The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast Loren Hicks

We are all aware of the spiritual battle that rages. We do have an adversary. We do have opposition. We are in a fight, but find encouragement in these verses. Christ Jesus will place us on a firm foundation. He is our firm foundation. He is the rock we have built our lives upon, and He cannot be moved.


Main Points:

1. No matter how fierce the fight, no matter how difficult the battle, our firm foundation is not shaken. Yes, we have to stand firm. Yes, we must be strong in the faith. But all the while, we remember that our suffering is not forever. The promise from these verses is that we will share in God’s eternal glory. 


2. In this life we are constantly reminded of the spiritual battle that rages around us. Like a prowling lion, our adversary seeks to devour us, to tear down our faith, and to rob us of our hope. Yet, in the midst of this struggle, we find reassurance and strength in the unshakeable foundation of Christ.


3. Peter's words speak to us today, urging us to be alert and sober-minded. We cannot afford to be complacent or unaware of the dangers that surround us. The enemy's attacks may come in various forms – doubts, temptations, trials, and tribulations – but we are called to stand firm in the faith.


Today’s Scripture Verses:


1 Peter 5:8-11 - “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.”

Isaiah 33:6 - “In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.”


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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 today, you find yourself with little desire for the Word of God, there are some things you can do. Pray and admit to God what’s in your heart. Begin to ask God everyday to give you  a hunger and delight for Scripture.


2. I believe God will develop in us a hunger for his Word. We’ll begin to experience a taste and a craving for the Scripture because our time with God is satisfying and nourishing. 


3. The Scripture, for all of us, is an acquired taste. Before we came to know Jesus we had no appetite for the Word of God. We had a spiritual appetite, but we attempted to satisfy this appetite with the things of the world.  But the more we partake of scripture, the more we learn from God, and the more we apply it to our lives, the more we desire the Word.


Today’s Scripture Verses:


2 Peter 2:1-3 - “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Psalm 119:97 - “Oh, how I love your law!  I meditate on it all day long.”

Psalm 119:18 - “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”


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In Scripture we see that he glory of God is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. His glory is the combined manifestation of His attributes. He is glorious because no one can compare.


Main Points:

1. The glory of God was visibly seen in the character of Jesus, his teaching, preaching, and miraculous power. Imagine walking and talking with God himself.


2. As we study the Bible we discover the glory of God revealed in the pages of Scripture. We learn of his holiness, his majesty, his goodness, his power, and his love. Only God is glorious. 


3. Take time today to worship God, not just for his blessings and for what He has done for you, but worship Him for who He is. He is glorious and is worthy of glory, honor, and praise.


Today’s Scripture Verses:


1 Chronicles 29:11 - “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor.”

John 1:14 - “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Hebrews 1:3 - “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”



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In the Gospels, Jesus uses the faith of children to teach us about the kingdom of God. He tells us that unless we become like little children, we will not enter the kingdom of God.


Main Points:

1. Child-like faith. We must come to God with this same simplicity and sincerity. Just as a child can have complete faith in the protection and provision of their parents, so we must come to God with such faith. We must completely believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the he alone can save us from our sins.


2. Let’s think for a minute what characteristics little children possess when it comes to faith. They are innocent and sincere. They’re eager to learn. They are teachable, humble, trusting, open, simple, and spontaneous. They are unpretentious.


3. If there is any characteristic of a child that we must retain as it relates to faith, it’s the characteristic of being dependent. We will never outgrow our dependency on God. We need him today and we will need him always. 


Today’s Scripture Verses:


Matthew 18:1-3 - “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."


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How many people are there, who once burned hot for God, now no longer serve Him? How many who were on fire for God, now have no spiritual passion at all? The sober reality is that this could happen to any of us.


Main Points:

1. Why did God repeatedly tell the Israelites to not let the fire burn out? Why did the instruction need to be repeated? The answer is because there was a real possibility that keeping the fire burning hot could lose its importance to the people. 


2. It is critical that you and I tend to our spiritual fire. We must keep our fire for God burning. We cannot let this fire go out. We cannot let our spiritual passion diminish. We must daily do what is necessary to keep our heart and minds focused on a growing relationship with Christ.


3. Today, you must put another log on the fire. Reignite the flame. Reignite your spiritual passion for Jesus. How do we do this? We reignite the flame by giving attention to it. A fire left untended burns out. Turn your attention once again to Christ. Rediscover the spiritual disciples of worship, prayer, scripture reading, and church attendance. Join a life group at your church. Begin to serve and use your gifts. 


Today’s Scripture Verses:


Leviticus 6:13 - “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.”

Matthew 3:11 - “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Acts 2:3 - “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”



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The scripture says to us, “don’t forget about all of God’s benefits. In the midst of life’s challenges, don’t forget about all the good things God has done for you.”


Main Points:

1. Even when life is good and our struggles are minimal, it’s easy for us to forget what the Lord has done. In the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to become consumed by our daily routines, obligations, and distractions. Our minds can be preoccupied with tasks, worries, and plans, leaving little room to stop and reflect on the goodness of God. 


2. These encouraging verses remind us that the Lord is our forgiver, healer, redeemer, provider, satisfier, and renewer. How could we forget that? And yet we often do.


3. As David writes this Psalm, he implores his soul to bless the Lord and to remember His goodness. It's a call to intentional reflection, a conscious effort to pause and acknowledge the hand of God at work in our lives. 


Today’s Scripture Verses:


Psalm 103:1-5 - “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Psalm 105:5 - “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced…”


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