The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#46: God's Change Process Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Paul is describing God’s change process that occurs in the lives of believers. This is what occurs after salvation. Many people think it happens the other way around!
As we grow in Christ, bible knowledge is not enough. Jesus is concerned about transformation. Here’s how it happens…
Change begins on the inside.
The word “transformed” is related to the word “metamorphosis.” We all remember being in school and learning the process of metamorphosis that occurs when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly or a tadpole becomes a frog. It’s a gradual change on the inside that produces a todal transformation on the outside. When a caterpillar has been changed into a butterfly, it becomes what God always intended it to be.
1 John 3:2 – “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known…”
John is talking about our future when we are with the Lord in Heaven, but it is also true in this life. God is in the transformation business!
Change is a process.
All of us tonight are works-in-progress. We are not finished. We are not glorified. We are not perfect. We are not completed. We are all under construction. Construction sites are noisy and messy. Is your life noisy and messy? Sometimes it’s hard to image what the final outcome will be.
We are responsible though, to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. God’s work in our lives is usually a steady, lifelong progress toward godliness. But we are responsible to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness.
Change happens as our minds are renewed with the Word of God. It's only here that our thinking begins to change
Today’s Challenge: Identify an area of your life God is wanting to change. The Holy Spirit is so faithful, I’m sure you already know which area he wants to work in. Surrender, cooperate, allow God to do his work. All we need is on the other side of surrounding our lives to God.
Discussion Questions:

Why does God change us from the inside out?
What area of your life is God working to change?
Do you have a story of how God has changed you?

#45: Being Desperate for God Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

"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.” (Psalm 63:1-3)
How many times has it taken a crisis to bring us to our knees in prayer? When we are pushed to the brink. When our back is to the wall. When all the escape routes are closed. It seems that then and only then do many people call on God for help.
Abraham Lincoln – “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.
Being desperate for God is a state of knowing that you need him so much in your life. I am desperate for his presence. I am desperate for his Holy Spirit. I am desperate for his anointing on my life. I am desperate for his favor.
It’s the lack of a sense of desperation for God that is so deadly. If we don’t feel desperate for God, we don’t tend to cry out to him.
Every day you and I are going to face things that drain us. They are things that attack our faith. They are circumstances that drain us, they empty out our joy and our peace. You are going to face distractions and disappointments. You are going to have conflicts at work and conflicts at home. You are going to have problems and pressures. You will face frustrations and fears and failures and fatigue. Someone said, “yes…that pretty much describes my life right now!”
If we are not very careful, the difficult circumstances of life will drain us. We lose our spiritual vitality. Our passion begins to diminish. Before long we find that quite honestly, our spiritual tank is empty.
Today's Challenge: Let’s pursue God with desperation. Nothing else in this world will satisfy. If you heart is cold towards God. Begin to pursue him. Begin to draw close to him. Ask him to rekindle the fire in your heart for God and his purpose. We don't have to wait for a crisis to become desperate for God.
Discussion Questions:

Why do people often wait until a crisis to reach out to God?
How can we maintain a healthy desperation for God?
What spiritual growth would happen in our lives is we earnestly sought after God?

#44: The One Thing that Makes the Church Powerless Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:20-21)
The Bible is filled with a focus on unity. God brings us together, in all of our brokenness, in all of our differences and makes us one people….one body. Like a puzzle of 1000 pieces can create a beautiful picture, so together we reflect the beautiful picture of Christ to our world.
When we come together with all of conflict, broken relationships, political division, dysfunctional families, and fractured communities…when we come together in unity it is a sign to the world that God is a work here.
What disunity does to a church…..Disunity brings confusion to our fellowship. It clouds our witness to the community. It brings a reproach upon the witness of Jesus. It brings discouragement and despair to a congregation. Satan knows that if he can divide us, it will keep us from being healthy and it will keep us from reaching people for Christ.
A word of caution: Unity is not our highest goal or ultimate value: Obeying God is our ultimate goal. People say: can’t we all just get along? It doesn’t’ matter what you believe as long as we love each other.
When God’s word calls us to unity it doesn’t mean there are no differences. This doesn’t mean there are no disagreements. This doesn’t mean there is no conflict. Unity doesn’t mean leaders are dictators and do whatever they want without accountability. This doesn’t mean we forget doctrine and let anything go in the church. It means we recognize that as the Father and Son are One in agreement of purpose and mission we are to exemplify that unity.
Because we are in Christ there is genuine love. We let petty differences go. We forgive, we don’t hold grudges. We prefer one another. We serve one another. We meet needs. We agree on why we exist as a church and focus on that purpose of bringing lost people into the kingdom of God. When there is this kind of unity the world will know something supernatural is occurring here. It’s a sign that God is present. The world is hungry for this kind of love and unity.
I believe you are too. Let’s let God’s Word lead the way. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives just like the day of Pentecost when the church was in one mind and one accord. If we will we can fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.
Today’s Challenge: If you have been offended, give that offense to Jesus. Forgive as he has forgiven you. Unite together with other believers. Help protect the unity of the church. Let’s pray together for God’s presence and power.
Discussion Questions:

