
The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast)
493 episodes — Page 9 of 10

Why the Word Doesn't Work in Your Life
Just because God says something in his Word, doesn’t mean it is going to manifest itself in your life. The soil of our own hearts has a lot to do with whether the Word of God will take hold. During this Advent season, Jeff takes you through the parable of the sower to help prepare your heart for the coming of the Lord, who is the Word made flesh. To have the showntotes delivered straight to your inbox, email [email protected] You can also find them at media.ascensionpress.com

Advent - Will You Be Ready?
Jeff talks about how we can prepare for the season of Advent, and let it transform our lives. We’re not waiting for a day of gifts and good will, we’re waiting for the coming of Christ. Send Jeff your prayer intentions for Advent at [email protected]. He will pray for them during this Advent season. For the full shownotes, including the scripture verses and references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, go to https://bit.ly/2KJSshN and click on the episode. Or email us at [email protected] to let us know you'd like the shownotes sent to your inbox!

The Ultimate Thanksgiving
Everyone who finds himself in a dilemma intuitively turns to God and makes promises whether they are empty or sincere. When we discover that we are fine, we often ignore our promises and may even come to blame God as the cause in the first place. Today, Jeff dives into Scripture and shares the prescribed way to give God thanks for all that he has given us, especially when he has helped us through a perilous time. Maybe you are going through a great trial right now and the last thing on your mind is Thanksgiving. Take 30 minutes to listen and discover the ultimate thanksgiving that has stood the test of time. Your holiday season may become a little bit brighter. Snippet from the Show: We offer up thanksgiving to God in the Mass and celebrate the victory of our risen Lord. This victory is our victory as we are joined with him as his body. And everytime we enter into the Mass with a sense of plight, we should exit with praise and thanksgiving in our hearts and on our lips.

Falling in Love with Jesus!
When it comes to falling in love with Jesus, we must remember that God has chosen us first. To love Jesus is to respond to that a call. Today, Jeff talks about how we can embrace this invitation, fall in love with Jesus, and then share this good news with others. "As the Bride of Christ dressed in white, catechumens will enter into the purity of the Lamb of God himself, and partake of the marriage feast of the lamb." Go to media.ascensionpress.com/category/the-jeff-cavins-show/ for detailed shownotes and references.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Following Jesus Christ is not a applicable to a comfort zone. Jesus tells us to “be not afraid” for a reason. We need to go through changes, even painful ones, to be the people God calls us to be. This means we have to get out of our comfort zones. For more detailed shownotes, go to media.ascensionpress.com/category/the-jeff-cavins-show/.

3 Keys to Rebuild a Shattered Life!
It feels like your life is shattered and you don’t know how to rebuild it from the rubble. Does this sound like you? This feeling can happen to anyone at anytime. Whether it’s triggered by a catastrophic event or creeps in like a slow leak, we can take heart in knowing that we’re not alone. In fact, there are a lot of biblical stories where lives were shattered, and rebuilt. Jeff walks us through the exile of the Israelites to Babylon. They lived shattered lives as captives for seventy years until, “God stirred up the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia” (Ezra 1:1) who allowed them to return to Jerusalem. They returned in three waves. Each attempted to rebuild their shattered lives in different ways, and each one is vital to our own struggles. Go to media.ascensionpress.com/category/the-jeff-cavins-show/ for detailed shownotes and references.

Beware of Lukewarm Christianity!
In America, most of us do not have any big needs. As a result, it becomes easy to think God is not needed, because it seems like we can provide everything for ourselves. We become cafeteria believers, people who believe what they like, and reject what they do not. In today’s episode, Jeff says we need to make sure we don’t become so self-reliant that we feel like we don’t need God. Beware of lukewarm Christianity! Snippet from the show: The opposite of love is not hate, the opposite of love is indifference!

Becoming Dust Jackets for Truth: The Art of Storytelling!
Mastering the art of storytelling is an extremely effective way to spread truth. Spoiler alert! Jeff talks about the popular dystopian book, Fahrenheit 451. In it, scholars who memorize books in the hopes that they will be written down again call themselves “dust jackets for books”. We too, are “dust jackets for books”, especially when it comes to the Bible. We are responsible for remembering important parts of the Bible so that we can share them with others, especially our kids and grandkids. Go to media.ascensionpress.com/category/the-jeff-cavins-show/ for the shownotes!

