5 Minutes with Jesus is a daily devotional series for people in the midst of real life, whether facing anxiety, grief, questions of purpose, or simply needing encouragement and connection. Hosted by Sheila Walsh, each five-minute episode offers Biblical truth, honest reflections on faith and emotions, and closes with a moment of prayer.
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| Sheila Walsh: A Spiritually Healthy New Year | 5 Minutes with Jesus | January 5, 2026
- I don't know how
- 00:00:01.014 --> 00:00:02.148
- Familiar you are with the term spiritual discipline,
- 00:00:02.148 --> 00:00:04.851
- But include practices such as studying god's word,
- 00:00:04.851 --> 00:00:09.222
- Meditating on god's word, prayer, fasting,
- 00:00:09.222 --> 00:00:13.393
- Solitude, generosity, community.
- 00:00:13.393 --> 00:00:17.497
- Celebration.
- 00:00:17.797 --> 00:00:19.766
- That might feel overwhelming, but we're always invited
- 00:00:19.766 --> 00:00:22.469
- To start where we are.
- 00:00:22.469 --> 00:00:27.907
- In paul's first letter to the young
- 00:00:28.708 --> 00:00:30.343
- Timothy, he wrote this.
- 00:00:30.343 --> 00:00:32.178
- Train yourself to be godly.
- 00:00:32.178 --> 00:00:34.647
- Physical training is good,
- 00:00:34.647 --> 00:00:36.416
- But training for godliness is much better.
- 00:00:36.416 --> 00:00:39.185
- Promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.
- 00:00:39.185 --> 00:00:43.823
- Well, training involves time and commitment.
- 00:00:43.823 --> 00:00:47.460
- Something that we're often
- 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:48.528
- Tempted to try and get a fast pass to.
- 00:00:48.528 --> 00:00:51.598
- I wrote a story about father martin.
- 00:00:51.598 --> 00:00:54.434
- He was someone who worked
- 00:00:54.434 --> 00:00:55.502
- With alcoholics anonymous for many, many years,
- 00:00:55.502 --> 00:00:58.471
- And in one of
- 00:00:58.471 --> 00:00:59.606
- His videotaped lectures, he talks about a man came to him
- 00:00:59.606 --> 00:01:02.909
- And said, this, father, i'm a hopeless alcoholic.
- 00:01:02.909 --> 00:01:07.413
- I've been drinking a quart of vodka,
- 00:01:07.413 --> 00:01:09.215
- A gallon of shibli, and a case of beer
- 00:01:09.215 --> 00:01:11.417
- Every day for the last 20 years.
- 00:01:11.417 --> 00:01:14.087
- Now, i've read a lot of stories in the bible lately,
- 00:01:14.087 --> 00:01:16.156
- And i know that jesus is the master of the impossible.
- 00:01:16.156 --> 00:01:19.058
- So would you pray over me and tell jesus to set me free
- 00:01:19.058 --> 00:01:22.896
- From bondage?
- 00:01:22.896 --> 00:01:24.430
- Well, father
- 00:01:24.731 --> 00:01:25.698
- Martin responded, i've got a better idea.
- 00:01:25.698 --> 00:01:28.668
- Go to alcoholics anonymous.
- 00:01:29.269 --> 00:01:31.237
- Attend 90 meetings in 90 days.
- 00:01:31.237 --> 00:01:34.674
- Find yourself a sponsor.
- 00:01:34.674 --> 00:01:36.442
- Diligently walk the 12 steps under his guidance
- 00:01:36.442 --> 00:01:40.113
- And read the big book every day.
- 00:01:40.113 --> 00:01:43.383
- In other words, do the hard work.
- 00:01:43.383 --> 00:01:46.853
- There's so many examples in scripture
- 00:01:47.587 --> 00:01:49.255
- And through christian history
- 00:01:49.255 --> 00:01:50.857
- Of the effectiveness of faithful dedication,
- 00:01:50.857 --> 00:01:54.294
- Even in the most difficult circumstances.
