The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

If we are focusing on the world, who is focusing on our family? We’re often distracted by the big picture of the world, but our attention is most needed at home. Jeff points to Scripture verses from Luke, 1 Timothy, and Matthew to show how we can emulate the good Samaritan and become a blessing to our families and local communities. Snippet from the Show “If you are focusing on the world, who is focusing on your neighbor?” Email us at thejeffcavinsshow@ascensionpress.com to get the shownotes!Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

Growing in faith is difficult in our fast-paced, distraction-heavy lives. Jeff Cavins slows things down to help us focus on prayer and Jesus. Snippet from the Show “The pace of a disciple is not hurried. As we look at the saints, we see people who spent a lot of time with Jesus.” Ways We Can Slow Down Our Lives Prayer Read the Bible and learn about the Story of Salvation Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church Take some time to relax and sit in the presence of the Lord Resources Jeff’s Email: thejeffcavinsshow@ascensionpress.com The Great Adventure Bible Timeline study Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

Developing a strong relationship with Jesus is so important to the spiritual life, and bringing children to Jesus is the main goal of Catholic parents. Jeff connects Scripture passages from Genesis, Deuteronomy, and Proverbs that deal with parenting and setting a good example for our kids, and give practical advice on how to bring children to Jesus. _Snippet from the Show “Parents have such a significant role in bringing their kids to Jesus. Nobody else can take up that role.” _ SHOWNOTES Matthew 19:13-15 - “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ And he laid his hands on them and went away.” Deuteronomy 32:1-3 - “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distil as the dew, as the gentle rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Ascribe greatness to our God!” read more of Deuteronomy 32 Genesis 18:19 - “ ... for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” Deuteronomy 6:1-9 - “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it; that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them; that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Proverbs 25:11 - “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” 10 Ways to Bring Your Children to Jesus Baptism Confimiration Study the Catechism Family Prayer Weekly Mass Confession Adoration Reading Scripture Praying the Rosary Shape your own life to be centered on Jesus Resources The Great Adventure Storybook "2020 Vision" Young Adult Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Holy Land January 2020 The Great Adventure Bible in a Day — Presented by Jeff Cavins Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

Jeff Cavins and Fr. Josh Johnson are in Poland! From Auschwitz to Pope St. John Paul II’s house, they discuss the places they have seen in connection with great Polish saints like St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Faustina, as well as some amazing glory stories that reveal the mercy, truth, and suffering of these saints. Snippet from the Show “Blessed Jerzy, St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Faustina, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, they were all witnesses, not only of mercy and truth, but of suffering.” SHOWNOTES St. John Paul II Suffered and had the capacity to hate, but chose to love instead. He forgave the man who shot him. Influence of the domestic church: His father set an example of holiness by praying, self-sacrifice, and keeping close to the sacraments. Inscribed on the wall of his home: “Time flies, eternity waits.” St. Maximilian Kolbe Called out evil where he saw it, stood up on behalf of those being persecuted Last words of St. Kolbe to his brothers before being taken to Auschwitz: “Forget not love” Took the place of a man condemned to death. While he was being starved to death, he was praising God. John 15:13 - “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” St. Faustina Example of how to the saints can intercede for us. St. Faustina appeared to a priest and asked him to pray with a man who was convinced he couldn’t be forgiven for causing the death of several people. The priest was able to forgive this man because it was the priest's family who had been killed. Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko Always went out to be with the community Persecuted in communist Poland, and brutally martyred. RESOURCES Romans: The Gospel of Salvation Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

