Episodes
Thursday Dec 31, 2020
All Good Things Must Come to and End
Thursday Dec 31, 2020
Thursday Dec 31, 2020
All good things must come to an end. Hi…this is Tony Agnesi.
Since 2012 I have done a weekly podcast originally called Finding God’s Grace in Everyday life and for the past few years Five Minutes with Tony. This is the final episode. We have featured 172 episodes here on Breadbox Media and I want to offer my sincere thank you to Pete Socks for adding both Five Minutes with Tony and The Storytellers to the Breadbox Media lineup.
Currently, I am converting Five Minutes with Tony to video. So far, we have recorded over 40 on Youtube.com/TonyAgnesi and on Facebook Live and Instagram. In addition, thanks to The Fiat Ministry Network and Patchwork Heart Ministries The Storytellers radio program now has a video version also available on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
All of the programs are available on my web site at TonyAgnesi.com. So give our video versions a try and don’t forget to subscribe and follow us so you don’t miss a single episode.
Blessings my friends……This is Tony Agnesi.
Tuesday Dec 29, 2020
Seven Spiritual Resolutions
Tuesday Dec 29, 2020
Tuesday Dec 29, 2020
In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony offers seven spiritual resolutions for your new year. We are either on one of two trajectories, growing in our relationship with God, or frankly, we are growing away from God (toward the devil). As we are reminded in the book of Romans; we are either moving toward darkness or moving toward the light.
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
My Christmas Train
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Before I could open the box my parents sat me down and told me that a neighbor boy’s father had been laid off and they couldn’t afford presents for my friend. Wouldn’t it be nice if I gave up one of my toys so that he would have something under his Christmas tree? In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses the tough decision he was forced to make on Christmas morning and the Christmas lesson we can learn from little children.
Tuesday Dec 15, 2020
Christmas, The Happiest and Saddest of Times
Tuesday Dec 15, 2020
Tuesday Dec 15, 2020
Christmas day is fast approaching. For many people, it is the happiest and most joyful time of the year. For others, Christmas can be the saddest time of the year. In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony gives some helpful advice if you find yourself sad or lonely at Christmas and what you can do to help others that are alone, lonely, or sad at this time of year.
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Your Presence is Your Present
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
As we get older, receiving presents at Christmas isn’t quite as important as the people we have around us. Family and friends become very important at Christmas time. There is not a parent alive that wouldn’t trade even the biggest present for having their family together at the holidays. Sons and daughters, grandkids, and friends, who are living far away are the best Christmas gifts. In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses how their presence in your holiday is the best Christmas present you could receive.
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Welcome to Secular Advent
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses Secular Advent. For those of you who are not familiar with the holiday season, it began several years ago and has grown into the biggest secular holiday of the year. But, it’s not OUR Advent!
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
A Life of No Regrets
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
A palliative nurse wrote an article a few years back about the research she had done with the elderly. The article talked about the five regrets of the dying. In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony’s explains how we can all have a life of no regrets.
Scripture: It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ [Jesus]. Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 3:12:14 NAB
For godly sorrow produces a salutary repentance without regret, but worldly sorrow produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
Reflection: How do we live a life of no regrets? What are the top five things we can do to live a life of no regrets? Is Tony’s list relevant to your daily life?
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
Trust God, Don't Worry
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses worry. Americans spend so much time in their lives worrying. We worry constantly. We worry about unimportant things, things we have no control over, things that we can’t change. What can we do to stop worrying?
Scripture: Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. Matthew 6:27-29
“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:30
Reflection: Do you spend time worrying about things that are out of your control? Have you ever worried so much that you made yourself sick? What do you think of the idea that faith is the antidote to worry?
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
That was Yesterday
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
My friend was an atheist and a struggling alcoholic. In one of several attempts to overcome his alcohol addiction, he placed a 3X5 card on our shared bulletin board with the words, “That was Yesterday.” In this podcast, Tony talks about experiencing a metanoia, and turning away from yesterday and looking forward to tomorrow.
Scripture: On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do. The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:3-9
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. –Romans 8:18
Reflections: Was there an experience that turned your life around? Have you put your old self behind you? Can you say “That was yesterday” about a time in your life before Christ?
Wednesday Sep 23, 2020
You're Gonna Serve Somebody
Wednesday Sep 23, 2020
Wednesday Sep 23, 2020
One evening, while driving to the jail, I realized that, in my haste, I hadn’t prepared anything to talk about. As I began to reflect on what might be a good theme for the night, Bob Dylan’s old song, Gotta Serve Somebody, came on the radio.
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Jesus Take the Wheel
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Then, my navigation screen flashed, the car slowed to 40 mph, and the message on the navigation system read, “Powering Down, Seek Service Immediately!” In this podcast, Tony talks about a breakdown in South Carolina on a trip to Florida, and how everything worked out, as if by divine intervention, once he surrendered to God’s will.
Scripture: He who plans a thing will be successful; happy is he who trusts in the Lord! Proverbs 16:20
But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. Proverbs 28:25
The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25
Reflections: Have you ever thought you were in complete control and found out you weren’t? Have you ever been in such a tough situation that you simply had to turn things over to the Lord? Is is difficult for you to give up control?
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
Healed Not Cured
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
In this podcast, Tony discusses the difference between being healed and cured. He talks about the paralytic and his encounter with Jesus from Luke’s gospel. As we live our lives, with the trials, diseases, and infirmities we might experience, it’s OK to pray for a cure, but more importantly, let’s pray for healing!
