The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#26: The Benefits of Fasting Sep 05, 2020

Show notes

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)
Chances are you are among the massive majority of Christians who rarely or never fast. It’s not because we haven’t read our Bibles or sat under faithful preaching or heard about the power of fasting, or even that we don’t genuinely want to do it. We just never actually get around to putting down the fork.
What is fasting? Well, it’s not dieting. It’s not skipping meals to lose weight. No…whenever fasting is mentioned in the Bible it refers to, abstaining from food for the purpose of growing spiritually.
What is the purpose of fasting? What are the benefits? Why should we consider fasting as a spiritual discipline?
First of all fasting is good for us physically - It gives our digestive systems a rest. It also purifies our bodies by allowing built up toxins to filter out of our systems.
But fasting’s main benefit is spiritual - Fasting teaches us self-control and encourages a prolonged un-distracted focus on Christ.
Richard Foster writes, Our human cravings and desires are like a river that tends to overflow its banks; fasting helps keep them in their proper channel. More than any other discipline fasting reveals the things that control us.
Spiritual benefits of fasting:

Fasting will strengthen your prayer life
Fasting will help you find God’s guidance
Fasting will help you find divine deliverance or protection
Fasting will call you to repentance
Fasting will humble you before God
Fasting will help you overcome temptation

Fasting is not a command in the Bible. Jesus does not ORDER us to fast but several passages of scripture show that our Lord did ASSUME we would fast. For example in verse 17 of Matthew 6, Jesus did not say IF you fast but WHEN you fast.
For fasting to be a spiritual discipline it must include prayer. We are replacing the physical meal with a spiritual meal. We are sacrificial our physical desires to pursue spiritual desires.
Practical Tips:

Consult your physician.
Start small.
Make a plan.
Expect difficulty.
Avoid distractions.
Use the time to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Expect to experience an increased awareness of God's presence and power.

Today’s Challenge: Fast one meal and give the time to God in prayer. Begin to add this important spiritual practice to your life.
Discussion Questions:

Have you ever fasted? How did it go?
Why is fasting an important spiritual discipline?
Why does it seem that so few Christians fast?

#25: When God Say No Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)
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.” or “Not yet.” 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.
Every parent makes decision about what is best for your children. I’ve heard my share of Daddy, daddy, daddy, can I have? Can we have? Often times what is best for my children is no.
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.
The Apostle Paul prayed for God to remove his "thorn in the flesh" but God said no. He said his grace was sufficient for Paul's life. Sufficient = ENOUGH. God’s grace is enough. You have enough to get through this. Enough strength. Enough wisdom. Enough peace. Enough joy. Enough power.
Even when the answer is no, God is still at work in our lives. Sometimes God responds with a no answer to our prayer to teach us to trust him or to help us grow.
Sometimes, in prayer, What you are asking for is good. It’s honorable. Your motives are right. But it simply is not God’s will.
Two important truths about God’s denial:
1.When God says no, we recognize that He is our sovereign Lord. What we learn from the biblical examples is that God never stops being God.
2.When God says no, we trust He has a better plan, and we patiently wait for it.
Today’s Challenge: My response when God says no…

I will acknowledge God’s faithful presence.
I will affirm his power in every situation
I will accept God’s purpose in my life.

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think God sometimes says "no" to our prayers?
Can you tell of a story when God said no?
What should our response be when God says no?

#24: Taking Steps of Faith Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8)
Learn more about missionary Hudson Taylor
As we follow Jesus, he will continually ask us to take steps of faith. Faith is not something that just exists in our hearts. Faith is something to be lived out. It’s to be acted upon. Our obedience in taking these steps to trust God is evidence of the faith we have in him.
Abraham is living first in a place called Ur. I would imagine he has a good life. He’s around 75 years old. He’s family is there. His business is there. At age 75 he’s settled down.
God comes to Abraham and says, “I want you to move.” Where? To the other side of town? A new house?
Verse 8 says, “Abraham went even though he did not know where he was going.”
This is trust. My life is in your hands. Where you lead I will follow. Do you trust God in this way? There are going to be times in your life when your faith in God will require you to go.

