Back to the Future: The final judgment: Judged by your fruit/words

Matthew 12:33-37 | “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. 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. 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. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

• According to today’s reading, what are some things that will matter on judgment day?

• What fruit is Matthew 12 discussing? What kinds of fruit could people produce? 

• Look at your own life. What kind of fruit do you see? What does it say about your heart? 

• What are idle words? What do you speak about idly (without much thought)? If you were judged by your words today or yesterday, what would you deserve? 

• What do you need to change about the fruit you produce or the words that you speak? Where will you start?