The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#885: Rest for the Weary Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Jesus doesn’t offer us a philosophy to cure our weariness. He doesn’t provide a path to enlightenment or ten steps to lessen our stress. No, He offers something incredibly better. Jesus offers himself.

Main Points:
1. We all experience weariness in different ways and for different reasons. Our pace of life seems so fast that we can’t keep up. Being busy is our badge of honor.

2. In the busyness of life that creates this weariness, there must be a break in the schedule to simply be with Jesus. It’s our daily time with God that provides the strength do everything that is before us. Sometimes we are exhausted because we have neglected to go to our source of strength.

3. Spending time with Jesus is not a duty. It’s not a tradition or an empty religious ritual. It’s not a rule to passively follow. No, being with Jesus is an invitation. Jesus himself, invites us to be with Him, to spend time with Him, to learn from Him, and to be refreshed by Him.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 11:28-29 - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

1 Peter 5:7 - “Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Psalm 16:11 - “In Your presence is fullness of joy…”

John 15:5 - “...apart from me, you can do nothing.”

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#884: The Story You Will Tell Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

There is more to your story that is still to come. You are in process. It’s not over yet. You are going to have a story to tell. You are going to have a testimony of God’s faithfulness. You will tell others that God did not fail.

Main Points:
1. It’s very likely that today you are facing some kind of adversity or difficulty. Life and it’s troubles come to us all. Suffering is no respecter of persons. But you and I have the same decision to make. What story will we tell? Will we say, “God abandoned me, God failed me, and God wasn’t good?” Or will we say, “The name of the Lord is to be praised?”

2. Can I remind you of something? God is not finished working in your life. You have a story that is coming. You have a testimony that is being formed. You don’t know how it’s going to work out, but you will have a praise report of God’s faithfulness.

3. In the middle of the storm it’s hard to see the end. In the darkest night it’s hard to believe the dawn will come. But hold on friend. Hold onto faith. Trust the unseen hand of God. He is at work when you can’t see it. He is working when you can’t feel it.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Job 1:21 - “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

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#883: Leaving a Spiritual Legacy Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

You can leave a spiritual legacy. Today you are writing the chapters that will be told of you, long after you are gone. There will be a service for you one day, in which eulogies, memories, and stories will be told. The life you live today determines what story lives on.

Main Points:
1. Everyone’s life has a story. Everyone leaves a legacy. Some leave a great testimony and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Others make poor choices in their lives, and their legacy is filled with pain and sorrow.

2. Over the years I have met a lot of Christians who started well. You could say they’re on fire for God. They love God. They want to learn, they want to grow, and they want to be used by God. But somewhere along the line as years go by they get distracted or they get sidelined or they get tripped up by somebody else. Some people do not finish life well, the way God intended for them to.

3. I want to stand before Jesus Christ one day and hear him say, “You did it! You did a good job! Well done good and faithful servant.” I don’t want to just to start well, and just to grow a little bit spiritually. I want you to hear God say, “Good job! Well done! You finished the race that I put you on earth to do.”

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 - “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

Hebrews 11:24-26 - “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

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#882: Emotionally Healthy Christians Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

God knows our emotions and He understands, but He also does a lot more, God helps us in our emotions. The Old Testament speaks of God, who is the lifter of our heads. When we are down, He can lift us up. When are in sorrow, He can give us joy. When we are confused, he can give us peace.

Main Points:
1. Regardless of how many emotions we actually have, we do know that God has created us with the ability to feel and express emotion. You might hear someone say, “Stop being so emotional,” when perhaps they are overreacting to something. But the truth is: that we are all emotional. We all feel.

2. I hope you’ll see this truth today. God cares about your emotional state. We’ve often been taught to hide our emotions. I know that I struggle to express my emotions in public. We’ve been taught to stifle them. Be strong. Don’t let anyone see what is going on inside. But God cares about our emotions. Did you know that God also feels emotion? We feel emotion because God feels emotion.

3. Not only can God bring healing to our physical bodies, He can also bring healing to our mental and emotional state. God cares about our whole being.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 77:1-4 - “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted. I remembered you, God, and I groaned; I meditated, and my spirit grew faint. You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.”

Psalm 13:1-2 - “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?”
Ephesians 3:16 - “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being…”

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#881: Why Unity is Essential Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

The unity of the church is protected by every believer. We must all take the responsibility of protecting the church. Unity is critical to fulfill our purpose.

Main Points:
1. When we have unity, we have bought into the mission and vision of the church. We are willing to forgo some personal preferences for the greater good. We trust God has spoken to our leadership and we are willing to follow and to serve.

2. When a church has strong unity, believers sincerely love one another. They protect each other and support one another.

