The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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Christianity
**The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast**

Daily episodes are hosted by Pastor Loren Hicks. This podcast will challenge you to go deeper into your Christian faith. The goal is to inspire you to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Episodes have been downloaded over 750,000 times.

Latest Episodes:

#456: Being a Life-Long Learner Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

Episode 456 - Show Notes

The Book of Proverbs calls for us to have a teachable spirit. Disciples have a willingness to learn and to follow. This is essentially what a disciple is…a student.
A hunger to learn and a willingness to search for knowledge is a wonderful gift from God. We must embrace it. We should recognize that we don’t know it all. There is much God wants to teach us. We can learn from the knowledge and experiences of others.
In regards to our faith and relationship with God, we never arrive at a place of complete knowledge and understanding. How could our finite minds fully understand an infinite God?
There is always more to learn about God, his character, his ways, his plans, and his will. The appropriate question is: Are we teachable? Are we seeking to know Him more? Are we willing to pursue a deeper relationship with God?
Even in Heaven, we should not expect that our learning is complete. Paul said in Ephesians 2:7 “in the coming ages [God will] show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” I believe we will forever be learning more about our great God.
Decide that you will be a life long learner. We have more ways and formats to learn today than any previous generation. In quest for more knowledge, seek God first. Learn from him and let him teach you his ways.

Proverbs 1:5 says, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

Proverbs 9:9 says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”

Proverbs 18:15 says, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#455: God Offers You A Second Chance Nov 14, 2021

Show notes

Episode 455 - Show Notes

Maybe you once had a strong relationship with Christ, you once served God, but today you have walked away. You wonder if God would forgive you. You doubt that he would give you a second chance.
In the Old Testament there was a prophet named Jonah. God spoke to him and told him to go preach in a city called Nineveh. Jonah couldn’t believe what God asked him to do. They people of Nineveh were Assyrian. They hated the Jews and the Jews hated them back. The Assyrians were were an evil and wicked people. In fact, ancient records from Assyria boast of cruelty as a badge of courage and power.
So, what did Jonah do? He disobeyed God. He booked passage on a ship going the opposite direction. If you read the story in the book of Jonah, you know that God sent a terrible storm, Jonah was thrown overboard. He spent three nights in belly of a huge fish God had prepared.
Jonah 3:1 - “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.”
Did you catch it? Yes, Jonah had disobeyed God. Yes, he had refused to do God’s will. Yes, he attempted to get as far away from Nineveh as he possibly could, but God had not given up on him. God gave him a second chance.
Most of us have heard the lie of the devil – “look at what you did. You’ll never be anything. God will never forgive you. You are a hypocrite. This will follow you all of your life. You are disqualified.” The devil will never let you forget.
But today our God is a God of second chances. He is a God who is great in forgiveness. His love is abundant. His mercy is given generously. He helps us get up when we have fallen. He leads us to the next step.
Wherever you are, wherever you have been, whatever you have done, no matter how far away you may be, God’s grace is available to you. You can come back home to the Father. He is a God of second chances.

1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Romans 5:20 – “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#454: I Need Wisdom Nov 13, 2021

Show notes

Episode 454 - Show Notes

I’m sure that in your life right now you need to make a decision, or maybe several decisions. Perhaps you are deciding about your future, your work, your family, where you live, or a parenting decision.
Do you feel that uncertainty about the decision you need to make? Are you struggling with some stress and anxiety because you want to be sure to make the right decision?
Like Solomon, you can ask God for wisdom. In fact, God has promised to give it to you if you would simply ask him.
It’s not just major companies that have consultants. You and I have them too. We have family members, close friends, work colleagues, neighbors, and even social media followers that all love to share their opinions about what we should or shouldn’t do.
While we are grateful for the advice from trusted family members and friends, we cannot neglect asking God what He would have us to do. A simple challenge for us would be: Have we asked God about it?
So much wisdom can be gained from the pages of the Bible. If we read it in Scripture, we don’t have to wonder if it’s right for us. We know it’s his will for us because it is in his word. I love the old saying, “Don’t say God is silent if your Bible is closed.”
Remember, the Bible teaches us that God is not the author of confusion. If you are confused, if the path forward is unclear, know this is not God’s will for you. His Spirit wants to bring clarity, guidance, and direction.

