We have spent the last two months focusing on what it means to be radical believers that God intends for us. We have shifted our focus to understand that a radical life is determined by the core, or root, or essence of that life. It is always God's intention that we would carry his likeness in our innermost being, not simply on the outside. In fact, attempting to be like Christ from the outside will always fall short. So we've looked at what it means to have radical hearts of faith hope and love. We've examined the call to have radical minds aligned with the Lord. We explored what lies below the surface of a life that is surrendered to Christ, a life defined as worship, and a life of holiness in relationship with our holy God.

Now the question is, what is the result of radical hearts, minds, and lives? Radical fruit! Fruit is the product of the tree and its roots. We don't find the fruit in the roots or in the trunk, but we define the tree by the fruit it produces. At the same time the essence of what is in the tree and its DNA determines the very fruit it will produce.

What is the fruit that we desire our lives to produce? At Wellspring we have come to desire, and even expect radical fruit from our lives when we walk with the Lord - fruit that we may even define as radical. Healing and wholeness, relationships restored, provision for all we need are expectations we believe in. Yet, if we step back and look, what we believe in is not considered normal to the rest of the world. It's radical. We also believe our lives can have impact for the victory of God's Kingdom come to the earth and the people around us. We believe we can be voices of hope, channels for healing, and beacons of truth. Again, this is radical to an unbelieving world. Yet, this is the very fruit we desire and believe is available to us and through us.

This weekend we'll shift our attention from radical hearts, minds, and lives to Radical Fruit. Jesus said we are to be salt and light to the world. How can we truly season the world as salt? How can we emanate light into the darkness? Are our desires for fruit, even radical fruit, realistic? Do we have the roots necessary, the core essence embodying the DNA necessary to produce radical fruit? I invite you to attend one of our weekend worship services as we continue in our series: Radical.

Pastor Wesley
(photo by Erik Johnson from our trip to Uganda in '08)