The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Character is never built in a classroom. Character is built in the circumstances of life.  God builds character in our lives by allowing us to experience situations where we are tempted to do the exact opposite of the character quality. Character development always involves a choice. When we make the right choice, our character grows more like Christ.   Main Points: 1. We don’t know why tragic cir...

Our relationship with God is like no other. In our relationships with people, there may be a thousand things they don’t know about you, especially as it is related to the heart. Your friend doesn’t know your thoughts, your desires, your motives, and your feelings, but God does. Main Points: 1. Think about this truth: God knows absolutely everything about you and he loves you. You are fully and com...

Do you ever wonder what God is up to? When there is a path forward that seems to be logical, rational, and reasonable, yet God takes another path? What is God’ doing? Where is He taking us? These are questions we all ask. But here is a better question for  us to consider: Will we trust God’s plan? Will we trust our lives to a sovereign God who sees and knows all things? Main Points: 1.Our decision...

Be assured of this truth: Whatever you need, God can supply. He never runs out of provision. He never runs out of anything. Today you can ask him for more wisdom, strength, peace, comfort, guidance, protection, financial provision, spiritual power, and more. Main Points: 1. Since there is no lack in God’s riches in glory, we should anticipate that there would be no lack in God’s supply. 2. God has...

When we live out our faith in public, it naturally produces questions in the minds of unbelievers. We’ll likely hear questions such as: Why are you a Christian? What do you believe about God? Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God? Why did Jesus die on the cross? Where is God in this messed up world? Why do you go to church on Sundays? Main Points: 1. We need to reject the cultural pressure t...

For those of us in the West, suffering, and persecution for our faith are minimal. It might be easy to forget that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are suffering greatly as a result of the gospel. May we “remember their chains.” May we not forget them and may we pray for God’s strength, comfort, and help in their time of need. Main Points: 1. There are thousands of suffe...

As we read the four Gospels, we see Jesus modeling prayer and teaching His disciples to pray, but did you know that Jesus gave us only one prayer request? Yes, Jesus himself asks us to pray for something. Main Points: 1. As Jesus speaks about the lost, those who have not put their faith in God, he uses the metaphor of a field of crops that are ripe and ready to be harvested. He said the harvest is...

Patience is the ability to accept delay or disappointment graciously. Our default reaction to delay and disappointment is often to respond with frustration and anger. Patience is the ability to allow God’s grace to control our personality so we can respond like God. Main Points: 1. All of my life I have heard Christians say, “Don’t pray for patience! If you do, God will make you go through difficu...

When we see all God has created, simply by speaking a word, we recognize his existence, his majesty, and his power. I believe there is a natural curiosity in our hearts that cannot be completely satisfied by anything else but a belief in the existence of God. Main Points: 1. Listen again to those powerful words: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.”  David looked to the heavens – not the spirit...

Disciples of Jesus are students. They are students of the Word of God. We read God’s Word for encouragement, inspiration, peace, and strength, but we must also study the Scripture to know God, to know what we are to believe and to know how we are to live. Main Points: 1. The need for careful and diligent study of the Bible has never been more important than it is today. There is an all-out attack...

When we recognize how great God’s love is for us, the only response is to love him in return. No one has done for us what God has done. No one has given to us what God has given. Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could have forgiveness and eternal life. It is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. Main Points: 1. Loving God is our great motivation...

You never know the impact of your kindness, your love, and your words of encouragement. I believe people around you today are desperate for encouragement. Everyone around you is fighting a battle you know nothing about. What a difference you could make in someone’s life by encouraging them to trust the Lord, to keep believing, and to not give up. Main Points: 1. Have you ever had an encourager in...

What Jesus did for us on the cross was a complete work. It is a finished work. While Jesus hung on the cross he said these words, “It is finished.” There is nothing more to do. He obeyed his Father completely. Our debt of sin is paid in full.  Main Points: 1. How foolish it would be to continue to try and pay for something that has already been paid for, yet that’s what many people do with their s...

