[Teisha Nolen]

Matthew’s warning is sobering. Heritage, religious status—even growing up in church—are no substitute for repentance. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to baptism with pride, but were called a “generation of vipers.” God desires transformation, not tradition. Over time, zeal for God can quietly morph into self-righteousness. It’s a slippery slope.
Pursuing righteousness isn’t wrong—but doing so apart from God’s grace is futile. True spiritual fruit comes from surrender, not self-effort. We have to ask: are we bearing fruit that reflects repentance and dependence on Christ, or are we clinging to credentials and control?
I’ve been there. As a worship leader, it was easy to point to ministry as fruit. But when I leaned on planning and performance, things fell flat. Only when my heart was surrendered did the work bear Kingdom impact. Anything done in my own strength? Just glorified entertainment