- 00:01:54.294 --> 00:01:57.764
- Perhaps one of the most well-known is monica.
- 00:01:57.764 --> 00:02:00.733
- Do you remember who she was?
- 00:02:00.733 --> 00:02:01.801
- She's the mother of the great fourth
- 00:02:01.801 --> 00:02:03.469
- Century writer and theologian augustine.
- 00:02:03.469 --> 00:02:06.806
- Well, she was in a very difficult marriage,
- 00:02:06.806 --> 00:02:09.409
- But she was determined that her three children
- 00:02:09.409 --> 00:02:11.711
- Would not suffer because of this.
- 00:02:11.711 --> 00:02:13.880
- She made sure augustine was able
- 00:02:13.880 --> 00:02:15.381
- To go to the best schools and have every advantage
- 00:02:15.381 --> 00:02:18.718
- Any other child would be offered.
- 00:02:18.718 --> 00:02:21.020
- But her greatest prayer
- 00:02:21.020 --> 00:02:22.522
- Was that her children would come to a personal relationship
- 00:02:22.522 --> 00:02:25.291
- With christ
- 00:02:25.291 --> 00:02:26.659
- In his perhaps best known signature work, confessions.
- 00:02:26.659 --> 00:02:30.797
- Augustine wrote that his mother wept to god for me,
- 00:02:30.797 --> 00:02:34.801
- Shedding more tears for my spiritual death
- 00:02:34.801 --> 00:02:37.937
- Than other mothers shed for the bodily death of her son.
- 00:02:37.937 --> 00:02:41.841
- You know, monica, she had her work cut out for her.
- 00:02:41.841 --> 00:02:45.378
- Augustine was a very rebellious youth, growing into a man
- 00:02:45.378 --> 00:02:48.915
- Who freely indulged all the lusts of the flesh.
- 00:02:48.915 --> 00:02:52.719
- And his mother honestly despaired of his ever
- 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:55.188
- Turning around.
- 00:02:55.188 --> 00:02:56.789
- But when monica brought her concerns before ambrose,
- 00:02:56.789 --> 00:03:00.226
- He was the bishop of milan.
- 00:03:00.226 --> 00:03:01.794
- He told her this.
- 00:03:01.794 --> 00:03:03.396
- It cannot be that the son of those tears be lost.
- 00:03:03.396 --> 00:03:08.034
- And so monica prayed and kept praying.
- 00:03:08.835 --> 00:03:11.404
- And finally, when augustine was 32 years old,
- 00:03:11.404 --> 00:03:14.941
- He gave his life over to christ for those 32 years.
- 00:03:14.941 --> 00:03:19.846
- Monica set her face obediently in the same direction
- 00:03:19.846 --> 00:03:24.250
- And never gave up.
- 00:03:24.250 --> 00:03:25.952
- And when augustine finally came to faith,
- 00:03:25.952 --> 00:03:28.221
- He became widely known as a defender of truth
- 00:03:28.221 --> 00:03:31.791
- And one of the abiding examples of faith to us today.
- 00:03:31.791 --> 00:03:35.828
- Most of us
- 00:03:36.129 --> 00:03:37.030
- Are not big fans of the word discipline.
- 00:03:37.030 --> 00:03:40.199
- I always kind of feels as if it implies punishment.
- 00:03:40.199 --> 00:03:43.336
- But when it comes to spiritual disciplines,
- 00:03:43.336 --> 00:03:46.072
- The opposite is actually true.
- 00:03:46.072 --> 00:03:48.308
- They bring great rewards.
- 00:03:48.308 --> 00:03:49.976
- So when paul wrote to timothy, he encouraged him.
- 00:03:49.976 --> 00:03:53.980
- Train yourself to be godly.
- 00:03:53.980 --> 00:03:56.416
- Physical training is good,
- 00:03:56.416 --> 00:03:58.284
- But training for godliness is much better.
