The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#176: Be Careful How You Live Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

I was recently reading a story of soldiers in WWII who were walking through a field where their enemy had planted explosive mines. As the soldiers made their way cautiously through the field. They put little flags in the ground on both sides of the trail. Once they made it across the field, there was now a safe path for other soldiers to follow.
Imagine with me how cautious every step was taken. These soldiers could not have been more careful with their steps. Because of their diligence and patience, it allowed others to safely follow.
Ephesians 5:15 - “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.”
In this chapter, the Apostle Paul talks about how the believer is to live in these evil days. Listen to his words…be very careful then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise.
He’s calling you and I as believers in Jesus to be very cautious about how we live our lives in this world. We can’t afford to live a casual Christianity without any thought to our actions and lifestyle.
Let me share something with you to think about today: Living for Christ is a serious thing.
All around us, the enemy of our soul has planted landmines. Like the soldiers crossing the field with caution, we too live our lives with intention and determination for Christ.
We must choose our steps carefully, because the enemy has spread the path with dangerous obstacles that will cause us serious harm if we are careless. The days are evil!
Proverbs 14:16 says, “One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.”
Paul is saying: Give great care and attention to how you are living your life. Be sure your "steps" are planted firmly and accurately. At the end of the verse he's comparing living carefully to living wisely. As a contrast, living carelessly would be foolish.
As we look at the current condition of our world, we see Bible prophecy fulfilled right before our eyes. We are now in a post-christian society. There is moral decline everywhere we look. Christians are falling away from the faith. Isaiah 5:20 has come to pass. The prophet Isaiah said, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
Let’s hear the call from the Word of God: “Be careful how you live.” We are called to take a serious approach to living for God. It is to be a priority in our lives. We are to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness.
Let’s step carefully to avoid the traps of deception the enemy has laid for us. May we fill our hearts and minds every day with the Word of God so we will know the truth that will can set us free.
Let’s live with the wisdom of God and not the foolishness of the world. May we be alert for the temptations that come our way and may we run to the safety found in God.
Paul says we are to live as wise, not as unwise. What does this mean? Well, we often think of a wise person as someone with a lot of knowledge.
Wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge. A wise person often has a great deal of knowledge, but having extensive knowledge does not guarantee that you are wise. Wisdom is the ability to apply the knowledge, experience, and skills you have to discern how best to proceed in a given situation—and then to actually apply it to your life!
There are many people who can explain all sorts of lofty concepts to you, yet seem to have no idea about how to actually live their lives. They make poor choices and find their lives in shambles. These people have great knowledge, but little wisdom.
Today’s Challenge: Begin to pray that God will enable you to be careful how you live your life. Ask him to give you his wisdom. The book of James says that if we need wisdom, we can ask God, and he will give it to us.

#175: Strength for the Weary Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

One New Year’s Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The funny thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.
Even though Christians have access to God’s unlimited power, if we do not take advantage of it we will run out of power.
Do you ever just get tired of it all? Sometimes I am tired in body and in spirit. My strength is exhausted, my determination runs low. Do you every get irritated with life and fed up with how things are going? Do you ever just want to call it a day, and go to bed?
Unfortunately, one of the characteristics of humanity, even followers of Christ, is that our strength is exhaustible. We are not superhuman creatures. Our strength runs out and we face the common problem of weariness.
What we decide to do in our times of weariness is critical. I’ve seen people who were tired, become discourage, they failed to reach out for God’s strength, and eventually they gave up on their faith – they quit. This is what the devil would like to have happen to each of us.
What will we do when we become weary?
• Will we turn to our own devices?
• Will we forget the Word of God?
• Will we abandon our promises made in times of victory?
• Will we forget our commitments to Christ?
• Will we forget God’s past faithfulness to us?
• Or, will we reach out to God like never before?
• Will we draw from his strength?
• Will we cast our cares on him?
• Will we recognize that in our weakness he is made strong?
While we must face the reality that all of us must deal with weariness, there is hope from the Scriptures of a deeper reality in which we can tap into the inexhaustible strength of God.
Isaiah 40:31 - “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
The amazing promise of God is that "Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength." Who are they? You and I. Those whose hope is only in God. The contrast is between the vulnerability of a weary soul and the vitality of a waiting saint. Those who gain strength are those who trust in the Lord. They are believers. They are those who walk by faith and not by sight. They are those who hope in the Lord.
What does it mean to wait on the Lord? Literally, the word in Hebrew has the connotation of "to bind" or "to braid." The idea is of binding ourselves or braiding ourselves together with the Lord. Waiting on the Lord means that we exercise faith in Him. To wait on the Lord means that we seek His face earnestly; that we wait patiently and expectantly.
The promise to those who wait upon the Lord is that they shall "gain new strength." Some translations put it, "they shall renew their strength." Literally, it means that those who wait upon the Lord shall "change" or "exchange" their strength.
We all know what it’s like to have our strength runs out. What we need is new strength, and that’s exactly the promise that’s made to us. We will "gain new strength." As we wait upon Him, we bind ourselves together with Him, we braid ourselves to Him, and receive His strength.
We will not gain new strength when the Lord acts to deliver us from our situation; we will gain new strength as we wait for the Lord to deliver us! The weary and weak are strengthened as they wait for the Lord.
Today’s Challenge: If you find yourself without strength, if you don’t know how to face today, much less tomorrow, wait on the Lord (keep trusting, don’t let up) he will give you new strength.

#174: Three Keys to Effective Prayer Jan 31, 2021

Show notes

The other day, I came out of my office to notice one of the tires on my car was almost flat. I had to do something I hadn’t done in a while. I had to change a flat tire. In the trunk of my car is a spare tire. I’m sure you have one too. Now, I’ve had this particular car for over two years and this is the first time I have even looked at the spare tire. I hadn’t even thought about the spare tire. I only thought about the extra tire when I needed it.
I think prayer is sometimes like a spare tire. It’s there just in case. It’s easy to forget about it until you really need it to get you out of trouble. It’s something you are glad to have when you are caught in a dilemma that you cannot fix.
God did not give us access to himself to only be used in emergencies. He allows us to come into his presence, he invites us to have communication with himself because he desires a relationship with us.
In order to have a close relationship, you must have good conversation. Have you ever met up with a friend you hadn’t seen in a long time? You connected so well the time just flew by. This only happens because at some point you have built a relationship.
It’s not God’s will for you and I to have our minds full of Bible knowledge but lacking when it comes to relationship. Prayer is the means by which we go deep with God. What a privilege to have the opportunity to talk with God and to have him speak to our hearts.
In Colossians 4:2 the Bible says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Notice three keys to effective prayer in this very small verse. First, Paul says we are to devote ourselves to prayer.
The word “devote” means to grab hold of something and not let go. To “devote” yourself to prayer means to hang on no matter what happens. You never give up on prayer even when it seems useless.
Be devoted to prayer. Always be ready to pray. Pray when you feel like it, pray when you don’t feel like it. Pray when you believe in it, pray when you doubt it. Pray when your heart is filled with faith, pray when you do it by habit. Do you ever feel like giving up? Paul says, “Keep at it!”
“And he (that is, Jesus) told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1 RSV). “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17 NIV). These verses don’t mean that every word we say has to be a prayer. But they teach us that we should always be ready to pray at a moment’s notice. Keep the lines open so that you can breathe a prayer in an instant.
Second, the verse says we are to be watchful in prayer. The word means to “stay awake.” This is a call for earnest prayer. It is the opposite of sleepiness or laziness or coldness or indifference. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be distracted when you pray? A thousand things come crowding into your mind. Sometimes it seems as if the devil’s best work comes when we decide to pray. He unloads his full armory of distractions against us.
Third, Paul says we are to be thankful in prayer. The NIV renders it “being watchful and thankful.” Eugene Peterson (The Message) offers this paraphrase: “Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.” Gratitude is the doorway to every spiritual blessing. Why would God give you more if you are not thankful for what has already been given? If we don’t know what else to do when we pray, we can always find reasons to be thankful.
Today’s Challenge: Follow these three keys of prayer in your own time with God: Devote yourself to prayer. Be watchful in prayer, in other words pray with fervency. Third, Pray with thanksgiving. Recognize the incredible blessing we have to talk with God.