Jeff continues to unpack what happens to us when we are too preoccupied with worldly things and neglect to keep our eyes on heaven. He uses the metaphor of filling up on chips and salsa to illustrate this point, and draws on multiple biblical examples to go ever deeper. Snippet from the Show “I am defined by Jesus Christ, I am defined by my heavenly Father, and I am defined by truth. And Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” SHOWNOTES Genesis 13:6 - (Lot & Abraham) “so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together” Genesis 36:7 - (Jacob & Esau) “For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land of their sojourning could not support them because of their cattle.” Psalms 49:10 - “both wise and stupid leave possessions to others.” Proverbs 28:7 - “He who keeps the law is a wise son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.” Ecclesiastes 5:19 - “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. “ Numbers 11:18-20 - “And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, ‘Why did we come forth out of Egypt?’” Ecclesiastes 5:10 - “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who loves wealth, with gain: this also is vanity.” The Cost of Overindulging Matthew 19:22 - “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” James 4:2 - “You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask.” Matthew 6:24 - “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” CCC 2113 - “Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, ‘You cannot serve God and mammon.’ Many martyrs died for not adoring "the Beast" refusing even to simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God.” Matthew 24:47 - “Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.” Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” Colossians 3:1-2 - “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.”Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and filled up on an appetizer (like chips and salsa) and then didn’t have any room left for the more nutritious main course? Jeff uses this illustration to explain how good things can become a problem when they replace God. Using Scripture passages from Genesis, St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, and the Gospel of John, Jeff shows us why moderation is extremely important if we want to set our eyes on heaven. Snippet from the Show “Are we living in such a way where we can live in moderation and focus on the things that are really important or are we indulging in the temporal things?” SHOWNOTES Genesis 3:6 - “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.” 1 John 2:15-17 - “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. Colossians 3:2 - “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” John 6:25 - “When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’” Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ” John 6:27 - “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” Samuel Johnson - "It is generally allowed, that no man ever found the happiness of possession proportionate to that expectation which incited his desire, and invigorated his pursuit; nor has any man found the evils of life so formidable in reality, as they were described to him by his own imagination; every species of distress brings with it some peculiar supports, some unforeseen means of resisting, or powers of enduring." C.S. Lewis (The Problem of Pain) - “All things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of heaven—tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear … If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the more probable explanation is that I was made for another world … Earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.”Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

A troubled heart can happen at any stage of life. From work-related anxiety to stressful relationships to unexpected changes, at some point we find ourselves feeding worry in our hearts instead of offering it up to Jesus. Jeff shares Scripture passages that tell us how to handle a troubled heart, bring our worries to the Lord, and find peace. Snippet from the Show “The peace we get from the world is not enough, but the peace we get from Jesus Christ is deep and sustaining.” SHOWNOTES John 14:27 - “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Matthew 6:25 - “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:34 - “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Philippians 4:6 - “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Let the peace of Christ Rule in your hearts! Colossians 3:15-17 - And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Take Every Thought Captive 2 Corinthians 10:3 - “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Peter 1:2 - May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 1 Peter 5:7 - “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” John 16:33 - “ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” RESOURCES Romans: The Gospel of Salvation Study Program Pilgrimages to Israel 2020Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

Jeff shares exciting news about three upcoming Great Adventure events, recounts his incredible two-week long motorcycle trip with a group of Catholic men, and shares a brief reflection about his visit to the Shrine of the North American Martyrs. Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

God is the one who separates the wheat from the chaff, but we can be tempted to take this task on ourselves, especially when it comes to our parish. Jeff talks about the Parable of the Sower to explain why we shouldn’t take it upon ourselves to pull up what we may see as weeds at our parish. Snippet from the Show There are people who feel that they have a responsibility to pull up the weeds and decide who stays and who goes in their parish … but God’s desire for conversion is greater than the desire for a tidy parish. SHOWNOTES Matthew 13:24-30, The Parable of the Sower- He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” 5 Reasons to Stop “Weed Wacking” They might need more time. Luke 13:6 - And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” St. Thomas More - “No one, on his deathbed, ever regretted having been a Catholic.” You can’t always tell the difference between weeds and wheat. Darnel - a slightly poisonous plant resembling wheat in its early stages of growth. Only when it is fully grown can you tell the difference. The ears of the real wheat are heavy and will droop, while the ears of the darnel stand up straight. We are not smart enough nor do we know the full story of someone else. In other words, it’s above our pay scale. God’s desire for conversion is greater than your need for a tidy parish. We would want others to be patient with us! What if St. Monica had walked away from her son, St. Augustine? Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)

Founder of The Coming Home Network, and host of The Journey Home program on EWTN, Marcus Grodi stops in to chat with Jeff Cavins. They talk about sola scriptura, how Marcus went from a Presbyterian minister to a Catholic, the thousands of people who have found their way back to the Catholic Church through The Coming Home Network, and some of the challenges that converts face. Snippet from the Show “Most people say the Bible is the pillar and bulwark of truth. But what does the Bible say the pillar and bulwark of truth is? 1 Timothy 3:15 points out that the pillar and bulwark of truth is the Church.” SHOWNOTES 1 Timothy 3:15 - “If I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.” Resources Newman’s Apologia Pro Vita Sua The Coming Home Network Support The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)