The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - Grape Branches – Embrace Your Spiritual Seasons!

Episode Date: January 14, 2022

God helps us to grow into the fruitful branches he needs us to be by having us endure different spiritual seasons. Just like each season is essential to the growth of a fruitful grape vine, each spiritual season plays an essential part in helping us as disciples better follow Christ. Jeff offers some comforting perspective on this and encourages us to embrace the seasons we're in, even if it is one of pruning and cleansing. _Show Snippet _ "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit," John 15: 1-2 Email us with comments or questions at [e-mail]. Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get Jeff’s shownotes delivered straight to your email! Or visit ascensionpress.com/thejeffcavinsshow for full shownotes!

Welcome to the Jeff Kaven Show, where we talk about the Bible, discipleship, and evangelization, putting it all together in living as activated disciples. This is show 253. Great Branches. Pay attention to the seasons. I'm looking forward to sharing some good news with you. And that's what we do every single week is share some good news with you and get together. I love getting together. with you. I really do. Sometimes I'm on your arm. Sometimes I'm next to you in the seat and in the car. And other times I'm in the back pocket walking along. But we're together. And we get to share every single week some of the good things that the Lord is doing, not only in the church at, you know, the wide scope of it all, but also our individual lives. What is the Lord doing with you? And in fact, that's what I want to talk to you about today a little bit is the grape

branches. Hey, are you paying attention to the seasons? Do you know what's going on in your life right now? As the Lord is leading you and feeding you and correcting you and comforting you, you know where you're at with the Lord? I'm going to share with you something today that I think will be really helpful from John 15, one of my favorite chapters. John 15, the vine and the branches and a lifestyle. If you want show notes for this show or any of the shows in the future, all you got to do is text my name, Jeff Kavens, one word, Jeff Kavans, and you can text it to the number 3-3-7-7-7. That's 33-77. All right. So, hey, a couple of announcements before we get into the meat of what we want to talk about this week, there's a couple of big things happening right now. Have you gone through the Bible in a year? Well, maybe you didn't go through the whole thing. Maybe you're still catching. up a bit. Well, this is still for you. You can still do this what I'm about to announce to you. But if you did go through it, well, then we have your next step. And we want to talk to you about your next step

as you read the Bible in a year and beyond. I'm amazed at, at least in the past, I think we turned a corner here, to be honest with you. But in the past, you know, people, they'll get a study like the Great Adventure or Bible in a year, which is a huge adventure. And they'll get done with it and it's almost like it's kind of well you know i checked that off my list i did that been there done that you know but with the bible things are really different with the bible it's not a matter of checking it off on a list and then saying well now what should i do it's home it's the place where you rest it's where you it's where you live in god's word and so please do not think this is something that belongs on a checklist you know hey did that now what do you got no stay there

You certainly can't go through the Bible in a year again, and a lot of people are doing it, and that's really, really good. But you can also go deeper. You can go into the Great Adventure Bible study, which is really the cradle that all this took place in, and that is 24 weeks. And it's 24 weeks through the whole Bible with a phenomenal workbook. And I was talking to some of the folks over at Ascension the other day, and they said that some of the studies that they're doing, and the people that they are talking to are really interested in the 24-week version of the great adventure. And to be honest with you, that's where it's at. You know, I mean, unlocking the mystery of the Bible is really good for kind of a quick start. And that's eight

half-hour sessions. I take you from Genesis to Revelation and show you how to read the Bible. Yay, it's good. But you who have gone through the Bible in a year, I think you're ready now for the 24-week study. And with the basis and the foundation that has been built in your life over the last year with Father Mike, now you have a foundation on which you can go deeper. And this is the time to do it. Strike when the iron is hot. And this is fresh in your mind. Go deeper. Really seriously consider that. Pray about it. I'll pray about it too, okay? It is a powerful study, and I encourage you to do it. But here's the deal. Coming up on February, 18, 19, and 20.

That's Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Father Mike Schmitz and I are going to have a virtual conference. That's right. Now, obviously, we can't get everybody to Minnesota and we can't go to everybody's house. So we're going to utilize technology and we're going to be coming to you via the internet. That's a virtual conference. 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 myself. And an opportunity for fellowship with other Bible in a year listeners from all over the world literally. It's an interactive prayer experience and the chance to reflect on what you've experienced, either in your own virtual small group or on your own. And to sign up, you can go to ascensionpress.com forward slash Bible in a year. And we'll put it in the show notes for you. And by the way, Bible in a year has started up in Spanish. If you know anybody that speaks Spanish, give them the message.