Discovering God in Ordinary Places
This week Jeff talks about how royalty is in your presence, but you have to discover God in ordinary places. To develop eyes that see God in our everyday activities, start by keeping a journal of the ways God intervenes in your everyday life. Check out media.ascensionpress.com/category/ascension-podcasts and click on The Jeff Cavins Show icon to see the shownotes for today's episode.

If We Took Christianity Seriously! Prayer
What if we really took Christianity seriously and truly lived out the teachings of Christ? When it comes to prayer Jesus said, “When two or three gather in my name I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). If we really believed this, how would we pray? How would we live our lives, knowing that God was with us in prayer? Jeff zeros in on what we can learn from the Our Father in today’s episode. The Great Adventure Catholic Bible is sold out, but more are being printed right now! To be alerted as soon as this Bible is available again, click here. "As children of God, prayer takes on two fundamental dispositions: First, the desire to become like God, and second, a humble and trusting heart that enables us to turn and become like children."

Why Remain Catholic? Divine Revelation
Last week, Jeff talked about “setting your face like flint” and not leaving the Church and the sacraments because of the sins of men. This week, Jeff continues his discussion on why we should remain Catholic and delves into divine revelation using paragraphs 27-100 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). For more detailed shownotes, see media.ascensionpress.com. "Just because there’s a couple bad eggs doesn’t mean that the truth is gone and we throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because there’s been a 50 percent divorce rate in America doesn’t mean that marriage isn’t valid and beautiful and fruitful and wonderful. It just means that people failed. But it is not an excuse for you to leave the Eucharist."

Why Remain Catholic?
Why should we remain Catholic when the Church is infected with corrupt people? Jeff understands that the Church is in trouble and being Catholic is not easy at this time, but the Church still has something to offer. The answer is simple: this is the Church that Jesus founded. Though corruption has affected the Church in the past, there has also been a lot of good that has come from it. From universities and the scientific method to working for the poor to sponsoring the arts, the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church has had a major impact on the world. Do not leave the bridegroom. Set your face like a flint toward the Cross. Click here for The Great Adventure Catholic Bible available now! Get started teaching your children salvation history with The Great Adventure Kids Pack! “Me becoming Catholic really didn’t have anything to do with any particular bishop or bishops and me remaining Catholic doesn’t have anything to do with any foolish bishops or cardinals in current history. Me becoming Catholic was because of Jesus and his family and what he offered us in the sacraments and the Father’s plan.” SHOWNOTES (2:28) Email Feedback (10:12) Matthew 13:31 - He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (13:38) Isaiah 50:7 - For the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been confounded; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. (16:40) Luke 9:51 - When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. (18:18) James 2:26 - For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

Fiddler on the Roof and Marriage
Is love an emotion? Jeff answers this question by looking at the marriage of Tevye and Golde, the couple from Fiddler on the Roof who had an arranged marriage that lasted over twenty-five years. At one point in the show, Tevye asks Golde if she loves him, and she is hesitant to respond. Together, they discover that in their daily commitment to one another, they had in fact acted out of love. This doesn’t sound like our modern idea of a happy marriage (first comes love, then comes marriage), but Jeff shows how their love grew after marriage, and how we can use their example of commitment in our own lives. By choosing to love, we can strengthen relationships not just with our spouse, but with friends and family as well. Jeff also answers a reader’s question about what to do with old Bibles. "Marriage is not based on emotion but based on a commitment. And that commitment is a reflection of God’s love for the Church and a demonstration to the world of a commitment that goes beyond anything that the world is used to."

Instrument Rated Christians
An instrument-rated pilot is a pilot who is able to fly using only the flight instruments within the plane. This allows a pilot to fly in low visibility without becoming disoriented. Today, Jeff shares how you can become an instrument-rated Christian, able to fly despite the storm within the Church today. Snippet from the Show: Jesus comes and gives us a way to live our lives [so] that when the storms come, and suddenly everything that we have depended upon is gone, you can still depend upon him.

