The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

It seems that memorizing scripture is a lost discipline in today’s church culture. I rarely hear anyone talking about the verse they are memorizing, nor do I hear people reciting the verses they have learned by heart.  Main Points: 1. A generation ago, scripture memorization was practiced more regularly. It was talked about in the church. At home, families memorized Bible verses together and pract...

The Bible reveals that one of the characteristics that is most damaging to our relationship with God and others is pride. Yet, most of us don’t readily confess pride as a struggle. Perhaps, it’s because pride is subtle and it’s difficult to see in ourselves. Main Points: 1. Pride is often described as the silent enemy of the soul, lurking in the shadows and hinders our relationship with God. It ca...

Communion is important for us because it is about remembering.  We are forgetful people.  Jesus left us with a tangible, visual to help us remember the vital importance of His death and resurrection. Main Points: 1. Holy Communion, sometimes called The Lord’s Supper, is one of the ordinances of the church and is an important part of our worship. As we eat the bread and drink the cup we are remembe...

How are you using your influence? Now, you might think you are are not very influential because you define influence as position, fame, prominence, or name recognition. But listen to this definition of influence. Influence is the effect of something on a person; the power that somebody has to affect other people's lives, beliefs, thinking and actions. Main Points: 1. Everyone listening to thi...

The Bible teaches us that not only does God forgive us, but he removes our condemnation. Grace brings freedom. It provide healing for the soul. Sins are not only forgiven, but God lifts our sentence of guilt. Shame is erased. Main Points: 1. There is one universal thing every human has in common. We are all sinners. We have all made mistakes. We all have failures and shortcomings. 2. The story of...

Today, you and I will say a lot of words. We have more ways to communicate than any previous generation. We speak, write, text, email, and social media, all of which require a choice of words. Let’s slow down, think before speaking, allow the Lord to give us wisdom, and choose our words carefully. Main Points: 1. We might be tempted to think our words don’t matter, but according to God, they reall...

Isn’t it incredible to think that before you and I were born, God already had a plan and a purpose for our lives? One of the ways God prepared us in advance is that He has given us spiritual gifts. Main Points: 1. The Bible has a lot to say about spiritual gifts.  There are at least 20 of them listed in the Bible.  We don’t have time to define them all today, but you can read about them in these p...

What is envy? A feeling of discontentment or resentment over the opportunities, possessions, or blessings of another. I once heard envy described as the combination of a desire for something, with the resentment that another is enjoying it and you are not. Main Points: 1. It’s been my experience that envy is not a sin we readily confess. There is a deception that accompanies envy. We can be enviou...

Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit will be our comforter. The term “Comforter” comes from a Greek word that means “one called alongside to help.” The Holy Spirit is an advocate, counselor, and helper. Main Points: 1. The Holy Spirit is not merely a force or an abstract concept; He is a Person who comes to dwell within believers. 2. The Holy Spirit is our constant companion, our guide, and our sourc...

Some think God hates sinners. You’ve seen people hold up those signs on street corners, right? Some think God rejects sinners and wants nothing to do with them, or maybe he wants to strike them with lightning.  But let me share with you a powerful truth. God loves sinners. Main Points: 1. In the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen, Jesus, the Son of God, willingly lays down His...

What’s next? Isn’t that the question many of us are asking? As humans, we are forward-looking. What does tomorrow hold? Many feel that God has a next season for their lives. We acknowledge that as long as we are living, God has a next step for our spiritual growth and purpose. Main Points: 1. It’s vital that we learn a great truth: God’s next season for your life will require you to step out in fa...

God’s heart beats with compassion for the lost, and He passionately seeks them out. As followers of Christ, we are invited into this search. We become part of the process by sharing the message of the Gospel with those around us. What is important to God, must be important to us. Main Points: 1. Jesus’ very purpose in coming to earth and dying for our sins was to seek and save the lost. Nothing ma...