If today you are dealing with grief, loneliness, sorrow, or pain, let me remind you that your Heavenly Father knows all about it. He is with you, He cares, and, as the scripture says, He is close to the brokenhearted.”  Today we weep, but one day God will wipe away our tears forever. Main Points: 1. If you think expressing your emotions through crying is beneath you or a sign of frailty, just reme...

Which physical posture of prayer is the right one for you?  I would say, none of them! Rather than the external posture, the Bible emphasizes the posture of the heart. Whether you are standing, sitting, or lying down, the important thing is that your heart is bowed in submission to the lordship of Christ.  Main Points: 1. True prayer is characterized by the posture of the heart, not the physical p...

Sometimes we find ourselves impatient with God, especially about His return. We wonder, What can He be waiting on? The tragedies around us, the suffering of people we love, and even the stresses of daily life all seem bigger as time goes on. When will Jesus come back? Main Points: 1. As believers, we are to wait. We don’t like waiting, but as we wait we trust God’s timing. God alone knows when the...

I want to assure you today that no matter what you are experiencing or what you feel, God’s face is turned towards you. He does know what you feel and He cares. Main Points: 1. Perhaps you feel down today, thinking all your hope is gone, that even God has abandoned you. Yes, you may feel those things, but that doesn’t mean your feelings are true. The God of Heaven knows what you are feeling. He un...

One of Satan’s temptations is to cause us to believe God has abandoned us in our times of suffering. But it’s not true. Right now, wherever you are, whatever you are facing, God is with you. Main Points: 1. As a result of sin there is suffering and pain in the world. But many wonder, “Does God care when we suffering? Does he know? Where is He when we go through pain and difficulty? These are norma...

I started this episode talking about how the world calculates self-worth, but the truth is, you can’t calculate your self-worth. It’s already been determined. Your self-worth was set by Jesus. You are so valuable Jesus laid down his life for you. Paul said, “I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me.” Main Points: 1. So, don’t buy into the lies that your value is deter...

Some of the basic questions of life are what is right, and what is wrong? What is good? And what is bad? What is morality, and do you, as a person, have morals?”  Is there a code of ethics for everyone to ascribe to? Morality in its simplest definition is “the distinction between right and wrong, but should we all define what is moral the same way?  Main Points: 1. Throughout history people, socie...

In a world of mistrust, God can be trusted. He can be counted upon. He keeps his promises, he fulfills his word, and he does what he says he will do. God is worthy of your trust, your faith, and your confidence. Main Points: 1. The Bible teaches us that God is faithful. This means God is always reliable, all of the time.  He does not fail or forget.  He always keeps his word.  His character is con...

Zeal is defined as “great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.” Wow! Does this describe your relationship with God? Can you say you are pursuing Jesus with great energy and enthusiasm? Main Points: 1. As we look at scripture, we discover that having a zeal for the Lord is a heart issue. It’s not so much about personality or family background as it is the focus and priority o...

I love the words of Jesus. I’ve discovered that most people do, even non-believers. You can even purchase Bibles that only have the words of Jesus printed. It’s been said that no one speaks like Jesus and I would agree. His words have power and they have life. These truths are encouraging, uplifting, inspiring, and challenging. They changed people’s lives in the first century, and they are still c...

Our enemy will do everything he can to prevent people from seeing Jesus and experience his love and grace. He will cause them to believe lies. He will attempt to prevent them from believing the truth. He will distract people by causing them to focus on other things, rather than the gospel. Main Points: 1. In the darkness of sin and the isolation of a relationship with God, our Heavenly Father want...

The children of God are peacemakers.  A peacemaker is someone who intentionally works to help people reconcile with God and others.  Anyone who does the hard work of peacemaking will be blessed by God. Main Points: 1. The word “peace” in Matthew 5:9 combines two Greek words.  Together they mean to bring about wholeness, to bring all the essential parts together in wholeness. 2. Peace-making requir...