#173: Why We Must Read The Old Testament Jan 30, 2021

Show notes

We live in a time where there is a eroding credibility of the Bible. We see this in the education field, popular media, and even in government. With what we are seeing today, it’s hard to imagine that in 1854 The United States Congress said, “The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in our schools.”
We've never needed God’s Word in our lives more than we do today.
I was thinking today about the power of the stories we find in the Word of God. These stories are included to build our faith and to teach us of the faithfulness of God.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
Many Bible readers today only read the New Testament. In fact, one man told me he didn’t like the God of the Old Testament. He liked the God of the New Testament a lot better.
If we don’t read the Old Testament, then we are not reading the Bible of Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles. The Old Testament was the only Bible that they knew. The teaching of Jesus and the apostles is built on the Old Testament. They assumed that those they taught were familiar with its stories and teaching. If we don’t have a basic grasp of the Old Testament, we cannot adequately understand the New Testament.

#172: A Place Called Heaven Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

One of the greatest promises God makes the believer is the promise of eternal life. There are 422 verses in the Bible that talk about Heaven.
So, what do we know about Heaven? We don’t have a lot of time in this short episode, but let me give you a few things:
We will be a part of a huge multicultural praise and worship gathering.
I love the picture we see in Revelation 7:9-10 - “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
Not the number of people – “A great multitude no one could count.” Notice the variety – “from every nation, tribe, people, and language.”
Our suffering will be completely removed forever.
Revelation 7:15-17 - “Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Heaven will be the absence of so many things that trouble us here on this earth. There will be no tears…no death…no sorrow…no pain…no night…no defilement…no curse…no stress…no bills…no traffic…no relationship problems…no disappointment…no fear…no worry or anxiety…no goodbyes…no health problems…no strife or arguments…no money problems…no sin and…no devil.
Heaven is a place of where we have the privilege of serving God day and night.
We often think of heaven as a place of eternal rest, and in one sense it is. Forever we will be free from the worry and struggle of earthly pursuits.
We cannot forget that rest comes from being in the presence of the Lord. But this does not mean that heaven is an idle place. This would be a contradiction in the character of God. I believe God is a productive God and he has created us to be productive people, here and in heaven.
Before we go, I have the responsibility to tell you something very important about Heaven – and that is – not everyone is going.
Revelation 21:27 - “…only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. You have to make your reservation in advance.
Today’s Challenge: If you are a believer, rejoice today that you have the promise of eternal life. If you have not placed your faith in Jesus, today God is calling you to place your faith in Him.

#171: I Doubt God Can Use Me Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

