The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#754: Why the Birth of Christ was Announced to Shepherds Dec 23, 2022

Show notes

By selecting the shepherds, God is making a statement. God wanted to show that His love does not discriminate on the basis of class, wealth, or social standing. He does not respect kings and princes more than hourly laborers, he does not value priests and pastors above the people on the street. God does not show favoritism. He does not give preferential treatment to one group of people over another. His grace is available to all on the same basis – faith in Jesus Christ, and faith alone.

Main Points:
1. Obviously, God could have made this announcement to anyone he had chosen, but he makes an interesting selection, one that should be noticed by all. He first announces the birth of Jesus to a few shepherds watching their sheep in the fields outside of the village of Bethlehem.
2. There is only one announcement of Christ’s birth recorded in the Bible, only one invitation from God to anyone to come to visit Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. And that one invitation goes to a bunch of uneducated, smelly, low-class, social and religious outcasts, a bunch of shepherds.
3. Let’s join the shepherds in worshipping Jesus because he has given us all access to salvation.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Luke 2:9 - “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.”
Luke 2:15 - "Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#753: What God Knows Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

We have a Father who is always there. Night or day, whenever the going gets tough, we can trust that He will never abandon us. He has promised to care for us, and He knows better than we do what we need.

Main Points:
1. God knows. He knows what I need. He knows what I am going through. He knows what I am facing right now. My heavenly Father knows. How comforting this is to an anxious heart.
2. We don’t pray to tell God things that He didn’t know before we told Him. We pray to spend time with and bring our requests to a loving God who wants us to bring every need and worry before His throne.
3. Like a good earthly Father, our Heavenly Father loves to spend time with His children. He is not annoyed by our presence. We are not a bother to Him. He gives us access to ask anything of Him.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 6:25-31 - ““Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Matthew 6:8 - “…your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

1 John 5:14-15 - “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#752: Protecting the Unity of Your Church Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

When it comes to the church. I believe unity is our foundation. The whole church stands or falls on the strength of this foundation. As long as there are people, there will be a wide variety of opinions. That’s okay. It’s not essential to have a unity of opinion in every matter. What is crucial is that we have unity around mission, vision, and purpose. It’s necessary that we have a strong biblical and doctrinal foundation.

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 serve.
2. When a church has strong unity, believers sincerely love one another. They protect each other and support one another.
3. We can sometimes unknowingly fall prey to the enemy’s trap to sow seeds of disunity. When we complain, gossip, and talk behind another believer’s back we can be driving a wedge in the unity of our church, without even realizing it.

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.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#751: God Has Not Give Us a Spirit of Fear Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

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.

Main Points:
1. Fear goes by many names. Perhaps in your life fear manifests itself as worry, anxiety, dread, concern, apprehension, nervousness, panic, or timidity. Regardless of the label, we give the emotion, its root is deep in fear.
2. The first step in overcoming fear is to recognize that it is not from God. God does not want us to be afraid. Rather, God has given us three gifts: power, love, and a sound mind.
3. 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.

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.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#750: Learning to Love the Word of God Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

As Christians, we’ve been taught the importance of the Word of God. We have been instructed to read the Bible every day. We know the significance of spending time with God every day. So, are there things we can do to develop a fresh love for the Word of God?

Main Points:
1. Start by praying a new prayer. Begin to ask God to give you a love for His Word. It’s a simple prayer you can start praying each day. I believe God loves it when we pray such a prayer and He will give us the desire of our hearts.
2. When you open your Bible, believe that you will hear from God. The Bible is a living document, God wants to speak to your heart and life from its pages.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes. Ask Him to illuminate the truth so that it is clearly seen. The Spirit of God is present every time you open your Bible.
4. Look for the application. How can you put the scripture into practice in your daily life? Remember, the goal is not to get through Scripture, the goal is to get the scripture through you.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

John 6:68 - “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Psalm 119:97 - “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”
Psalm 119:167 - “I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.”
Psalm 119:18 - “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#749: How to Renew Your Mind Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

Our minds are not renewed automatically when we come to Christ. There are still old patterns of thinking that do not please God. But every day we have the choice to set our minds on things above. Will we allow the world to conform our minds, or will we invite God to transform our minds?

