The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#805: When You Feel Anxious Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

Feelings of anxiety are often related to our thoughts. Let’s do an inventory of our thought life. What have you been thinking about lately? Try to identify the fear that is the result of those thoughts. Often times anxiety occurs when we think about something that could be true, it might be true, but we are not sure it’s true.

Main Points:
1. We become anxious over something that could possibly happen, but it hasn’t happened yet. It may or may not happen, but the thought of it happening causes us to fear.
2. Some years ago, during a particularly difficult season where I experienced anxiety that seemed to be uncontrollable, I remember one night God speaking to my heart. It was one of those moments when the voice of God was unmistakable. With startling clarity, God asked me, “Loren, these thoughts you are thinking that cause you to be anxious, do you know them to be true?”
3. So, I began an exercise that would lift anxious thoughts off of my heart. When I would feel anxious about something I would ask myself, “Do I know this to be true?” Most often, the answer would be no. I would then say to myself, “If this becomes true, God will give me the strength to deal with it.”

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 139:23 - "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

Philippians 4:8 - “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

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#804: The Outer Christian Life Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

We have sometimes relegated faith in Christ to something private and personal. It’s between me and the Lord, people say. Yet, Paul is teaching us that if Christ is on the inside, it will show on the outside. Personal faith will become public. Christ on the inside produces a changed life on the outside.

Main Points:
1. We often talk about the inner Christian life. It’s true God works in our lives from the inside out, but rarely do I hear anyone talk about the outer Christian life. We talk about the personal relationship with Christ, but not much about the public Christian life.
2. So, what does this Christian clothing look like? Paul says we are to put on or to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Wow! These are the character traits others should notice in us as we follow Jesus.
3. Every day your outer Christian life is a testimony to others of how Jesus changes lives. No, we are not perfect, but we should daily seek to grow in Christlikeness. Our testimony should be that we are compassionate and kind toward others. We are humble, gentle, and patient. According to Paul, this is what a Christian looks like.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Colossians 3:12 - “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Colossians 3:9-10 - “…since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
1 Samuel 16:7 says “…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

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#803: The Heavens Declare the Glory of God Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

Looking at the night sky with the radiance of the moon and stars, David understood what it all revealed. He said, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” The brightness and the brilliance of the skies tell us about the beauty and the majesty of God. Only someone so powerful and so creative could design what we see each night.

Main Points:
1. Regardless of where we live on earth, the voice of God speaks to us through nature, revealing His existence, power, and glory.
2. Because of this general revelation, we cannot say God has hidden from us. He reveals His existence every day.
3. With this revelation, we have a choice of what to do with it. Seeing the beauty, majesty, and power of God, how will we respond? Many respond with indifference, but I pray you’ll see the power of God and respond by acknowledging His greatness.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Isaiah 40:26 - “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.”

Psalm 19:1-4 - “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Romans 1:20 - “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Psalm 147:4 - “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

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#802: Is Baptism Really Necessary? Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Is baptism really necessary? We know that the physical act of baptism does not save us, so why should we do it? The answer is: that Jesus commanded us to do so. Baptism in water is an act of obedience.

Main Points:
1. What is Water Baptism? Baptism is a ceremony where a person who has placed their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, is immersed in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a public declaration of your faith and identity as a follower of Christ. It’s an illustration of what Christ has done in your life.
2. In the New Testament we see that people were baptized immediately after their salvation. New Christians did not wait until they felt ready to be baptized. It is not a matter of readiness, it is a matter of obedience.
3. Baptism is not a mark of spiritual maturity, but rather a statement of personal identification with Jesus Christ. You don’t have to wait until you feel like you are a spiritually strong person. It’s an obedience issue, not a maturity issue.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 28:19 - “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

John 14:15 - “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Romans 6:4 - “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Colossians 2:12 - "For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him, you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.”

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#801: I Need Wisdom Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

Wisdom is something we all need, but we might underestimate just how much we need it. You and I need wisdom in our thinking, our words, our actions, and our future. We need wisdom in our work, our ministries, and in our leadership. Is there an area of your life in which you do not need God’s wisdom? I don’t think so.

Main Points:
1. To receive God’s wisdom we first have to recognize that we need it.
2. We can live self-sufficient lives that leave God out of our decision-making. This is a critical mistake. God wants to be right in the middle of our choices and decision. He wants to lead, guide, and direct our steps. He has given us His Word, the Bible to be a daily resource that provides His wisdom.
3. Let’s see the value of Godly wisdom. The world, our culture, and our society offer their version of wisdom that most often conflicts with God’s wisdom. Let’s begin to seek God’s wisdom. Let’s begin to value God’s point of view over our own.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

James 1:5 - “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.”

Proverbs 8:11 – “For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”

Proverbs 2:1-6 – “If you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom.”

