Chapter 1 · 3 min read

Introduction: What Is Growing on Your Tree?

Have you ever picked an apple straight off a tree, or a strawberry right out of the garden? It tastes so much better than anything from a store. And here’s a funny thing: the tree didn’t grunt and strain to make that apple. It didn’t try really hard. It just stayed rooted, soaked up water and sunshine, and the fruit grew.

The Bible says God wants your life to grow fruit too. Not apples or strawberries, but something better:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
— Galatians 5:22–23 (BSB)

That’s a picture of what Jesus is like. And when you belong to Him, His Holy Spirit starts growing those same things in you.

Here’s the secret, and it’s the most important thing in this whole book: you can’t grow fruit by trying harder. You grow fruit by staying connected to Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” A branch doesn’t make grapes by squeezing. It makes grapes by staying attached to the vine. So as we talk about kindness, patience, honesty and self-control, remember: this isn’t a list of rules to earn God’s love. It’s a picture of what God grows in people He already loves.

What’s in this book

This is Book 3 of Rooted. (If you haven’t read Books 1 and 2, that’s okay! You can start right here.)

Weeks 1 and 2 — The Fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and humility, one at a time.
Week 3 — Words. The tongue is small, but it’s powerful. How to use your words to build up, not tear down.
Week 4 — Heart Habits. Respect, thankfulness, hard work, contentment, generosity and guarding your heart.
Week 5 — Pure and Wise. Wisdom, clean thoughts, what you watch, who you are when nobody’s looking, and what pride does.

How each day works

Every day takes about five to ten minutes and has five parts:

The verse. A short passage from the Bible. Read it slowly.
The teaching. What the verse means, with a story or a picture from everyday life.
Think about it. A question to think about on your own or talk about with someone.
Try this. One small way to practice that fruit today.
The prayer. A prayer to pray. Add your own words too!

Tips for growing fruit

Be honest. Some days you’ll read about a fruit and think, I’m not very good at that. That’s okay! Tell God. He loves honest prayers.
Pick one thing. You can’t work on everything at once. Let one “Try this” stick each week.
Notice fruit in others. When you see someone being patient or kind, tell them. Encouraging others helps everyone grow.
Missed a day? Just keep going. Fruit grows slowly. So do we.

Fruit doesn’t appear overnight. Apple trees take years to grow their first apples. But season by season, God is at work in you. Let’s see what He grows.

For parents, grandparents and leaders

Book 3 of Rooted is about character, but it is written to keep character rooted in grace. Every day points young readers aged 9 to 12 back to Jesus and the work of His Spirit rather than to self-improvement. Scripture is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible. Week 3 on words and Day 27 on screens make especially good family conversations. Day 27 also encourages readers to tell a trusted adult if they ever see something online that troubles them.