Welcome back to Beliefnet’s exclusive Bill Hybels devotional, “Living with Grander Vision.” This feed will appear in your profile every day for three full weeks. Did you miss any entries? Just stay subscribed, and the feed will begin again at the end of its cycle.
Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!”
Immediately, the tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:18-22)
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A faith lesson in a fig tree. It was Jesus’ style, using the ordinary stuff of life to help people apprehend the extraordinary.
What is your style, when it comes to helping point people to faith in God?
Interpersonal, like Christ?
Invitational, like the woman at the well?
Intellectual, like the apostle Paul?
Confrontational, like Simon Peter?
Service-oriented, like Mother Teresa?
Testimonial, like modern-day apologist Lee Strobel?
Know your style, relax in your style, speak from your style, and then swerve not: God made you just the way you are.