The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Can I give you a word of encouragement? Your unsaved family members are on the mind of God. While He won’t force anyone to believe in Him, He is actively pursuing them through His Holy Spirit. In fact, scripture tells us this is the reason God has delayed the return of Christ. Main Points: 1. First, let me encourage you to pray faithfully and consistently. Resist the temptation to give up. Don’t l...

Stand on this truth: There is nothing you are facing today that God is unaware of. There is nothing you are struggling with that God can’t handle. He is able to help you with anything you are dealing with. Main Points: 1. Remember that the same hands that created the universe and keeps it perfectly orbiting around the sun, keeps you saved, safe and secure in his Son. 2. What a blessing it is that...

Jealousy has been defined as “resenting God’s goodness in others’ lives and ignoring God’s goodness in my own life.  Jealousy is an enemy of our hearts because it causes a lack of contentment and gratitude toward God. Main Points: 1. Jealousy can lead us to become angry, bitter, and unforgiving. It can lead us to gossip, lie, or be malicious. Jealousy can lead us to steal, commit adultery, and eve...

God uses our weakness for his purpose. It’s in our weakness that the power of God shines through our lives. It’s in our deficits that we discover God’s strength and power. Main Points: 1. We sometimes disqualify ourselves from being used by God because we don’t think we are strong enough, smart enough, or capable enough. Yet, being used by God is not about any of those things. It’s more about lett...

God invites us into this intimacy. He calls for us to be close to Him. This is what differentiates Christianity from any other religion in the world. God is not cold and distant. He welcomes closeness with himself. He calls and invites us to seek Him and pursue Him. Main Points: 1. Can you hear His voice? In your loneliness, in your anxiety, in your frustration, and in your desperation, God is cal...

Obedience comes down to simply taking God at his Word and doing what he has said. We bring ourselves to this obedience because we fear the Lord. He is God and we are not. We submit to his lordship and leadership in our lives. Main Points: 1. I want to take Him at His Word. I want to readily obey the instructions of Scripture, simply because God has said so. 2. Obedience is not always easy. Our fle...

Stop and think about it for a moment. What an incredible blessing we have received. The God of eternity, our creator, hears our every prayer. He is listening. If you prayed today, God heard every word. I believe our loving Heavenly Father hears and is moved by our faith. He will respond according to His will. Main Points: 1. Sometimes prayer is difficult, and if we are being honest, we wonder if G...

This generation must believe God to move in power so they too, will have their own stories to tell. We cannot let the story of God’s power die with our generation. Main Points: 1. We must continue telling the next generation the stories of God’s faithfulness. Has God done a miracle in your life? Do you have a God story? Do you have a praise report and a testimony? It is essential that you tell you...

As we read the Bible, it is very clear, Jesus is coming back. While many scoff and disbelieve, it doesn’t change the truth of what Jesus has said. We don’t know when He is coming, but we do know He is coming soon.  Main Points: 1. We live in a world today that scoffs at the idea of Jesus returning. Their cynicism fulfills the prophecy scripture gave concerning the end times.  2. I believe in the i...

To fulfill God’s plan for your life, it will take courage. Your next step will require courage. But here’s what’s encouraging, you don’t have to exhibit a lot of courage, just a small amount will do. Imagine what God can do with a small amount of courage! Main Points: 1. We all admire people with great faith. You know, those who do big things for God. But can I remind you that every great thing do...

Often in Scripture, our relationship with God is described as a walk. Sometimes we’ll use the phrase “we are on a journey.” This idea goes back to the relationship Adam and Eve had with God in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:8 - “God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”  Main Points: 1. When I preach funerals, I’ll often say, “The best gift you can give your family and friends is...

Do you know someone who has abandoned their faith in Jesus? So do I. My heart breaks for those who once believed in Jesus and trusted His Word. They worshipped right alongside us as we gathered Sunday mornings. We served together in the work of the Lord. But along the way, something happened.  Main Points: 1. Sometimes the departure from the faith was the result of slow neglect. Over time apathy s...

