The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#436: The Church is the Body of Christ Oct 23, 2021

Show notes

Episode 436 - Show Notes

Paul makes the argument that every part of your physical body is important. You have many parts and you need them all. The eye is just as valuable as the ear. You need both of your hands, not just one. Each part contributes to the health and function of the whole body.
The same is true in the church. There are many parts, many members, and each one is vitally important and contributes to the health and vitality of the whole church.
In his sovereign plan, God has give you unique, gifts, talents, skills, aptitudes, passions, and callings. You have a distinctive role to play in the kingdom of God. Imagine if each person did their part. Consider the impact we could make if each person used their God-given talents, resources, and time for the Kingdom of God. Every part matters!
Throughout Scripture, we read again and again that we’re created to serve, we’re called to serve, we’re saved to serve, we’re gifted to serve, we’re shaped to serve. We’re commanded to serve. Disciples of Jesus don’t just receive, they give?
Here’s what I believe. You cannot grow spiritually without serving. You can’t. Serving is the road to significance and spiritual growth. It’s not just coming to church and sitting and soaking it all in. That’s not moving you towards significance. That’s not moving you towards spiritual growth.
The reason you have gifts, abilities, passions, and callings is because God trusts you. He believes in you. He has plans to use your life. Let’s step out in faith and let God use us to make a difference. This is what disciples do.

1 Corinthians 12:12, 27 - “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

#435: Learning to be More Grateful Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

Episode 435 - Show Notes

Lately, in my own time with God in prayer, I’ve been asking God to help me live with a greater sense of gratitude. A thankful spirit makes such a difference in our lives. Being thankful enables us to see how truly blessed we are. It takes the focus off of us, what we have or what we don’t have, and puts the focus on God. I’m realizing that everything I need, I already have.
Gratitude always involves an attitude of humility. If I believe I am owed something, I will not be thankful for it because I think I’m entitled to it. The bigger our sense of entitlement, the smaller our sense of gratitude.
Most of you would agree we have so much to be thankful for. God has blessed us in so many ways. When we live our lives out of a place of gratitude, it has real power to change us. It has power to draw us closer to God, and to make our lives a blessing to others.
You’ve likely heard the saying that we need an “attitude of gratitude.” True, biblical gratitude is much more than an attitude, it is a lifestyle. When we commit to honoring God as the source of all blessings, a real transformation takes place. The daily practice of living with a thankful heart impacts every part of our lives.
Gratitude strengthens your relationships with others. It makes you a better employee. A thankful spirit gives you joy, peace, and happiness. Grateful people are less critical, less negative, and more loving.
Gratitude is the act of choosing to remember God’s blessings in your life. It’s easy to forget what God has done, so it’s important to intentionally count your blessings.

Luke 17:11-19 - “Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

#434: Amazed by the Grace of God Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

Episode 434 - Show Notes

How could people like you and I who have failed so many times, messed up often, and have found ourselves as sinners, how could we ever be forgiven by God? There is only one answer: God’s grace.
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.”
We have a human tendency to believe we must work for salvation, or at least become deserving in some way. Paul says, “No, it is the gift of God.” If you have been saved and forgiven of your sins, it is because you have received this gift from God. It cannot be obtained by works or good deeds. Paul calls this grace. Grace is the undeserved, unmerited kindness of God.
The reason our works cannot save us is because they would never be enough. It would be impossible for us to merit such a great salvation by God. But we must understand that while our salvation is offered freely, it did not come free. No, a great price was paid for our salvation.
God himself took the initiative to pay the great price for our salvation. The justice of a righteous and holy God must be satisfied. Jesus, the Son of God, took on humanity. He became one of us. On the cross, some 2,000 years ago, Jesus took our place. He became our substitute. He took our sins and died paying the death sentence.
Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:21 - “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
The reason we cannot boast in our salvation is because we did nothing to earn it. So our boasting is about Jesus, his love, his sacrifice, and his grace. We will tell everyone about a God who is so loving that he offers to save and forgive sinners like us.

5Minute Discipleship.com

#433: Praying with Persistence Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Episode 433 - Show Notes

One of the parables Jesus told was about a widow who was being oppressed and he needed a judge to come to her aid. She needed justice. The story is found Luke 18. Jesus had a clear purpose in telling this story. Verse one says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
I’ve heard people say that if you ask God for something more than once it means that you don’t have faith. If you prayed once, you should just trust God for the answer. But in this story, we learn that Jesus is teaching us to always pray and not give up. So, theologically, I’m in the camp of praying until the answer comes. I hope you are too.
Speaking of the judge verse 4 continues the story… “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Jesus gave us this parable to teach us about the way God responds to our prayer. He concludes the story by saying to us: “If a wicked, selfish judge would respond to this woman’s request, how much more will our loving and faithful God respond to our requests?”
We know that God answers prayer according to his will. We often do not know God’s will in a particular situation, so we continue to pray and believe. In God’s time he will answer.
Whatever burden you are carrying, give it to God in prayer. Don’t give up. God is not offended by your persistence in prayer. On the contrary, our persistence is a demonstration of our faith. God will answer in his time and according to his will.

5Minute Discipleship.com

#432: Love Covers A Multitude of Sins Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

Episode 432 - Show Notes

Some days, I feel God gives me one verse that I carry with me for the day. Throughout the day the verse continues to come back to my mind. Today the verse is found in 1 Peter 4:8 - “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
This verse convicts me deeply. God is not saying that sin doesn’t matter or that it can be swept under the rug. No, sin must be confessed and repented of to a gracious and merciful Heavenly Father. But this verse does speak to my reaction towards those who sin. How should I respond?
I could easily respond with condemnation and judgement towards those who sin differently than I do. I could act as if I am somehow better or superior than them. I could ignore them, reject them, and refuse to be around them.
What jumps of the page to me is that Peter doesn’t identify which sins love covers. When the topic of sin comes up, it’s easy to think of the big things. But since Peter is writing to Jewish believers, I suspect he is talking about things we would categorize as small sins.
I have spent my whole life in the company of Christians. I grew up in the church and serve today as the pastor of a local church. In my experience, it’s the little sins that separate believers. It’s the small things that bring offense and threaten the unity of God’s people.
But small things, not dealt with, produce hurt feelings. Big hurt feelings. When wounded we naturally isolate. We avoid. Sadly, we can find ourselves trapped in the offense. The more we think of it, the bigger the offense becomes in our minds. Unforgiveness leads to a bitter spirit. Bitter people are unhappy people.
Being people of grace, we understand that humans make mistakes. We are imperfect and so are those around us. Grace causes us to not take things so seriously.
Did you know that you can forgive someone, even if they haven’t asked for your forgiveness? The forgiveness you offer is between you and God, and it sets your soul free. Imagine not carrying the pain of the offense in your heart. When you forgive you let it go.

1 Peter 4:8 - “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Colossians 3:13 - “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

#431: How to Discern Personal Prophecy Oct 17, 2021

Show notes

Episode 431 - Show Notes

I believe there are people who long for a personal prophecy but what they really need is a word from God that has already been given. There is an old quote that says, “Don’t say God is silent if your Bible is not open.”
Primarily, the Bible speaks of two types of prophecy: forth-telling and foretelling. Forth telling is the prophetic proclamation of the Word of God. If you attend a church that is faithful to preach the Bible, you have often heard forth-telling prophecy. Have you ever heard a sermon and felt God was speaking directly to your heart? Have you ever thought about how did the pastor know what I am going through? You are receiving a prophetic word from God.
We need to return to a healthy respect for the pulpit and the preaching of God’s Word. It is here that God speaks to us.
The Bible talks about the second type of prophecy: foretelling prophecy. This is a when God uses someone in the gift of prophecy to speak a word about the future or something that is to come. It may be a word that corrects, encourages, or gives direction.
If you wonder if God is still using people in the gift of prophecy, I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Verse 1 says, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” So, the Scripture is instructing us to eagerly desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially prophesy.
So, how do we test personal prophecy? How can we discern if a word someone has given us is actually from the Lord? Great questions! I’m so glad you asked.
First, prophecy always brings glory and honor to God. Spiritual gifts never glorify man. Being used by God in any spiritual gift should cause us to feel humbled that God would choose to use us.
Second, personal prophecy will never conflict with the written word of God. In every prophetic word you should ask, does the prophecy line up with the Bible? The Holy Spirit will never act in contradiction to the written Word of God. He is the One who inspired the Bible in the first place.
Third, test the prophecy through Godly counsel. Find trusted friends who are people of prayer and godly character. Process the word given to see if it seems to be from the Lord.
Fourth, determine if the personal prophecy was given in love and grace or in anger and judgment. Prophecy in the New Testament flows from the Spirit of Christ, which is a spirit of grace and love. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 reveals that what matters is that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are operated in love.

Deuteronomy 18:22 says, “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.”

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 says, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

#430: Choosing Your Attitude Oct 16, 2021

Show notes

Episode 430 - Show Notes

You and I have a God-given ability to express an attitude of our own choosing. Your attitude is not based on your health, your relationships, or your circumstances. We are not always in control of our environment or our circumstances. We all agree there are things that can happen to us that are out of our control. But you and I have this unique ability to choose how we will respond.
Through Scripture, God calls us to honor Him even with our attitude. I believe our attitude is a part of our witness to the world and as such it truly matters. It matters a lot. In fact, I’ve heard people rightly say, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” If you can’t keep a good attitude you probably won’t go far in life. But the real reason our attitude matters is because it matters to God.
Remember that with the right attitude you’ll influence more people for Christ.
All around us are people who are discouraged and beaten down by life. They have plenty of people around them who are reminding them of the negative things all the time.
What people need is someone with a godly perspective. We cannot impact our world for Christ if our attitude is driving people away from us.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the Bible says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
Ephesians 4:29 - “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

#429: What We Leave Behind to Follow Jesus Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

Episode 429 - Show Notes

In John chapter one we find the story of Jesus walking on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He finds four young men, four fishermen. They are two sets of brothers: Peter and Andrew and James and John. As the story unfolds we learn that Peter and Andrew are casting their nets into the sea from the shore. James and John were sitting in their boat mending and repairing their fishing nets. All four men were busy at work with their nets. It was an ordinary day at work.
But something happens here that changes the lives of these four men forever. Jesus simply calls for them to follow him. He would be their rabbi. They would be his students. There was something so compelling about Jesus that these four young men make a life-changing decision.
We see here that the act of leaving their nets behind was no small decision. They consciously left their old life behind and embraced a new one as a Christ-follower. They left behind their identity, their security, their comfort zone, and the expectations of their family and friends. They fully embraced their future with Jesus. That’s what disciples do.
Today as you and I hear and embrace the call of Jesus to become his followers, we too are compelled to leave some old things behind. God will call you to leave behind old values, old patterns of behavior, and old ways of living that conflict with the values of a Christ-follower.
One last thing…In John chapter one, when Jesus calls these four men to follow him. The Bible says they left their nets immediately. They didn’t need a few weeks to think about it. They didn’t make a pros and cons list. They recognized that Jesus was worth following, so they immediately left their nets behind to become his disciples.

John 1:18 - “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
In Matthew 16:24-25 - “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Hebrews 12:1 says, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

#428: Does God Keep His Word? Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

Episode 428 - Show Notes

When you have been hurt by others, it’s easy to build walls around you and keep people at a distance. After all, you don’t want to experience the pain again. You might think it’s just easier to not get too close to people because they can’t be trusted.
It’s also possible to bring this same mistrust to God. You might wonder, “Can God be trusted? Does He keep His word? Does He keep His promises? Will he actually do what He says He will do?
God is not like humans. He does not lie. He does not change his mind. He keeps his word and fulfills his promises. He is a faithful God. You can be assured today that the God we serve is trustworthy.
God cannot lie because his nature is perfect. He is holy and cannot sin. Scripture says God cannot be tempted with evil.
The Bible says God has given you and I great and precious promises. Which promises are you holding onto? Whatever they may be, if it is in His Word, you can believe it. What He has said, He will perform.
Be encouraged by this truth: God always keeps His Word. He does not lie.

Numbers 23:19 - “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

#427: Everyday Wisdom Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

Episode 427 - Show Notes

So, what do you do when you need wisdom? Where do you turn when you don’t know what to do? Do you reach out to family and friends? Do you turn to social media? Do you google your problems? Where do you turn?
I want to encourage you today. If you are facing a situation in which you need wisdom, pray this prayer. “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you.”
So, how do we keep our eyes on God? We can’t see him with your physical eyes, so this prayer is about our spiritual life. How do we keep our hearts and minds on God. There is only one way. We do so through the Word of God. There is no other way.
The Scripture is filled with everyday, practical wisdom. It is God’s wisdom book and he intends for us to use this wisdom to make decisions.
How foolish it would be for you and I to neglect the Word of God. What a precious gift we have in book form and now in an app on our phones. The wisdom you and I need for our everyday lives is found in the pages of scripture.
Making God’s Word a priority in our lives doesn’t mean we will never face a situation in which we won’t know what to do, but it does mean that we will be in the right place to keep our eyes on God and receive his wisdom.
There is wisdom available for you today. If you are facing a situation in which you don’t know what to do, let God know, and then keep your eyes on him.

2 Chronicles 20:12 - "“Our God, we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

5Minute Discipleship.com

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected