My New Method of Fruit Production

My wife Allie recently bought a raised garden bed so that we could grow a few vegetables and strawberries. The family is really enjoying taking care of it. So far, we’ve been able to harvest fresh lettuce and cilantro, and you can totally taste the difference. Our hope is to expand our little city garden over the next few years and have several raised beds, each with a different product. But that will come in time!

Our cucumber and tomato plants have yet to produce any fruit, but we’re doing our best to ensure that happens soon. So, in your opinion, what should be our method of producing fruit from the plants? I’ve become tired of waiting, so I had an idea (Allie wasn’t a fan, but I’ll let you be the judge).

Here is my big idea: I will head down to Stop and Shop, buy some cucumbers and tomatoes, and staple the fruit to plants. Then bam! Cucumber and tomato from our garden. Good idea, right? Wait, you think it’s stupid too? I thought I was on to something......

Of course, I agree. That is a stupid way to get fruit from a garden. The garden isn’t producing anything! All I would be doing is giving the appearance of fruit… But there would be no actual fruit produced by our garden.

How should I get the plants to produce fruit? I don’t need to worry about the fruit; I need to take care of the roots. If I do that, over time, those roots will grow deeper, the plant will be nourished, and it will naturally begin producing fruit.

This week we turn a corner in Galatians. For four chapters Paul has been pitting law against grace, but in chapter five he turns more practical. He answers the question: What does it look like to live by faith? Then, in one of Paul’s most famous writings, he gives us what he calls “The Fruit of the Spirit.”

What we’re going to see is that fruit isn’t produced by effort or law. That’s like stapling it on. It’s produced by the Spirit bringing us into a deeper relationship with God. That’s taking care of the roots.
 
Join us tomorrow as we learn how to take care of the roots, and naturally, the fruit will come.