To begin serving in a ministry, even though you don’t feel qualified
To leave your job for a new one
To start your own business
To obey God in a new area of your life
To leave behind a friendship that is leading you away from God
To let go of sins and habits that hinder your relationship with God
Abraham’s faith led him to ask, “God what is the next step? If you show me the next step for my life…I will take it.” If Abraham had to know the whole journey, he would have never taken the first step.
Remember what you already know about God! Trust his character. Trust his track record.
Be a person of faith. Be willing to take the next step God shows you.
Today’s Challenge: Embrace the next step of faith God is asking you to take: baptism, commitment, surrender, sacrifice, step out into a ministry, tithing, sharing your faith, going back to school, starting a business. If he leads, you can trust hi. Put feet to your faith.
Discussion Questions:
Do you have a story of taking steps of faith? What happened?
Do you have a testimony of God's faithfulness in your life?
What next step is God leading you to take?

#23: Hearing the Voice of God Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

Revelation 2:7 - “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says…”
We live in a very loud culture. The sound of our day is filled with the voices of media, news, politics, music, movies, sports, social media, friends, teachers, spouses, and much more. We hear it all, but have we heard the voice of God? God doesn’t have a speaking problem. We have a listening problem. He is speaking and it’s critical to hear what He is saying.
God speaks in many different ways:

He speaks to us through the Bible
He speaks to us through the experiences of life. Sometimes we learn the most about God from the things that happen to us. Often the circumstances of our lives are designed to wake us up…and to take us deeper.
He speaks to us through His Spirit. He might use the teachings of a pastor, a writer, a singer, or he might whisper gently to your mind in an unmistakable and biblically consistent voice.

Sometimes we don’t hear because we are preoccupied and distracted. We are so busy with life that we spend most of our time on the run. We have obligations and commitments, responsibilities, and appointments.

Here’s a great question: Is God’s voice the loudest voice in your life?
Dallas Willard - “If God doesn’t speak today then the greatest disservice we could do to people is to tell them they can have a personal relationship with God.”
Hearing the voice of God requires…

Priority

If we aren’t willing to listen to everything God has to say, we won’t hear anything He has to say. If you want to hear his comforting voice, you have to listen to his convicting voice. It’s often what we want to hear least that we need to hear most.
If we aren’t intentional about hearing God’s voice, it probably won’t happen. We need to elevate the priority of listening to God. We want to hear what he has for us to do. We want to know what it is that he desires for our lives.

Proximity

Proximity means nearness in relationship. It is the desire to be close to God. The Bible says that when we draw near to God, he draws near to us.

Stillness

This is difficult for us, but we need to intentionally build quiet into our lives because our lives are almost alway noisy.
What does God want to say to me?

Encouragement
Warning
Direction
Calling

Today's Challenge: Tune in to the voice of God? In prayer, ask to speak to your heart. Ask him to listen so that his voice is clear.
Discussion Questions:

Do you believe God speaks today? Why?
In your experience, has it been difficult for you to hear the voice of God?
What does God want to say to us?

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#22: Our Struggle with Forgiveness Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
Why is forgiveness necessary? Why does God make a big deal about forgiveness?
•Forgiveness releases us from the offense.
Unforgiveness is a burden. I think we all know what it feels like. But forgiveness is freedom. Where there was once sorrow, heaviness, and bitterness, is now comfort and peace. When we forgive we are release from the bondage. To me, forgiveness is like God opening the prison door and allowing us to walk away and leave it all behind.
Forgiveness not only releases us physically and emotionally, it also releases us spiritually. One of the greatest barriers to effective prayer and a healthy spiritual life is an unforgiving heart.
Quote: D.L. Moody – “I believe unforgiveness is keeping more people from having power with God than any other thing – they are not willing to cultivate a spirit of forgiveness.
•You are never more like Jesus than when you forgive those who have sinned against you.
The Scripture teaches us that we forgive, just as God has forgiven us. Forgiveness gives us the opportunity to give others what God has given us.
Today’s challenge….sincerely reflect on these questions…
•Am I up to date on my forgiving?
•Am I holding a grudge against anyone?
•Do I harbor any bitterness against any person?
•Have I forgiven those who have hurt me deeply?
As we offer forgiveness to others, it releases us from the burden and weight of bitterness and unforgiveness. It’s here that we find freedom.
Discussion Questions:

Why is offering forgiveness to others so difficult?
What happens in our own lives when we forgive others?
Do you have a story to share in which God moved you to forgive someone?

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#21: The Importance of your Personal Testimony Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

1 Peter 3:15 - “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Notice those words from the Apostle Peter... "Always be prepared."
Everyone has a story. If you have never sat down and written out your spiritual testimony in chronological order, when you do, you’ll be amazed at how God has been working in your life. No testimony is boring. Your story is unique and fascinating, and whenever you tell it, it will be relevant, and potentially life changing for the listener.
Your story is simply an account of how God has changed your life. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then surely He has done miraculous things for you. People are looking for evidence that God exists and that He is personally involved in people’s lives. You can’t make God appear on the spot to prove His existence, but you can certainly point straight to Him by talking about how He has worked in your life.
Think about this: Would you go to an important business meeting without being thoroughly prepared? Would you walk unprepared into a courtroom for a trial? Would you show up to perform on opening night without your lines memorized? Of course not!
It’s true the Holy Spirit moves us and leads us in our conversations about Christ. But it’s our responsibility to use what the Lord gives us in the best possible way. We prepare for important meetings – we need to prepare to give an account of our faith as well.
As you prepare, consider the three parts of your story:

Before you met Christ
When you met Christ
Since you met Christ

Helpful hints:

Use at least one Bible verse. The Word of God is powerful.
Avoid negative talk. Keep it positive and focused on Jesus.
Use the "name of Jesus." Today many people equate "God" with an energy force or a mystical power. We believe in Jesus.

Today’s challenge is to prepare your God-Story. Write it down. Get prepared.
Discussion Questions:

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to sharing your faith with others?
What practical steps can you take to improve?
Who has God put in your life that needs the Gospel message?

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#20: Developing a Passion for Prayer Aug 30, 2020

Show notes

Luke 11:1 – “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
David Wilkerson
Teen Challenge
Jesus was a source of constant amazement to his disciples. Imagine hearing him teach. Imagine seeing him perform the miracles. Imagine watching Jesus deal with the Jewish Religious leaders who were constantly trying to trap him and his words. The disciples were always watching Jesus. When he was eating, sleeping, teaching, and traveling, they were always watching.
And here in our text, Luke says, Jesus was praying, and when he had stopped, one of them spoke to him The disciples were watching him in prayer and as they watched it became clear to one of the disciples that somehow the amazing power of Jesus was connected with his prayer life. When he had finished, one of them, speaking for all the disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
For the follower of Jesus, prayer is our lifeline. James says you have not because you ask not. If you don’t pray you will experience a very limited working of God in your life.
The disciples request tells us something about the importance of prayer in the life of Jesus. They watched. They noticed.
They could have said, Lord teach us to heal, teach us to how to do miracles, teach us how to draw a crowd. Teach us how to give inspiring sermons, but no…they said teach us to prayer. They knew that everything he did was a result of his prayer time.
So, let’s talk about a passion for prayer…
1. A passion for prayer comes from a belief that prayer changes things.
2. A passion for prayer comes from a hunger to know God more intimately.
Today’s challenge: Ask God to give you a passion for prayer. Begin to intentionally set aside a small amount of time to pray. As you do, your hunger to know God will grow.
Discussion Questions:

What was it about Jesus' prayer life that caused the disciples to ask him to teach them to pray?
What hinders our consistency in prayer?
What would our lives look like if we had a passion for prayer?

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#19: Is Jesus The Only Way to God? Aug 29, 2020