Main Points:
1. How do we do that? How do we set our minds on things above? Does that mean we go outside and look up at the sky? No, we must deliberately fill our minds with the things of God. We do this primarily by reading, listening, and meditating on the Word of God.
2. As we read, hear, and think about the Scripture, our way of thinking is being transformed. We are being changed inwardly. This inner transformation leads to a change in our exterior behavior.
3. The Holy Spirit is actively working in your life to make you more like Jesus. Be intentional about renewing your mind with the Word of God and your actions will be renewed as well.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

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

Ephesians 4:21-23 - “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

Colossians 3:2 - “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

748: Investing in Your Spiritual Growth Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

Our financial health is not the only thing that requires an investment, our spiritual growth requires one too. No, not a financial investment, though God may ask that of us, an investment of time, effort, passion, and heart. God will ask for an investment of sacrifice, faithfulness, and commitment. He will ask us to invest in the lives of others with love, support, and encouragement. God will speak to us about investing deeper into our own discipleship with Christ.

Main Points:
1. Let me ask you, “What investment are you making in your own spiritual growth?” Don’t rush past this question. Take a minute and think about it. What investment are you making in your own spiritual growth? To get a return, you have to make an investment.
2. Growth does not happen automatically. In fact, when something is not healthy we often say it has “stunted growth,” meaning something is hindering and prohibiting healthy growth.
3. What can you do today to begin investing in your spiritual growth? How can you begin pursuing a closer relationship with Jesus? What steps of faith can you take? Where do you need more investment?

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Mark 10:28-31 - “Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Deuteronomy 4:29 - “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

James 4:8 - “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

Psalm 37:4 - “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#747: The Prophecy of Christ's Birth Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

It was a long-awaited night. Mary had waited nine months, but the waiting had started long ago. Throughout the Old Testament, the Prophets spoke of a coming Messiah. He would be a suffering servant that would save His people from their sins. Year after year the people waited for this coming Messiah. When would He come?

Main Points:
1. Jesus came at just the right time in God’s redemptive plan, when the world was perfectly prepared for God’s work.
2. Sadly, on the night of Christ’s birth, it appears that no one was waiting or expecting His birth. Certainly, the Jewish religious leaders were not. As studious as they were of the Old Testament law, and the more than 300 prophecies of the coming Messiah, the religious establishment was not waiting.
3. The over 300 Old Testament prophecies being fulled in Jesus give us assurance that He is the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Galatians 4:4-5 - “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”

Micah 5:2 - “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”
Isaiah 7:14 - “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

2 Samuel 7:12-13 - “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
Hosea 11:1 - “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

Psalm 72:9-10 - “May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#746: The Call to Take Up our Cross Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

The call to discipleship is a call to deny ourselves. We take up our cross as we die to earthly sin, values, and lifestyle. It is to wholeheartedly embrace the life of Christ. It is a life of surrender to Christ and an abandonment to things of this world. To take up the cross means to identify with Christ in His rejection, shame, suffering, and death.

Main Points:
1. It’s common today when speaking of a hardship or difficulty someone has to live with to say, “Well, I guess it’s just my cross to bear.” Yet, in Matthew 16, Jesus is not talking about carrying burdens or living with adversity. He is talking about identifying with the suffering and death of Jesus.
2. The call to take up our cross is a call to absolute surrender to Christ. Although the call is difficult, the reward is beyond compare.
3. Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, and even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Why would anyone be willing to do this? Because the reward is worth the price

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 16:24-26 - “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Philippians 3:8 - “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

#745: The Danger of Isolation Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

It is not the will of God that we be alone or that we go through life isolated from others. He has created the church to be our spiritual family. It’s here that we find fellowship, encouragement, support, and accountability. It’s also here that we are able to offer these same gifts to others.

Main Points:
1. Sometimes the reason for such isolation is the pain we have experienced in the church. Maybe we felt ignored, neglected, or forgotten. Perhaps someone made a mistake and said something that was hurtful. Rather than experience this pain again, we put up barriers and choose to not engage with others.
2. But I want you to see this is exactly what Satan wants. He wants you to be isolated from others because if you do, you’ll also miss the blessings that come from being in community with others. You’ll miss the encouragement and the support. You’ll miss the fulfillment that comes with deep friendships. Others will miss the investment you could have made in their lives.
3. If you want to be blessed you have to step out of your comfort zone. To experience the richness of friendship and support, you have to show up. To be a blessing to others you have to engage, take initiative, and be committed.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Genesis 2:18 - “The Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone…”

John 8:44 - “…for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Philippians 2:4 - “Look out for one another’s interests not just your own.”

Quick Links:

Connect on Social

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected