What happens when we answer the call? The 2nd Year What happens when we answer the call?

Matthew 12:33-35 A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 

A tree and it’s fruit Good tree – good fruit Bad tree – bad fruit

Jesus wasn’t talking about trees – He was talking about people! Matthew 7:16-20 -  You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

“Whatever is in your heart determines what you will say.” What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart!

Let’s take what we have learned from the trees… Good heart – good words Bad heart – bad words

James 3:10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

There is a strong connection between the heart and the mouth. Romans 10:10 - For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Matthew 12:36-37 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” 

Matthew 15:10-11&15-18 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”… 15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.” 16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.

3 Questions all of us need to answer... Do you use wrong words? Are you guarding your heart? Proverbs 4:23 - Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Can other people hear your good words?