Isaiah 6:8: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
D. L. Moody wrote the following words next to Isaiah 6:8 in his Bible: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.”
In the mid 1800’s DL Moody was a young man working in a shoe store in Boston, Massachusetts. The store was owned by his uncle who agreed to employ his nephew with one condition, that he attend church on Sundays. Moody became a part of a Sunday School class and was eventually led to Christ by the teacher. Moody, who grew up on a farm and had only a 5th grade education, was used by God to become one of the most influential preachers of the 1800’s.
If you read the story of DL Moody’s life you’ll learn that he was a simple man, but one used mightily by God. Which bears the question: What can happen in the life of an ordinary person, when they surrender their life to God. Moody said, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”
In 2 Timothy 2:20-21 there are a couple of interesting verses. The Bible says, “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”
I find it interesting that Paul says there are some things that are common. The truth is, many of us disqualify ourselves from being used by God because we see ourselves as common, unqualified, or unprepared. Notice what Paul says, “Those who cleanse themselves will be used for special purposes, made holy and useful to God.”
Some of the excuses we use:
•I’m not talented enough
•I’m a new Christian
•I don’t know enough about the Bible
•I’m not outgoing – I have quiet personality
•I’m too young
•I’m too old
When we look at the Bible, it seems that everyone God used in a powerful way had some reason why God couldn’t use them.
•Abraham was too old
•Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
•Moses had a stuttering problem
•Peter denied Christ
•Rahab was a prosititue
•Gideon was afraid
•Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
•The disciples fell asleep while praying
•Zacheus was too small
•Paul was too religious
•David had an affair and was a murderer
Some of the greatest men of God had great struggles in their lives.
•Charles Spurgeon (prince of preachers) depression and smoked cigars
•Billy Graham – poor education
•John Calvin – short temper and sharp tongue
•Martin Luther – sometimes vulgar and always controversial
As you read scripture you’ll see God uses the insecure, the unlikely, and even those who had failed.
In our house if we are in a hurry or if it is a quick meal, we will eat on a paper plate. I’m not picky. But if we have guests we always use nice dishes. They are both vessels but one is of greater value than the other.
When we look at our lives, some of us see ourselves as the paper plate. When God looks at our lives he sees us as the fine dishes.
When it says, 2 Timothy says “If a man cleanses himself.. it does not mean that we have the power to deal with our own sins. We do not have that power. But it does mean that we are responsible to use the cleansing he has provided.
Those that want to be used by God sanctify themselves, they give themselves wholly and completely to God. We surrender all that we are to God.
Today’s Challenge: Let your prayer be “use me God.” Be willingly to give God all that you. Ask him to fill you with His Holy Spirit and be willing to step out in faith.

#170: God Is Greater Than Your Fear Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Years ago, I was wresting with God over a life decision. I had an opportunity to serve God. It was exciting but it would require a big step of faith. We would leave what was comfortable for the unknown. We would move across the country to a city and state where we knew no one.
During this season of prayer, fasting, and seeking God’s will, one night I was in our church auditorium, where we were pastoring. I was walking around the auditorium praying and asking God for assurance about the decision. The Lord spoke to me so clearly that night. He said, “Loren, I have told you what to do. Stop being afraid.” It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was the clear voice of God in my spirit.
Fear was the thing that had been holding me back. Having heard God’s voice, my wife and I stepped out in faith, moved across the country and began a new ministry. It’s been an amazing journey. I have thought about that decision. What if I had listened to the voice of fear over the voice of God? What if I had allowed fear to paralyze me? What if I had decided to stay in place of comfort instead of following God into the unknown?
This past year one emotion has escalated in our world. It is one that no doubt you have faced. With all that is happening in our world, in our country, and in our own lives, we have an emotion that threatens to control us. This emotion seeks to be a dominant force in our lives. When we allow it to, this emotion will cripple us. It will paralyze us to the point where we are ineffective, unfulfilled, and unhappy. I am talking about the emotion of fear.
In fact, the command “fear not” is recorded in the Bible over 300 times. It is the single most common command in the Bible. God is trying to get a message across to his people: “We don’t have to live in fear. It is not his will or his plan for our lives.”
It doesn’t matter where you live in this world – you will experience fearful times. The word fear is defined as, “a sudden attack, anxiety, or agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, or pain.” It goes on to say that fear covers a wide range of emotions: timidity, apprehension, terror, and dread. But the truth is we don’t need a dictionary to tell us what fear is, because personal experience has taught us all too well.
I’ve heard people say, “I’m not afraid, I just worry a lot.” Someone once described the various types of fear:
•Worry – fear produced by our worst imaginations
•Guilt – fear caused by a troubled conscience
•Insecurity – fear prompted by a lack of resources
•Dread – fear caused by an uncertain future
Isaiah 43 - “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God,
The verse begins with the words “fear not” and ends with “you are mine.” What an encouragement from the Word of God. We don't have to be afraid because we belong to the Lord.
Whatever you are facing today, whatever is causing you to worry, to be anxious, or afraid, stand on this truth: God is with you. He is for you. He will never leave you or forsake you. If you are going through the waters, he is there. If you are going through the fire, he is there to.
Today’s Challenge: Refuse to give in to the feelings of fear. Trust in what you do know. You know God is good and you know He is faithful. Remember all the times he has met your needs. Trust him. He will do it again.

