The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#1,307: Faith Like a Child Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

Simple faith. Child-like faith. We must come to God with this same simplicity and sincerity. Just as a child can have complete faith in the protection and provision of their parents, so we must come to God with such faith. We must completely believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the he alone can save us from our sins.

Main Points:
1. Let’s think for a minute what characteristics little children possess when it comes to faith. They are innocent and sincere. They’re eager to learn. They are teachable, humble, trusting, open, simple, and spontaneous. They are unpretentious.

2. It’s my prayer that as adults, we could develop this assurance in God. As a child has assurance of the love of their parents, couldn’t we develop assurance of our Heavenly Father’s love? Couldn’t we find assurance of our salvation and forgiveness of sins? Could we also obtain assurance of God’s care, provision, and protection? Could we lay our head on our pillow at night with assurance in our hearts, knowing that if we passed in the night we have the promise of eternal life?

3. We spend our days stressed out, worried, anxious, afraid, frustrated, and even angry. Surely this is not God’s will for the lives of his children. Let’s come back to simple trust and childlike faith in a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 18:1-3 - “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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#1,306: Seeking the Will of God Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

As Christians, we put the future in God’s hands. We cannot predict the future. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Many will choose to worry about the future, but instead, we can choose to trust our Heavenly Father. We trust His will, His plan, and His purpose for our lives.

Main Points:
1. Tomorrow is on our minds. It’s likely you are thinking about the future as it relates to your family, your health, your finances, your retirement, your work, and your ministry. What does tomorrow hold? What will the future be like?

2. Planning our future gives us a sense of comfort and control. It’s not wrong for us to plan and prepare for tomorrow, but we cannot leave God out of our planning. Why? Because He is the only one who truly knows what tomorrow brings.

3. As we look to tomorrow and our future, let’s be quick to consult God and ask Him to show us His will. Ask Him to lead, guide, and direct your steps. Pray and ask the Lord to show you His will concerning every aspect of your life. Let’s return to the verbiage of believers in a previous generation and say, “if it is the Lord’s will."

Today’s Scripture Verses:

James 4:13-16 - “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.”

Proverbs 27:1 - “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

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#1,305: Continue in the Truth Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

My prayer for you today is that you will let nothing move you. Remain steadfast. Stand firm in the truth. When others compromise their beliefs and when others crumble under the pressure to water down the truth, I pray you will remain strong for Christ.

Main Points:
1. “Will we stand and will we remain unmoved in our faith, our beliefs, and our biblical convictions?

2. Just continue. Continue to preach the gospel. Continue to stand for truth and righteousness. Continue to pray and seek the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Continue to believe in God to move in your generation. Just keep going in those things which you are convinced of.

3. Continue in the truth you know and hold dear. Remember, times change, but God’s Word remains the same.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Timothy 3:14 - “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it…”

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

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#1,304: Why We Cannot Love the World Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

Loving the world will result in losing our first love. When this happens, we begin to buy into the world’s value systems and eventually, our lives do not reflect Christ; they will reflect the world.

Main Points:
1. When we meet Christ, one thing that fundamentally changes is what we love. Before we met Jesus, our primary love was ourselves, but we also loved the things of this present world. But when we met Jesus, things began to change. We discovered a better love.

2. Loving the world means being devoted to the world’s treasures, philosophies, and priorities. God tells His children to set their priorities according to His eternal value system. We are to “seek first” God’s kingdom and righteousness.

3. The problem with loving the world is that it conflicts with what is to be our first love. Jesus is to be our first love. Why? He alone is worthy of such love and devotion. In Revelation chapter two, we learn the Ephesian church was commended for their hard work and perseverance, yet they were warned because they had lost their first love.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

1 John 2:15 - “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”

Romans 12:2 - “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

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#1,303: The Necessity of Faith Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

Today, everyone has natural faith. You step onto an elevator without any thought of its braking system. You fly on an airplane and you sit in a chair, both require natural faith. But to be born again, you must have saving faith. To be forgiven of your sins and to be in a right relationship with God, you must have saving faith.

Main Points:
1. Hebrews 11:6 tells us faith is an essential component of our relationship with God. Without faith, we cannot please God, and we cannot experience the fullness of His blessings in our lives.

2. So, what exactly is faith? The Bible defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). In other words, faith is the confident assurance that what we hope for will actually happen, even though we cannot see it with our physical eyes.

3. Having faith requires us to believe in God's existence, His love for us, and His ability to do what He has promised. It means trusting in His character and His word, even when circumstances suggest otherwise. It means putting our full confidence in Him and His plan for our lives.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 11:6 - “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Ephesians 2:8 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 - “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

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#1,302: Let the Lord Give You Rest Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever felt like you were on an emotional treadmill? Our lives are going faster and faster and we don’t know how to slow them down. I meet people who say to me, “Pastor Loren, I am running on fumes. I’m on empty. I can’t go much further.” Life has a way of draining us. If you don’t stay closely connected to Jesus, our source of life, you will eventually find yourself empty.

Main Points:

1. If today your tank is on empty, if you find yourself depleted, just like Elijah, the Lord wants you to rest. Physical rest is essential, but so is spiritual and emotional rest.

2. There is a refreshing that can come from the Lord. Make time to worship, to listen for His still, small voice, and be encouraged by his faithful presence.

3. If you are spiritually and emotionally in a wilderness place, remember you are not alone. God is right there with you. Ask him to restore you, refill you, and replenish your soul. He is not done with you yet.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

1 Kings 19:4 - “He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

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#1,301: Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed Aug 11, 2025

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Jesus is telling us that while God can do great things with small faith, our faith doesn’t have to stay small. It can grow. In fact, it’s God’s will for your faith to grow. A mustard seed can grow to become a strong, tall tree. So it is with your faith. The more you trust God, the more you will experience his power. The result is greater faith.

Main Points:

1. Faith is essential for the Christian. In fact, you cannot become a Christian without faith. Christianity is not just about knowledge and good works. It is about faith.

2. You and I have a measure of faith. Right now, it may feel as if your faith is quite small. The question is: What will you do with the faith you possess? Will you exercise your faith? Will you believe God? Will you use the faith you have been given?

3. Our struggle is often the refusal to exercise our faith. We don’t use the faith we have. Internally, we know God can do things. We read the Bible and we see his amazing power. We also hear the stories of how God works in people’s lives today. So, our struggle is usually not with God’s ability. Our struggle is with God’s willingness. We know he can, but we doubt he will.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 11:6 - “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Matthew 17:19-20 - “Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

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#1,300: The Power of Gratitude Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

Apart from a heart of gratitude, we begin to be self-focused, self-centered, and self-pleasing. But when you and I, as Christ-followers, decide to live with a daily heart of thankfulness, it changes us. A peaceful heart is the result.

Main Points:

1. Gratitude causes us to focus our hearts on God as the source of every blessing. Being thankful is a part of a lifestyle of worship. Gratitude keeps us humble.

2. Do you ever forget to be grateful? It’s so easy to do, isn’t it? We can easily take everyday blessings for granted. We can enjoy the blessings of God without considering how blessed we truly are.

3. Usually we express gratitude when something good happens, but in every situation, there is something for which we can thank the Lord. Even in the inconveniences, the cancellations, the restrictions, the interruptions, the disappointments there is still a reason to give our thanks to God.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 1:21 - “ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Colossians 3:15-17 - “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

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#1,299: There is a Cure for Spiritual Blindness Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Maybe you have wondered why some do not respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have often thought, “If they could only see how wonderful Jesus is. If they could only see how amazing it is to know the Lord and to be forgiven of our sins.” But that’s just it, they cannot see. They are spiritually blind.

Main Points:

1. The God who spoke at creation and brought light into the darkness, is the same God who can make his light shine in our hearts so that we can see Jesus.

2. When we receive word that there is a cure for our spiritual blindness, we too must act. We must step out in faith and trust Jesus Christ to be our savior and our Lord. I am convinced the work of the Holy Spirit is to deal with our hearts so that we can have our spiritual blindness cured. The Spirit reveals Christ to us.

3. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your savior, I want you to know the joy that awaits you. You don’t have to live in the darkness of sin and this world. I pray you’ll experience Jesus, who is the light of the world.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Corinthians 4:4 - “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

John 3:19 - “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
2 Corinthians 4:6 - “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

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#1,298: We Must Have a Spiritual Birth Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Our efforts at personal goodness, no matter how consistent they may be, will never save us. In fact, good behavior is incapable of bringing us into a right relationship with God. We must be born again.

Main Points:

1. Everyone of us, no matter how kind, decent, and respectful we may be, are still sinners. We have sinned. We have violated God’s laws.

2. A newborn baby will need a second birth. It had a physical birth, but to be in right relationship with God it will need a spiritual birth. It must be born again.

3. Have you been born again? Recognize that good behavior is incapable of saving us from our sins. We must have a new birth by placing our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 51:5 - “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

Romans 5:12 - “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned”

Romans 3:23 - “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

1 Peter 1:3 - “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.”

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