The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#276: Is Confession Necessary? May 14, 2021

Show notes

Scripture teaches us two kinds of confession.
1. Confession to God.
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.”
2. Confession to one another.
James 5:16 - “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

#275: How Deep Are Your Roots? May 13, 2021

Show notes

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. - Colossians 2:6-7

#274: Praying for More Workers May 12, 2021

Show notes

On a church sign in a midwest farming town was these word: “Pray for the harvest, but keep on working.”

This reminds me of the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter nine. Jesus is concerned about those who are lost in their sins. What was needed was more laborers; more people to share the good news. But before asking his disciples to pray for more workers, he reminded them of a powerful truth: “The harvest is plentiful. It’s ripe and ready to be reaped, but the workers are few.

Matthew 9:35-38 - “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

I believe Jesus is making a powerful point. Yes, prayer is vital. More workers are needed, but we must recognize that God wants to use us to pray and to work.

I love the quote by Saint Augustine - Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.

We’ll never reach our world for Christ until our hearts are changed. Our hearts are changed as our focus changes. Our focus changes as we see pray.

When we become people of prayer three things happen to us.

•One is that it puts us in tune with what God is doing.

•Second, prayer focuses our attention on the need as we cry out to God to meet the need.

•It changes our heart towards lost people.

It’s in this prayer process that God imparts to us a burden for lost people. As we begin to pray and turn our hearts toward God, so often we are praying ourselves into the solution.

“The laborers are few” – Why is there a shortage of laborers? Because it involves labor! Reaching people for Christ involves effort and time. You have to roll up your sleeves, you have to sweat a little, and you have to get dirty. Few are willing to do that.

Jesus is telling us it all starts with prayer. Verse 38 - “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” The first thing to do is pray. Why pray? Because it is God’s work. What is impossible with men is possible with God. If there is going to be a great harvest of souls, it will be because of God. The harvest we want to see is impossible with us. A life changed by the power of God is a miracle.

If you want to see God change your heart and give you more of a concern for the lost in our world, I have a suggestion. Buy a map. Open it. Lift your voice in prayer over its people and places. Many people have done so only to find their hearts are opened in the process.

Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision once said, “Let me be broken with the things that break God’s heart.”

May God open our eyes to see the lost around us. Jesus said he came to seek and to save those who were lost. The lost are in our neighborhoods. They are in the marketplace. They are in our places of work and in our schools.

Today’s Challenge: Pray that God would give you his heart! Begin to pray for the lost around you. Pray for the salvation of your family. Pray for your co-workers. Pray for your friends at school. Pray for a country of the world. Pray for our missionaries. Pray for more laborers in the harvest.

#273: Jesus Understands Your Suffering May 11, 2021

Show notes

Do you ever wish there was someone you could talk to? Someone who would understand the challenges you face at any given moment? But maybe, as you think of all your friends and family, and perhaps even your church pastor, sometimes it seems that there is no such person.

I was reading in the New Testament book of Hebrews and came across this fascinating verse of scripture.

Hebrews 5:8 says, “Jesus…learned obedience from what he suffered.”

What an interesting verse. Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. He learned obedience by actually obeying. Jesus did not learn how to obey; He learned what is involved in obedience. Jesus learned the experience of obedience, and part of that learning was enduring suffering.

One thing that God, enthroned in heaven does not know is the experience of obedience. Enthroned in the heavens, God obeys no one – all obey Him.

· Jesus obeyed in the spectacular challenges of his life.

· Jesus obeyed in ordinary aspects of life.

· Jesus obeyed as a child, as a teen, as a young man.

· Jesus obeyed privately and He obeyed secretly.

· Jesus obeyed God His Father, and He obeyed rightful human authority.

· Jesus obeyed in all things, even to the end.

Here’s the point from this verse in the Book of Hebrews. I want you to see this. Jesus experienced what we experience. Jesus was tested like are. Jesus suffered like we do. Though it all he experienced what it was like to be obedient.

