The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#556: How We Should Live In The Last Days Mar 07, 2022

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The Big Idea:

With the knowledge that biblical prophecy will be fulfilled and that Jesus is coming soon, let’s prepare our hearts and lives for his coming. Keep pursuing Jesus, Don’t let up. Don’t give up. Keep growing in your faith. This is not a time for apathy or complacency. Do the things that you know will strengthen your faith.

Main Points:

1. The word “holy” means “set apart, distinct, different” A holy life is one that is different than the evil, sinful world around us. It is a life set apart for God. To live holy is to live by a different set of values than those who do not know Christ. It’s living according to the Word of God. We treasure Christ above all other things.
2. The word "godly: means “reverence and awe towards God.” To live a godly life has to do with the fear of the Lord. It is a life dedicated to God and living in a way that honors the Lord. To be godly is to reflect the character of God in your life.
3. What follows our salvation is a process of sanctification. It is a pursuit of holy and godly living. If Jesus would give his life for us on the cross, we should willingly give our lives to him as well.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

“The Lord’s coming is near.” (James 5:8)
“Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44)
“I came coming soon” (Revelation 3:11
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’” (Revelation 22:20)

2 Peter 3:10-12 - “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God.”
2 Peter 1:3 - “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

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#555: The Secret Place of Prayer Mar 05, 2022

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The Big Idea:

Every believer needs a secret place. Where is your quiet place? Where can you regularly get alone with God in prayer? I believe the impact of our public testimony and ministry is a direct result of the time spent with God in secret.

Main Points:

1. If all we see is the public ministry of Jesus, we miss something very important. It’s not talked about much, but Jesus had a private, personal relationship with His Father. There was a vital connection to his private times of prayer and his public ministry.
2. It’s in the secret place that we can be alone with God. We remove ourselves from the distractions of daily life. There are no interruptions of family, work, school, smartphones, or social media. It’s in the quiet we draw closer to God and a new intimacy is gained. It’s here that we quiet the noise around us and within us. We open our spiritual ears to hear the voice of our Heavenly Father.
3. May you and I see the value of finding a secret place to spend time with God in prayer. In our busy, noisy world, we need this quiet place with God.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 6:1 - “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 6:5-6 - “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Psalm 46:10 - “Be still and know that I am God.”

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#554: The Potential You Cannot See Mar 03, 2022

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The Big Idea:

I’m convinced you have potential you cannot see. God has placed within you the potential to make a difference, to be a blessing, to do great things for His Kingdom. Quite often, we cannot see our potential. We downplay our gifts and talents. We think others are more capable and more qualified. We hesitate to step out in faith and let God use our gifts. In doing so, both ourselves and those we could serve miss out on the blessing.

Main Points:

1. God has good works for you to do that he prepared in advance. You have potential. You have God-given potential. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe it. God’s Word says there are good works he has prepared you to do.
2. Perhaps you feel like an unlikely candidate to be used by God. Recognize that it’s not really about you, it’s about God and His Spirit. You and I are simply tools in the hand of God. Make yourself available to God. Let him use your life. He’ll take your gifts, talents, time, and resources and anoint them with His Holy Spirit. It’s then, and only then that your potential is revealed.
3. God wants to use your life in ways you don’t know about yet. You have not reached your full potential. As long as you are alive God wants to use your life for his glory and to be a blessing to others.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Judges 6:14-15 - “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

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#553: The Hardest Prayer to Pray Mar 02, 2022

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The Big Idea:

Out of all the prayers we pray, there is one prayer that is more difficult than all the others. It is the prayer of surrender. The prayer of submission to God is harder than all other prayers. It requires great trust in God. It demands a letting go of our control. It’s releasing the situation in God’s hands and trusting Him to meet the need as He sees best.

Main Points:

1. The reason this prayer is more difficult is because we like control, or at least the illusion of control. If I sincerely pray for God’s will to be done, I have to allow for God’s will to be done.
2. While the prayer of surrender is often the hardest prayer we pray, it is the most rewarding. God rewards those who submit to his will.
3. Let us pray along with our Savior, “Father, not my will, but your will be done.” Let’s be willing to pray this most difficult prayer of surrender, acknowledging that God knows what

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 6:10 - “…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 26:39 - “not my will but your will be done.”
Hebrews 5:7 - “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

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#552: A Growing Hunger for the Word of God Mar 01, 2022

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The Big Idea:

We must have a desire for the Scripture. It’s through the pages of the Bible we come to know the author. My prayer is that we would develop a hunger for the Word of God, because we have a hunger to know God personally.

