The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

We have a temptation to think that if we are living in God’s will that we won’t suffer, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, God, in His sovereignty, allows us to go through hardship as a part of his greater purpose.  Main Points: 1. Sometimes hardship is part of the growth and development of our faith and spiritual growth. Other times hardship is a part of the testimony and ministry God wan...

Jesus left the glory of Heaven to come to earth and take on humanity. He came with one purpose that was to satisfy the justice of God. Jesus would come and die for us. He would become our substitute. We wouldn’t have to die for our sins because Jesus would die for us. He would shed his own life blood on the cross as payment for our sins. Main Points: 1. Sin must be atoned for by death. Why? Becaus...

Gentleness is the demonstration of strength and self-control. Life and its stress and pressure can tempt us to react with frustration and anger. It’s easy to fly off the handle and say things we don’t mean. We can project a false sense of strength by being brash and outspoken. But true strength keeps our spirit under control. Main Points: 1. It’s possible that you and I could think of the characte...

Unfortunately, one of the characteristics of humanity, even followers of Christ, is that our strength is exhaustible.  We are not superhuman creatures.  Our strength runs out and we face the common problem of weariness. Main Points: 1. We’ve sometimes bought into a misunderstanding that in order for you and I to be strong we must have good conditions. However, it seems that most of our spiritual g...

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...

The love of money is a heart issue. It’s called greed. Greed is one of the enemies of our hearts.  Very quietly it slips in and begins to guide and direct our decisions.  The Bible calls greed sin because it can lead us to push God out of our lives.  Greed is dangerous because it blinds us to what is truly important. Main Points: 1. The problem with the love of money is that it is never satisfied....

We discover that God cares about the heart. God wants us to love Him, value Him, and esteem Him above all things. When we serve the Lord out of sincere hearts, wanting to please Him, and wanting to give Him the glory, he rewards us only as a loving Heavenly Father can. Main Points: 1. In Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount he speaks to the heart of what we do for God, not just what we do for God. We...

As we grow in our faith, we aspire to be Christians who know what we believe. Our beliefs have stood the test of time. These truths have become deep convictions in our hearts. We know them to be true because God has revealed them to us in His Word and by His Spirit. Others may choose to believe other things, but we live with the deep assurance of the truths of God. Main Points: 1. Let me ask you,...

Here’s what I have come to believe. God has blessings planned for your future that you don’t even know about yet. God is actively initiating blessings. His blessings are not an afterthought. They are not the results of leftovers from someone else’s blessings. No God has designed plans to bless your life.  Main Points: 1. Have you ever experienced a blessing from God that you weren’t expecting? I’m...

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...

We keep in step with the Spirit by a continual surrendering of our lives to the will of God. His will is revealed to us in His Word. As we follow and obey the Word of God, we are walking by the Spirit. As we abide with Jesus through prayer and worship, our hearts stay in tune with the Holy Spirit. Main Points: 1. In the New Testament book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul instructs us to keep up with...

You can outlive your life.  Today you are writing the chapters that will be told of you, long after you are gone.  There will be a service for you one day, in which eulogies, memories, and stories will be told.  The life you live today determines what story lives on. Main Points: 1. Over the years I have met a lot of Christians who started well.  You could say they’re on fire for God.  They love G...

Every time we are asked by God to wait, it comes with a choice. Will we be impatient, frustrated, or irritable, or will we learn to wait with calm assurance that God is in control and the waiting is for my good? Main Points: 1. The Bible repeatedly calls for us to wait on the Lord, and to do so patiently. But you might ask, “Why? Why wait? Why would God make us wait? Is there a benefit to waiting?...

Use the measure of faith God has given you. Cry out to Him… “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Once again trust our great God to meet you in your time of difficulty and to give you the faith you need. Main Points: 1. We want to believe, but sometimes faith is a struggle. When you have been through so much, when you are weary, and when it seems like options are few, it can be hard to bel...

As I prayed about today podcast episode, I sensed God saying to me that there would be people listening today that are ready for their lives to change. In fact they would be desperate to change.  Main Points: 1. Some of you here today need to hear a word from God.  And what he wants to tell you is that he wants to change you.  The Christian life is fundamentally a changed life.  His change is not...

Our words have the power to build up and the power to tear down. You and I have likely been on the receiving and giving end of both. You can remember words spoken years ago that encouraged and inspired you. You can probably also remember words that brought deep pain and suffering. Main Points: 1. Throughout the day, I’ll have the opportunity to speak to a lot of people. I’ll speak with my family,...

God has given everyone a general revelation of himself by displaying the beauty and power of creation. Though some reject this truth, it is obvious in the heart and mind of man that there is a God. Main Points: 1. As we look around at our world, we see the clues God has left. When you stand at the Grand Canyon, you can’t help but be overwhelmed at the mighty power of God to create such magnificenc...

Jesus leaves the glory and majesty of Heaven and takes on flesh and blood. He becomes one of us. He doesn’t leave his deity behind, but he takes on humanity. He is fully God and fully human at the same time. Yes, it is miraculous. Main Points: 1. Not only does Jesus take on humanity. He moves into our world, our neighborhood, our very lives. He experienced what we experience. He knew joy, happines...

Let us remember that nothing is a substitute for earnest prayer. Nothing can take its place. Today’s church does many important things, but we must make prayer a priority.  Main Points: 1. This is a remarkable story of God’s power and deliverance, but what stands out to me the most from this story is the commitment of the church to prayer. This miracle happened in the middle of the night. The chur...

What would the world be like if we viewed everyone as our neighbors?  And, what if we truly loved our neighbors as we love ourselves? Main Points: 1. Our relationship with God is inseparable from our relationships to the people in our lives.  We can’t be in a love relationship with God and not act in love towards other people.  This is what Jesus calls the greatest commandments:  love God, and bec...

The God we serve is a gift-giver. He loves to give gifts to His children, but not just any gifts. He always gives good gifts. He will never give you a gift you don’t need and can’t use.  In fact, he knows what we need better than we do. Main Points: 1. In Several places in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is called a gift.  To be filled with the presence and power of God is an incredible gift.  ...

Divine healing is a gift of God’s grace for all.  Just as salvation comes to us by God’s grace, healing does as well. We do not deserve it and cannot earn it. In the NT people did not view healing as a right, but as an act of God’s grace. We are in no position to demand God to give us healing. Main Points: 1. In the church today there is a lot of false teaching about healing.   What the Bible teac...

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...

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 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...