The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#1,067: Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

It’s so easy to become distracted and to turn our eyes to other things. Whether it’s other people, mistakes or failures, or simply the cares of life, we are tempted to look away from Jesus. We don’t usually do this intentionally, we just become distracted.

Main Points:

1. The scripture likens the Christian life to a race that is to be finished. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. It’s the only way we will finish this race. We must not become distracted and lose our focus.
2. We cannot run this race aimlessly. We cannot run in a casual, pointless way. Our Savior has marked out this race for us. We keep our eyes on Jesus and off of the world as we stay in His Word, in worship, and prayer. We stay focused on Jesus as we seek to do His will.
3. Where is your focus today? Is it others? Is it on your problems? Is it on the cares of life? Let’s intentionally turn our eyes on Jesus, the one who can give us the strength to finish our race.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 12:1-2 - “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus.”

Colossians 3:1 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

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#1,066: How to Pray for your Unsaved Family Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

Can I give you a word of encouragement? Your unsaved family members are on the mind of God. While He won’t force anyone to believe in Him, He is actively pursuing them through His Holy Spirit. In fact, scripture tells us this is the reason God has delayed the return of Christ.

Main Points:

1. First, let me encourage you to pray faithfully and consistently. Resist the temptation to give up. Don’t let the enemy convince you that your prayers do matter or that God is not listening. He is listening, He cares, and prayer is powerful.
2. Second, pray God will soften their hardened heart. Pray they will begin to have a spiritual hunger that would cause them to seek and search for God.
3. Believe God will save them. The enemy of our soul will try to convince you that your unsaved family members will never be saved. We resist this temptation. Our faith is in a God who can save anyone. He loves your family. He sent His son Jesus to the cross to die as a sacrifice for their sins. Let’s believe that all things are possible through Jesus.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Peter 3:9 - God is “patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Luke 19:10 - “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
1 Timothy 2:3-4 - “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
2 Corinthians 4:4 - “In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

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#1,065: You Can Trust What God Has Said Aug 27, 2024

Show notes

Obedience comes down to simply taking God at his Word and doing what he has said. We bring ourselves to this obedience because we fear the Lord. He is God and we are not. We submit to his lordship and leadership in our lives.

Main Points:

1. I want to take Him at His Word. I want to readily obey the instructions of Scripture, simply because God has said so.
2. Obedience is not always easy. Our flesh wants to do what it wants to do. Our carnal man does not naturally gravitate towards obedience to God. But as we serve the Lord, we learn to love Him, and the more we love Him, the more we want to please Him. Obedience becomes a joy, not a burden. Our loving obedience flows from our relationship.
3. God’s commands are not burdensome when we know the heart of our Heavenly Father. We know He is good and that He wants the best for His children. His commandments are not burdensome when we discover that God is wise and His ways are the best.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Luke 5:4-5 - “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Luke 5:6 - “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.”

Psalm 119:97 - “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Psalm 119:162 says, “I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.”

1 John 5:3 - “This is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”

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#1,064: Learning to Walk with God Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Often in Scripture, our relationship with God is described as a walk. Sometimes we’ll use the phrase “we are on a journey.” This idea goes back to the relationship Adam and Eve had with God in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:8 - “God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”

Main Points:

1. When I preach funerals, I’ll often say, “The best gift you can give your family and friends is the assurance that you are in Heaven. Let your legacy be that you loved and served Jesus faithfully. Leave behind the powerful memory that you were someone who walked with God.
2. The Bible teaches us as believers to walk in love, walk in the light, walk in wisdom, and walk in the Spirit. These instructions remind us the Christian life is not static. It’s not stationary. There is no place to stop. There is no plateau of spiritual growth. There is no place of arrival, where we can stop growing in our relationship with God. We must keep walking.
3. So, today, let’s get out our walking shoes. Let’s spend time with Jesus. Let’s journey with Him. Let’s grow in our relationship with God. Today is a good day to grow spiritually.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Micah 6:8 - “walk humbly with your God.”
2 Corinthians 6:16 - “As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Genesis 5:24 - “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”

Hebrews 11:5 - “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”

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#1,063: The Comfort of the Holy Spirit Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

What brings us comfort is the recognition that we are not alone. Jesus said this comforter would “abide with you forever.” We don’t face the trials of life by ourselves. He is with us. What a blessing to have God in our lives. Every day we can feel his presence. Every day, regardless of our circumstances, we can rely on the strength and comfort He provides.