Show notes

We live in a time where the prevailing message is that “All religions are equally valid and basically teach the same thing.” This way of thinking has swept our culture like a storm.
Americans love options. We live in a culture where there are endless options in just about every area of life. 800 channels of TV. The average supermarket stocks nearly 40,000 different items. Malls with dozens of stores. We love options! It just seems natural that there would be options in the spiritual arena as well. Many people think of Christianity as just one more option on the spiritual buffet table of life.
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
Why can’t people just believe whatever they want to believe, as long as they are sincere? I’ve heard parents say, “It doesn’t matter to me what my kids believe, as long as they believe something.” Sincerity is great. No one questions sincerity. But sincerity, or the lack of it, has nothing to do with determining truth. In other words, we can be sincerely right or be sincerely wrong.
In John 14:6 Jesus said,..
I am the way - Jesus doesn’t say he is A way, he says he is THE way. Jesus didn’t say he knew the way. Jesus does not create a path for us to hike. He is not clearing the brush and making a path visible. He is saying…He is the way! We are not saved by a principle or a force, but by a person.
2. I am the truth - Truth is the scarcest commodity in the world. We hear people say, “That might be true for you, but it’s not for me.” People today don’t seem to be all that interested in truth. But without the clarity and consistency of moral absolute truth, we are reduced to doing what seems right, what feels good, what produces the least resistance, and what provides the greatest personal fulfillment.
Jesus rises up above our cultural confusion and shouts out, “I am the truth!” 78 times in the Gospels it is record that Jesus said, “I tell you the truth…”
3. I am the life - All throughout the Gospel of John the principle of spiritual vitality is described for us. Without Jesus all we have is death – separation from God. Because Jesus died for us, and rose again to new life – we too can live. We now can have a relationship with God.
In the end, it doesn’t matter how nice or moral a person is because there is not enough niceness or morality to pay for our rejection of God. Either we must be rejected or we turn to Jesus who was rejected for us. This is the heart of the gospel. Jesus lays down his very own life for those who reject him, for his enemies, for those who don’t believe in him, and he offers them forgiveness. Amazing!
Yes, Jesus is the only way to God. He is the way, the truth and the life.
Today’s challenge: In prayer, reaffirm your faith in Jesus as the only door to a relationship with God.
Discussion Questions:

Why do people struggle with the belief that Jesus is the only way to God?
What does it mean that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life?
Why is this topic so important?

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#18: Five Misconceptions About Worship Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

Possum Kingdom Lake
“What is worship?” “Worship is the response of all that we are to all that God is.” “Worship is to declare God’s worth”
John 4:23-24 – “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Misconceptions about worship:

1.Corporate worship is optional.
“Worship is the most important of all the churches’ purposes because we cannot actively love the world around us unless we corporately love and adore God through worship.” (Richard Foster - Celebration of Discipline)
2.Worship is only an OUTWARD expression.
“True worship is not about the songs, the vocals, the band or the choir. All of those things contribute toward a great expression of worship but the essence of worship is when your heart and soul, the core of your being, connects with the Spirit of God.”
3.Worship is only an INWARD expression.
If you go through the Bible to see examples and instruction for worship you’ll see things like: singing, clapping, praising, shouting, weeping, laughing, kneeling, lifting hands, trumpets, cymbals, and even dancing.
4.Worship is for us.
The word “worship” literally means “worth-ship” which means that we worship that which is worthy. Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
5.Worship only takes place in a church.
Today's Challenge: Make time to worship God. Sing him a song. Listen to a song and sing along. At least lift your voice and give Him thanks and praise. He gets the glory. We get the joy.
Discussion Questions:

What is worship?
Why do some people think worship is optional?
Why is worship more than an outward expression?

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#17: Are We Dating the Church? Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

Book: "Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the Family of God" by Sam Harris
The church has a divine creation. Some say, “The church was man’s idea.” No, that’s not biblical. The church was God’s idea.
Scripture - Jesus said in “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18)
The NT describes the church as:
•The Bride of Christ (loves his bride, gave his life for his bride, is coming back for his bride)
•The Body of Christ (an image we all understand – each part is important)
•Family of God (we belong to each other)
Still with all the teaching we have in the NT concerning the church, there are still many people today who have become disillusioned with the church. For many different reasons, they have given up. They still believe in Jesus and perhaps they are still trying to have a relationship with God, but they have been unable to commit to a local church.
God never intended the church to be an event. Yes we gather for worship, teaching, encouragement, equipping, to serve, etc. But the church is the people of God. You are the church. We don’t go to church, we are the church.
The gathering to worship with other believers is irreplaceable. It cannot be substituted with a great devotional time, a lively bible study with friends, a meditative nature hike, or a live TV church service.
When the church is together for worship and hears God’s Word preached, nourishment and encouragement occur that can’t happen anywhere else. Our corporate worship edifies and strengthens us and glorifies God in ways that nothing else can.
We can’t love Jesus, and not love what he loves. He loves His church.
Today’s challenge: Embrace the local church. Be a part. Be a supporter. Be a champion for it. It’s not perfect, but it is God’s idea.
Discussion Questions:

Why is being a part of a local church so important?
Is it okay to date the church, or is it vital to make a commitment?
Why do many people struggle to make the church an important part of their life?

Visit the website: 5MinuteDiscipleship.com
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