The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Our problem is not that we don’t have enough time.  The problem is that we don’t always use our time wisely.  We all have the same amount of time. When it comes to time every single one of us has the exact same amount.  We all get 168 hours each week.  The good news is the Bible has a lot to say about how we can honor God with our time.  The Bible teaches us how to manage our time in a way that pl...

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...

Perhaps the lack of silence is due to our inability to find stillness and solitude. Yet, in my experience, it’s in the silence that we can hear the voice of God. Sometimes we expect God to show up and speak up in loud and dramatic ways. He certainly can do that, but in my life, I’ve heard God speak mostly in the quiet times.  Main Points: 1.  Isn’t life loud? It seems everywhere we go there is noi...

Physical hunger is not your only craving. You also possess a spiritual hunger. This appetite also cries out to be fed. Both types of hunger were created by God. Physical hunger can only be satisfied by food. Spiritual hunger can only be satisfied by God. Main Points: 1.  You have a longing in your soul for God. Many feel the yearning but do not recognize that it is spiritual. They feel a sense of...

The condition of your heart determines the direction of your life.  This is the consistent teaching of the Scriptures – as our hearts go, so do our actions. Main Points: 1. Satan uses all kinds of weapons to attack our hearts.  For me, these attacks often come in the form of some circumstance that leads to disappointment, discouragement, or even disillusionment.   2. Solomon’s words are a warning....

Work out your salvation. Put your salvation to work. Let it be evident in every area of your life. Allow your salvation to transform your thinking, your attitude, your words, and your behavior. Let Christ be exalted in every area. Main Points: 1. The forgiveness of our sins does not come through our own works and good deeds. In other words, we could never earn our salvation. 2. Works do not save u...

Our suffering can increase our testimony for Christ. Our hard times can elevate our witness. Our difficulties can give us a larger and more receptive audience to whom we can influence for Christ. Main Points: 1. Suffering, as a tool for advancing the gospel? No, I think I’ll pass. Yet, over and over again in Scripture, we see God redeeming suffering for His kingdom purposes. 2. Paul’s freedom and...

Here’s what I am learning: It’s easier to avoid temptation than it is to fight sin. If possible, we should avoid being in places where we know we will be tempted. But sometimes, temptation seems to come out of nowhere. What do we do?  Main Points: 1. We must deal with the temptation immediately. Don’t wait. Don’t linger. Don’t think about it. Don’t entertain the possibility. The longer you wait, t...

I imagine David, hiding in the back of a cave, writing by candlelight. He’s thinking about days gone by. He remembers times when he was worshipping with God’s people. He’s longing for the house of God. He’s remembering the blessing of experiencing the presence and power of God and he comes to a revelation: the love of God is better than life itself. Main Points: 1. Today, people value a lot of dif...

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...

In the night hours, when you can’t sleep, instead of dwelling on problems, uncertainties, and anxieties, turn your mind back to a song. A song of worship and a song of praise. If you are married, you might not want to sing aloud and wake your spouse, but in your heart, you rehearse the words of praise to God. Main Points: 1. It’s at night, in the quiet that our fears often increase their volume. O...

No matter what we have, we want more. I think you would agree, contentment is hard to find. Have you ever said, “I’ll be happy when… I’ll be content when…” Contentment is elusive. The more we have the more we want. We have an idea that when we arrive at a certain place, we’ll finally be content, only to arrive and still want more.  Main Points: 1. Today, you and I think of contentment as comfort,...

Here’s what I want you to think about today: Whatever you are going to do for God, you need to do it now. What is it that God has put on your heart to do? What burden are you carrying? What calling do you have on your life? Have you been saying, “Someday I want to serve God in a particular way? Someday I want to do this for God.” Hear this word. Someday is today. Someday is now. Main Points: 1. We...

Out of His abundance, God will supply what we are lacking, if we ask. It’s important to see that God doesn’t just bestow wisdom upon us automatically. Not every walking around today is living in the wisdom of God. Main Points: 1. It is this deep awe, reverence, and respect for God and His Word that leads us to pay attention to His Word. We begin to listen and to obey the Word. We value God’s Word...

Remember, this unity is only found in Christ. Unity is the oneness or harmony of believers in Jesus Christ. It is our relationship with Christ that unites us with each other. We are united in essential doctrine, mission and purpose, and love for one another. Main Points: 1. Jesus prayed for the unity of His disciples. He knew if they would work together in unity, a unity that comes from the love o...

There are many times the Bible informs us of conditional blessings. These are places in Scripture where God says, “If you will, then I will.”  We need to pay attention to the conditional blessings listed in Scripture because there are quite a few of them. Main Points: 1. Sometimes, as a Father I bless my children simply because I love them. I do things for them, I surprise them, and I’m generous w...

To love God first is to put him first in our affection, attention, and priority. If anyone or anything comes before God, it becomes an idol. We can even make ministry for him more important than a relationship with him. This too is idolatry. Main Points: 1. Our motive for putting Jesus first in our lives cannot be the desire for blessings alone. The primary reason we put Jesus first is because He...

So, what motivates us to speak up, while the culture is trying to silence our voice? What enables us to push past our fear of offending someone to let them know what Jesus has done for us?  There is only one answer: it is our love for Jesus. We speak up because we love Jesus. Main Points: 1. It’s as simple as this: If we love Jesus, we will obey his command to make disciples. If we love Jesus, we...

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...

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 speakin...

Citizens not only have rights and privileges, but they also have responsibilities. The same is true for us as citizens of Heaven. Let’s not only experience the blessings of our new citizenship but let’s conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. Main Points: 1. You may not have thought about this, Heaven is not just a place you are waiting to see, but it’s a place of which you are already...

I talk to a lot of Christians who are unsatisfied with their prayer life. They even feel guilty, knowing prayer should be a more consistent part of their Christian life. But sometimes, it feels difficult to get going again. It seems hard to restart your prayer life. Here are some things that will help. Main Points: 1. First, ask God to give you a renewed passion for his presence. It’s a prayer God...

Every day, you make decisions about whether you will stand for Christ or not. In how we live our lives, the choices we make, the attitudes we portray, and the words we say, we are telling others that we stand for Christ, or we are communicating that we do not stand with him. Main Points: 1. Jesus knew we would face a strong temptation to hide our light. When we are open and public about our testim...

The most important question you will ever answer for yourself is: “Who is Jesus?” The question swirled on the streets of Galilee and Jerusalem. In the marketplace, in neighborhoods, and out in the fields, people were talking about Jesus. Who is this man and why has he come? After 2,000 years, the questions are still being asked. Main Points: 1. Once we understand who Jesus is, we begin to understa...

We learn from James chapter one that we cannot blame God for our temptations. So, where do they come from? He answers that question. We are tempted by our evil desires. We are tempted to sin because we have a sinful nature. Main Points: 1. All of us face temptations. There has never been a person alive who didn’t face temptation. The Bible says, even Jesus was tempted but was without sin. This bri...