The Bible is Here!
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible implements the Catholic understanding of salvation history into its very pages with actual timelines, maps, charts, and articles. This Bible not only provides a faithful translation of Scripture (using the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition), it also walks with the reader through the epic journey that the Bible recounts and that is so often lost amid all the individual stories. After decades of teaching The Bible Timeline to hundreds of thousands of Great Adventure study participants, Jeff is confident that The Great Adventure Catholic Bible will help spread the amazing story of salvation to Catholics with a desire to grow closer to God through the Scriptures. Get your copy now!

Church Scandals and Mouse Traps
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Amusing Ourselves to Death
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Faded Levi’s and Bibles
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Scoot Down the Pew, Please?
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The Power of Kindness
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Evangelizing Through Tattoos
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Patience in the Midst of the Storm
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Communicating by Listening
The goal of a debate or a discussion about the Faith should not be to win; the goal should be to share Christ. This involves more than just telling people what Scripture says, it involves listening to where they are coming from and then giving them an answer that meets the pain and angst that they are experiencing in their life. Today, Jeff gives you ten points on how to become a better listener to others so that you can touch people’s hearts and answer their questions with the message of the gospel.

Give People What You Have!
How do you share your faith with someone who is opposing you or bombards you with question after question? Today Jeff shares three things to remember when sharing about the Catholic Faith. You have the opportunity to change someone’s life, so be prepared to give the world what you have!

Episode 69: I Was Raised on Wonder Bread
Whether it’s a product, new food fad, or political view, you’re probably tired of being sold things. With all the noise in our culture, here is what we aren’t hearing. We aren’t hearing a lot of people bringing up Jesus Christ and the wisdom of God in everything going on around us. We can listen to all the news and keep up with the latest trends, but the bottom line is, are we really seeking God and not the world in every aspect of our lives?

Suicide: Preventing and Responding!
Did Vincent Van Gogh really commit suicide, or is there more to the story than we think? In light of recent suicides (Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain) Jeff comes to you with a special episode on preventing and responding to suicides. Speaking from personal experience, he shares the signs that typically lead to someone wanting to take their life. He also shares ideas as to how you can respond, what the Church teaches, and practical things you can do if you or someone you know is feeling depressed.

Mirror Mirror on the Web
We all have fallen into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. In an age of social media, constant comparison is hard to avoid and it leads to us feeling bad or anxious about our own lives compared to those of our 500+ closest online friends. Jeff explains the dangers of comparison and shows you how to look to God when you start down this path.

Avoiding Spiritual Boredom
There are so many things vying for our attention these days. After making ends meet we maybe have an hour or two per day where we have the opportunity to participate in activities that we personally enjoy. Before you know it you are on YouTube learning about organic carrot farming or motorcycles and then those few precious moments are gone. Oftentimes, this is when we either win or lose the battle in our relationship with the Lord. Spiritual boredom doesn't happen overnight. You slide into it until you finally realize how much your relationship with the Lord has suffered. If you are thinking “wow this is me” and feel like you need a break from this slippery slope, then listen to Jeff’s three tips on how to avoid spiritual boredom. There is nothing more powerful and fruitful than a relationship with the Lord. Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

Memories of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee
Listen as Jeff reflects on his recent trip to Israel...

Getting Up After You Have Fallen Down!
Whether within our family, social, or professional lives, we all have made mistakes and failed the Lord. What should you do when you fall and become discouraged or disappointed? How do you get back up to where you were before? Today Jeff tells the story of Peter, who—after denying Jesus three times—fell into sadness and despair. In one of the most tender moments in the Bible though, Jesus lifts Peter up in kindness and mercy. Learn how our God is the God of second chances and how we too can be lifted back up. Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

What's in a Name
There is something powerful about a name. Parents take great care in choosing a name for their children and as children grow, they become their name. The same is true for every name of God. They are not mere human inventions. Each name is a revelatory instrument given at a specific time, for a specific purpose, to reveal a specific aspect of his nature. In today’s episode, take a look at how God revealed himself throughout salvation history and what it means to you.

