La Crosse Baptist Church

05/12/2026

Are you hurting today? Has life become difficult and you don't know where to turn? The writer of Hebrews encourages us to boldly come before the throne of God. He alone can provide grace and mercy to help. Do you believe?

04/29/2026

03/04/2024

The Apple Does Not Fall Far From the Apple Tree

Read John 5:19:29

Words to Live by: “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”
John 5:19 ESV

Have you ever heard the statement “the apple does not fall far from the apple tree? This declaration has been around for many years and is typically used around Father’s Day referring to the children of dads. It is easy to understand the principle here described. Anyone who has ever gone to an apple orchard can easily comprehend the concept. I recently took my grandchildren to an orchard and as we were searching for the best apples to pick to make a pie, we were stepping on all the apples that had fallen to the ground. Those apples that fell never left the area and always stayed right by the tree until they were scoped up to make apple cider. Typically, children emulate their parents. We can almost always see traits in children as they mimic the actions, both good and bad of their parents. The apple truly does not fall far from the apple tree.
John the evangelist is making the case that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is truly God. He is not some good person, or a prophet, or just another god that we can chose out of several other gods. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is Lord of lords and King of kings. The religious rulers were trying to kill Jesus because He rightly claimed to be God. Every attribute that God the Father has Jesus Christ has. Jesus explained to these rulers that the “apple does not fall far from the apple tree.” Jesus was simply doing the things that God the Father was doing that they had already accepted. “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (verse 21).

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (verse 24)

Do you Believe?