Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don't begin to say to yourselves, "We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!

The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire."

"A good tree doesn't produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree doesn't produce good fruit,

because every tree is known by its own fruit. People don't gather figs from thorny plants or pick grapes from a thorn bush.

The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn't mature.

Then Jesus told them this parable: "A man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but didn't find any.

So he told the gardener, "Look here! For three years I've been coming to look for fruit on this tree but I haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the soil?'

Maybe next year it will bear fruit. If not, then cut it down.'"