The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#636: Praying for Patience Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

Patience is the ability to accept delay or disappointment graciously. Our default reaction to delay and disappointment is often to respond with frustration and anger. Patience is the ability to allow God’s grace to control our personality so we can respond like God.

Main Points:

1. All of my life I have heard Christians say, “Don’t pray for patience! If you do, God will make you go through difficulties in order to get the patience you desire.”
2. Patience is one of the character traits of Jesus. If we are to be like Jesus, we must grow in our ability and willingness to be patient.
3. Patience can be developed by two things: prayer and practice. As we pray for this character trait, God is gracious and generous. We then intentionally practice growing to be more like Jesus. Consider today how you can become more patient.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 145:8 - “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.”

Romans 12:12 - “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 - “Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.”
Proverbs 16:32 - “Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.”

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#635: The Heavens Declare the Glory of God Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

When we see all God has created, simply by speaking a word, we recognize his existence, his majesty, and his power. I believe there is a natural curiosity in our hearts that cannot be completely satisfied by anything else but a belief in the existence of God.

Main Points:

1. Listen again to those powerful words: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.” David looked to the heavens – not the spiritual heaven where God is enthroned, but the heavens of the blue sky and the night sky – and he clearly saw the glory of God declared.
2. I think you have I have experienced what David saw and felt. When you see the serenity of a sunrise or the beauty of a sunset, when we see a sky filled with millions of stars, when we see the radiance of the sun and moon, and when we think of the multitude of galaxies God has created, it all reveals the glory of God.
3. The word glory here means that which gives the honor to God - his wisdom, power, skill, faithfulness, benevolence, as seen in the starry worlds above us, and even the silent, movements by day and by night. The idea is, that these convey to the mind a true impression of the greatness and majesty of God. Everyone with physical eyesight can see the glory of God.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 19:1-2 - “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.”

Psalm 8:1,3-4 - “O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”
Romans 1:20 - “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

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#634: Bible Study for Beginners Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

Disciples of Jesus are students. They are students of the Word of God. We read God’s Word for encouragement, inspiration, peace, and strength, but we must also study the Scripture to know God, to know what we are to believe and to know how we are to live.

Main Points:

1. The need for careful and diligent study of the Bible has never been more important than it is today. There is an all-out attack on the authority of God’s Word and as believers, we need to know what the Word says and how to articulate it to others. This requires the study of God’s Word.
2. To counter the false teachers who were misapplying and undermining the truth of God’s Word, the Apostle Paul urged Timothy to work hard and study diligently when handling the scriptures.
3. I’ve discovered many Christians believe they should study the Bible, they just don’t know where to begin.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Timothy 2:15 - “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

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#633: Love is our Motivation Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

When we recognize how great God’s love is for us, the only response is to love him in return. No one has done for us what God has done. No one has given to us what God has given. Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could have forgiveness and eternal life. It is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen.

Main Points:

1. Loving God is our great motivation to serve. It is not a drudgery to serve God. It is not a burden or an obligation. It is not a problem to serve Him. If Jesus would go to the cross for us, we should willingly and lovingly serve Him in return.
2. Having been changed by the love of God, we love him in return. This love compels us to follow, surrender, serve, and obey.
3. Join me in asking God to help us to love Him more. I believe this prayer honors the Lord. He will give us a greater capacity to love and it will become the motivation for all we do.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 5:8 - “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 14:15 - “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

2 Corinthians 5:14 - “For the love of Christ compels us…”

Matthew 22:37 - “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

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#632: Be An Encourager Jun 04, 2022

Show notes

You never know the impact of your kindness, your love, and your words of encouragement. I believe people around you today are desperate for encouragement. Everyone around you is fighting a battle you know nothing about. What a difference you could make in someone’s life by encouraging them to trust the Lord, to keep believing, and to not give up.

Main Points:

1. Have you ever had an encourager in your life, someone that whenever you were around them, you found your spirit lifted? This is the kind of person I want to be. I want to be an encourager.
2. What a difference you could make by encouraging someone to obey God, to step out in faith, and to let God use their lives.
3. I believe every believer has a ministry. Don’t overlook the importance of being an encourager. It costs you nothing but your love, your kindness, and your time.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Acts 4:36 - “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”)

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - “encourage one another and build each other up.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 - “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

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#631: The Finished Work of Jesus Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

What Jesus did for us on the cross was a complete work. It is a finished work. While Jesus hung on the cross he said these words, “It is finished.” There is nothing more to do. He obeyed his Father completely. Our debt of sin is paid in full.

