Bear fruit worthy of repentance

We all need a change of mind and heart, to think and act differently to bear spiritual fruit throughout our life. Consider confession, repentance, and baptism as ways to open up to godly change. They are outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual turning toward God that are renewed and deepened every day. They represent a determined act of human will toward oneness with God.

In Matthew 3:1-12, there is a call to change mind and heart by John the Baptizer. He called all people to resolve to turn away from being disobedient to God in their thoughts, words, and actions and to do so once and for all because the Kingdom of Heaven, that's been long anticipated, has now been realized. In response, the people who came from all around the region to hear John preach that important message determined to change their ways and prepare for the coming of the One who the prophet Isaiah spoke of saying, "The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight."

The people confessed and repented of their sins, then allowed John the Baptizer to take them into the Jordan River and dunk them in it as a ritual and one-time baptism that symbolized something fundamentally good had changed in their life. But to those leaders of the temple who stood against his message, John said to them, "Bear fruit worthy of repentance."

Why do you think the people who heard John the Baptizer's message decided to confess their sins, repent, and agree to be baptized?

What about John's message would lead you to make such a fundamental spiritual change? And what does it mean to bear fruit worthy of repentance?