Introduce them to the Bible in a year. It's going to be good. Father Mike and I each are going to be sharing some special talks and some Q&A together. You're going to like it. It's going to be a reunion. It's going to be fun. We want to hear from you as well. So put it on your calendar.

That's February 18, 19, and 20. And make sure you get in because seats are limited. Hey, the other thing is that coming up in August 9 through the 18th, my lovely wife, Emily and I are going to be going on a Rhine River cruise in Switzerland, Germany, France, and Holland. And I've taken this before. It is stunning. It's spectacular.

And the church history sites along the way, woo, very good. So we're going to be doing a lot of teaching on the cruise and a lot of fellowship with you. And I'm looking forward to seeing you on the cruise. Wouldn't that be great? We're with each other, you know, 52 weeks a year. And now we get to go down a river together and talk about this. That's going to be good. Okay.

I want to talk to you today just about, I want to talk to you as a grape branch. And I didn't say a great branch, but I'm sure you are, but a grape branch. and the great chapter that reveals the truth about the vine and the branches is John 15. And in John 15, Jesus talks a lot about our relationship with him. And I would like to encourage you today with what I would call a new beginning, a fresh new beginning. And maybe you feel like you need that new beginning. Maybe you're at that place right now. Maybe you're not.

And we want to talk about that a little bit. Ecclesiastes, and I'll put this in the show notes for you, Ecclesiastes 3-1 says that there is a time for everything, which is good news, and that means that we don't have to do everything at once. I mean, we're created in the image and likeness of God, and that really means that we can meditate on yesterday and we can contemplate tomorrow. In fact, we can live in the yesterday or live in the tomorrow instead of today. That's the danger of being created so beautifully and so marvelously. So there is a time for everything. You don't have to do everything right now. And there is a season for every activity under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant, and a time to uproot. Sounds like the lyrics of a song, doesn't it? If I was inclined to write music, I might just take those words and run with it. That's Ecclesiastes 3-1. And then there's another scripture that I have underlined in my well-worn. Bible here, to my left. And it's Isaiah 4319. I love this scripture. Isaiah 4319 says, and this is God saying to you today, okay? Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. I love it.

Because, you know, chapters 1 through 39 in Isaiah is really dealing with a judgment. And then starting in chapter 40 on, it's really dealing with a new day, a springtime. And that's what John the Baptist quotes from, Isaiah 40 on when he meets Jesus. And that's what the Lord is saying to you today. And that is, I want to do a new thing in your life. And it's going to spring forth. And the question is, are you going to perceive it? Are you going to be aware of what's happening in your life?

Well, using the metaphor of the grapes and the vine, you actually have a way to kind of figure out where you're at. Now, I could go really deep into this, and I'm not going to, but I could go really deep into this because I taught a course years and years ago about the vine and the branches, and it was a 15-week course on it. And I'm not going to shrink that down into this podcast, but I do want to share with you a couple of key things. anyone who has walked with God for any length of time recognizes that God works with us at different times in different ways. When I was a child, he worked with me as a child, when I was a teen as a teen as an adult, as an adult. And as a man, I'm assuming he works with me a little bit differently than he might work with a woman and vice versa. But at some moments of our lives, we seem to be really bubbling over with joy. And everything is going our

way. You're healthy. Your mind is peaceful. The kids are doing well. Finances are okay. Your friends are coming. It's just great. Sun's out, 75 degrees. You're bubbling over with joy. But at other times, the joy that we experience is far, far deeper as we endure painful or distressing circumstances in our life. And that's the beautiful thing about being a grapevine in God's vineyard, is that even in the stressful time, there can be joy. It really can be. There can be purpose in the difficult times of your life.

And I want to share that with you. So I'm going to take a break here. When I come back, I'm going to open up with John 15. and we're going to talk about grapes. Hey, pay attention to the season that you're in right now. You're listening to the Jeff Kaven show. Okay, here's the gut check right here, because if nothing changes, nothing changes. Do you want to be holy?

And do you want to be an instrument of renewal in this world? And if so, do you believe it's possible? Do you know what it looks like? Do you know where to begin? Because if nothing changes, nothing changes. My name's Father Mark Mary. I'm a Franciscan friar of the renewal. and I wrote a book called Habits for Holiness.

