DAY 76
Pastor Tim Powell
Scripture
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” -Luke 13:6-9
Today, Pastor Tim Powell walks us through the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree in Luke 13. There wasn’t a lot of mercy toward others in the hearts of Jesus’ audience. They were all about the wicked getting what they deserved, much like what we see in our culture today.
In this parable, the vineyard owner gave the fig tree a second chance to produce fruit. Similarly, we also serve a God of second chances! If it weren’t for the sacrifice Jesus made for us, we would all be in trouble. And if you’re not producing fruit, be encouraged that God still has purpose for you.
God has not given up on you, and His mercy is extended to you today—to move beyond being a consumer to becoming an active contributor in His Kingdom.
Question: Is there someone in your life that the Holy Spirit is prompting you to reach out and extend mercy to?
Prayer Starter: Invite God to show you any area of your life that should be producing fruit, whether it’s praying with a coworker, starting a life group in your neighborhood, serving at your local church campus, or something else!
Family Chat: Sometimes during family life together we need to extend more mercy to those we live. Discuss as a family what this can look like in your family.
Take Action: Make a move today based on what you sense the Lord directing you to do because of your prayer. Also, talk this over with your accountability partner.
Additional Resources: