The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

We should desire to be like Jesus in our values, beliefs, character, and behavior. The only way we can be imitators of God is that we would follow him. We must come to know Him. We must learn from Him, and it’s only then that we would know what to imitate. Main Points: 1. In some ways, we cannot be like God. You and I will never be all-knowing or all-powerful. We will never be omnipresent. We cann...

When we come to Jesus and make Him our Savior and Lord, he begins to work in our lives and strips away old ways of living that conflict with scripture and dishonor the Lord. Through the Word of God, He teaches us a new way of living. As we break with the old sinful patterns and habits, we form new ones that please God, but also give joy. Main Points: 1. It’s through the power of the Holy Spirit th...

It’s so important to remember the Lord’s faithfulness. In our times of anxiety, fear, and discouragement, the remembrance of what God has done brings peace to our souls. Main Points: 1. When it comes to what the Lord has done for us, we cannot forget. Repeatedly throughout scripture, we are called to remember what the Lord has done. 2. Decides to remember God. A strategy for fighting discouragemen...

God has ordained that His Word would last forever. No man can destroy the Word of God. It remains throughout every season and every generation.  Main Points: 1. Scripture has never been more available than it is today. As of September 2020, the full Bible has been translated into 704 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,551 languages. Now, through the means of tech...

We must have a desire for the Scripture. It’s through the pages of the Bible we come to know the author. My prayer is that we would develop a hunger for the Word of God, because we have a hunger to know God personally. Main Points: 1. If it’s true that the majority of Christians are not reading and learning from the Word of God on a regular basis, there must be a deficiency in our discipleship. Ou...

What a powerful promise! The blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin. It’s not a partial cleaning, no, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Isn’t this amazing. We can be fully forgiven, and completely cleansed of our sin, because of Jesus’ death and his blood shed for us. The blood of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all our sins – past, present, and future. Main Points: 1. It might seem...

Have you ever felt like you were on an emotional treadmill?  Our lives are going faster and faster and we don’t know how to slow them down.  I meet people who say to me, “Pastor Loren, I am running on fumes.  I’m on empty.  I can’t go much further.”  Life has a way of draining us.  If you don’t stay closely connected to Jesus, our source of life, you will eventually find yourself empty.   Main Poi...

Jesus is telling us that while God can do great things with small faith, our faith doesn’t have to stay small. It can grow. In fact, it’s God’s will for your faith to grow. A mustard seed can grow to become a strong, tall tree. So it is with your faith. The more you trust God, the more you will experience his power. The result is greater faith. Main Points: 1. Faith is essential for the Christian....

After his departure, Jesus would send his followers a Helper. This helper is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within us and though we cannot see Him, we can feel him and we sense he is working in our lives to make us more like Jesus. Main Points: 1. Although we cannot see the Holy Spirit, we should be able to sense His work in our lives changing us to be more like Jesus. 2. Truth has never b...

Today, you and I can work on our foundation. In fact, we never stop working. We are to keep growing in God’s grace. We continue to pursue a closer relationship with God. We go deeper in His Word. We grow in our faith. We use our gifts to serve God. We obey His Word. All of this contributes to a strong foundation for our lives. Main Points: 1. We are all building a spiritual house. What foundation...

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says we are to seek God, but he goes on to say that we are to seek him “first.” This is the matter of priority. We all seek something. We might seek opportunity, position, resources, and open doors. We could seek pleasure, enjoyment, comfort, success, and fulfillment. We might seek friendship, family, and connection. We all seek something, but Jesus said that for those who w...

Fear of the Lord is deep respect, awe, and reverence for God.  We give God the glory, honor, reverence, gratitude, and praise he deserves.  God holds this preeminent position in our hearts and lives.  We regard his desires over and above our own. Main Points: 1. We should fear or respect the Lord as one who has authority over us. It is a recognition that we are accountable to Him.  He is so great,...

