The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#835: When Obedience Doesn't Make Sense Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

Is there an area of your life where you are struggling to obey God? Does what He is asking of you seen irrational? Does it feel confusing? Choose to trust and obey. Be willing to whatever God ask of you, simply because He said so.

Main Points:
1. As children of God, we must recognize God’s sovereignty and authority over our lives. As believers, we have willingly made Jesus our savior, but also our lord. Maybe you prayed a prayer that said, “Jesus, I ask you to be the Lord of my life.” I think you would agree it’s much easier to pray that prayer than it is to live it out.

2. Sometimes obedience to God is not rational. It doesn’t make sense in our minds. As we look at the scenario and the circumstances through our lens, God’s way is not what we would have chosen. But this is where faith comes in. We remember God sees what we cannot see. He knows what we do not know. Our obedience to God is always connected to our faith in Him.

3. It doesn’t always make sense, but the blessings of God follow our obedience. If you want to live a life blessed by God, you must see that the key is our willing obedience, even when it doesn’t make sense.

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 5:6-7 - “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”

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#834: Craving the Word of God Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

In the New Testament book of 2 Peter, there are some verses which says the nourishment of the Word of God is something we desire. We should crave the Scripture because it provides a satisfaction that can’t be found anywhere else.

Main Points:
1. A newborn baby craves milk. Without this nourishment, the baby will cry. In fact, without the nourishment of the milk, the baby will not survive. The Apostle Peter uses this contrast to teach us how important it is for believers to crave spiritual nourishment. Of course, he is speaking of the Bible, the Word of God. He says, by it, that is by the Word of God, we will grow up in our salvation.

2. The key issue is desire. We must have a desire for the Scripture. It’s through the pages of the Bible we come to know the author. My prayer is that we would develop a hunger for the Word of God, because we have a hunger to know God personally.

3. The Scripture, for all of us, is an acquired taste. Before we came to know Jesus we had no appetite for the Word of God. We had a spiritual appetite, but we attempted to satisfy this appetite with the things of the world. But the more we partake of scripture, the more we learn from God, and the more we apply it to our lives, the more we desire the Word.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Peter 2:1-3 - “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Psalm 119:97 - “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”

Psalm 119:18 - “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”

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#833: Holiness: A Forgotten Pursuit Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

What is holiness? To be holy is to be consecrated, set apart, and dedicated to God. For some this seems daunting. In fact, we can be intimidated by the word holy or the knowledge that God wants us to be holy. After all, we know our failings and short-comings all too well.

Main Points:
1. But we must see that holiness is a good thing. Everything God calls us to pursue is for our own good. Holiness is not outward actions and behaviors achieved in our own strength. Becoming holy is a pursuit entered through the grace of God and developed with the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, you cannot become holy apart from God’s help. He does not call us to become something without enabling us to do it.

2. How can we get back on the track of pursuing holiness? To pursue holiness we actively seek and strive for a life that is set apart for God. It’s a lifestyle characterized by moral purity, righteousness, and devotion to Him. It involves aligning our thoughts, attitudes, actions, and lifestyle with the principles and teachings of God's Word.

3. Pursuing holiness involves separating ourselves from sinful behaviors, attitudes, and influences. It means turning away from anything that contradicts God's character and choosing to live a life that honors Him.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 12:14 - “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 7:1 - “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
1 Peter 1:14-15 - “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

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#832: Leaving a Legacy of Faith Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

Regardless of how you live your life, you will leave behind a legacy. You will be remembered for something. What is remembered will be determined by how you live your life right now.

Main Points:
1. A legacy is the long-lasting impact of a person’s life. Long after you are gone, your life will continue to tell a story. The memories, lessons learned, and examples of your life will be remembered.

2. From God’s perspective it’s not our resumé or the amount of money we’ve accumulated that matters, but rather the kind of life we have lived.

3. A spiritual legacy is built by faithful instruction and example. Words alone are not enough, our lifestyle and practice must match our words. I’ve noticed sometimes discipleship is more caught, than taught. As others watch our lives, they’ll see the Jesus we love.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Proverbs 22:1 - “A good name is more desirable than great riches.”
Mark 8:36 - “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Psalm 145:4 - “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”

1 Corinthians 11:1 - “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

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#831: Prayer for Beginners Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

Isn’t prayer an amazing thing? Just stop and think for a moment. The God of eternity, the God who spoke and the world came into existence, the all-power, all-knowing, and always-present God, listens to me!

Main Points:
1. For a new Christian, prayer can be intimidating. We hear others pray, and they seem to do it so well. We think we don’t know the eloquent words necessary to talk to Almighty God. We wonder, “Am I doing it right?”

2. Prayer can be spoken out loud. It can be a whisper. Prayer can be given silently in our hearts. In all of these ways we can be assured that God knows and that He hears.

3. Prayer is not about the right words. Prayer is about sharing what is on your heart with God. “Help me,” is a prayer. “I need you,” is a prayer. “Give me peace,” is a prayer. “Guide my steps,” is a prayer.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 4:16 says “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Exodus 33:11 - “Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”
Matthew 6:8 - “…your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

1 Peter 3:12 - "The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers…”

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#830: Can the Bible be Trusted? Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

Perhaps today you have questions about the Bible. Maybe you wonder about its validity and authenticity. The Bible is under attack today, maybe more than at any time in history. Critics, skeptics, and scoffers say the Bible is a book filled with fables and myths. They claim it is riddled with contradictions and errors.
Yet, the Bible remains the best-selling book in history. No book in history has been so well read, consistently studied, memorized, and applied. No book in history has impacted nations, societies, families, and individuals as much as the Bible.