2 Chronicles 1:7-10 - “God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#453: Jesus Must Be Our Treasure Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

Episode 453 - Show Notes

As we observe human nature, we see that there is a great diversity in what we value. Many value success and accomplishment. Some will value houses and cars. Some will value travel and experiences. Others will value giving their children opportunities for sports. We all value different things. There is nothing inherently wrong with this as much of our choices have to do with our personalities.
However, as disciples, we must value Jesus above all things. We must ask ourselves the hard question: What would my look like if I valued Jesus above all things? Where would my priorities lie? What changes would I need to make?
Of course, the reason we value Jesus above all things is because he is worthy. There is no one like Jesus. No one has ever done for us what Jesus has done. Jesus bore our sins on the cross and made a way for our salvation. Jesus is worth serving. He is our highest value.
Jesus says, how you spend your treasure reveals where your heart is. Today we have two treasures: time and financial resources. How we spend them reveals what we value and what matters most to us.
Let me ask you the obvious question: What does your calendar and your bank account reveal about your values? It’s quick and easy to go back and look to see what we treasure most.
When we value Jesus first, we begin to realize that only He can satisfy us. We can run hard after everything this world offers and we will still come up empty. It cannot and will not satisfy our deepest needs.
Let’s pray and ask God to search our hearts. May our values, our treasure, and our motives be revealed. Let’s determine to value Jesus above all things and let this treasure determine how we live our daily lives.

Matthew 6:20-21 - “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:33 - “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, everything else we need will be added to us.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#452: Living in the Past Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Episode 452 - Show Notes

For a lot of people, the past holds a difficult childhood, an abusive marriage, the loss of a loved one, or a difficult financial situation. Yet no matter how painful our past may have been, for some strange reason we often choose not to let go. In order to get on with our future and simplify our lives, we must choose to make a clean break and leave the past behind.
Staying stuck in the past can keep us from the new thing God wants to do. What a tragedy to be paralyzed by the past and to miss the plans God has for us. What a powerful thought…God wants to do a new thing in your life!
We all have a “past.” There are sins, mistakes, poor choices, and failures in our story. The guilt and shame of our past can keep us from the life Jesus has for us. Through the power of God we put the past behind us and walk forward in God’s freedom. Our biggest sins are not too big for God’s grace.
We will hold on to some bad experience and it will become an anchor that weighs us down. We will remember a hurt that someone inflicted and it will eat us up. We will remember a time when we stumbled and we will determine to never try again.
How we deal with the painful times of the past will determine how we live in the present. We must learn from the pain and then move on. What God has forgiven should never be taken as a burden again.
So, how are you doing with the past? Is it holding you back? Do you feel paralyzed by past sins, mistakes and failures? Do you feel that your past has disqualified you for any positive future in God?
I encourage you to stand on the authority of God’s Word. In Christ, our past has been forgiven and our future is secure.

Isaiah 43:18-19 - “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Philippians 3:13-14 - “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#451: The Holy Spirit's Power Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

Episode 451 - Show Notes

God has promised to give us the power of the Holy Spirit. This power is necessary for Godly living, and to fulfill our purpose as believers. But to access this power, we must stay connected to God.
Today the Holy Spirit is just as alive, active, and accessible to us as we seek to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
The Holy Spirit is absolutely vital to our lives today! We’ve never needed Him more than we need him now. If the Holy Spirit moves, nothing can stop Him. If He doesn’t move, we will not produce genuine fruit – no matter how much effort or money we expend.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit we gain freedom in our lives. It’s through His strength we are able to resist temptation. It is through his power we are able to live Godly and Holy lives.
Christianity becomes irrelevant when it becomes purely a human creation. When our lives and our churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Holy Spirit, something is terribly wrong.
Where is the power of God’s Spirit in our lives? Are you and I daily walking in the power of the Holy Spirit?

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7 NKJV)

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#450: A Daily Appointment with God Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

Episode 450 - Show Notes

In the Old Testament we find a man name Daniel. Though he was a Hebrew and had been captured by the Babylonians, God had opened the door for him to work for the King. We can imagine that he was busy with many administrative tasks, yet he too had a daily appointment with God. Actually, he had not one appointment, but three.
In an effort to attack Daniel, some of his enemies convinced the king to create a decree that no one could pray to any god or human being, except the king.
No matter what happened, Daniel was committed to his daily appointments with God. If you read the rest of the story you find that Daniel was persecuted for this decision to pray, but God protected him.
Imagine being so committed to an appointment with God that you refused to be interrupted. Imagine making prayer such a priority that you would be willing to suffer persecution.
Let me ask you…”What could happen in your life if you had a daily appointment with God? How much spiritual growth would it produce? How much guidance and wisdom would God share? How much peace would you experience? How much power would you gain for victorious living?”
Today, I was looking at my calendar, and like you, it’s filled with appointments. I have many work-related meetings scheduled, I have doctor appointments. I have family obligations. Life never seems to slow down, but today I was reminded about the importance of a daily appointment with God.
Whether you are a morning person, or an evening person, it doesn’t really matter. But what does matter is that we make time for this appointment with God. The God of eternity invites us into his presence. He wants to spend time with us more than we desire him.
He welcomes us. He receives us. It’s in this appointment that we learn from him. His word teaches us, corrects us, and changes us. His presence fills our hearts, comforts us and gives us strength.