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#800: The Lesson of Responsibility Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

As I reflect on these early lessons about responsibility, I also learned that the growth of my spiritual life was my responsibility. My growth in Christ was not the responsibility of my pastor, my Sunday school teacher, or even my parents. God used each of them to play a role, but my spiritual growth depended on whether or not I accepted the responsibility to grow.

Main Points:
1. The scripture teaches us that our knowledge of God and our experience with Him is something we must pursue. His presence, power, wisdom, strength, peace, and joy can all be obtained as we grow in our relationship with Him.
2. Hear this truth today. You can have more of God in your life. There is more of His presence and power you can receive. You can have more love for others, more Godly wisdom, more discernment, and more knowledge of His Word.
3. God makes it all available, but He doesn’t automatically download it into our lives. You and I are personally responsible for our own spiritual growth. In fact, we could say that where you and I are spiritually is directly tied to the level of our pursuit of God.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

James 4:8 - “ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Hebrews 10:22 - “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart…”
Isaiah 55:6 - “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
John 15:5 - “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

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#799: Words and Thoughts Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Imagine the impact on your life if you began to make this verse your daily prayer. What if we began every morning by letting God know our desire is that the words of our mouth and the thoughts in our minds be pleasing to Him?

Main Points:
1. Our choices, decisions, actions, and ultimately our lifestyle are determined by our thoughts and our words. This makes self-control so vital for us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must control our words and thoughts.
2. All of us have said, “I shouldn’t have thought that and I wish I hadn’t said that.” I believe with this prayer David is telling us that our thoughts and words don’t have to be impetuous. You and I are not without control. The Holy Spirit resides within us to give us power for daily living.
3. As we learn to pay attention to our thoughts, we ask the question, “Does this thought please God? Does it honor the Lord? As we ask this all-important question, we can immediately take action. We can entertain the thought if it does please God, but if it doesn’t we can cast it out. We can reject the thought. We can refuse to think things that don’t please the Lord.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 19:14 - “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 - “…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
James 3:8 - “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
James 1:19 - “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”

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#798: Preparing for your Future Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

Are you preparing for your next season? I believe God has a preferred future for your life. He’s not finished with you and wants to use your life for His purpose. Too many people have settled with a belief they have reached their potential or that there’s nothing more God wants to do through their lives.

Main Points:
1. Let me encourage you with this truth: Everyone has a next step to take. No matter how long you have served Christ, He still has a next step for you. It might be a step of faith or a step of obedience but know that you have another step to take.
2. We must prepare ourselves today for what God has for us tomorrow. We can’t wait until opportunities arrive to get prepared. We must prepare now. It’s possible that God will withhold opportunities because we are simply not ready.
3. In a spiritual sense, God has a new season for you. His work in our lives is never static. By His Holy Spirit, God is always moving us forward. We must prepare today for what God wants to do in our lives tomorrow.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Joshua 3:5 - “Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

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#797: The Question of Jesus' Identity Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

Who is this? “Who is Jesus?” Is he just a historical figure, a religious leader, a philosopher, and a teacher? Was he revolutionary and a political rebel? Is he an imaginary person and a myth? Or is Jesus the Messiah, the King of the Jews, a Savior, and God in the flesh?

Main Points:
1. This is the most important question you will ever be asked. It’s a personal question, with eternal implications… “Who is Jesus?”
2. This is so important because to be almost right about Jesus is to be totally wrong. Why? Because we cannot be saved by good opinions about Jesus. We are not saved because we like Jesus and have good feelings about him. We are not saved because we like his moral teaching about loving one another. That is not enough.
3. This is the most important question you will ever be asked. A good man? A great teacher? A revolutionary leader? Or is he the Christ, the Son of the Living God? Who was he? Who is he? Your eternal destiny hangs on your answer. May God open your eyes to see Jesus as the son of God. May you have the courage today to put your faith in him and trust him as the savior of your soul.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Mark 4:41 - “They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Matthew 16:13-16 - “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

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#796: The Abundance of God's Provision Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

When we think about God’s resources and His ability to provide for us, we must see the abundance of His provision. There is no limit to God’s resources. Just as we can’t calculate the volume of the ocean, we can’t determine the extent of God’s ability to provide.

Main Points:
1. His power is endless. His resources will never be used up. God will never go bankrupt. He has unlimited resources. God’s supply never runs out. He is truly a God of abundance.
2. Our Heavenly Father has infinite resources and unlimited creativity. You can’t usually guess how God is going to work, because He delights to provide in ways we never would expect so that we will revel in His abundant goodness. God provides abundantly, in His timing, in ways we never would expect.
3. Will you stand upon the promise of God’s Word and trust that He will provide for you? Be unmoving in your faith that God will provide from his unlimited supply.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

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

2 Corinthians 9:8 - “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
Psalm 37:25 - “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”

Psalm 34:10 - “…those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

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