Main Points:
1. We can consider the unity of the biblical message. The Bible was written over a period of approximately 1,550 years, with at least 40 human writers, most of whom did not know other and were from varying backgrounds. Yet the Bible speaks with amazing unity.

2. We can examine the accuracy of the Bible. Throughout scripture the Bible offers us names and genealogy. It gives us dates and time periods. The Bible gives us clear locations. The Scripture does not offer a stories that are vague and unclear. It speaks with strikingly detailed clarity.

3. We can also look at the fulfillment of prophecy. Some of the biblical writers made claims about future events centuries in advance. If any one of the events predicted had occurred, it would be astounding. But the Bible contains many, many prophecies. There are over 300 messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, some of which were given over 700 years in advance.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

2 Peter 1:21 - “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Timothy 3:16 - “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..”

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#829: Which Way to Heaven? Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

Being humans, we like to be independent. We want to go our own way. We’ll drive lost, trying to figure out how to get to a destination, refusing to stop and ask for directions. Sadly, many journey through life, never arriving at the destination they hoped to see. Our eternity is too important. We can’t hope to arrive there someday. We can’t rely on our own instincts to get us to Heaven. I’ve heard people say, “I’m trying to be a good person. I think I’ll be alright in the end.”

Main Points:
1. Since Heaven is a city built by God, we must let Him inform us as to how we can get there. Thankfully, in His Word, He has made it clear. In the Bible, we are informed there is only one road to Heaven, not many roads, and certainly not just any road of our choosing.

2. Where you are wanting to go, there is only one way to get there. Salvation and forgiveness of our sins is only found in Jesus. It’s only through Jesus that we have access to the Father. It’s only through Jesus that we find the doorway to Heaven.

3. The Bible doesn’t leave us with vague, unclear directions. The path is marked out for us and its crystal clear. There is only one road to Heaven. It is found through faith in Jesus Christ, as we make Him our Savior and Lord.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Acts 4:12 - "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

1 John 5:13 - “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

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#828: The Sin of Omission Jun 09, 2023

Show notes

The Bible talks about kind of sin, one we rarely discuss. It’s the sin of omission. A sin of omission is a sin that is the result of not doing something God’s Word teaches that we should do. Charles Spurgeon once called this, “The sin of doing nothing.”

Main Points:
1. Maybe you are like me and you can think of the many times you have committed the sin of omission. There are times we should have shown love, but we didn’t, times we should have spoken up, times we should have shared our faith, times we should have helped someone in need, but we didn’t.

2. The Scripture is calling for us to be aware that we can disobey God by intentionally participating in sin, but we can also do so by intentionally avoiding actions He is leading us to.

3. The intent of this episode is not to make us feel guilty. There’s not a person listening who hasn’t missed an opportunity to do good. We have all committed the sin of omission. The goal of this topic is to give us awareness. It’s a call to pay attention to the voice of God. My prayer is that we will have a listening ear to the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray and ask God to help us to be alert and aware of what He wants us to do, not just what He wants us to stop doing.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

James 4:17 - “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

2 Peter 2:21 - “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”

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#827: Christ-Centered Relationships Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

Occasionally, I’ll hear someone say, “I don’t need anyone. I don’t need people in my life.” Sometimes this is a wall people put up to protect themselves. But you absolutely need people in your life. After creating the very first man, God said in Genesis… “it’s not good for man to be alone.” You need to know this about God. He is concerned with your aloneness.

Main Points:
1. I believe God is calling the church to be a place of hope. A place of life. A place of love. A place of honesty and genuine friendships and relationships.

2. This is why there are 59 “one another” statements in the New Testament. You can’t read the New Testament and see any version of Christianity being lived out in isolation. This is why being a part of a local church is so important. You cannot be obedient to Christ as a Christian and not be a part of a local church. How would it be possible to carry out the “one another’s?”

3. How do we build Christ-centered relationships? You’ve got to be willing to take the first step. You don’t wait on somebody else to connect with you. You must take the initiative to connect with them. This often takes courage. Why? Because it’s fear that disconnects human beings. When we’re full of fear and anxiety we don’t get close to each other. In fact, we back off from each other. We’re afraid of being rejected, manipulated, vulnerable, hurt, used. All of these fears cause us to be disconnected in life. With the help of the Lord, we push past these fears. We take a step of faith and reach out to someone.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Colossians 3:12-14 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

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#826: What is the Glory of God? Jun 02, 2023

Show notes

In Scripture we see that he glory of God is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. His glory is the combined manifestation of His attributes. He is glorious because no one can compare.

Main Points:
1. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was sometimes seen manifested in visible ways such as, fire, thick clouds smoke, lightening, and even an earthquake. But in the New Testament, the glory of God is revealed in His son, Jesus Christ.

2. The glory of God was visibly seen in the character of Jesus, his teaching, preaching, and miraculous power. Imagine walking and talking with God himself.

3. The glory of God is hard to define isn’t it? But as we study the Bible we discover the glory of God revealed in the pages of Scripture. We learn of his holiness, his majesty, his goodness, his power, and his love. Only God is glorious.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

1 Chronicles 29:11 - “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor.”

Exodus 33:18-19 - Now show me your glory. And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.”
John 1:14 - “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Hebrews 1:3 - “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

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