Scripture: One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:17-20
Reflection: Do you understand the difference between healing and a cure? What is more important, you are cured or your sins are forgiven? What do you think was going through the minds of the friends of the paralyzed man following his encounter with the Lord?
Wednesday Sep 02, 2020
You Give Love a Bad Name
Wednesday Sep 02, 2020
Wednesday Sep 02, 2020
As I pulled into my office parking lot, I was approached by a man with a gasoline can. “Hey man, can you help me with a few dollars for gas?” He asked. “No,” I replied hurriedly, as I made my way into the office. What he didn’t know, is that he has approached me three times with the same gas can story, and that he has been observed in our parking lot and a few of the nearby lots with the same story for the past month.
In this podcast, Tony discusses the question of what we should do when approached by a panhandler on the streets.
Scripture: And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. Luke 16:20-23
Reflection: What did you do the last time you were asked for money on the street? Do you ever stop and give a donation to a panhandler on the freeway exit or street corner? How can you tell if the person is really in need or just a scam artist?
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Two Dollars and a Bus Pass
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
It was a cold winter day and I decided to stop at the local fast food restaurant for a roast beef sandwich and a coke. Although it wasn’t yet one o’clock, the restaurant was nearly empty and I was the only person in line. In this podcast Tony talks about what happened next, and how it changed his view of generosity.
Scripture: When he looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor woman put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood. Luke 21:1-4
Reflections: What can we learn from the poor widow in the gospels? Do you find that the people who have little and more inclined to share what they have than people with more? The young girl didn’t have much but she offered to share what little she had. Have you ever been in this position? How did you react?
If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, please subscribe by clicking the Follow Link on the lest hand side of the page. Don't miss a single Five Minutes with Tony Podcast!
Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
The Homeless Bible Study
Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
Wednesday Aug 19, 2020
As the season of Advent began, my friend, Jeff, asked if I would facilitate a Bible Study for the homeless on Friday nights, after dinner.
“Who would go to a bible study during the cold winter months,” I asked.
“I really don’t know,” he replied. “But we could set it up, announce it at dinner, and see what happens.” And we did.
In this podcast, Tony recalls the miracles that happened during the homeless bible study.
Scripture: God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Reflections: Do you ever feel stuck in your current situation without a way out? Do you trust that God will not test you beyond your strength? Do you agree that God is faithful?
If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, please subscribe by clicking the Follow Link on the lest hand side of the page. Don't miss a single Five Minutes with Tony Podcast!
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
My Little Black Book
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Growing up in the 60’s, I realized that no self-respecting bachelor would be caught dead without his little black book. The little black book was the place where he kept track of all the beautiful women he was dating at the same time. I have to admit, I never had a little black book, until now! And, my wife is aware of it and even approves! In this podcast Tony discusses his “Little Black Book” and why you might want one too!
Scripture: And the prayer of the faithful will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:15
Reflections: Do you believe in intercessory prayer? Do you keep a prayer list of people you are praying for? Are you a member of a prayer circle? How does praying for others help you in your own faith journey?
If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, please subscribe by clicking the Follow Link on the lest hand side of the page. Don't miss a single Five Minutes with Tony Podcast!
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
A Leap of Faith
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
In this podcast, Tony talks about our personal leap of faith and what are the things keeping up from taking the leap. He discusses the could have, might have and should haves.
Scripture: When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:26-31
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Quote: “The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” —Louis E. Boone
Reflection: What is keeping you from making a leap of faith? Do you hear God calling you? Do you have enough faith in God to jump?
If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, please subscribe by clicking the Follow Link on the lest hand side of the page. Don't miss a single Five Minutes with Tony Podcast!
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Beautiful People Don't Just Happen
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
When we think of beautiful people we generally think of physical beauty, a beautiful young girl, a smiling baby, a handsome athletic man. Beauty, as defined by Hollywood, the cosmetics companies, and clothing lines, are now the norm. Their image is what most people describe as beautiful. In this podcast, Tony talks about real beauty and beautiful people.
Quotes: “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
“Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now, lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life may also have much sadness and difficulty, that remains far beyond yours. Were it otherwise, he would never have been able to find these words.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Reflection: How do you define true beauty? Can you name a beautiful person in your life? Who would that be and what makes them beautiful? How does the Hollywood version of beauty fail?
If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, please subscribe by clinking the Follow Link on the lest hand side of the page. Don't miss a single Five Minutes with Tony Podcast!
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
A Life of No Regrets
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
Scripture: It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ [Jesus]. Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 3:12:14 NAB
For godly sorrow produces a salutary repentance without regret, but worldly sorrow produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
Reflection: How do we live a life of no regrets? What re the top five things we can do to live a life of no regrets? Is Tony’s list relevant to your daily life?
If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, please subscribe by clinking the Follow Link on the lest hand side of the page. Don't miss a single Five Minutes with Tony Podcast!
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
God Grants Mulligans
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
Every week, when I tee it up with my buddies, we have an unwritten rule that everyone get a mulligan. A mulligan is basically a do-over, a second chance to redeem ourselves from a really bad shot. God is that way with sin. In this podcast Tony’s discusses forgiveness.
Scripture: If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. 1 John 1:9
Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. Psalm 51 NAB
If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:14-15
Reflection: Do you ever think that your sins are unforgivable? We all have core sins, do you confess the same sins over and over again? Does that fact that God forgives a humble sinner give you a feeling that with God you can do all things?
If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, please subscribe by clinking the Follow Link on the lest hand side of the page. Don't miss a single Five Minutes with Tony Podcast!