Why do you think unity was Jesus' last prayer request?
Why does Satan try so hard to divide us?
What role does God's Word and doctrine play in protecting unity in the church?

#43: The Distinguishing Mark of a Christian Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:43-47)
In other words, if you only love and show kindness to people who love you, well, Jesus says, you are no different than people who don’t know Christ.
If we are honest, it’s here that we struggle with those who are different from us: those we don’t understand, those who look different, those who are from a different place, those who think different, or act different.
I think most would agree that love is not words, it’s not emotions or feelings, thought it may produce those things. I believe love is seeing a person through God’s eyes and genuinely wanting good for them…as God defines good.
True love comes from a belief that all people were created in the image of God.
True love goes beyond feelings of compassion and good will. Demonstrating true love will cost you something.
Real love feels something, it does something, and it costs something.
As followers of Jesus, the Word of God is always our guide. The very first command to love your neighbor is in the book of Leviticus 19:18 – ““‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.
But how do we do this? How can we love our neighbor as we love ourselves? This will never happen until we see people the way God sees them. We are so quick to judge people and situations. We say things like:
• They deserve what they got
• They brought it on themselves
• If they had made better decisions
• They should have known better.
But we until we see people through God’s eyes we have no true compassion.
Here is something to think about: Our relationship with God is inseparable from our relationships to the people in our lives. We can’t be in a love relationship with God and not act in love towards other people. This is what Jesus calls the greatest commandments: love God, and because you love God – you will love people.
What does God love? Who does God love?
He loves the foster child
He loves the addict trying to find freedom
He loves the lonely
He loves the couple going through a divorce
He loves the woman who has had an abortion
He even loves those who don’t believe in him
Today’s Challenge: Take a small action to show love to someone. Don’t stop with feelings of compassion and pity. Let the Holy Spirit help you identify someone whom you can show love…and do it today.
Discussion Questions:

Do you have someone in your life who is difficult to love?
Why did Jesus say love is the distinguishing mark of a Christian?
What practical steps can you take to be more loving to others?

#42: You Have More Hope Than You Think You Do Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
What enables us to endure though our struggles seem too much to bear? It is our hope in God. This hope, rooted in God’s character, provides us with the strong confidence that we are never alone no matter what life brings our way.
We have hope because in our suffering we experience God’s sustaining presence.
We have hope in our suffering because God provides daily inner renewal.
We have hope because our suffering is temporary.
2 Corinthians 4:18 - “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Even if I carry this struggle for the rest of my life here on this earth, even that is temporary compared to eternity.
Paul says the secret to survival in the trials of life is to focus on the unseen. At first that sounds like nonsense. Paul is saying however that must understand that God knew the trials were coming into our lives. He allowed them for His purpose. He is using them to teach us. He is drawing us close. He is deepening our faith and character. He is preparing us for something eternal.
It’s here that we focus on Jesus. Jesus faced suffering and was victorious. We can learn from His life and His sufferings. We listen to His Words. Remember the truth and the evidence of His resurrection. Cling to His promises. Believe Him when He tells us that those who trust Him will live even though they die. If we remember that nothing can ultimately defeat us, we will know a new strength in the time of suffering.
It is that God will for you and me to endure, to persevere, to remain constant, to keep our vows, to maintain your testimony, to hold steady. He will give us the strength to not give in or give up. Don’t quit. Don’t let doubt and discouragement and distractions steal away your heart when you're facing serious challenges.
Hope is our confident expectation rooted in the unchanging character of God.
Today’s Challenge: Hold on to your hope. Don’t let it go. Your hope is anchored in Jesus and he will not fail. Don’t give in to the lies that you won’t make it. God is faithful.
Discussion Questions:

How would you define or describe hope?
What gives you hope in the hard times?
In which area of your life have you been tempted to give up your hope?