#169: You Can Start Again Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

When I was in campus ministry at UCLA, after one our meetings a young man came to talk with me. He was quite upset. He told me he felt that God had given up on him. I asked him why he had come to that conclusion. He said he had grown up in a religious home, but when he came to college he had rebelled against everything he had ever been taught. He had broken his own convictions and he had broken God's standards.
What bothered him most, though, was that he had done the same wrong acts over and over again. He knew better, he said, but he continued doing what he knew was wrong. He once thought of himself as a Christian, but no longer. Because he had failed he was convinced that God had given up on him. He felt that he was beyond hope.
I wonder how many people today feel like that student felt. The believe that because of their failure God has given up on them.
When I say that word there are a lot of things that come into your mind. Failure is a lack of success; falling short of what is required or expected; It could be seen as a mistake. A collapse, or a let down.
When I talk about failure we might think of the failures of others. We think of the big things, the things we see in the news, the things we hear about, and the things that make us shake our heads in disbelief.
But we also think about our own lives. We think about our own mistakes, our own shortcomings, and our own failures. If I were to ask you, “What is has been the biggest failure in your life or what has been your biggest mistake – things begin to come to your mind.
As we read through the Bible we see a whole lot of failure. Some people mistakenly think the Bible is a chronicle of holy men and women. And while there are stories of great men and women, most of these individuals also had great failures in their lives.
Which brings me to some questions – Is it possible to overcome your failures? How does God see us in our failures? What do we do when we have failed? And, does God give people a second chance?
On this episode I want to remind you that God is a God of second chances! His grace gives us the opportunity to start again.
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.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10 – “There is no one righteous; not even one.
Have you ever seen a list of people in the Bible who failed? Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, King David, and Peter. Many others – the list is huge.
These men and women didn’t let their failures define them. They didn’t let the failure hold them back. They didn’t stay in their failure. Here’s what the Bible teaches us:
• He gives us a new heart.
• He gives us new life.
• He puts a new song in our hearts.
• He renews our spirit. (Eze.18:31)
• He renews our passion. (Ps.103:5)
• He renews our strength. (Isa.57:10)
• His mercies are new every morning (La.3:23)
Romans 5:20 – “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”
Today’s Challenge: God is a God of second chances. His is loving. He is forgiving. He is merciful. Repent. Do your first works over again. Let him receive you and change you. You can start again and you can do it today.

