| The Lord Jesus said that we will know a tree by its | | | | (two-million young people per year lost; only nine |
| fruit: "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or | | | | percent of Christians maintaining a biblical worldview), |
| else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is | | | | we can clearly see that the process itself is faulty. |
| known by its fruit" (Matthew 12:33). Jesus is making a | | | | Using the analogy that Jesus used, the tree (faulty |
| point about a person's heart. Whatever is in the heart | | | | discipleship process) is bearing bad fruit and leading |
| comes out. | | | | millions to apostasy. |
| If one has an evil heart then the fruit will be evil. If one | | | | We are not negating the role of God in the salvation |
| has a good heart, that is, a heart transformed by | | | | of children. But, the Bible is clear that parents have a |
| Christ, the fruit will be good. We can make an | | | | responsibility to follow Christ. From our side of the |
| application to the discipleship process. If our process is | | | | equation, the solution is really quite simple: make |
| not in line with Scripture, then we cannot expect to | | | | disciples like Jesus did! If Christian parents will begin |
| bear the good fruit of genuine or mature disciples of | | | | following Jesus' model of making disciples their fruit will |
| Christ. If the process is biblical, then we can expect the | | | | look much more like His fruit. And, also like Jesus, they |
| good fruit we desire. | | | | will retain their fruit. This is your calling; you must disciple |
| Upon examining the fruit of our discipleship process | | | | your children like Jesus. |