Today we serve a God who understands our lives. He understands our joy and our happiness. He understands our pain and our sorrow. Jesus understand when we go through trials, temptations, and even suffering because he has been there.

Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

That High Priest is Jesus Christ. And in Him, I realize that I am not alone. There is someone I can talk to, who will understand exactly what I’m going through and what I need at any given moment… because He’s been there! The same is true for you!

I love it that this verse tells us that Jesus can empathize with our weaknesses. Jesus feels empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and to share the feelings of another.

To the ancient Greeks, the primary attribute of God was the essential inability to feel anything at all. Jesus isn’t like that. He knows and He feels what we go through. The ancient Greek word translated sympathize literally means “to suffer along with.”

What makes the difference is that Jesus added humanity to His deity, and lived among us. When you have been there, it makes all the difference.

John 1:14 speaking of Jesus says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

I hope you’ll be encouraged by the knowledge that whatever you are going through, Jesus understands. He understands weariness. He understands grief and sorrow. He understands frustration. He understands the constant demands of life. He even understands your temptations.

Today’s Challenge: It’s so easy for us to feel alone and to believe that no one understands what we are going through. Stand on the Word of God today that tells us that Jesus understands. He is with you and will provide whatever you need.

#272: Surrendering our Anger to God May 10, 2021

Show notes

Victor Frankl, the famous psychiatrist, went through Auchwitz, the Nazi concentration camp in WWII. He said, “They took my clothes, my wife, my kids, and even my wedding ring. I stood naked before the SS and I realized they can take everything in my life but they cannot take my freedom to choose how I will respond to them.”

This is a freedom you will always have. How do I react? How do I choose to react to those people who hurt me, who offend me, or who irritate me?

We hear people talk about their anger. “I don’t know why I am this way, or, I’m just like my dad.” Some will say, “I’m not happy with my behavior, it just comes out.”

But the truth is our responses and our reactions are a choice. As believers, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit which enables us to respond like Jesus.

Not all anger is wrong. Not all anger is sinful. Paul wrote to the Ephesians with this caution – Ephesians 4:26 – “In your anger do not sin.”

How do you become angry without sinning? You stop, you pray, you don’t react, you don’t make it worse, you forgive – it’s not easy!

Anger is a God-given emotional response that is usually tied to a goal, or a value, or an expectation. It usually ignites when we feel invalidated or rejected. It is expressed, depending on our personality, in two ways: by exploding or by imploding.

Righteous anger - This is anger directed at injustice. It is anger at acts that violate the gospel or at things that offend God. Ex…Jesus cleaning out the temple.

But let’s be honest for a minute. The vast majority of anger does not fall into the category of righteous indignation. I would guess that the vast majority of our anger is the result of having our own interests violated in one way or another.

Much of our anger is aimed at things that are not that important, things that really don’t matter, and things that really don’t merit our anger.

•Being cut off in traffic

•Having to wait in line somewhere

•Poor customer service

•Being ignored or neglected

•Your internet connection is too slow

Other times the issue is more serious, yet we sometimes to lack the ability to control our anger. Perhaps it’s:

•Communication issues in the marriage

•Behavioral problems with the children

•A teacher who has been unfair

•Your college age child wastes tuition money on miscellaneous and unnecessary things

•Maybe you are angry at God – for the things he has allowed

In the New Testament book of James we have a clear word for followers of Jesus. It’s found in James 1:19-20 and I hope this helps you today. Here’s what the Bible says…

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

In these two short verses we see four powerful principles: be quick to listen, be slow to speak, be slow to become angry, and recognize that human anger does not produce a righteous life.

Today’s Challenge: If anger is a stronghold in your life, you need the power of the Holy Spirit to react in a Christ honoring way. Begin to pray that God would give you a gentle spirit that reflects the character of Jesus.

#271: Misplaced Priorities May 09, 2021

Show notes

There is a fascinating story in the New Testament about a man with misplaced priorities. It’s found in Matthew 19:16-22. Here’s what the Bible says….

“Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Here is a young man who was doing well. What we know about him is that in spite of his wealth and his accomplishment he still felt there was something missing in his life. This is strange because he is a very religious man. He believed in God and tried his best to do everything he knew he should. The Ten Commandments were a way of life by him. He was a moral man. He didn’t steal or cheat his way to the top. Yet, after having “arrived,” he felt that something was missing.

There are many people today in this position. They are hard working, successful, good, honest, upwardly mobile, moral people. Yet without Christ, there remains emptiness in their lives.

Let’s focus for a few a moment on his question. “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” His aspirations are good. He’s been thinking about his life and has been trying to do the right thing. But he wants to be sure. How do I get to Heaven? That’s a great question.

But there is a flaw in his question. Something is wrong with his understanding of how to get to Heaven. A lot of people make the same mistake. He thinks that in order to get to Heaven, in order to have a right relationship with God, he has to do a lot of good things: live a good life, give money, be a good neighbor, be a moral person. But the Bible tells us that God’s love and acceptance is not something you can earn.

Jesus gets around to answering his question. He gives him the standard Jewish answer: Obey the commandments.

“Which ones?” the man answered. Just wanting to make sure that he had everything covered.

Jesus says something to him that we would never say to someone we were trying to lead to Christ: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21).

For this man, money was not just an object or a thing. Money had become his God. And Jesus knew it. He is touching this man at the point of his need. And he’s saying, “You’re going to have to give up your idolatry of money before you can be my disciple.”

Would Jesus say to us, “One thing you lack?” Would he identify a stronghold in our lives? It could be so many things: a relationship, power, love of success, pornography, revenge or hatred, life of pleasure.

Here’s the main point of this conversation: If you want to be a follower of Christ, if you are searching for eternal life, you have got to get your priorities straight. What is the most important thing in your life?

Today’s Challenge: Have you made Christ your priority? He is our purpose. He is the center. Truly following Christ impacts every area of your life.

#270: Sometimes God Says No May 08, 2021

Show notes

We believe God answers every prayer. Scripture teaches us to call on Him and He will answer. But sometimes in His wisdom and purpose, His answer to us is “No.” We never want to hear this answer, but we should see God’s denial as an opportunity to trust Him more. Our Heavenly Father loves us deeply, and wants what is best for our lives.

What do you do when you’ve asked for a good thing, when you pray with the right motive and God says no? What do you do when you have been overruled? You’ve prayed and you’ve prayed and you’ve prayed and God says no.

There is an interesting story in 2 Samuel chapter seven. King David wants to build a temple for God. He wants to build a place of worship. It’s sounds like a great idea, right?

As our story begins we see things have finally come together for David. Verse 1 says, “After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him…”

After years of danger and struggle and waiting, David is finally settled in his palace and the Lord has given him rest from all his enemies. Things are finally good and David takes a breath and puts up his feet for a minute, he considers what his next mission or project should be. I like it that David is purposeful. He is a man of action. He is busy. There is nothing wrong with that.

It doesn’t take him long to realize what the obvious next thing should be – he has brought the ark of God to Jerusalem and now he should build a permanent place to house it.

In verses 2 and 3 he speaks with Nathan the prophet: “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

Nathan is David’s advisor and confidant. He responds immediately with his approval and blessing. The interesting thing here is that it seems that neither David nor Nathan thought to ask God what He thought about the proposal.

Both of them must have thought….Why would God be against such a good idea?” What would be more appropriate at this point in Israel’s history and David’s life than to build God a temple?

God’s response - Vs. 5-7 – ““Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

What is God’s answer to David? No. What you are asking for is good. It’s honorable. Your motives are right. But it simply is not my will.

Sometimes the Lord will step in and say no to our plans. There are many ways, of course, that God can stop or redirect us. Sometimes it's through the warning of a respected friend. Sometimes it might be through a lack of peace in our lives.

We can respond to God’s answer of no by becoming upset, discouraged, bitter, frustrated, or confused. You can allow it to cause you to doubt God and his Word. You can respond with less faith and become distant from God.