And it pulls from over 800 years of Franciscan tradition, wisdom, and experience of radical and total discipleship in the midst of the world, but in a way which begins with little steps and works not only for religion, not only for priests, but for everybody. The change you desire is possible. The conversion you desire is possible. The renewal you desire is possible. The healing you desire is possible.

And it begins with little steps. So to guide you on your way and to help you make the next best, step of renewal in your life, I'd invite you to pick up a copy of my book, Habits for Holiness. God bless you. All right, grape branches. Thanks for coming back. Beautiful metaphor in John 15 for spiritual growth, and that's the vine and the branches. We are the branches.

He's the vine. He's also the master of the vineyard. And he's the one who does all the work on these grape vine. and I'm really glad I'm part of the grape vine right now. But there are some times where sometimes I'm wondering, Lord, did you really need to take that much off? Did you need to lop that much off in my life? And I have to trust him.

So listen to this. This is beautiful. Jesus says, I'm the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. Okay. And Jesus and the father are one. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you.

Abide in me, and I and you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in me. I in him, he it is that bears much fruit for apart from me, you can do nada. Nothing. Okay, squat, nothing. We can't do anything. Apart from Jesus, we can't do anything.

So if we don't understand God's working in seasons, we'll make the mistake of assuming that the moments of euphoria are what Christianity is meant to be. It's what it's all about is that we're just supposed to walk around with this incredible joy and this piece that passes all understanding 24-7 every day, every day of the year, every moment of every day. And that anything less is a source of continual condemnation. What's wrong with me? What am I doing wrong? And what is God, you know, where is God in the midst of my yearning and my longing for him? But look at Jesus' life for a moment. You know, the seasons of great joy and times of great trouble. We see him in crowds who are very eager for his attention, and we see him all alone

on the hillside talking to his father. But Jesus was not afraid to embrace the changing spiritual seasons of his life. First of all, God does not change, but Jesus was a man. We know that. And so he had to live in the seasons of life. And we see him weeping. We see him calling out to the father in the Garden of Getsemone. There's a need for change in our lives. And as we are moving into this new year now and so much is happening around the world, we know that change is coming.

We know that. We don't like it, but we know that it's coming. You know that without seasonal changes, vineyards would never, ever bear fruit. In each season, every single season offers something that the vine needs for its continued growth. that every season the vine needs something from the season in the spring for example it brings the needed rain and mild days to do what to stimulate growth without crushing it in the soaring heat that's in the

spring the vine needs the spring the vine needs the summer because it offers enough sun to bring the grapes to maturity and in the autumn the grapes need the grape vines need autumn, because autumn offers the opportunity for harvest, undaunted by rain and a chance for the vine to restore itself before winter. And then, yes, we need winter. And I'm looking right now at the lake, it's frozen over. It's probably a foot and a half of snow on top of it. I got to bring myself to say, we need winter. We do. As grape vines, you know that we need winter. We need all four seasons. I wonder if all of you in Florida, that hot weather, I wonder if you're undernourished. Oh, no, that's probably not true.

Anyway, winter, it brings a much-needed rest. By the way, speaking of Florida, my wife keeps saying, you know, we should go down to Florida and spend some time down there just to get out of the cold up north. So if you have any suggestions, let me know. Okay, so winter brings a much-needed rest. Without it, the vine would not be able to cycle again to harvest. need, what we need to cultivate, to be honest with you, is a sense for what God is doing right now in our lives, rather than wishing we were in another season. And that's what, I'm kind of

admitting this now, but that's what we do sometimes here in Minnesota is we wish we were in the spring. We wish we were in the summer, but the fact is, we're in the middle of winter. We do ourselves and God no service when we are always frustrated by what God is not doing in our lives instead of participating in what he is doing in our lives. So make sure of this, when it comes to you and your relationship with your heavenly father, he's always working. And Jesus even said that in John 5 in verse 17. I'll stick it in the show notes for you.

He says, my father is always at work to this very day. And so, yes, it's true. God is at work in you. and you don't have to be discouraged about what you think God is not doing in your life, but you have to ask the Lord and start looking at what are you doing in my life right now? Yeah, the world is upside down, but what are you doing in my life right now? So take comfort in the fact that at this very moment you are in a season with God is active in your welfare.

