"Being Fruitful!"

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Matthew 3:7-9 (TNIV)

I love it when fruit starts to ripen in the Pacific Northwest- - - it’s an amazing miracle! First come the fruit trees blossoming with indescribable beauty. Next, we see the little green beginnings of delicious fruit begin to grow- - - apples, peaches, apricots, cherries (not in this order), watermelon and cantaloupe (not from trees, but from the vines on the ground), loganberries, blueberries and most amazing of all (the most pesky weed in the Pacific Northwest) the blackberry bush dazzles us all as we stop fighting them and start enjoying their fruit. I remember one Sunday I was preaching and I happened to mention that the world’s best watermelon was grown in Hermiston. Little did I know that there was a farmer from Hermiston in the crowd visiting his daughter and the next week he had a fresh Hermiston watermelon delivered to each staff member.

All through the Bible we are encouraged to produce fruit. In John 15:1-2 Jesus says, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” There is the fruitfulness comparison. It seems that something placed deep inside our human DNA is the desire to be fruitful- - - we want our lives to count for something good and honorable. We want to bear fruit that is self-perpetuating or replicating of the very cause of our lives.

Why do some people bear fruit in their life and others lives are built on sand that wash away at the first sign of a storm? Perhaps our worst enemy is not our circumstances, but ourselves- - - our own attitude of closeness to God. “But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23) There lies the ability to weather the storms of conflict, criticism, unfaithful friends, and spiteful enemies; and keep a heart of gold so pure that it can invest completely in the Kingdom of God. I pray that each of us is fruitful in every part of our lives and I pray that the fruitfulness of our church increases.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White