Exemplar Coaching

Live by Design, Not by Default.

CoffeeChat 35 – Farmer’s Fruit

Edition  35

Farmer's Fruit

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Lord, You do not fail; You have made everything possible for us to fulfil Your will. Teach us the significance of doing just that. Amen
Introduction
Without farmers, humanity starves. It’s that simple. Stop all food production tomorrow and watch civilisation collapse within weeks. Anarchy. War. Moral fibre shrinking until people do unspeakable things for a crust of bread. When people are nourished, their moral compass holds steady. When they starve, ethics evaporate. Now the conundrum: You and your family haven’t eaten for a month. Skeletal. Desperate. You’ve prayed daily for bread. Outside a bakery, dozens of warm loaves sit unguarded. The aroma torture. One loaf could save your family. Steal and risk arrest, leaving your family alone? Or walk away, returning empty-handed to watch them starve another day? The moral mathematics of desperation. But wait—the baker emerges, places a sign: “Your daily bread. Free bread for the hungry. (Matthew 7:20).” Everything changes. The baker doesn’t just sell bread; he produces different fruit entirely. Spiritual fruit that feeds more than stomachs. Isaiah tells of another Farmer who planted a vineyard on fertile ground, cleared stones, built towers, dug winepresses—did everything right. Expected sweet grapes. Got sour ones. The Farmer is God. The vineyard is us. Despite perfect preparation, we produce bitter fruit. Jesus warns that many will claim His name whilst producing thorns. The Farmer expects good fruit. Not because He’s demanding but because He’s already done everything to ensure the harvest.
Chat Point 1
  1. Have you ever tried growing food, and what did success or failure teach you about requirements for growth?
  2. What does it take to successfully grow food, and what parallels exist with spiritual growth?
  3. In the bread-stealing conundrum, how would desperation affect your moral decision-making?
  4. What thoughts and feelings would you have when facing the choice between theft and starvation?
  5. How would discovering the “free bread” sign change not just your actions but your understanding of the baker?
Read
Isaiah 5:1-30, Matthew 7:15-23
Key Focus
Matthew 7:20 – “Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What stood out about the farmer’s meticulous preparation in Isaiah’s vineyard song?
  2. Why is it fair for God to expect good fruit after all He’s done to prepare the soil of our lives?
  3. What are the “woes” in Isaiah 5:8-30 revealing about why only bad fruit was yielded?
  4. How would you recognise that the baker was a Christian, and what fruit did he produce?
  5. What’s the spiritual significance of producing fruit that feeds others rather than just ourselves?
Final Thought
Fun fact: Doing God’s will produces the fruit He expects. Not doing God’s will produces bad fruit. Simple equation, complex implications. Jesus warns those who merely profess His name whilst producing thorns. They say “Lord, Lord” but never do the Father’s will. The baker could have just sold bread—legitimate business, honest living. Instead, he became bread for the hungry, producing fruit that revealed the kingdom. His sign didn’t just offer food; it offered recognition: “By their fruit you will recognise them.” The starving family didn’t just receive bread; they encountered God through human hands. Isaiah’s vineyard passage lists the bitter fruit: greed (adding house to house), indulgence (heroes at drinking wine), injustice (acquitting guilty for bribes), pride (wise in their own eyes). Each “woe” represents fruit that poisons rather than nourishes. God cleared your stones, planted you in fertile soil, built watchtowers of protection, dug the winepress of purpose. After all this preparation, what fruit are you producing? The Farmer expects good fruit not because He’s harsh but because He’s already ensured success. The only variable is our will—will we produce His fruit or our own? The kingdom needs bakers who see hungry souls and respond with more than commerce. Whose fruit are you producing?
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer
Lord, You have given us everything needed to produce good fruit; guide us to produce what is good so others may be fed by Your grace. Amen.
Like the community: www.facebook.com/CoffeeChatConnect
In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. Can you identify with any of Isaiah’s “woes,” and what must you do about those that convict you?
  2. If we’re all recognised by our fruit, how can you be more like the baker and produce nourishing fruit?
  3. What specific fruit is God expecting from the vineyard of your life this week?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"