The Big Idea:

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.

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.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

The Big Idea:

There is one key that is necessary for a relationship to be restored. It requires forgiveness. I’ve never seen a broken relationship restored without forgiveness.

Main Points:

1. A relationship can break down from neglect. A relationship can break down from conflict. A relationship can break down from misunderstanding. The world is filled with broken relationships. We see it all around us. You may have some broken relationships in your life.

2. I know God can heal the pain in our hearts and enable us to offer forgiveness to others.

3. Let’s put our faith in the God who can do the impossible. Let’s ask him to do miracles and to restore our relationships, and let’s be willing to do the hard work of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Romans 5:10-11 – “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

The Big Idea:

We understand that those who don’t believe in Jesus, can’t see the immense value of the cross of Jesus. But there is also a danger for the believer. There is the danger of the cross and the gospel message becoming so familiar to us that it loses its value, its meaning, and its impact in our lives.

Main Points:

1. The message of the cross must be the central truth we believe and proclaim. Without the cross there is no forgiveness of sins, there is no freedom from the power of sin, and there cannot be a relationship with God.

2. For Jesus, the cross meant obedience. Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins was a concept that originated in the heart of our Heavenly Father. Out of His great love for us, God created a plan of salvation.

3. From our human perspective, one of the most inconceivable truths about Jesus is that he, the eternal Lord of glory, was willing to humble himself like that for our sakes. This is what Jesus did for you and for me. He stepped down from a position of equality with the Most High God to share his riches with us.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Isaiah 53:10-11 - “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a sin offering…after the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life.”

Isaiah 53:3 - “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face.”

2 Corinthians 8:9 – “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

The Big Idea:

I don’t believe there is anything that causes our spiritual roots to grow deeper than suffering. Most of us listening today have experience with reaching out to God in hard times. It’s here that we grow in our faith, we experience God’s grace, strength, and peace. In times of suffering, we learn that the promise is true. God will never leave us or forsake us.

Main Points:

1. No one wants to suffer. None of us want to go through hard times. Yet, we understand that the difficulties of life come to all of us, believers and unbelievers. Many things we face are unexplainable on this side of Heaven.

2. What we are discovering is that, in a spiritual sense, suffering produces some wonderful things in our lives. There is spiritual growth that we cannot experience any other way.

3. My prayer for you is that whatever you are facing today, you’ll give your questions to God. Even if you can’t find an immediate answer, you’ll hold onto to your faith. Recognize he is at work in your life and your roots are going deeper.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Philippians 1:29 - “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”

1 Peter 2:21 - “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

Romans 5:3-5 - “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

James 1:2-4 - “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

The Big Idea:

I’m convinced that most of us listening today would say we have been blessed by God. In fact, many would say that we have been greatly blessed and blessed beyond what they deserve. God has been so good to us. So what do we do with our blessings?

Main Points:

1. Jesus teaches us that the blessing is found in the giving. The blessing is found in the serving. The blessing is found in ministering to the needs of others.

2. Continually, the scripture speaks to the heart and motive behind our actions. The Bible teaches us that if we give to be seen by others, well, then we have our reward. If our motive in giving is to receive something back, we give with the wrong motive.

3. Remember this truth today: We have been blessed to be a blessing. What are we to do with our blessings? We are to bless others. Proverbs teaches that those who hoard their blessings will no longer be blessed. The blessing is found in the giving.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Acts 20:35 - “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Proverbs 11:25 - “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

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 important because the breastplate was tied into it. The belt even held the sword and the helmet when they were not in use. It was the first piece of armor that was installed.

2. The Apostle Paul gives us this image: we should tie up all the loose things in our lives with the belt of God’s truth. If we are going to stand when attacked we must have a firm grip on spiritual truth.

3. Studies conducted by the Barna organization showed that only 22% of Americans believe in absolute truth. It is no wonder so many people lose more spiritual battles than they win. It’s no wonder they get tripped up in Satan’s schemes.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 6:14 - “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.”

John 18:37b-38 - "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate.

John 8:32 - “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

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, and the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,551 languages. Now, through the means of technology, Scripture is even more available to us than it ever has been before.

2. Since the enemy’s attempt to destroy the Word of God has failed, he has changed his strategy. Today his work is to discredit the Bible. We are told that any thinking person couldn’t possibly take the Bible seriously.

3. Since the devil cannot keep this book out of our hands, he now attempts to keep the book out of our hearts. As we read Scripture we come to know the author of the book. These words are life to us. Satan knows that if you read the Word of God it will change your life.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

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

1 Peter 1:25 - “But the Word of the Lord remains forever.”

Matthew 24:35 - “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Psalm 119:89 - “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Out of all the prayers we pray, there is one prayer that is more difficult than all the others. It is the prayer of surrender. The prayer of submission to God is harder than all other prayers. It requires great trust in God. It demands a letting go of our control. It’s releasing the situation in God’s hands and trusting Him to meet the need as He sees best.

Main Points:

1. The reason this prayer is more difficult is because we like control, or at least the illusion of control. If I sincerely pray for God’s will to be done, I have to allow for God’s will to be done.

2. While the prayer of surrender is often the hardest prayer we pray, it is the most rewarding. God rewards those who submit to his will.

3. Let us pray along with our Savior, “Father, not my will, but your will be done.” Let’s be willing to pray this most difficult prayer of surrender, acknowledging that God knows what

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 6:10 - “…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 26:39 - “not my will but your will be done.”

Hebrews 5:7 - “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

Quick Links:

• Donate to support this podcast
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Get a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship Journal

Connect on Social

• Join The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group