Have you ever encountered someone who simply wouldn’t listen to wise advice? Or what about you? Have you ever refused to listen to words of wisdom?  The Bible calls this decision "foolish." Main Points: 1. The Bible teaches us that a foolish person is the one who leaves God out. In fact, Psalm 14:1 - “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” According to the Scripture, the fool...

My heart does not naturally follow after God. It does not naturally seek after Him. With intentionality, I must get back in tune with God.  Main Points: 1. We can ask, “Are my words out of tune with the Spirit of God? Have my words been negative, critical, crass, or even vulgar? Have my words been filled with complaint, gossip, criticism, or profanity?" We can tune our hearts and our words ba...

Today you and I will face things that will threaten our faith, especially our faith in God’s protection. You might be worried about your marriage, the decisions your children are making, the future of your career, the economy, or even your physical safety. You might be worried about your retirement account, the increase in crime in your neighborhood, or an upcoming medical test. There are so many...

What brings us comfort is the recognition that we are not alone. Jesus said this comforter would “abide with you forever.” We don’t face the trials of life by ourselves. He is with us. What a blessing to have God in our lives. Every day we can feel his presence. Every day, regardless of our circumstances, we can rely on the strength and comfort He provides.  Main Points: 1. Jesus was preparing his...

The presence of God is an amazing thing. To think that God is with us is incredible. God is omnipresent. He is always with us. In fact, He promised to never leave us or forsake us. But if that is true, why don’t we experience more peace? The answer is that we are not always aware of God’s presence. Main Points: 1. J. Oswald Sanders - “Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.”...

I believe God uses persistence in prayer to purge our desires.  God also uses persistence in prayer to mold, and transform our desires, to change how we pray and even what we are praying for so that we gradually come to pray closer to the heart of God’s will.  Main Points: 1. In the story, Jesus is teaching his followers about the importance of persistent prayer. He says two things. First, we shou...

Remember this: our hope in God isn't just a wish or a dream, but sure confidence that what God says will happen. Every other hope will disappoint. Every other hope will come up short. God is the one who never fails, he never leaves us, and he never forsakes us. Main Points: 1. Today, I ask you to let the Word of God penetrate the dark place in your soul. Let the light of God’s truth illuminat...

Faith and obedience go hand in hand.  What leads us to obey God is the fact that we trust Him.  If you don’t trust him, you won’t obey Him.  Faith is a choice.  Obedience is a choice.  Every time we do something just because God “said so” we are acting in faith.   Main Points: 1. By faith we believe in the Word of God. This faith leads us to submit ourselves in obedience to our Savior. We obey bec...

 I’m fascinated with the idea that we are to love God with all of our minds. The Bible sees the mind as a place of our thoughts, judgment, and intention.  Our minds allow us to be rational, weigh evidence, make decisions about right and wrong, and to develop opinions.  Our minds allow us to worship, praise God, love, repent, and trust. Main Points: 1. Why is it important to consider loving God wit...

Neglecting the things that are important does not usually occur in one big step or one decisive action. No, neglect occurs slowly. It’s incremental. Neglect happens when we ignore the little things. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but there is a cumulative effect to neglect. Little things add up to big things. Main Points: 1. When we neglect spending time with Jesus, when we neglect our faith, wh...

Know this: God always has a next step for us. Until we see Jesus in glory, God is not finished with us. This work of ongoing spiritual growth and development is called sanctification. Main Points: 1. The basic meaning of "sanctify" is to set apart to God, for His use. This work of “setting us apart” is the ongoing spiritual growth makes you and me more like Jesus. 2. Sanctification is th...

If storms are inevitable, unpredictable, and impartial, then the issue really becomes “what is my response going to be to the storms that are inevitably going to happen in my life?” Where will you turn? Where will you go? What will you do? Main Points: 1. We can turn to Jesus in the midst of our storm. He is there. He is available. He cares. Don’t ride out the rough seas without turning to the one...

It’s always better to listen to the caution of the Holy Spirit and to guard our hearts against pride. If we do not live in humility before the Lord. God himself will humble us, and it is not pleasant. Main Points: 1. What is Humility?  Humility is an accurate estimation of our self-importance in relation to God and others.  Humility is having a right view of yourself because you have a right view...