Main Points:

1. If it’s true that the majority of Christians are not reading and learning from the Word of God on a regular basis, there must be a deficiency in our discipleship. Our spiritual growth is stunted. We are not are being changed into Christ-likeness. We are not growing as God would intend.
2. If today, you find yourself with little desire for the Word of God, there are some things you can do. First, you can pray. Admit to God what’s in your heart. Begin to ask God every day to give you a hunger and delight for Scripture.
3. I believe God will develop in us a hunger for his Word. We’ll begin to experience a taste and a craving for the Scripture because our time with God is satisfying and nourishing.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Peter 2:1-3 - “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Psalm 119:97 - “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”

Psalm 119:18 - “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”

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#551: The Soon Return of Jesus Feb 28, 2022

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The Big Idea:

If you are like me and you are waiting expectantly for the return of Jesus, you might think, “It doesn’t seem like He is coming quickly. It seems like he is waiting a long time.” But remember, God doesn’t see time the way we do. For example, the Scripture says to God a thousand years is like a day.

Main Points:

1. If by faith you can believe in the virgin birth, the crucifixion, and the resurrection, then by faith you can believe in the return of Jesus for his church.
2. From the first century to the 21st century, Christ-followers have always believed Jesus could return at any time.
3. What if you knew Jesus was coming today? Would it impact how you live your life? Would it change anything about how you live? We don’t know when, but we do know He is coming.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

“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.” (John 14:3)

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)

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#550: There is Power in the Blood of Jesus Feb 26, 2022

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The Big Idea:

What a powerful promise! The blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin. It’s not a partial cleaning, no, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Isn’t this amazing. We can be fully forgiven, and completely cleansed of our sin, because of Jesus’ death and his blood shed for us. The blood of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all our sins – past, present, and future.

Main Points:

1. It might seem strange to someone who is not a Christian that we as believers talk about, and even sing about the blood of Jesus. After all, blood is often considered an uncomfortable subject.
2. But the reason we are grateful for the blood of Jesus is because of its power. Yes, there is power in the blood of Jesus. It has the power to cleanse us from our sins.
3. God wouldn’t be just if he winked at our sin, or swept it under the rug. No, justice had to be met. Compelled by his great love for us, Jesus steps in and pays the awful penalty for us. He gave his life for us. He shed his blood for us.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 1:7 - “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

1 John 1:7 - “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

John 1:29 - “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

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#549: How to Become Righteous Feb 25, 2022

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The Big Idea:

Here’s the good news. Jesus is our righteousness. By placing our faith in Jesus, and believing he is the perfect, sinless son of God who died and rose again as payment for our sins, we receive His righteousness.

Main Points:

1. No matter how many good things we do, no matter how consistent our moral behavior, we all come up short of God’s righteous standard. It’s important to see that our good works will never enable us to be righteous, as God defines it.
2. When Jesus died on the cross he carried all the sins of humanity. He became sin for us. As a result, everyone who believes in Him is made righteous with God.
3. Now, having become righteous in God’s eyes by placing our faith in Jesus, we pursue righteous living. This righteous lifestyle is not an attempt to earn salvation. It is the result of our salvation.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 3:23 - “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Isaiah 64:6 - “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…”

Philippians 3:9 - “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 - “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

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#548: Rescued by Jesus Feb 24, 2022

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The Big Idea:

We don’t have to stay bound and captive to sin. We don’t have to be held hostage by sin, failure, addictions, and unhealthy habits. Jesus has come to personally rescue us from the prison of sin. On the cross, once and for all, Jesus broke the power of sin in our lives. We now can go free.

Main Points:

1. Christianity is a rescue religion. It declares that God has taken the initiative in Jesus Christ to rescue us from our sins.
2. I want you to see today that you and I can trust Jesus. He is our savior and our rescuer. He didn’t ask us to come to him. He came to us. He knew we could not rescue ourselves, so the God of eternity came to rescue us.
3. The reason we are able to trust Jesus and to follow Him is because He became one of us. Jesus became a human. He didn’t save us from far away. No, He came to us. He lived as we do.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

John 1:14 NLT - “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.”

Hebrews 4:15 says “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”

Galatians 1:4 - “(Jesus) gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

Colossians 1:13 - “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves”

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#547: Learning to Pray with Confidence Feb 23, 2022

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The Big Idea:

Where is our confidence? It is not in ourselves, and it is not in our prayers. Our confidence is in God. This is where we place our faith. Our faith is not in ourselves, in our prayers, or even in our faith. Our faith and confidence is in God.

Main Points:

1. I want to encourage you today to pray with boldness. Not a brash boldness that orders God around. After all, we must remember that prayer is asking, it’s not telling God what to do.
2. The Scriptures teach us to pray with confidence and believe that God will, not only hear our prayers but also answer them.
3. As we study God’s Word, as we grow in our faith, we begin to discover the will of God for our lives. The more we pray in alignment with His will, the more we can pray with confidence.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

1 John 5:14-15 - “And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.”

Hebrews 4:16 - “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 10:35 - “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!”

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