Making Good Decisions
We make thousands of decisions a day, but it's the BIG decisions that we struggle with. Should I take that job? Where should I go to school? Is it best for my family to move out of state? Sometimes these questions can really weigh on us and when we don’t have criteria to aid us in making the decision, we hastily make a poor decision simply because we ran out of time and were forced to make a choice. Obviously we cannot make decisions for one another, but today Jeff shares seven points of guidance from the Bible that will help you make a wise decision for yourself, your family, and your eternal life. Stay tuned, now that’s a good decision!

Forgiveness In Belfast Northern Ireland
They murdered his grandfather then labeled him a terrorist for being Catholic. His best friend’s dad was shot dead in front of his six children. This is Joe Mckeown’s story of growing up Catholic in the chaos of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Listen as he shares his journey to healing, peace, and ultimately forgiveness.

Taking Your Questions (Part 1)
Today Jeff answers the important questions you have been asking. From Bibles to minimalism and the Jewish Kabbalah to Christian youth groups, Jeff dives deep into our faith. Every question is a good question, so if you have any that you would like Jeff to answer in a future episode, please feel free to email [email protected].

Feeling Alone at Church? God Works Through The Remnant
Do you feel alone at church? Perhaps your parish does not offer faith formation programs and while you want to start one, no one else seems to be interested. Perhaps your feel like the only parishioner who actively wants to deepen their faith. Today, Jeff offers you words of encouragement. God often works through the remnant (a small remaining quantity of something). He may be calling you to do something within your parish. God depends on the remnant to bring the gospel to the world. What can God do through you in your parish? Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

Late Night Christianity
Do you remember the first word you said this morning? What do you do right before you go to bed? Many of us are guilty of spending those last few minutes or hours of the day on social media or watching late night television. This leads to us quickly falling asleep without a second thought about the day we just lived, or a game plan for the next. In this episode, Jeff introduces a new way for you to end the day. He explains how spending those last few moments of each day in prayer can dramatically improve your relationship with others and with the Lord. Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

My Dinged Up Subaru and Sin
Do you ever get caught up in a sin, only to have it come back like a tyrannical ruler dictating the rest of your day, bringing you down, and not letting you move forward? Sometimes sin, especially when we fall into the same sin repeatedly, causes us to think of ourselves as “damaged goods” that we can never be the same again. In this episode, Jeff encourages you to start looking at yourself through God’s eyes. As long as there is life, there is hope. Let go of your past and walk with God into your future. We’d Love to Hear from You Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

Hope in Desperate Times
We all desperately need hope in our lives, especially when we feel alone. Today, Jeff defines true hope, explains how you can walk in this hope, and describes the surprising difference between using the words “hope” and “hopefully.” Learn to stand on the hope God gave you as a foundation for your life. Discover how the very thing causing you despair and pain can become a door of hope for you. We’d Love to Hear from You Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

Everyone Needs a Papa- The Biblical Basis for the Papacy
Did Catholics make up the papacy? Some people sure think so. In today’s episode, Jeff shows how it’s not Catholics who created the papacy, but God himself. Learn how the Old Testament contains a hidden blueprint for the role of the pope—a blueprint that Jesus Christ follows when he says to Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Creating a Movement Within Your Parish
Jeff shares his personal formula for creating a successful movement within your parish. You might be surprised when you hear his approach to ministry. He also shares the incredible story of Stephanie and how one sudden moment led her to forgiveness, love, and deepened faith.

Hogging the Cashews: Why Do People Bother You?
Does it ever bother you when someone chews ice right next to you, breathes a little too loudly, or hogs all the cashews? Today you will learn how to strengthen your relationship with God by improving your relationship with other people. Become a better disciple and learn how to live and love in the midst of these everyday annoyances that can sometimes drive you crazy. Afterwards, ask yourself, “Is there someone I have a problem with that I can honor today?” We’d Love to Hear from You Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

15 Things to Do in the Midst of Suffering
Every single one of us is going to suffer at one time or another, but the questions is: how are we going to go through that suffering. Are we going to suffer well or are we going to suffer poorly? Whether you are currently in the midst of suffering or want to learn how to suffer well, Jeff’s fifteen ideas will completely change the way you approach suffering in your life. To find out more about the Fulfilled Bible Study recommended by Jeff in this episode go to Ascensionpress.com. We’d Love to Hear from You Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

What’s in Your Spiritual Wallet? (Long Term Investments)
“Where your treasure is there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:21)” In this episode, Jeff helps and challenges you to locate the treasure in your life. What is it that you pursue, protect, or are preoccupied with? If your heart is in your hobbies, property, or 401k then there is your treasure. But if your heart lies within the kingdom, your treasure will follow. While listening to this episode, take a look at your life right now to discover God’s will in it. There is no better way to invest in your spiritual wallet. We’d Love to Hear from You Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

Do Catholics Swear? The Language of the Sacraments
While we don’t swear in a vulgar way (that is not who we are), we do swear in a heavenly language. This is exactly what the sacraments are all about. During antiquity, the Latin word “sacramentum” meant “to designate an oath” which was sworn in the making of a family covenant so as to bond two families together. Today, when we participate in the sacraments, we partake in a sacred encounter with God. We swear an oath to uphold the terms of the covenant and receive the benefits of God. In this episode, Jeff dives deep into the sacraments and explains how they bond us together with God.

5 Smooth Stones, Choose Your Weapon
Have you ever felt like David up against your own Goliaths in life? In today’s episode, Jeff takes some basic principles from the epic battle of David and Goliath and shows you how to use them for your battles. Take off the armor the world provides you, choose your most powerful weapon (hint: you can take it with you anywhere) and prepare to fight your battle through the power of the Holy Spirit.

A Cup of KeurigMa: How to Proclaim the Gospel
Just as you can share a cup of coffee, so can you share the gospel with others. This sharing of the gospel is called kerygma. In this episode, Jeff breaks down kerygma so you can discover how simple it can be to share Christ with your family, co-workers, friends, neighbors, and more. 7 Parts/Messages of the Kerygma: 1) God loves you and has plan for your life. – Yes, God the Father loves you and seeks you. And that ache in your heart, that longing, that yearning, and that “never satisfied” quality in your desires all point to God and he has written his name in your heart. He wants to turn you away from a passing and unsatisfying world, towards him. He wants to save you and prepare you to live with him for all eternity. He wants to fill the God sized hole in your heart and its infinite longing with his infinite Love. (CCC 1). 2) Sin will destroy you. – Nothing is so destructive in your life and this world as sin. It is desire gone wrong, it is rooted in the lie that the creature rather than the Creator can help and save us. Cultivating sin will put you in bondage to desires gone mad that will not ultimately be satisfied. Satan is lying to you and saying that rebellion form the One who made will bring happiness to you. It will not. And you know this already don’t you? Sin and indulgence does not ultimately satisfy. The world cannot satisfy, for it is finite and your desire is infinite. Sin does not ultimately bring happiness, it brings bondage, addiction, dissatisfaction, and ultimately resentment and spiritual death. 3) Christ Jesus died to save you. – Into this mess of our wayward desires and our foolish grasping at worldly trinkets Jesus came. He met the woman at the well (who is us) and told her that every who drinks form this well (the world) will be thirsty again. In other words, the world cannot ultimately satisfy or save us. We must die to this world and rise to God. But our way to God was cut off by sin. Jesus came and reopened the way to the Father by dying to this world, to its lies and false claims. Rising and Ascending he has re-opened the way to the Father, our hearts true desire. Now we can be saved by being led back to the Father by the saving power of Jesus. And dying to this world, we can one day fully be satisfied by God. 4) Repent and believe the Gospel. – To repent means to come to a new mind, to come to understand and accept all that has been stated: that the Lord loves me, is calling me in my desires, and want to save me from the sinful drives that will destroy me. It is time for me to come to believe in this Love God has form me and accept the promise and salvation of his love: Jesus Christ and the saving truth he proclaims. 5) Be Baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. – And thus in Baptism our sins are washed away, we are incorporated into Christ, we become a member of his body. And having done so, the Holy Spirit, the life, love, serenity, joy and wisdom of God comes to dwell in me and begins a work of transforming me, that includes the other Sacraments as well. 6) Abide in Christ and his body the Church. – Grow in this relationship with Jesus and His Father in the Holy Spirit by living in the life of the Church, which is Jesus presence and Body in this world. Abide there, that is go on dwelling there. 7) Go make disciples. – And so the cycle repeats with the newly Evangelized and more deeply rooted Christian calling others.