God’s promise echoes through time: He fights for us. When life’s battles rage, we do not need to panic or despair. We stand on His promise. We trust in His greatness and His love for us. God fights for His children. Main Points: 1. Life is filled with storms. We will all face circumstances that seem insurmountable. We will endure hardships that threaten to overwhelm us. Just like the Israelites, w...

Unequivocally, I can say that God is looking for us to say “yes” to Him. Have you given God your yes? Have you surrendered your will and your life to God? Have you said “God, I’m yours. Take my life and use it for your glory?” Have you said, “God, I’ll say what you want me to say, go where you want me to go, and do what you want me to do?” Main Points: 1. Some of our greatest internal battles are...

Let me ask you, “What are your priorities? What is most important in your life? Do your actions demonstrate that your priorities are more than good intentions? Are you really living out your priorities? These are good questions for all of us to reflect upon. Main Points: 1. In the hustle and bustle of life, it's so easy to get swept away by the demands of the world. From career ambitions to p...

The Holy Spirit is speaking to every believer in Jesus and He’s asking the question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” God wants to send every one of us into His Kingdom work. When we say “Here am I, Send me,” God will use our lives for His glory. Main Points: 1. I’ve noticed over the years, that the thing that keeps many Christians from stepping out in faith and allowing God to use the...

The Bible teaches us we are to love God with our soul. This refers to the inner man. We are to love God with our emotions, feelings, intellect, and will. Main Points: 1. To love God with all your soul is to love God with your entire inner life. This means everything your inner life experiences - everything you feel, decide, believe, think, choose, want, dwell on, turn to, and pursue – is about you...

The scripture likens the Christian life to a race that is to be finished. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. It’s the only way we will finish this race. We must not become distracted and lose our focus.  Main Points: 1. It’s so easy to become distracted and to turn our eyes to other things. Whether it’s other people, mistakes or failures, or simply the cares of life, we are tempted to look away from...

Every generation has the responsibility to pass their faith to the next generation. This requires diligent training and discipleship.  Main Points: 1. For those of you who are parents, let me ask you to consider something: What are you actively teaching your children? Are you consistently discipling your own children? Do they see a commitment in your life to serving God?  2. I recognize that it do...

You and I have a truth we can hold onto today: God is a promise-keeper. He will not fail. What He has said, He will do. What He has promised, He will perform.  Main Points: 1. Let this truth be an encouragement in your life today. No word from God ever fails. No matter your current circumstances, God's Word remains unshakable. In times of uncertainty, when others may question the reliability...

It seems that when we are in right relationship with God, through the blood of Jesus, and we are pursuing a righteous lifestyle, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God say your prayers will be powerful and effective. Main Points: 1. The word “righteous” – being in a right relationship with God.  We are intimidated by this.  The word “righteous” scares us because we know our own tendency to sin,...

Why do we suffer? You and I have lived long enough to see and experience suffering. It comes to us all. Suffering is no respecter of persons.  There is coming a day when all suffering will cease. When we are in the eternal presence of our God. He will wipe away all tears. But for now, suffering is a part of our human existence.  Main Points: 1. Suffering exists for several reasons. The first of wh...

When we place our faith in Jesus, we do so because we have been exposed to his light. We are changed and impacted by the truth of His Word and His presence. Prior to our relationship with Christ we lived in darkness and sin, but the light has now changed us. Main Points: 1. As a result of our encounter with the light of the world, we are now to be a reflection of this light to others. Just as the...

Pray and ask God to search your heart. As the Lord reveals things that are hindering your spiritual growth, be willing to throw them off so that nothing slows you down. Main Points: 1. I must ask the Lord to show me if there is anything in my life that is hindering my relationship with Christ. Is there anything that is hindering me? Is there anything slowing me down and impeding my spiritual growt...

God, in His infinite wisdom, uses what the world considers foolish—the preaching of the cross—to confound the wise. The power of salvation is not found in human wisdom or eloquence, but in the message of Christ's sacrificial love. Main Points: 1. To an unsaved world, the salvation that God offers us through Christ, seems incomprehensible to those who haven’t experienced it. It sounds like “fo...