Or, you can respond with mature faith and be like David. David didn’t doubt. He didn’t question. He didn’t cry. He didn’t ask “why” God? He didn’t stop believing, trusting, or following.

Today’s Challenge: Instead of focusing on what God would not do, David focused on what God has already done. This is gratitude. Today remember God knows what is best for your life. Trust him and be grateful.

#269: Pray for Patience May 07, 2021

Show notes

All of my life, I’ve heard people say we should not pray for patience, because God will make you go through difficult situations to obtain patience.

But let’s remember that the fruit of the Spirit is about a life that is changed and transformed by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the outer evidence of a changed inner life.

Each one of the fruit of the Spirit reflects the character of Jesus. This is our goal…to be like Jesus. So, whatever it takes for you and I to reflect the character of Christ…that is a good thing!

The Bible teaches us that God is patient. One of the verses I love is…

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

In the book of Genesis, God gave the people of the world 120 years to repent before he sent the flood. Think about it. Noah’s neighbors spent twelve decades watching the ark be built and hearing him preach, calling for their repentance, before God sent the waters to cover the earth.

But while God is patient, we are often not patient. It’s human nature to be impatient. We aren’t naturally wired to be patient. We’re more likely to be selfish.

When you were a baby and you woke up in the middle of the night in your crib. You woke up hungry. You didn’t lie there thinking, “I know Mom and Dad are tired. So I’ll just wait until the morning to let them know I need something to eat. No, you wanted to be fed and you wanted it now.

We grow up with this mentality. We want everything to be quick. We don’t like waiting and we get frustrated when we have to.

The Bible has a lot to say about patience.

“Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.” (Proverbs 16:32 NLT)

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)

Definition: Patience is the ability to accept delay or disappointment graciously. Patience is calm endurance under pressure, knowing that God is in control.

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

When we think of our need for patience, we tend to think of traffic, slow wifi, grocery store lines, and how long it took to get a table at our favorite restaurant. It’s true that do need the help of the Holy Spirit when we are faced with delay, but there is another place that we desperately need patience.

We need patience when dealing with the imperfections of others.

We are often quick to get irritated with people who don’t act or do things the way we think they should. We get frustrated when people don’t meet our expectations. Somehow we seem to feel we are smarter and more capable than those we criticize.

The first place where we need patience with others is in our homes. We must learn to celebrate differences rather than condemn them. We must learn to set aside the arrogance that seems to feel that if someone does not do things the way I do, they are wrong, and I am right.

As I think about this, I remember how patient God has been with me! Aren’t you grateful God has been patient with you?

Today’s Challenge: In a fast-paced world, we seldom take time to slow down and enjoy the presence of God. Remember this… God is not in a hurry. Let’s slow down, learn to rest, and decide to trust God and his timing.

#268: Your Value to God May 06, 2021

Show notes

Before he died, a father said to his son; “Here is a watch that your grandfather gave me. It is almost 200 years old. Before I give it to you, go to the jewelry store downtown. Tell them that I want to sell it, and see how much they offer you."

The son went to the jewelry story, came back to his father, and said; "They offered $150.00 because it's so old.”

The father said; “Go to the pawn shop.” The son went to the pawn shop, came back to his father, and said; "The pawn shop offered $10.00 because it looks so worn.”

The father asked his son to go to the museum and show them the watch.

He went to the museum, came back, and said to his father; “The curator offered $500,000.00 for this very rare piece to be included in their precious antique collections.”

The point of the exercise was to prove to his son that there is the true value, but understand not everyone sees it.

I believe this is true for you and I. While we know we are loved by God, we can still fail to see our worth to God. We may even feel as if we are worthless because of our sins and our mistakes.

The world values talent, beauty, money, and success, and if we don’t achieve these, we don’t feel like we have worth. Even if we know better our hearts may tell us otherwise.