Main Points:

1. Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure but encouraged them with the truth that the Holy Spirit was coming and He would be with them forever.
2. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, the Holy Spirit will be your comforter. When you are afraid, anxious, and worried, the Holy Spirit is there to provide comfort. When you are nervous and uncertain about the future, recognize the Holy Spirit is present to comfort you. When you are upset, disappointed, and angry, the Holy Spirit is right there to bring comfort.
3. One of the evidences that God is at work in the lives of believers is that they are living in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This world produces fear, anxiety, frustration, and anger, but the Holy Spirit produces comfort. This comfort should be one of the distinctions of the life of a believer. We should be known for the comfort we live with. Those around us should notice that we don’t live with the same fear and worry that unbelievers do.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

John 14:16 - “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”
Acts 9:31 - “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

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#1,062: Do You Love God With Your Mind? Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

I’m fascinated with the idea that we are to love God with all of our minds. The Bible sees the mind as a place of our thoughts, judgment, and intention. Our minds allow us to be rational, weigh evidence, make decisions about right and wrong, and to develop opinions. Our minds allow us to worship, praise God, love, repent, and trust.

Main Points:

1. Why is it important to consider loving God with our minds? Because during a typical day, we constantly use our minds to make decisions. How many thoughts pass through your mind every day? Several studies have shown that we think around 6,000 thoughts per day. Our mind is a huge part of who we are.
2. Loving God with our minds is critical because our minds are connected to our emotions and our actions.
3. God gives us the power to change how we think so through even our thoughts we are loving and honoring God.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Mark 12:29-30 - “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”
2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Colossians 3:2 - “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Romans 12:2 - “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Colossians 1:9 - “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

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#1,061: Do You Have Joy? Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

How is it possible to have all of our sins forgiven, to have the promise of eternal life, to daily live with a relationship with God, and not have joy? How is it possible? If we have experienced such amazing gifts from God, shouldn’t our lives radiate the joy of the Lord?

Main Points:

1. Joy in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. Joy is an attitude of the heart. It is not necessarily based on something positive happening. Joy is something that lasts; happiness is temporary. When happiness fades away, joy remains. Joy is something God deposits into us through the Holy Spirit.
2. What steals our joy? Well, truthfully, nothing can steal our joy. It is a gift from God. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The devil can’t steal your joy. Neither can people. But you can give it away. You can choose to relinquish your joy.
3. Remember this: Joy is a gift from God. It’s his will that you live a joyful life. Yes, life will throw at you all kinds of difficulties. They come to us all. But even during crisis and turmoil, there is a supernatural joy God intends for you to have.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 51:12 - “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.”
Nehemiah 8:10 - “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

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#1,060: Jesus Satisfies our Spiritual Thirst Aug 20, 2024

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I discovered that Jesus could offer me something that nothing or no one else could offer. He could quench my spiritual thirst. He offered me a relationship. He offered me purpose for my life. As I began to sincerely follow him, my life was filled with contentment. I realized that Jesus could satisfy the thirst and the longing that I had inside.

Main Points:

1. You and I have experienced physical thirst. But we have another kind of thirst. It’s spiritual thirst, and yes everyone experiences it, sometimes without realizing it. Inside all of us there is a thirst that nothing in this world can satisfy. There is a thirst within us that only God can fill.
2. All of us have tried to satisfy our thirst. If a person is thirsty, they are going to search for water. It’s the same way with our spiritual thirst. We are all looking for a way to quench our thirst. We search for meaning and purpose through a person, through possessions, or by pursuing pleasure…only to find that our souls are still parched.
3. We experience this living water when we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. It’s only then that we can experience the satisfaction of our thirst being quenched.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

John 6:35 - Jesus says, “He who believes in me will never thirst.”
John 7:37-38 - : “‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’

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#1,059: When I Struggle With My Faith Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

Use the measure of faith God has given you. Cry out to Him… “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Once again trust our great God to meet you in your time of difficulty and to give you the faith you need.

Main Points:

1. We want to believe, but sometimes faith is a struggle. When you have been through so much, when you are weary, and when it seems like options are few, it can be hard to believe.
2. When our faith is weak, it’s in those moments that I have to go back to God’s Word. This is where my faith is strengthened. I have to be reminded often of who God is, what he has already done, and what he has promised to do.
3. Maybe today it’s only a whisper, but let it out…. “Jesus, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.”

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 10:17 - “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Mark 9:22-27 - “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.“ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.”

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#1,058: God Will Give You Opportunities Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

Today God will give you an opportunity. I believe it happens every day. God gives you and me opportunities to serve Him through our witness, acts of kindness, words of encouragement, and steps of faith.

Main Points:

1. So often we miss these opportunities to serve God because they are small. We don’t recognize them as a chance to be a blessing to someone because, after all, it’s such a small thing. Instead, we are looking at the big things. We are looking for open doors that are larger, more influential, and more notable. Yet, the great things done for God are really small things done with faithfulness.
2. According to Jesus, God’s definition of greatness is found in being faithful in small opportunities. Sometimes we think these small opportunities are not worth our time, they are insignificant, and they don’t matter, but they really do.
3. Imagine a lifetime of being faithful to serve others, to encourage the discouraged, to pray for someone in need, to courageously share your faith, to feed the hungry, and to reach out to someone who is lonely. The cumulative impact of consistent small opportunities is staggering.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 5:15-16 - “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”

Matthew 20:26-28 - “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Luke 16:10 - “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”

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