHEW 7:15-20 Jesus warned his disciples against false teachers and prophets who would try to lead them astray. The best way to discern what a person is really like is to see the kind of fruit they produce.

‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Similarly, 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. So you will recognise them by their fruit ." (NIV-UK)

In MATTHEW 12:33-35 he said the same thing later on:
‘Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognised by its fruit.  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him." (NIV-UK)

Roots & Fruits: Rooted In God's Love To Bear Spiritual Fruit

Paul’s Prayer For The Spiritual Growth Of The Ephesian Christians EPHESIANS 3: 14-19

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit so Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.