The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

Episode 318 -  Show Notes: As a church, nothing hinders our witness for Christ like disunity.  Jesus said people will know we are followers of Christ by “our love for one another.”  This unity only occurs as we are one “in Christ.” The best advertisement is a unified church!  Why does it stand out?  Because we live in a world filled with disunity. The Bible is filled with a focus on unity.  God br...

Episode 317 -  Show Notes: You and I are no strangers to temptation.  We battle with it every single day in various ways.  When you stop and think about how many times we have stared temptation in the face only to give into its lure, we begin to realize just our very weak we are. A very important part of our prayer life is calling on God to give us the strength and the power to live for him every...

Episode 316 -  Show Notes: Are you serving the Lord with gladness? Would those around you say that lately you have been exhibiting the character trait of gladness?” The Christian life is a life of joy.  It’s a life of gladness.  This doesn’t mean that you are never disappointed, hurt, or filled with sorrow.  Jesus provides joy in the midst of sorrow.  He turns our mourning into dancing.  He replac...

Episode 315 -  Show Notes: We are on a journey of faith. We have a clear destination ahead. We know the way.  Along the way there are unexpected difficulties and setbacks. There are hindrances and things that slow us down. These are tests of our faith. If God says no to your dreams and your hopes, will you still trust Him? If he says no to your plans for the future, will you still serve Him?  Can...

Episode 314 -  Show Notes: It’s not wrong to have money and possessions, as long as those things don’t own us. It’s a matter of what rules our hearts. We are called to put God first in our lives, even in our finances. If money and possessions control our lives, there is no place for God to be the Lord of our lives. There is a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think abou...

Episode 313 -  Show Notes: You to know that you don’t have to lose your spiritual passion.  Your relationship with God can be as real, as relevant, as exciting as you want it to be. Passion = strong emotion, intense interest and enthusiasm  – desire, hunger, thirst, appetite, craving, urge If we are not very careful, the difficult circumstances of life will drain us.  We lose our spiritual vitalit...

Episode 312 -  Show Notes: It’s possible for us to become so familiar with the things of God that we become complacent and we are no longer in awe of God. Faithful = God is always reliable, all of the time.  He does not fail or forget.  He always keeps his word.  His character is consistent and He never changes. Seasons change.  The economy changes.  Governments change.  The stock market changes. ...

Episode 311 -  Show Notes: Self-Control is the exercise of inner strength under the direction of sound judgment that enables us to do, think, and say the things that are pleasing to God.” - Jerry Bridges Bearing fruit is the outer result of a new inner nature. You can’t have the character of Christ unless Christ is on the inside.  We cannot bear the fruit of the spirit without the power of the Hol...

Episode 310 -  Show Notes: Time is a gift.  Your life is a gift.  You and I are managers of the time God has give us.   Will you and I choose to use the most valuable resource God has given us for his glory and for his purpose? Effective time management is not about doing more.  It’s about doing what matters most. Whatever you want God to bless you put him first in that area. Ephesians 5:16 says,...

Episode 309 -  Show Notes: Jesus assumed you and I would have enemies when he said in Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  The question is not whether or not we have enemies.  The issue is whether or not we will love them, forgive them, and reconcile with them. Revenge:  The desire or urge to get even with somebody.  To punish or cause harm as an act of retalia...

Episode 308 -  Show Notes: With our everyday lives being presented with so many options, it only makes sense that we would have spiritual options as well. Why narrow your beliefs down to one religion, one path, or even one God? We like the idea of a path of our own choosing, but this is not something God allows. Matthew 7:13-14 - ““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is t...

Episode 307 -  Show Notes: Baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.  Baptism is a public confession of our faith in Jesus.  Baptism is something Jesus commanded us to do. It’s not an option for the believer. It’s something we do as soon as we believe. Water baptism is not just a Christian ritual or a tradition. Baptism is a statement of faith: my old life is behind...

Episode 306-  Show Notes: Every one of us is in need of rescue because we are all sinful and worthy of God’s eternal condemnation and punishment. In order to rescue fallen humanity, God created a plan for our salvation before He even created the world. Since He could not set aside his justice, he found an acceptable substitute who would bear the condemnation and punishment we deserved.  Once and f...