#41: Wisdom for our Words Sep 20, 2020

Show notes

“the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and it itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5-6)
There may not be an area of your life and mine that we need wisdom more, than in the area of our words. Wisdom in what we say and how we say it.
James uses the word tongue, talking about our physical tongue in relation to the words we say. Think about the influence of our words.
When I was a kid people used to say “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It sounds brave, but we have learn this is completely untrue. Words shape and define our lives.
What others say to us and what we say to others can last a long time, for good or for evil. The casual sarcastic or critical remark can inflict a lasting injury on another person. The well-timed encouragement or compliment can inspire someone for the rest of their life.
Talking is something we all do…we do it a lot. There are more ways to communicate today than ever before: speaking, writing, texting, emailing, social media.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
Psalm 14:3 – “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
My words reveal the condition of my heart
My words indicate how healthy or unhealthy I am spiritually. If you go to the doctor for physical, one of the things he/she will do is ask you to stick out your tongue. Because the tongue is an indicator. The nurse will put a thermometer under your tongue – it is a barometer of your physical health. The scripture teaches us the same thing is true spiritually.
Jesus said in Luke 6:45 – “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Our words are like a bucket of water dipped into a well. If there is fresh water down deep, that’s what comes out. If what is below is stagnant, polluted, and diseased that is what will come out. In other words, “If the heart is clean, the words are clean.” If the heart is contaminated, our words will expose it.
Quote – Charles Spurgeon – “More of a man is seen in his words than in anything else belonging to him; you may look into his face and be mistaken, you may visit his house and not discover him, you may scan his business and misunderstand him; but I you hear his daily conversation you shall soon know him.”
Today’s Challenge: Pray this prayer found in the book of Psalms ,”… May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord.” Today choose to speak words of life to those around you.
Discussion Questions:

Why are words so powerful and why do they impact us in such a big way?
In what areas do you struggle with your words, speech, or conversation?
Describe how you could be more positive and uplifting with your words.

#40: Who are you living for? Sep 19, 2020

Show notes

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
If we take this verse at face value, and we should, we learn here that “the value of a soul” is worth more than “the whole world.” Yet many people are using all their time, talents and energy to accumulate wealth and possessions and they place no value whatsoever on their soul.
It has been said that there are only two things that last: the Word of God and the souls of men. This is because, like God’s Word, the soul is an imperishable thing.
Imagine that you could own every possession on earth and ask yourself, would you be satisfied? We see it all the time in the media; the richest celebrities are still not content with all the wealth they have. Why is that? Without Christ, the condition of our souls is lost and we cannot find satisfaction in the temporary things of this world.
Who owns your life? This is a defining question for the disciple of Jesus. He not only wants to be our Savior, he wants to be our Lord.
Jesus must be our single pursuit. Nothing matters more than Jesus. Nothing is of greater value. Nothing is of higher worth.
We seek after the things this world offers thinking it will satisfy, thinking they will make us happy, but it only produces more seeking and more searching. In the end it leaves us empty.
But when we seek Jesus we find everything we need. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
The longing of your heart will only be met in Christ. It’s in Jesus that your emptiness is filled. It’s in Jesus that you despair turns to hope. It’s in our Savior that our hunger is satisfied.
Why would we seek after all this world has to offer only to lose our soul? It’s a tragedy and it describes the life so many are living today.
I suppose it all comes down to what we love. Because what we love, that’s what we seek after. When we are in love with Jesus we are captivated and motivated by this love. Experiencing the love of Jesus has changed everything in our lives. It changes our desires, our pursuits, and our goals and ambitions. It’s here that God’s will become our will.
Today’s Challenge: In prayer, examine your life. Ask God to reveal what you have been living for. Is Christ your passion? Is Jesus your first-love. Allow God’s Spirit to speak to your heart and respond accordingly.
Discussion Questions:

Why is the soul so valuable?
Why do you think people ignore the value of the soul?
Describe how Jesus satisfies our deepest desires and longings.