Main Points:

1. How foolish it would be to continue to try and pay for something that has already been paid for, yet that’s what many people do with their salvation. Jesus has paid their debt in full with his sacrificial death on the cross, yet they continue to try to pay for their salvation.
2. What Jesus had come to do was completed. The justice of a righteous and a holy God was satisfied. The penalty for sin had been given. The price had been paid in full.
3. There is nothing we can do to add to our salvation. But it’s here that many of us struggle. Surely there must be something for me to do to be saved. But there is not. Not good deeds, not cleaning up your life, not baptism, not religious activity. There is nothing we can do to add to our salvation. Our debt is paid in full.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Colossians 2:13-14 - “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”

Revelation 13:8 Jesus…”the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

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#630: God Will Wipe Away Every Tear Jun 02, 2022

Show notes

If today you are dealing with grief, loneliness, sorrow, or pain, let me remind you that your Heavenly Father knows all about it. He is with you, He cares, and, as the scripture says, He is close to the brokenhearted.” Today we weep, but one day God will wipe away our tears forever.

Main Points:

1. If you think expressing your emotions through crying is beneath you or a sign of frailty, just remember the scripture tells us that Jesus wept.
2. In this life, no one is immune to pain. We all suffer. We all experience loss and grief. Tears are a God-given way to express our emotions and feelings.
3. But what a promise we have! We have this promise from God that a day is coming when sorrow is no more. A day is coming when we will no longer experience grief, pain, loss, or tragedy.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 56:8 - “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

Isaiah 25:8 - “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

Revelation 21:4 - “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Psalm 30:5 - “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

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#629: The Posture of Prayer Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

Which physical posture of prayer is the right one for you? I would say, none of them! Rather than the external posture, the Bible emphasizes the posture of the heart. Whether you are standing, sitting, or lying down, the important thing is that your heart is bowed in submission to the lordship of Christ.

Main Points:

1. True prayer is characterized by the posture of the heart, not the physical posture of the person praying.
2. So, what is the right posture of our hearts as we come to God in prayer. I believe it must include three things: reverence, humility, and gratitude.
3. As you pray today, it may be that you’ll sense God leading you to a particular posture of prayer. Maybe you’ll kneel, stand, or even lift your hands. Whichever posture of prayer you choose, don’t forget about the posture of your heart.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 3:14 - “For this reason, I kneel before the Father.”
Psalm 95:6 - “Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
Hebrews 12:28 - “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.”

John 14:13 - “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

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#628: Waiting on the Return of Jesus May 31, 2022

Show notes

Sometimes we find ourselves impatient with God, especially about His return. We wonder, What can He be waiting on? The tragedies around us, the suffering of people we love, and even the stresses of daily life all seem bigger as time goes on. When will Jesus come back?

Main Points:

1. As believers, we are to wait. We don’t like waiting, but as we wait we trust God’s timing. God alone knows when the right time is for the return of Jesus. So, we ask God for the patience to wait.
2. It’s important to see that this “waiting” God asks us to do is not passive. Our waiting on the return of Christ is not the same as waiting in a waiting room. We do not sit idly by, wasting time, waiting for Jesus to come back.
3. As we wait, we focus on the mission of Jesus in our world. We have been given a commission by our Savior. We are to share the good news of the gospel and this must be a priority in our lives. The return of Christ is always presented in Scripture as a great motivation to action, not as a reason to cease from action.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

John 14:3 - “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Philippians 3:20 - “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

Titus 2:13 - “…we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 3:11-12 - “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God.”

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#627: A Message for the Lonely May 30, 2022

Show notes

I want to assure you today that no matter what you are experiencing or what you feel, God’s face is turned towards you. He does know what you feel and He cares.

Main Points:

1. Perhaps you feel down today, thinking all your hope is gone, that even God has abandoned you. Yes, you may feel those things, but that doesn’t mean your feelings are true. The God of Heaven knows what you are feeling. He understands the pressure you are feeling. Most of all, He is there. He cares and He is with you.
2. In your loneliness, stand on this great truth from Scripture. God is with you. In fact, he has promised to always be with you.
3. What is it that lifts our spirits when we are lonely? What encourages our hearts? I believe the answer is found in worship. When we worship Jesus we experience a change in perspective. Our focus is no longer on our loneliness, the absence of friends and family, and what we do not have. Our focus now is solely upon Jesus, his comforting presence, his love for us, and his promise to always be with us.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Genesis 2:18 - “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”
Hebrews 13:5 - “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Isaiah 43:2 - “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Psalm 27:10 - "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.”
Proverbs 18:24 - “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

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