What Kind of Fruit are You Producing?

By: Keefe Wilson

Thursday, April 9, 2026

A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:18–20 (NLT)

One summer, my cousins and I spotted some fruit trees behind a fence. The plums and peaches we saw looked ripe and delicious, so we jumped the fence to taste them. But up close, the fruit was insect-infested, starting to rot, and smelled bad. What looked good from a distance was actually bad fruit, so we left there in a hurry.

It's easy for a Christ followers' life to look good on the outside. Yet, the fruit we bear tells the truth. Plum trees bear plums; peach trees bear peaches, but a sour orange tree will never produce sweet fruit. Similarly, our attitudes, words, and actions reveal what kind of "tree" we are.

In Matthew 7:18-20, Jesus wasn’t talking about trees—He was talking about us. He was reminding us that our lives reveal what's deep in our hearts. Like a tree reveals its identity by its fruit, our actions will reveal the true spiritual condition of our hearts. So, there is an important question we must ask ourselves. It's simple, but it's very powerful: What kind of fruit am I bearing—is it good or bad?

But like a tree, spiritual fruit doesn’t appear overnight; it grows slowly, and it's fed by the roots. When we are connected (rooted) to Christ, it shows in our character. We'll have patience when we're tested, show kindness when it’s hard, and we'll forgive hurts quickly. These are some of the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22–23. But if we aren't rooted in Christ, bad fruit grows—anger, bitterness, pride, and selfishness.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit." John 15:5

The secret to producing good fruit isn’t trying harder, it’s being connected to Jesus. Therefore, examine your life: Are my words harmful or helpful? Am I reflecting Christ or my flesh? When people meet me, do they see joy or bitterness? Our lives are like an orchard; we are constantly producing something... Every conversation, reaction, and decision reveals what kind of fruit we are producing. If some of your fruit isn’t right, don’t ignore it—bring it to Jesus. Ask Him to prune away anything that doesn’t belong!

Stay connected to Jesus, and good fruit will follow. When Jesus is our priority (our Lord), we will naturally produce the kind of fruit that honors Him!