#39: Resisting Temptation Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

James 1:12 – “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (NKJV)
Every person listening to this podcast knows what it’s like to face temptation.
Think about it. You and I know how difficult it is to battle temptation. But God says there is a reward for enduring temptation. First James say, “Blessed, which means happy. He’s saying that the person who resists and endures temptation is happy. It feels good to win the battle. Giving in to the temptation produces momentary pleasure, but lingering guilt and shame.
Happiness comes from having your life under control. When you learn how to say “no,” it produces happiness. James says, this person will receive a “crown of life.” In the Greek, this literally means “life itself.” He is saying here, that when you understand temptation, when you overcome it, when you learn to say “no,” it is then that you really begin to live.
Let’s talk about temptation:
What is temptation? Temptation is a pressure within us to exceed the limitations, which God has placed upon us. It is an urge within, a desire for us to move out beyond the limits, which God has established for us.
God has placed these limits upon us, not out of cruelty or unkindness, but out of love and grace. They are necessary for our protection and for our spiritual growth.
Every temptation is an attack on God’s authority in your life
All temptation to sin is a temptation to step outside of God’s will, to step outside of his Word, and to look at his requirements for our lives, and feel like they are too difficult, unreasonable, or too overbearing.
1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
How do we resist temptation:

Feed your spiritual man every single day. If you are weak spiritually, it’s not likely you’ll have the power to resist temptation.
Be ready to use the Word of God as sword against temptation. In Luke 4, when Jesus was tempted, three times he said… “It is written…”
Find community and accountability. Do you have someone in your life you can be completely honest with? It’s difficult to win if you are fighting alone.

Today’s Challenge: Re-engage in the battle against temptation. Identify your primary struggles. Commit to honoring the Lord in these areas of your life. Use the tools God has given you. Refuse to be alone in the fight.
Discussion Questions:

What are the sources of our temptations?
What gives you strength in the battle against temptation?
What story do you have of overcoming temptation?

#38: Understanding the Mercy of God Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)
Though the Bible mentions mercy hundreds of times, and clearly is is one of the attributes of God, but today, I rarely hear the word mentioned. Could it be that we don’t understand mercy?
Definition: The Greek word for mercy, ‘eleos’ means ‘compassion, pity, clemency’. God is merciful in that He withholds the punishment we deserve and shows compassion and pity toward us. Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation.
The real meaning of mercy is that God looks at our failure and still see a future.
All through the Bible we read of the mercy of God. It is mentioned hundreds of times. The writer of Hebrews tells us to “come boldly to the throne of graces to find mercy in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
God feels compassion towards us. You could say his mercy motivated his grace. God saw us in our great need. He had compassion on us. God does not stop with feelings of pity and compassion. He is motivated to act, to relieve our misery. This is where God introduces grace.
Grace gives me what I don’t deserve (forgiveness)
Mercy holds back what I do deserve (judgement)
Apart from Jesus we are all sinners. Without Jesus, we are lost in our sins. Apart from Jesus we have no hope. Without Jesus we will all face judgement. But The mercy of God provided a way for our sins to be forgiven.
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:5)
As followers of Jesus, we are to display the character qualities of God in our own lives. Since God has shown us mercy, we are to be merciful to others. This is why in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.”
Today’s Challenge: To whom is God asking you to show mercy?
We as believers have received an huge measure of God’s mercy. We have been forgiven a debt of sin we could never repay and have been blessed with daily mercies we could never count. Now God wants us to show the same kind of mercy to others, to have the same compassion, to demonstrate the same love, and to act and serve others in their time of distress…even when they do not deserve it.
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
Discussion Questions:

How would you define the mercy of God?
It seems like God's mercy is not talked or sang about, as much as His grace. Why do you think this is so?
What are some practical ways we can show mercy to others?

#37: Letting Go of the Past Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

“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.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
One of the big things that keeps Christians from living in the freedom Jesus provides is our past…our old life. There is history we have a hard time letting go of.
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.
When Paul talks about forgetting he is telling us that we can’t and must not live in the past. What happened in the past is past and we must keep going forward. His past does not define him. He will not let the past keep him from what God has ahead of him.
The past must be put behind us because…
We have a tendency to obsess about the past.
We may know that God has forgiven us, but we have a difficult time forgiving ourselves. Psalm 38:4 - “My guilt has overwhelmed me. It's overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.”
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.
Jesus has forgiven our past.
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.” This is one of the most powerful verses in the whole Bible.
Remember this…You cannot change your past, but Christ can change your future.
There is so much in our past:
- Times when we’ve been rejected by friends.
- Losses we’ve experienced.
- Sins we’ve committed.
- People we’ve hurt and people who have hurt us.
- Dreams that have been dashed. Wrong paths we’ve taken.
Jesus blood covers them all.
Today’s Challenge: Let’s surrender the past to Jesus. Refuse to let it paralyze you and keep you from the future God has for you. Accept Paul’s words…let go of the past and press forward to what God still has planned for you.
Discussion Questions:

Why does Paul say in Philippians 3:13-14 that we need to "forget the past?"
Do you struggle with letting go of your past?
What steps can you take to press forward to what God has in store for you?

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