Episode 305 -  Show Notes: To enter the kingdom of God we have to do so like a child. Access to salvation and the kingdom of God comes one way. It comes through faith. We must return to a childlike faith in God. Simple trust in God. We can do this because God is trustworthy. He never fails. He is never absent. He is always there for us. We need simple faith. The God who provides salvation and free...

Episode 304 -  Show Notes: God wants to be at home in our lives.  He wants the freedom to move in any direction he chooses.  If Jesus is not lord of all, then he is not lord at all. It requires giving Jesus access to every area of our lives and by saying yes to the work of the Holy Spirit. Everything you need is on the other side of surrendering your life to God. Ephesians 3:16-17 -  “I pray that...

Episode 303 -  Show Notes: Have you sensed the prompting of the Holy Spirit? It’s the inner voice of God in your spirit telling you to say something or to do something.  What if we woke up each morning with the prayer, “Lord, use my life today. Guide my steps. Lead me to those you want me to interact with. Make my life a blessing to others.” These encounters for Christ should be the norm, not the...

Episode 301 -  Show Notes: There are so many voices that are competing for our attention. What we listen to impacts what we think and how we feel. It even impacts what we say and what we do.  In the midst of all the noice around us, there is one voice we must hear…it is a still small voice. It is the voice of God.  Let’s make sure the still, small voice of God is the loudest voice in our lives. Jo...

Episode 301 -  Show Notes: We know from reading the book of Hebrews that it is impossible to please God without faith. Faith is essential. The more we know of God through his Word, the more we will discover how we are to trust Him. Stepping out in faith leads to gaining more faith. The more we trust God, the more we learn he can be trusted.  If you want more faith in God, you must trust him right...

Episode 300 -  Show Notes: We need the power of the Holy Spirit today, just as much as the early NT church. Why? The mission Jesus has given us is the same. Here is a powerful question: Have we stopped praying and asking God to fill us with his power? Without the Holy Spirit we operate in our own strength and only accomplish human-size results.  But when we live in the power of the Spirit, the evi...

Episode 299 -  Show Notes: Grace is the unmerited or underserved kindness of God. We receive the gift by placing our faith in Jesus and his death and resurrection on our behalf. The undeserved, unmerited kindness and favor of God not only brings us to salvation, it teaches us to live a new way. It teaches us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. It teaches us to say not so ungodliness...

Episode 298 -  Show Notes: God is more concerned about the posture of your heart than he is your physical body. When we pray, it’s not critical that we kneel, bow, stand, sit, or lie down. What is important is that our spiritual hearts are in the right position. As you pray today, choose a physical posture that you are comfortable with, but make sure the posture of your heart includes humility, gr...

Episode 297 -  Show Notes: While so much around us is changing, the basics of what it means to walk with God will never change. The basics of honoring God, obeying God, and being faithful to God was not only important in our past, it will be vital for our future. You may be walking into a new season of your life. Step forward with courage and with God’s strength and whatever you do, stick to the b...

Episode 296 -  Show Notes: No matter how we try to do good and to improve our lives, we fall short of God’s standard of righteousness. Because of our sins, we are under the penalty of death, but here’s where the love of God steps in. Compelled by a love we will spend an eternity trying to understand, God sends his only son, Jesus to die in our place. He took our sin penalty. The gospel, the good n...

Episode 295 -  Show Notes: With the stress and pressures of this life, there is a growing desire in our hearts for to be with the Lord. One of the secrets to being able to suffer in a world where we are pilgrims is to live in view of the imminent return of Christ. Isn’t it comforting to know that God has our future planned? Not only has he prepared a place for us, he has promised to come back and...

Episode 294 -  Show Notes: Those who are spiritually lost are separated from God and unable to find their way back to Him.  To be lost is not just to be non-religious. To be lost is not just someone who doesn’t attend church. To be lost is to in our sins, separated from God. Unless we are found, this state of lostness is for eternity. Jesus taught that God actively seeks out the lost. He does not...