#168: How To Be Blessed Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

Many of you listening today see the value in being a part of a local church. Week after week you join with other believers to worship, pray, and hear a message from the Word of God. What sometimes happens is that church attendance becomes a tradition or a ritual. A man got out of his seat on a Sunday morning and as he was leaving the church said to someone, "Well, that's over." "No," said his friend, "this is where it begins."
There is an old proverb: "I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." Ask yourself at the end of the sermon this Sunday what you are going to do about this passage ? How does God want you to change ? What must you do to bring about change ? What's the first step ? Where will you begin? It’s here, in the doing, in the practice of obedience we begin to see the blessings of God in our lives.
I’ve never met a person who didn’t want to be blessed. Usually, even people who aren’t Christians will allow you to pray for them – “hey, it can’t hurt.” We say “God bless you” and “God bless America.” We pray and ask God to bless us and those we love. Some people come to God because of his promises to bless. We want God’s blessings!
When things are going well in our lives – we usually thank God for his blessings. When things aren’t going so well, we wonder why he isn’t blessing us. We ask people to pray for us that God would bless us. Many people give financially to tv and radio ministries because they were told they would be blessed. I would guess that from time to time, people even give to the ministries of this church, with the primary motivation of being blessed.
In one sense we have to acknowledge that we are already blessed. Would you agree? If you have shelter, if you have food, if you have clothes, if you have employment, if you have freedom, if you have family, if you have friends, and if you have health you are blessed. Not to mention all the spiritual blessings…
James 1:22-25 - “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
James is saying there are people who declare that they are followers of Christ but there is a difference between calling yourself a Christian and actually following Jesus. This is the point James is making in our text this morning. There is a difference between those who claim to be believers and those who actually are believers; there is a difference between those who go to church and those who follow Christ. The difference is obedience.
Obedience is the path to having God’s blessing on your life. We have to be careful here because we might define blessings differently than God does. You might not have everything you want in your life, but God will meet all of your needs. That’s his promise.
Notice verse 25, He says, “whoever looks intently into the perfect law…” Think about a brain surgeon. As he performs his surgery his attention is extremely focused. Or a man who pans for gold. As searches through all the dirt and the debris looking closely for small pieces of gold. We are to give God’s Word our close and careful attention.
He promises that if we would continue in our obedience to God’s Word, we will be blessed.
Today’s Challenge: Remember this: We are blessed in what we do, James doesn’t say we are blessed in what we feel. The blessing comes in the doing not in the feeling. Don't wait for the feeling to obey the word.

#167: Telling the Next Generation Jan 24, 2021

Show notes

It was a heart-breaking conversation. The mother and father sat in my office. They were at their wits end. Their son was in jail, now for the third time for drug possession and now he had stolen a car. They wanted me to visit him in jail. I made my way to the local police department where he was being kept and introduced myself as a local pastor. I asked to see the young man. I sat, waiting, looking through the glass as the police escorted a young man to sit down in front of me. He was angry, defiant, and belligerent. He cursed me and his parents and refused to take any ownership for his circumstance. I tried to turn the conversation to God and his need for Christ in his life. He had no interest.
That meeting made an impact on my heart. How could a person be raised by a Christian family end up making these kinds of decisions? How could a kid who attended church each Sunday find himself in jail for drug possession and auto theft?
We know that God gives each of us free will. All of us are responsible for our own souls. Whether we had a Christian family, or were raised in church, each of us must have to have our own encounter with Jesus Christ.
For those of you listening who have children who are away from God, be encouraged by this truth: No one is to far away for God to reach them. Keep praying. Keep trusting. Never give up.
I left my meeting at the jail, thinking of how critical it is for us to disciple our own families. In fact, family discipleship is my most important discipleship. I don’t believe it’s God’s will for us to reach the world and lose our own families.
Psalms 145:4-7 -“One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.”
I see families today who seem to take such a casual approach to the things of God. It seems like church attendance is something they do if they don’t have anything else to do. I say this with sincerity and without criticism, but are we teaching our children to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness?
He’s saying we must be intentional about the next generation. We cannot say, “I’m going to let my children decide what they want to believe or if they want to come to church.” We cannot afford to take a hands off approach. You don’t do this with their physical health, their school work, or their family responsibilities…but when it comes to faith we often take a carefree approach.
We are to be diligent with the spiritual development of our children. We are to be intentional. We look for every opportunity to teach them about God. We make it a part of our daily life.
So, how can we be more intentional about family discipleship?

Tell your story - what has God done in your life?
Be honest about struggles and how God has seen you through.
Let prayer and scripture be a daily part of the family routine.
When God answers prayer, celebrate as a family.
Let your kids ask the hard questions. Be there as they wrestle with faith. Let God do his work and remember you are not the Holy Spirit.
Look for teachable moments where you share the why behind your beliefs and values.

Today’s Challenge: If you have children, pray today and commit to discipling your own family. We are in this for the long-term, even after the are adults. If you don’t have children, consider how you can pray for and support another family.

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