Matthew 7:16–29

¹⁶You will recognize them ^lby their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷So, ^mevery healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ⁿEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus you will recognize them ^lby their fruits.

I Never Knew You

^21o“Not everyone who ^psays to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will ^qenter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who ^rdoes the will of my Father who is in heaven. ^22sOn that day ^tmany will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not ^uprophesy in your name, and cast out demons ^vin your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ^23tAnd then will I declare to them, ‘I ^wnever knew you; ^xdepart from me, ^yyou workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

^24z“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like ^aa wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like ^aa foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Authority of Jesus

²⁸And when Jesus finished these sayings, ^bthe crowds were astonished at his teaching, ^29cfor he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.