What I Learned from Mother Angelica
Jeff Cavins worked with Mother Angelica for years, and he is often asked, “What was Mother Angelica like?” This week, Jeff shares some of his personal encounters with and stories about a nun who revolutionized media evangelization. More Great Resources from Jeff Find free blogs, videos, and resources about Scripture and the Catholic faith at http://biblestudyforcatholics.com/. Learn more about The Great Adventure Bible Timeline and preview any study for free. For an easy way to transform your approach to reading Scripture, check out Jeff’s Bible Timeline Chart. For an illustrated resource introducing God’s love story to children while helping them to understand how the Catholic Church is the body of Christ on Earth try The Great Adventure Storybook. We’d Love to Hear from You Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!

New Years Resolution 2.0
Below are eight questions that can act as a guide in making a good New Year's resolution. Ask yourself the following questions: Will this resolution draw me toward Christ or away from Him? Sometimes our goals become self-centered and tend to draw us away from Christ and onto our own agenda. Keep a holy card or crucifix with you when you consider a New Year's resolution. Will this resolution enhance my vocation in life? In other words, will it help me as a parent, spouse, single person, priest, or religious? Starting with your vocation is a great place to determine future action. For example, if you are a father some of your decisions are already made. Becoming a better father is something that you know God wants you to do, even more than fitting into that pair of pants in your closet. Does this resolution have eternal impact on my life and those around me? The decisions that we make today have eternal impact, so it becomes important to budget your time and resources accordingly. Have I prayed about it and asked God to lead me in my decisions? James 4:15 says that our future decisions should keep in mind the phrase, “if it is the Lord's will.” We must always qualify our plans with this phrase as sometimes it may be the will of the Lord for us to accomplish a certain thing, but we may be off when it comes to the timing. Will this resolution take time and resources away from those around me who really depend upon me? We only have so many hours in a day and so many dollars in the bank, so it becomes very important to ask ourselves if the main things in our lives are being taken care of or neglected? If you have a family, it's a good idea to consult your spouse if you are about to allocate funds or time for your special project. Am I prepared to accompany my resolution with prayer and fortitude? The prophet Zechariah once said, “not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Simply making the resolution will not bring about the desired results. Rather, fortitude and a constant reliance upon the spirit of God is what brings about the victory in our lives. Ask yourself if you are prepared to soak this change in your life with daily prayer. Am I prepared to sacrifice and offer up that which is uncomfortable in order to attain my resolution? Whether it be in sports or in the spiritual life, becoming good at something does not come without practice and sacrifice. As “location” is the key to real estate, so practice is the key to the virtuous life. Change comes by habitually practicing the good. Does this resolution further your walk with Christ and glorify the Lord or does vanity compel you? It's a wonderful thing to be physically fit, but if being fit is for the purpose of getting noticed, then your heart is in the wrong place. Become fit so that you can be a more effective witness for Christ. Remember all those times you said, "I'm too tired to do (fill in the blank)?

OCD: Our Christmas Dilemmas
During the Christmas season, we pause to think about the impact of one very special life—the life of Jesus—on the life of every single human being throughout history. It might be easy to see Christ's impact on the world, but do we ever pause to reflect on how precious and powerful every single human life is? Do you ever take time to think about how your life has powerfully impacted the world around you in ways you might not even know? Today's episode reflects on how every life carries great meaning in God's greater plan.

What If You Had Never Been Born?
During the Christmas season, we pause to think about the impact of one very special life—the life of Jesus—on the life of every single human being throughout history. It might be easy to see Christ's impact on the world, but do we ever pause to reflect on how precious and powerful every single human life is? Do you ever take time to think about how your life has powerfully impacted the world around you in ways you might not even know? Today's episode reflects on how every life carries great meaning in God's greater plan. Do you have comments or questions for Jeff? Use the comment box below, or email Jeff at [email protected]. You may hear your question or comment in an upcoming podcast episode!