Milestones are great. Those visual markers along the road of life that alert you to important events, calling you into attention to stop, take a break, and heed what the marker reads. And for the 5MC (the 5 Minute Challenge) a huge milestone looms in its path this week. After five years the 5MC will finish one full trip through the Bible, from Matthew to Malachi, one chapter a day. 5 years in a deep daily study of God’s Word.
For those of you that may not know the history of the 5 minute challenge, please allow to me wax on. It all started on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii in 2016. The Lord had called Margie and I there to serve with Lahaina Baptist Church and for two years we served there in the tropical wonderland of the south pacific. And it was there on that tiny island that the Lord changed the way I walk with Him, the way he allows me to see His world, and the way I react to the things within it. And it was all driven into fruition by the group of youth we were working with at the church. I noticed that our Bible studies were being hindered as no one really knew their Bibles. And looking back I realize that the Lord was pointing this out not as a need in others, but as a greater need in myself. Yes, it might surprise you, but I found myself serving as a missionary 3700 miles from home with little to no knowledge of God’s Word. And as God pointed this out to me in a powerful way, I found myself asking a very valid question of the Lord. How do I attain a deep, profound knowledge of Your Word? Well friends, just like any other great undertaking in this life, one day at a time, one step at a time, one bite at a time.
One of my favorite quotes comes from pastor John Maxwell and it focuses on just this concept…the productive power held within single days strung together into a lifetime. “You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” Such profound and true words. And as I held a Bible in my hands that day in 2016, the Lord recalled these words to my mind and He showed me what was needed. I needed a way to encourage not only the youth, but myself, to engage in methodical and consistent daily study of the Word of God. And not just a study, but a true change to my daily routine.
I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I asked Margie about the least amount of time we could ask the youth to invest in the Word of God daily. 30 minutes? We laughed, way too long. 15 minutes? Another chuckle, still not realistic. But when I uttered the seemingly miniscule number of 5 minutes, we both paused. What would happen if I, along with the youth, could manage to spend a scant 5 minutes in God’s Word everyday for a month? I quickly grabbed some paper and started jotting down some notes about what I knew it took to create and reinforce new habits. You first need a small measurable and attainable daily goal. Check. You next need that small measurable goal to span multiple consecutive days in order to reinforce the new pattern. Check. You also need some group accountability to help pick you up and keep you on track when you fall away from your goal. Check. As I glanced down at my notes I remembered thinking, this could actually work. And what should I do for a name for this new idea? Well, I simply called it the 5 minute challenge. The challenge? To study and engage God’s Word for 5 minutes a day for 30 days in a row with group accountability.
I wish I could say it was a huge success with the youth in Maui but it really never got off the ground. I started it with good intentions but it fizzled within a few weeks. The failure, however, was a great life lesson to me. God really used it to teach me a much bigger idea of what a pastor truly is. You see, I was trying to pastor a group of sheep when I knew nothing about the care of the sheep. I myself did not possess a knowledge of how God desires for His sheep to be led and loved. And just where do you get that knowledge? Surprise, it lies waiting in the nearest Bible.
So I set out to learn. I was bivocational in Maui, working at the church from 8-1 and then working as the night manager at the local Tommy Bahama store from 3-11. And what did I do with my 2 hour afternoon break? On the way home from working at the church I’d stop at my favorite beach spot, drag out my beach chair and study God’s Word. I had been gifted a great commentary set so I would sit in the sun, read the Bible, study the commentary, and pray that God would bless His Words into the very recesses of my heart. And folks, a funny thing happens when you do this (besides getting a really good suntan.) God does exactly what He says He will do. I sought Him and He was readily found.