Instead of complaining, I'm better off looking for the way that God is working. in my life at any given moment. And that's the key, to be honest with you, that's the key to walking with God and abiding with God as a great branch in the vineyard. We don't want to be great branches that are complaining. Can you imagine walking through a vineyard of complaining branches? Oh, my gosh, I'd prune all of you, just like that.

So we are not the initiators in the vineyard. We know that he is. He determines the seasons of our lives, when to prune, when to feed, or when to harvest our fruit. But, you know, I mentioned that earlier springtime is really an important time. And this is where it all begins. Everything is fresh. It's a new beginning. And everything is new in the spring.

In Isaiah 43 kind of said that, didn't he? This represents the beginning of the fruitful cycle, the warming. afternoon signals the return of spring and the vine responds with a flow of sap up through the roots and out to the branches. Yes. Yes, there it is. That's why we like spring. I remember the first spring of my life in the vineyard as an adult, 18 years old. Oh, nice. As glorious as spring is, it is also a time of extreme danger, more danger than any other season. The delicate young leaves and blossom bunches will never be more vulnerable. A late frost to hailstorm, weeds, or insects, and spell a quick end to a promised harvest. So how many times when we have felt the most secure

in our lives has the enemy come to snatch away our newfound joy? I like what Jesus says here. See, It's in verses 2 and 3 of John 15. He says, every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You're already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Now, this is interesting because verse 2 mentions prune and verse 3 mentions clean. Now, what is interesting about this is that the word for prune is the same root root. word for clean. So springtime is an amazing time. As springtime is when the vineyard is clean, tidy, and uniform. All is under control. Have you ever cut the lawn and had a feeling of everything

being under control as you sit back and look at it? I like that feeling actually. You know, in the summer you mow the lawn and you're hot and you kind of sit back afterwards and you look at the fruit of your labor and the smell of it and by the way that i'm going down little rabbit holes but that smell of freshly cut grass was one of the five most pleasurable smells to men in a survey taken a few years ago so though we miss we miss it in the translation his pronouncement has an interesting wordplay here and the word he uses for clean comes from the same root as the word for pruning. So he demonstrates by his usage exactly what pruning is meant to accomplish. It makes the vine clean in the fullest sense of the word,

trimmed and ready for growth. In their spiritual life, this was their first spring in Jesus vineyard. They were ready for the process of fruitfulness to begin. And it's interesting, our growth in God's kingdom does not aim ultimately for cleanliness. It's fruitfulness. It's fruitfulness. It begins in cleanliness. You are clean because of the word that I gave you. And pruning continues that process. So I want to encourage you today, just a little bit shorter of a show, but I want to encourage you today to seriously pray. Maybe you want to go to your chapel at your church or if you're down in the south, you can sit on the back porch and ask the Lord, where are you right now? where am I at with you, Lord? What are you doing in my life? Keeping in mind that spring brings the

needed rain in mild days. And then summer offers enough sun to bring the grapes to maturity. Autumn offers the opportunity for harvest. And then the winter, it brings a much needed rest, kind of resetting the plant in a positive way. I say that word. But it gets the plant ready for the next thing that God is going to do. And our Heavenly Father, is the master of the vineyard and he is doing something and working in each and every one of our lives. So that's what I'm going to challenge you to do is to ask God, Lord, what are you doing? And help me, oh God, to not be so upset about what I don't see you doing, but help me to actually focus on what you are doing. Because, Lord, I know that without you, I can do nothing. I know that.

and I have no desire to leave the vine, I just want to be a good branch. I want to be a fruitful branch. If you need to prune me and you need to cleanse me, I'm open, I'm open. I just want to know where I'm at. That's a good prayer, isn't it, don't you think? So I hope you can make that prayer, your prayer. Okay, so shall we pray? In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Jesus, we thank you today for life.

and we thank you, Lord, for giving us the opportunity to walk with you as disciples. We do know, Lord, that we are branches in your vineyard due to us, Lord, as you will. Work with us, as you will. Help us to be content in what you are doing rather than what you are not doing in our lives. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen. Okay, please know that I'm praying for you, and I would ask you to pray for me. We have a lot to live for. a lot to do. With Jesus, everything is different now, and it's time to turn our hearts to his

amazing plan of sheer goodness. All right. Be blessed.