An interruption can be God’s tool to help us become more patient, more loving, and more understanding. It can be God’s way of guiding our steps and pointing us in the right direction. Divine interruptions can be God’s hand of protection in our lives when we are starting to move in the wrong direction. God’s interruptions are always for a reason. Main Points: 1. As you read the Gospels, you can’t h...

As Christians, our convictions are shaped by biblical principles. Since we believe the Bible is God’s Word and that its truth lasts forever, our beliefs and convictions cannot change regardless of the changes in our society. Main Points: 1. What are your core convictions? Have you ever made a list? A conviction is a firmly held belief. It is part of who you are as a person. It shapes your choices...

Let this truth fill your soul today. You are loved by God. No matter who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, God loves you. And his love is as high as the heavens. Main Points: 1. Have you ever questioned the love of God? Have you ever thought, “How could God love someone like me?” May you wonder if there was a limit to God’s love. 2. When we understand the depth of his love for u...

Any attempts at finding joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment apart from God always leave us empty. Yes, there may be temporary moments of happiness and perceived satisfaction, but it is never lasting. Millions of people can testify that they never knew real joy until they knew Jesus as Savior and Lord. Main Points: 1. As real as our physical hunger is, we have another type of hunger that is just as...

The church of Jesus Christ is not a building and it’s not an event. Sometimes we’ll say we are “going to church” or we “went to church.” But it’s not a building, it’s not an event, and it’s not a worship service. The church is a community of people. Together, you and I are the church. Main Points: 1. The word “church” is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia , which is defined as “an assembly”...

If you fully understand the gospel and what Jesus has done for us, you comprehend that was not just executed 2,000 years ago by the Romans. You recognize that He willingly laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus died for us. He took our place. With his death on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins, so we would not have to. Main Points: 1. Since God is just, he does not sweep o...

When we come to God in prayer, our confidence is not found in ourselves, our ability to pray good prayers or even the amount of our faith. Our confidence rests solely in God. We are confident in His love, His character, and his power. We are confident in His promises and that He always fulfills his Word. Main Points: 1. It’s possible to bring a lack of confidence into our prayer lives. We pray wit...

Character matters. Your integrity matters. Living by biblical values matters. Our integrity will be tested. It will be tried. But if you remain resilient and determined, you can honor God, and yourself by refusing to compromise your values. Main Points: 1. Integrity is the personal choice to hold yourself consistent with your beliefs and moral principles. It is who you are when no one else is look...

Trust today that your steps are being established by the Lord. When it’s time to take the next step, God will it clear. As you wait, believe that even though the waiting may not make sense, God’s will is being performed in your life. His will, His plan, and His timing is perfect. Main Points: 1. God is never early, never late, but he’s always on time. Our timing isn't God's timing. For u...

I’ve found that often times worry has to do with the fear of what could possibly happen. They haven’t happened. We don’t know if they will happen, but we fear it could happen. This internal stress causes anxiety, fear, and apprehension. Not only can it make us emotionally and mentally unwell, but it can also cause physical illness too.  Is there a cure? Main Points: 1. The dictionary defines worry...

If you read the Bible from cover to cover, you will come away with the knowledge that God is great. There is no limit to His power. There is no end to His creativity. He is a miracle-working God. Main Points: 1. As much as we would like to, we cannot fully understand the greatness of God. We are finite, but He is infinite.  2. Over the centuries, Bible scholars have done their best to describe and...

Where do we find absolute truth? We find truth in the Bible.  What God says is true, and it is true absolutely.  There is no wavering in God’s truth.  Truth does not change according to polling data or by decisions handed down by Congress or the Supreme Court.  Why?  It is God’s truth.  Truth is what God says. Main Points: 1. We don’t usually think of a belt as a piece of armor, but the belt was i...

We live in a very loud culture. The sound of our day is filled with the voices of media, news, politics, music, movies, sports, social media, friends, teachers, spouses, and much more. We hear it all, but have we heard the voice of God? God doesn’t have a speaking problem. We have a listening problem. He is speaking and it’s critical to hear what He is saying. Main Points: 1. I believe God is a sp...