We tend to find our worth and value by what others speak of us. Many times we look for validation from those closest to us, but even that is wrong. No one is perfect. We should never place our worth and our value in the hands of imperfect people, including our loved ones.

I hope you’ll hear this truth today: No one can place a value on you because God has already placed a value on you.

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3). His love for you is relentless, immeasurable, and infinite.

If a king or a president were to give you their endorsement, as an extremely valuable member of their society, that would carry a lot of weight. We would think "Wow, I'm something special"! Well the creator of the universe, The King of all creation is saying "you are valuable to me!" Our value is based on the endorsement of the highest possible entity in the universe!

Listen to the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount…

Matthew 6 - ““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

These are powerful words from Jesus and they reveal our value to God. If God takes care of birds of the air, how much more valuable are you and I than birds. We are valuable to God.

But maybe you have heard the devil’s lies: You are a nobody. You are worthless. You’ll never do anything with your life.” If you died today, no one would miss you.” All lies.

Here is the truth: You are loved by the God of eternity. Your life has value and purpose because you belong to Him. He knows everything about you – and he still loves you!

The value of something is determined in whatever someone will pay for it. A great price was paid for you. Jesus Christ paid the great price of giving his life for you so that you could have eternal life. That’s how valuable you are to God.

Today’s Challenge: Reject the lie of the enemy that your life doesn’t matter. You are worth so much because God says you do. Your life matters.

#267: The Danger of Busyness May 05, 2021

Show notes

In the 1950’s a cardiologist decided to reupholster the chairs in his waiting room. When he looked at the chairs he noticed something unusual. Only the front edges of the seats and the first few inches of the armrests were worn out. The rest of the chair was in good condition.

A few years later, the cardiologists began to put the pieces together. The chairs were being worn out in this unusual manner because of the patients irritability at being made to wait. They could not relax and were anxious over being delayed. The doctors said the patients displayed a “chronic sense of time urgency.” The patients sat on the edge of the seats and nervously fidgeted at the arms of the chairs as they watched time tick by.

The cardiologist called this new disease “hurry sickness.”

How was your week? Busy. It has become the cry of our age. I’m busy. You’re busy. Everyone is busy. The truth? Most of us feel like we are just trying to keep up. Keep up with work, bills, kids, church, soccer, Facebook, instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, and Netflix. We are always on and always available.

“What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23)

We have caught an illness from our culture. It’s called “hurry sickness.” Though busyness is worn as a badge of honor, it can be a poison that destroys what is most important to us.

Do you have any of the symptoms?

Are you irritable?

Are you anxious?

Are you reactive?

Do you chafe at waiting for anything?

Is your life filled with clutter?

What is the busy life costing us?

A busy life is keeping us from a close relationship with God.
A busy life is increasing our a anxiety, addiction, and depression.
A busy life is destroying our meaningful relationships.

God’s Word offers a cure for our hurry sickness:

1. Be still before God. “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10)

Practice being quiet. ILL: Parents - “Sit there and be quiet.” Learn to be okay to sit, reflect, pray, and listen in the presence of God.

Some of you are desperate for God’s direction for your life. It’s most likely that you are going to hear God’s voice in the quiet and still moments.

Jesus was intentionally busy., but never in a hurry. He was mentoring the disciples. He was teaching and preaching. He was healing the sick. But he also intentionally rested. He went up on the mountain to get away from the crowd, to rest and to pray.

Have you ever stopped to realize that busyness is not something that happens to us. It is something we choose. I realize we all have obligations but why have we allowed our schedules to become so full that we often do not have time for God and those we love?

It is possible that busyness has become a badge of honor. Is busyness an attempt to prove that we are significant, that our life matters, and that we are important?

God has given us all the same amount of time. 24 hours a day. 168 hours each week. You get to choose how you will fill those hours.

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 NASB)

Quote by Pastor John Ortberg… “Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life…For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.”

Today’s Challenge: Let God speak to your heart about your time and your schedule. Do you make time for God’s presence? Do you make time to rest? Are you making time for others. Let’s determine not to be controlled by busyness.

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