- 00:03:58.284 --> 00:04:00.853
- Promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.
- 00:04:00.853 --> 00:04:05.558
- Think about. that's quite a promise.
- 00:04:05.558 --> 00:04:07.193
- Rewards in this life and the life to come.
- 00:04:07.193 --> 00:04:10.730
- I don't know
- 00:04:11.030 --> 00:04:12.231
- How familiar you are with the term spiritual discipline,
- 00:04:12.231 --> 00:04:14.867
- But include practices such as studying god's word,
- 00:04:14.867 --> 00:04:19.238
- Meditating on god's word, prayer, fasting,
- 00:04:19.238 --> 00:04:23.409
- Solitude, generosity, community.
- 00:04:23.409 --> 00:04:27.513
- Celebration.
- 00:04:27.814 --> 00:04:29.782
- That might feel overwhelming,
- 00:04:29.782 --> 00:04:31.484
- But we're always invited to start where we are.
- 00:04:31.484 --> 00:04:34.754
- If you've never studied
- 00:04:35.288 --> 00:04:36.422
- God's word, it's worth investing in a good study bible.
- 00:04:36.422 --> 00:04:40.193
- I have many, several.
- 00:04:40.193 --> 00:04:42.528
- Doctor david, jeremiah's one i highly recommend
- 00:04:42.528 --> 00:04:46.165
- Is a wonderful study bible,
- 00:04:46.165 --> 00:04:47.533
- But there's many, many good ones available that help us
- 00:04:47.533 --> 00:04:50.703
- Not only to understand
- 00:04:50.703 --> 00:04:51.771
- God's word, but actually apply it to our daily lives.
- 00:04:51.771 --> 00:04:55.842
- If you struggle with prayer, start simply.
- 00:04:55.842 --> 00:04:58.878
- God invites you to talk to him to pour out your heart.
- 00:04:58.878 --> 00:05:02.382
- You don't need fancy words.
- 00:05:02.382 --> 00:05:04.817
- I love for my fellow scot.
- 00:05:04.817 --> 00:05:06.285
- John bunyan wrote that he was a gentleman.
- 00:05:06.285 --> 00:05:09.589
- You might remember
- 00:05:09.589 --> 00:05:10.723
- Who wrote pilgrim's progress, but he said in prayer,
- 00:05:10.723 --> 00:05:13.559
- It's better to have a heart
- 00:05:13.559 --> 00:05:15.361
- Without words and words without a heart.
- 00:05:15.361 --> 00:05:18.765
- Small steps.
- 00:05:19.065 --> 00:05:20.500
- Daily habits can truly be life changing.
- 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:24.137
- Let's pray.
- 00:05:24.470 --> 00:05:25.772
- Father, thank you for your word.
- 00:05:26.406 --> 00:05:28.841
- Thank you.
- 00:05:28.841 --> 00:05:29.842
- There's so much in your word that's practical.
- 00:05:29.842 --> 00:05:31.411
- That teaches us that doing certain things are good.
- 00:05:31.411 --> 00:05:34.747
- But there's other things that build us up in you.
- 00:05:34.747 --> 00:05:37.750
- So, lord, this year we would love to think
- 00:05:37.750 --> 00:05:39.852
- That this is a year where we can begin
- 00:05:39.852 --> 00:05:41.921
- Even taking small steps to study your word,
- 00:05:41.921 --> 00:05:45.725
- To meditate on your word, to talk to you
- 00:05:45.725 --> 00:05:49.295
- That the spiritual disciplines would become part of our lives
- 00:05:49.295 --> 00:05:53.099
- Because it's our heart's desire that we would become more
- 00:05:53.099 --> 00:05:57.203
- Like jesus.
- 00:05:57.203 --> 00:05:58.805
- We pray in his powerful name.
- 00:05:58.805 --> 00:06:01.774
- Amen.
- 00:06:01.774 --> 00:06:01.774
