Apples and Oranges and Fruitfulness

It is surprising to learn there are hundreds of thousands – maybe a million different kinds of fruit. For example, there are over 7500 kinds of apples, and among the class of citrus fruits, there are about 1000 types of oranges. The Lord speaks of us as being fruitful branches, and there is significant discussion on the Fruit of the Spirit. How does fruitfulness happen?

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (Jesus in John 15:5)

And from Psalms 1:1-3:

Blessed is the one
… whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

Just as there are a million types of fruit, there are a million and more ways to be fruitful. See how many ways you can find! Register or login at MissionNext.org and tell your story to find opportunities to be fruitful in your next season of life.

Trust. Abide; that is, do life with the Lord. Delight in Him—these are the keys to a fruitful life.

Nelson Malwitz

Founder

Nelson Malwitz, Founder

Nelson Malwitz, Founder

Nelson was raised in the C&MA and attended Urbana in college. A Chemical Engineer worked in R&D positions 33 years. with formal training in methods of creative problem-solving. He was a founding elder at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, CT (1982) in what is now one of the largest Evangelical churches in New England. In 1998 Nelson founded the Finishers Project, now MissionNext, and serves on the Board. He has been in 45 countries to work with leaders of leaders and see multiple cultures first hand.

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