Monday, November 2, 2026 · FORMED · Day 1 — Faith Without Fruit

Leaves but No Figs

“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, 'Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.' And His disciples heard it.”
Mark 11:13-14 (NKJV)

This week, let's talk about fruit.

Not the kind in your kitchen. The kind God is looking for in your life.

Let me start with something good. Many of you know a lot about Jesus. You've read the Bible, sat under good teaching, and could explain the gospel to a friend.

That matters. Truth is a gift.

But here's the question this week will keep asking. What is all of that producing?

Jesus was walking into Jerusalem, and He was hungry. He saw a fig tree in full leaf and walked over to it.

Fig trees usually put out small early figs along with their leaves. A tree full of leaves was advertising fruit.

Mark even notes it wasn't fig season. That's what made this tree stand out. It was dressed for a harvest it didn't have.

"He found nothing but leaves."

So Jesus spoke to it, and the next morning it was withered from the roots.

This wasn't a bad mood. It was a living parable. Right after this, Jesus walked into the temple and found the same thing. Busy courts. Plenty of religion. Very little fruit.

Leaves are what people can see. Fruit is what people can eat.

Leaves look like attendance. Bible knowledge. Christian vocabulary. A good worship playlist.

None of that is bad. Healthy trees have leaves.

But you can have a full canopy and an empty branch.

You can know the verses about patience and still explode at your kids. You can quote grace and still keep score. You can post about Jesus and never point anyone to Him.

Let me be clear. Fruit doesn't save you. Jesus saves you, by grace, through faith.

But real faith is never fruitless. Jesus said, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Here's what moves me about this story. Jesus came to that tree hungry.

He still comes to your life looking for something. Not because He needs it, but because He planted you to produce it.

He isn't looking for a show. He's looking for fruit.

So this week isn't a guilt trip. It's an honest look.

A tree can't change its fruit until it admits it's only growing leaves.

Today's Challenge

Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. Label one side "Leaves" and the other "Fruit." Under Leaves, list what people can see of your faith. Under Fruit, list specific ways your faith changed how you treated someone this past month. Be honest. Keep the paper. You'll need it on Day 6.

Prayer

Jesus, I don't want to be a tree that looks alive and feeds no one. Thank You for saving me by grace. Now show me where I've been satisfied with leaves. When You come to my life hungry, let You find something real. Make my faith more than something I know. Make it something I live. In Jesus' name, amen.

Reflection

If people could only see my fruit, not my leaves, what would they say about my faith?
Where do I know a lot but live very little of it?
When Jesus comes to my life hungry, what does He find?

Written by Joe VanEst

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