Fast forward to the summer of 2018 and Margie and I found ourselves back on the U.S. mainland serving at Village Baptist church in Destin, Florida for a few months. One of my duties that summer was leading the young adult class at the church. And during day one of leading that class, seeing a lackluster approach to God’s Word, God brought a familiar memory back. What about the 5MC? God revealed to me that no matter how much we know about His Word, it’s not enough. No matter how close we feel to Him, it’s not close enough. Therefore, we all have to go bigger and go deeper into His Word to know His nature better, to know His plan better, and to discover His purpose for our lives better. So I decided to try the 5MC again with this group of young adults. We started the program just as before on Maui, starting a group chat and every day as we studied God’s Word for 5 minutes, we would all chime in with the simple message that God spoke into us from our time studying His Word that day. And folks, this time, God sparked something inside of me that has forever radically changed the way I walk this world.
As I started chiming in with the group on what God had been showing me, God revealed to me a passion I never knew existed…channeling His message into written words. What started as two or three rough sentences grew to a ragged paragraph. And eventually those raggged paragraphs grew into organized thoughts and writings. It was on a patio in a borrowed room at a church member’s house in Destin, Florida that the first 5MC post was written on May 28, 2018. After that I quickly settled into a rhythm of studying one chapter a day in God’s Word (it takes about 5 minutes to read one chapter) and then journaling about the message that God gave me from sitting with Him that day. And from that the 5MC grew. From a one-page Word doc, to a 2,000 page Word doc, to a Facebook page, to the dedicated website that exists today with over 1,250 different posts, The5MC.com.
It has taken 5 years to study through God’s Word one chapter a day. That’s 1,189 chapters. And folks, it has literally changed my life as a follower of Christ. And as result, knowing how it has changed my walk with God, I desire that others can know the joy, peace, freedom, and goodness that comes from a deep, daily, personal study of God’s love letter to His creation. So today, as the 5MC celebrates its 5th anniversary, I challenge you to step up to the plate and accept the challenge. But as you consider taking the challenge, you may have the same question that many ask me about the 5MC. Yeah, sure Dan, I want to know God deeper through His Word, but where do I even start? Friends, as Pastor Maxwell says, you start by changing your daily routine.
Start the 5MC by giving God the priority in your day. Commit to meet with God by spending 5 minutes in His Word each and every morning for 30 days in a row. And the best way to do this? First, set a time to meet God every day. Then fight for that time and honor that time…at all costs. Don’t let the world, your busy schedule, or other lesser demands steal your God time. Second, open that time with a quick prayer asking God to speak a message into you. And next, very important, as you accept the challenge take it with a friend, spouse, or fellow Christ-follower. Iron sharpens iron and having an accountability partner can mean the difference in you making it 10 days, the full 30 days, or 5 years. And lastly, as you undertake the 5MC, have pen and paper ready to write down the message God speaks into your heart every day. It doesn’t matter if that message is one word, one sentence, or one paragraph, write it down. And then realize that those messages from God are not solely meant for you, but also for those He has placed in your sphere of influence. Early on I was very hesitant to share my 5MC writings but I’ll never forget Margie’s challenging words to me one day, “Dan, what if that message could help at least one person in their journey with the Lord?” Whether you share it in person, on Facebook, or on your own website, share the message God gives you. Folks, the 5MC is simple, meet the Lord daily, study His Word daily, hear from Him daily, and then share that message with the world. It is in these simple principles that the 5MC was born and 5 years later, the Word of God goes out daily.
Speaking of those messages of God, I still have the original 30 days of 5MC writings from that patio in Destin, Florida back in May of 2018. I will be reposting them to honor and celebrate how God has created and grown the 5MC. I went back and reread them all a few weeks ago and they brought tears to my eyes as God again spoke to me through the messages He delivered to me 5 years ago. The timeless beauty of God’s Word is that even when it’s elaborated upon by human hands, its truth is timeless.
I will be praying that if you do not have a daily rhythm of meeting with the Lord through a personal study of His Word, that today will be the day you start your journey by accepting the 5 minute challenge. As they say here in Mexico, si se puede…you can do it.
Blessings to you as you strive to live not on bread alone, but on the very Words of God ~ Dan
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
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