The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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 would follow him, we must seek God and his kingdom first.

Main Points:

1. To seek is to pursue, to look for, to desire to obtain, and to discover. 

2. Today is a good day to ask ourselves some important questions: Is Jesus first place in our lives? In all of our seeking, are we seeking God first? Is there practical, everyday evidence that we are putting God first in our lives?

3. Your life and mine are filled with worry. We live with a certain amount of anxiety about our needs being met. Let’s focus on this powerful promise from Jesus. If we begin to seek God first in our lives, God is faithful to meet all of our needs.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 6:33 - “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

1 Chronicles 22:19 - “Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.”

Colossians 3:1-2 - “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Psalm 34:10 - “…those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

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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, He is so holy, He is so righteous; how can I not humble myself before him? How could I ever think that I know better than God? 

2. The fear of the Lord causes us to repent of our pride and our selfishness. It brings us to a place of humility before the Lord.  It is a recognition of his holiness and greatness.

3. Without the fear of the Lord, we make decisions based on our human understanding. But when we live with the fear of the Lord, we make decisions based upon His approval. We live with the knowledge that the Creator of the universe is intimately involved in our lives. He sees, knows, and evaluates all of our choices, and we will one day stand before him.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 2:4 - “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.”

Proverbs 19:10 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  

Proverbs 14:26 - “He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge” 

Proverbs 14:27 - “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death” 

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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 help but notice that Jesus was interrupted just about every day. There was always someone reaching out to him for healing, deliverance, provision, or simply a question. But then we see Jesus embracing the interruptions and serving those he came in contact with. For Jesus, the interruptions did not stop his ministry, the interruptions were his ministry.

2. Divine interruptions remind us that our knowledge and perspective are very limited. We cannot see and know as much as God. So, we surrender to his plan, recognizing we serve a God who has all knowledge, and he knows what is best for us. So, if interruptions are God’s plan for us, we must embrace them.

3. Have you been interrupted lately? Has God closed a door that you were prepared to walk through? Trust that it is no accident. God has promised to direct your steps. His plans are always the best.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Proverbs 19:21 - “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 16:9 - “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

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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 and decisions. A conviction does change with the winds of time. It is part of your character.

2. The first category is biblical convictions. These convictions are the clear teachings of Scripture for doctrine and lifestyle. They are clearly outlined in scripture for us and they are the will of God for our faith and practice. These biblical convictions never change. They are the same in every generation because the Word of God never changes.

3. The second category is personal convictions. A personal conviction is a specific boundary of behavior that God has set for a person individually; however it is not necessarily a commandment defined in the Bible, nor is it a behavior meant for others to follow.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

James 4:17  - “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

1 Timothy 4:12 - “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” This means, no matter your age, you should let God’s Word inform how you live your life. As you do so, you are an example to others.

1 Corinthians 16:13 - “Stand firm in the faith.” 

Isaiah 40:8 - “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

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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 us it creates security. We will believe His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. We are confident in his grace and mercy. We will trust that His Word is true and that He can be counted on.

3. In this life, love can sometimes be conditional. If expectations are not met, if trust if violated, if mistakes are made, sometimes people will withdraw their love. But God’s love for us is unconditional. Even though we have failed God many times, his love for us remains. 

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 103:11 - “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.”

Ephesians 3:17-19 - “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

1 John 3:1 - “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are!”

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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 real. It’s spiritual hunger. There is an emptiness that we will attempt to satisfy. Often we will not recognize this hunger is spiritual in nature.

2. There is satisfaction found in Christ that cannot be found elsewhere. The sweetness of God’s presence, the richness of His grace, and the fellowship with the Holy Spirit bring us to a place of being complete in God. There is no lack. Our needs are being met. Our hearts are full of joy and our lives are at peace with God.

3. Jesus did not simply die and rise again so we could gain Heaven. He gave His all so that we could know him and live in a relationship with the living God. It is in this pursuit of knowing and serving God that we find fulfillment.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Psalm 37:4 - “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

John 6:35 - “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Psalm 63:1-5 - “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.  I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”

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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” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of church is not that of a building, but of people.

2. What makes the church a beautiful thing is that God gives us the opportunity to serve Him together. We share our lives with one another. God has created the church so that we would not be alone. In fact, it’s difficult to grow spiritually unless we are in context with other followers of Jesus.

3. Embrace the church, with all the positive, and the negative. Be a part of a local group of believers. Join in worship, find ways to use your gifts, and to serve. Be a blessing. I’m confident you’ll be blessed too.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 16:18 - “I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”

Romans 12:5 - “so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

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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 our sins under the rug of the universe. He feels holy wrath against them. They deserve to be punished, and he has made this clear: “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). To not punish us would be unjust. 

2. Imagine someone has committed a crime against you, or your loved ones. You would be at the court demanding justice.

3. But here’s what is truly amazing…Jesus accepts God’s wrath on our behalf. Jesus doesn’t cancel God’s wrath, he absorbs it. He diverts is from us to himself.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 5:6-8 - “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 - “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

1 Peter 2:24 - ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

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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 without certainty and assurance. We pray lackluster prayers, not really sure that God hears us or that He will answer.

2. I want you to see that our Heavenly Father wants us to come to him with confidence. God wants us to believe in Him, to trust Him, to recognize that He is a good Father who cares about His children. He wants us to feel confident that we can bring any need, whether small or big to God.

3. When you think about those in your life that you have confidence in, the reason you have such assurance in them is because of your relationship with them. You know them. You know their life and their character. Over time they have proven they are reliable and trustworthy.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 4:16 - “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

1 John 5:13-15 – “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Psalm 34:15 - “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.”

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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 looking. In our culture of shifting values, your integrity will come under attack. It is important to pre-determine your values before you face the temptation to compromise.

2. The test of your integrity never starts in the big decisions. It always starts with the small ones. It’s tempting to think that small decisions don’t matter. They seem insignificant. We’ll tell ourselves, “no one knows and it won’t hurt anyone.” Yet, small decisions matter because they never stay small. A small acorn eventually becomes a mighty oak tree.

3. It’s always easier to resist the winds of change if your roots run deep in God’s truth. God wants to use your life to make a difference, but to do so, you must start with integrity

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Luke 16:10 - “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

Proverbs 4:23 - “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

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