3. We are to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that unites us, but we have to walk in this unity. As we love each other deeply, believe the best in one another, and work to focus on Christ’s mission, this unity can be maintained.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 14:19 - “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

Ephesians 4:3 - “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

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#880: The Most-Repeated Command in the Bible Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Bible scholars tell us that over 300 times the Word of God commands us to not be afraid. It’s the most repeated command in scripture. I think the frequency of this command is telling us something. God knows our predominant negative emotion would be fear and this fear would keep us from being who He created us to be.

Main Points:
1. Fear is an emotion that has inflicted all of humanity. There is not a person alive who doesn’t deal with fear in their life. We like to project an outer image that we are strong and invincible, yet inwardly we all know the fear we face.

2. God has given us to power to overcome our fears. We don’t have a spirit of fear, we possess the Holy Spirit, which enables us to face life with the confidence that the Lord is with us in every situation.

3. Instead of fear, God has given us love. Fear causes us to shrink back from others and to live in timidity and isolation. God has given us love so we can interact with others and be the blessing he has created us to be.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Timothy 1:7 - “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Isaiah 41:10 - “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

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#879: The Church Jesus is Building Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

What is Jesus doing today? He is building His church. We hear stories about churches closing and increasing statistics of people who won’t belong to a church community, yet you and I need to be assured of one great truth: Jesus will build His church.

Main Points:
1. Recently, I’ve been hearing this phrase more and more. “I love Jesus, but I don’t love the church.” I’m also hearing a lot of people say, “You know, you don’t have to go to church to go to Heaven, you just have to believe in Jesus. If this is your sentiment, let me give you something to consider. 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.

2. Let me ask an important question. How can we love Jesus, and not love what He loves? If we have placed our faith in Jesus, how can we not be a part of what He is doing on the earth? How can we not join together with other Christ-followers to fulfill Jesus’s mission?

3. If you are a believer in Jesus, recommit to being a part of His church. Let’s love what Jesus loves and let’s be a part of the church He is building.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 16:18 - “…I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Ephesians 5:25 - “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Acts 20:28 Jesus “bought the church with His own blood,”

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#878: The Lord is My Shepherd, I Lack Nothing Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

Throughout Scripture, God promises He will be our provider. While in our minds the line between needs and wants is easily crossed, God truly knows our needs. In fact, the Bible says God knows our needs before we ask. We can rest in the assurance that with God as our shepherd, we will lack nothing.

Main Points:
1. Needs are something that you must have, in order to live or to do God’s will. On the contrary, wants are something that you wish to have, so as to add comfort or enjoyment to your life. Needs represent the necessities while wants indicate our desires.

2. Though he was king, David had come to the understanding that God was his shepherd. Like sheep, he needed God’s provision in his life. He believed God would graciously supply and that he would lack nothing.

3. Joy does not come from the accumulation of things, travel, or experiences. Joy comes from an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the one who supplies all of our needs.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 23:1 - “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

Psalm 84:11 - “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.”

Philippians 4:19 - “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

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#877: The Danger of Reckless Words Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

You and I know a powerful truth very well. Words have power. Our words have the power to bless, encourage, inspire, uplift, and bring hope. Our words also have the power to wound, critique, discourage, and cause pain. Every day we get a choice of which kind of words we will use.

Main Points:
1. What are “reckless words?” How do we know if we are using them? There are many types of speech that can be considered reckless and potentially hurtful. I think of unnecessary criticism, sarcasm, insensitive comments, blame-shifting, offensive jokes, public humiliation, and personal attacks.

2. Given that our words are so important, how do we guard our hearts against reckless words? How can we make sure our words bless others and bring healing? We begin by recognizing the importance of our words and by asking God to give us wisdom in what we say.

3. When we slow down and when we truly listen to others, we are less likely to speak reckless words. Why? Because genuine listening requires that we care about others. What they say matters. It means something to us. It’s a demonstration of love.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Proverbs 12:18 - “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Proverbs 15:4 - “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

Matthew 12:36 - “…every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
James 1:19 - “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…”

Psalm 141:3 - “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

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#876: The Accessibility of Jesus Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

Jesus invites us all to come. Think of the amazing accessibility of Jesus. There has never been a king who was higher. No king has ever had more power and authority. Yet, this king is accessible. He is approachable. He invites us all to come. He welcomes us into his presence.

Main Points:
1. Jesus, the King of Kings invites us to come to Him. The King who has authority and power over every earthly king, does not hide in a castle or a place. He does not isolate himself behind walls and gates. He does not limit his presence to a few people of nobility, aristocracy, or upper-class status.

2. King Jesus has time for you. You don’t have to make an appointment. He is never too busy. He will never be preoccupied. Jesus is ready and available to listen, to hear your prayer, to meet with you, and to provide for your needs.

3. It’s an amazing truth, isn’t it? You have access to Jesus. You don’t have to meet certain requirements. You don’t have to get approved. You don’t have to meet a list of pre-qualifications. You just have to come by faith. We gain access to Jesus, his grace and his salvation, through faith.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 11:28 - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

John 7:37 - “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.”

Romans 5:1-2 - “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

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