People encounter Christ by encountering him through the words and deeds of Christians. Jeff shares how we can be an essential part of the “grapevine” through which others can be touched by God and encouraged to enter into a relationship with Christ.
Snippet from the Show
We want to be part of the grapevine helping people hear about the Lord, especially by bringing them to the Eucharist. We do this by touching people through our words and actions.
Shownotes
The three central topics of The Jeff Cavins Show in 2022:
1. The Bible
2. Discipleship
3. Evangelization
Two Announcements:
#1: Join Me and Fr. Mike at the Bible In A Year Virtual Conference on February 18-20!
There will be four main sessions beginning Friday night and ending on Sunday afternoon. Each session explores a different dimension of continuing a life immersed in the Word of God, and each session will include a presentation either by Father Mike or Jeff Cavins, an opportunity for fellowship with other Bible in a Year listeners, an interactive prayer experience, and the chance to reflect on what you’ve experienced, either in your virtual small group or on your own. To sign up go to: https://ascensionpress.com/pages/bible-in-a-year-retreat
Friday – Opening Session: 6:00 PM – 8:45 PM EST
Saturday – Morning Session: 10:00 AM – 12:15 PM EST
Saturday – Afternoon Session: 1:45 PM – 4:30 PM EST
Saturday – Evening Session: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM EST
Sunday – Afternoon Session: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST
#2: Pilgrimage With Us Down the Rhine River this August
We have a wonderful cruise opportunity for you and the family this August! We are taking a cruise down the Rhine River through Switzerland, Germany, France, and Holland. I’ve taken this cruise before, and it is visually spectacular and the sites we visit along the way are filled with fascinating Church history. I would look forward to spending some time with you on the Rhine River. That’s August 9-18.
www.jeffcavins.com
Now, to the Show!
Many have shared they heard about the Bible In A Year podcast because someone else told them about it, in other words, they heard it “through the grapevine”.
We want to bring people to the Lord in a wedding celebration, bring the bride to the bridegroom in the Eucharist. It was in the setting of a wedding that Jesus turned water into wine.
Water Into Wine – John 2:1-11
C.S. Lewis: “God in the Dock”, Miracles.
“God did this before, he turned water into wine many many times. God creates the vine and teaches it to draw up water by its roots, and with the aid of the Son to turn that water into juice, which will ferment and take on certain qualities. Thus, every year from Noah’s time to ours, God turns water into wine. That men fail to see.
“If such miracles only convince us that Christ is God, they have only done half their work. Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some to see. Miracles have their full impact if, whenever we see a vineyard or drink a glass of wine, we remember that here works he who sat at the wedding party in Cana.”
God takes us in our raw, sinful state and places us in his vineyard to nourish us. All we must do is abide.
James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.”
Three Steps in Christian Evangelization, using the grapevine as an analogy:
Some may take a long time to produce ripe, good fruit, and others may be quick like at Cana. But God has work to do in us, and there are three points the disciples used to express this:
1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”
We Heard Him, We Saw Him, We Touched Him
1. We heard!
The beginning of a relationship with the Lord is hearing the Good News. If it’s the Good News, what they hear is going to make a difference. The Good News is that God has a plan to redeem you and change you, to call you his son or daughter.
Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”
Ladies, check this out to hear more of the Good News: WINE: Women in the New Evangelization. www.catholicvineyard.com
2. We Saw!
People are always watching us, especially when they hear we are Christians. Sometimes people see us before they hear us. Christ’s Good News can be communicated in words and deeds, so be well-armed in both.
The Catechism calls our response to God in our actions “faithfulness”.
3. We Touched!
What we heard and saw in others turns into how we were impacted, how their words and deeds touched us. God touches us through the lives of others.
We have touched and tasted the Lord and know he is good through Communion, the Eucharist. We touch him every time we go to Mass.
He touched them and they were healed, like the woman who was sick.
How Do You Evangelize as Part of the Grapevine?
How you reach out to people will determine what they hear, what they see, and how they are touched, which is why the grapevine is so important.
People coming to God is a process, which is why the grapevine matters.
So, savor what God has done in your life and the fruit it has produced, and pray for him to help you see it, even if you need pruned to produce more or better fruit.
Resources
- Email us at thejeffcavinsshow@ascensionpress.com
- Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get added to Jeff’s shownotes email list
- Visit Jeff’s website at www.jeffcavins.com
- The Great Adventure Bible
- Listen to the Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
- Pilgrimages with Jeff
- Jeff’s Show with Jonathan Roumie: www.hallow.com/jeffcavins
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings
Meet Your Host: Jeff Cavins
Jeff Cavins is passionate about helping people understand Scripture and become disciples of Jesus Christ. Though he was born Catholic, Jeff went to Bible school and served as a protestant minister for twelve years before reverting to the Catholic Faith. Jeff then received his MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Since then, he has become a leading Catholic evangelist and author.
Jeff created The Bible Timeline learning system, which revolutionized Catholic Bible Study for millions of Catholics. Since its introduction, Jeff has developed The Great Adventure series of Bible studies to help people better understand Sacred Scripture and its meaning for their lives.