Daniel 6:10 says, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#449: Experiencing Intimacy with God Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

Episode 449 - Show Notes

I believe there are many who hear others talk about intimacy with God, but they have never experienced it for themselves. They have read about a close relationship with God, but it has never been their experience. They will never know what it is like until the intimacy becomes their own.
I’m so thankful that God doesn’t offer us cold, ritualistic, meaningless religion. Instead, he offers us himself. How amazing it is that we can know God in a personal way!
We begin this relationship with God at our conversion. The moment you place your faith in Jesus and confess him as your savior and Lord, you begin a relationship with God. But like any relationship, intimacy is gained only through intentional pursuit and development.
How does our relationship with God grow? Like all relationships it grows through trust. The more we trust God, the closer we are to him. Intimacy does not grow through knowledge alone, though knowledge is important.
Scripture shows us that God is intimate with those who trust him. The more we trust God, the more intimately we come to know him.
I want you to see there is a deeper experience and a closer relationship that you can experience in God. He rewards our intentional pursuit with a greater revelation of himself. On Mt. Sinai, Moses prayed, “I want to see your glory…” He was intentionally seeking to know more of God.
You can I can do the same thing. Our relationship with God is not static. We don’t reach a place of plateau or arrival. We must keep seeking God to know him more.

Psalm 63:1-5 - “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#448: The Finished Work of Jesus Nov 07, 2021

Show notes

Episode 448 - Show Notes

Take those three powerful words to heart: “It is finished.” Jesus stepped in and took our guilty sentence. He is our substitute. He took our place on the cross. Once and for all Jesus paid the awful penalty for sins.
It’s important we understand that Jesus’s work on the cross is complete. As Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” Justice has been served. There is nothing else to be done.
Recently, a family friend was sharing about her conversion to Christ. She had been attending church services for a while, but had not confessed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. One night, one of her friends asked her, “Would you like to receive Jesus as your savior?” She responded, “I don’t think I’m good enough.”
I believe there are many who feel the same way. They believe there is something they must do to earn or deserve forgiveness for their sins.
We are incapable of earning God’s salvation, but by His grace, we are capable of receiving it.
This is only possible because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross. As Jesus cries out his last words, “it is finished”, an awesome spiritual transaction took place. God the Father laid upon God the Son all the guilt and wrath our sin deserved, and He bore it in Himself perfectly, totally satisfying the wrath of God for us.
God’s plan of salvation is complete. Our part is to believe. The Bible says “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

John 19:28-30 - “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

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The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

#447: Is Your Soul Weary? Nov 06, 2021

Show notes

Episode 447 - Show Notes

When you open your Bible from the beginning, the very first thing we see God do is work. He is doing the work of creation, but the second thing God does is rest. He rests from his labor. I truly believe that from the earliest pages of scripture God is setting for us an example.
While rest for our physical bodies is essential, the Bible talks about another kind of rest, one that God offers us. It is rest for our soul.
What a powerful call this is! Jesus calls all of us who are carrying heavy burdens to come to him. Today if you are weary you can come to Jesus. If you feels as if you can’t take it anymore, you can come to Jesus.
What does Jesus offer us? He says he will give us rest for our souls. Doesn’t that sound good to you? Would you like to experience rest for your weary soul? Are you tired of being overwhelmed by the cares of this life? Are you weary with the stress, anxiety, worry, and fear? In the presence of Jesus there is a deep rest for your soul.
I’m convinced we carry burdens we have no business carrying. I suppose it’s our human tendency to take on more than we can carry. We fight battles we shouldn’t fight. We live with high levels of stress, pressure, and anxiety. Hypertension, high blood pressure, panic attacks, and burnout are all too common in today’s culture.
When Jesus says he will give us rest for our soul, he is saying there is a divine rest for our inner life, the emotional part of us. There is a God-given rest for the part of you that is afraid, anxious, worried, and stressed out. There is a peace for your soul that calms the storm within.
This rest is received when we make a decision to trust him. Will you trust Jesus with the things that cause you to be anxious? I once hears someone say, “the truest sign of faith is rest.” Our faith is demonstrated when we can trust God with our needs and simply rest in belief that he will take care of everything.

Matthew 11:28-29 - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Psalm 62:1 - “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.”
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast your anxieties on me, for I care for you.”

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