The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - Stop Procrastinating Spiritual Growth

Episode Date: February 7, 2025

Every day, God gives us an opportunity to grow in our relationship with him. Jeff Cavins emphasizes the importance of transforming our knowledge about the Faith into action to experience authentic spiritual growth. He offers practical advice on tackling procrastination in the spiritual life and shares Scripture verses to inspire us on our journey of discipleship. Snippet from the Show To become true followers of Jesus, we must put into practice everything we learn. 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 https://media.ascensionpress.com/?s=&page=2&category%5B0%5D=Ascension%20Podcasts&category%5B1%5D=The%20Jeff%20Cavins%20Show for full shownotes!

Welcome to the Jeff Kavens show, where we talk about the Bible, discipleship, and evangelization, putting it all together and living as activated disciples. This is show 416. Stop procrastinating. Grow today. Hello, my friend. Thank you for joining me. I'm Jeff Kavans.

If you're brand new, welcome. We meet here every one. week to talk about things related to scripture, Bible study, discipleship, learning how to share Christ with other people, and of course growing in virtue and strength in the Lord. That's what we do every single week. So you just never know what topic you're going to get, but I hope it is good. And if you do want to get a hold of me, you got ideas for shows, love to hear from you or what the show is meant to you in the past. And my email is just simply the Jeff Kaven Show at ascensionpress.com.

I'd love to talk to you in that way. Okay, so today I wanted to talk about something that I've actually been thinking about for two or three weeks that just never got around to doing it. And that is talking about procrastinating, specifically in one area. And that is procrastinating growth, growing in the low. dealing with the things that you are confronted with today, putting into practice, those things that you are studying today. And I think that there is a little bit of a problem in some of our lives in growth and how we actually go about growing. And so I want to talk about that. I want to give you some Bible verses about growing today, but also dealing with procrastination. And then an example of how you can grow today by taking one topic and really attacking it and becoming victorious. And I'll tell you, a little bit later here what that topic's going to be, but whoa, I think you're going to like it.

By the way, I just mentioned that I've got a bunch of scripture verses, and so I want to remind you, they're yours, free, and all you've got to do, really, is just text my name, Jeff Kaven's one word, and text it to the number 3-3-7-7, and we'll get you on the list. You'll get an email

every week with the notes from the show. And like, for example, this week, we have nine Bible verses that are total yours, and I think they're going to be good. and you can take them on into your life and hopefully grow. Okay, are you ready? Now, here's what I think is funny. I think it's a funny thing that is studying,

a studying or listening to a show like this or watching Catholic television or radio or some kind of podcast. Could even be Bible in a year, you never know. But you are busy reading a book, going to a meeting, going to a conference, meeting the youth group at church,

whatever it might be, and you are interested in the faith. And who isn't? You know, I mean, this is the faith. And everybody likes to really learn more and more about it. In one of my talks in the past, I actually gave a kind of a caution about becoming a fan of Jesus and not a follower of Jesus. And that's always one of the pitfalls that we can fall into is that, you know, after two or three years of doing this, you suddenly look back and you think, wow, I really learned an awful lot. but did you change an awful lot? Did you apply it to your life on a daily basis? So do you ever, I'll ask you this question.

Do you ever find yourself studying the faith like the Bible or the catechism or virtues and how to attack vices? You find yourself studying all of these things. But then you suddenly wake up about a week later or two weeks later and realize, I never did a thing about it. I never applied one single thing of what I learned. In fact, I even told my friend about it. it. But I never applied it to my life. I never really buckled down and said, you know, I am going to

put this into practice. I'm going to overcome this vice. I'm going to overcome that habit that keeps me tied down and I can't fly in my faith. Well, listen, I was a pastor for 12 years before I came back to the Catholic Church. So I know what I'm talking about here. I know what people do and you are probably not a whole lot different than other people, but maybe you are. I'll give you benefit of the doubt. But if you're like me, you've got to buckle down once in a while and say,

I'm going to go after that topic, right? I like what the great Hillel, Rabbi Hillel said in contemporary of Jesus. He said, if not you, who? If not now, when? And that's the question I have for you today. If not you, who? And if not now, when? And if not now applying the truths that you've learned, when are you going to do it?

When are you going to do it? Well, if you don't do it fairly soon after you learn it, I got news for you. Again, I was a pastor for 12 years. I counseled a lot of people. If you do not do something about that truth that so caught your attention last week, well, the odds of you ever doing something about that using that information that you gained are quite small. How about the year before last? What were the things that you really learned?

What things really made an impact on you? Oh, most of us say, oh, Jeff, I have no clue. That's why we have to keep track of these things. You know, Father Mike and I put together that insight journal that Ascension has, keep track of those types of things. It's an insight journal. Get you some. Get other people some.

The Insight Journal. So often we study something like patience, for example. And we study or we study fighting, you know, envy in our life. we do everything but pick a time when we will put it into practice it seems to always be shuffled off to tomorrow now the bible has something to say about procrastination and that's what it is and i looked up procrastination what it means and here's what it means it means to procrastinate it means to put it off until tomorrow tomorrow it's it's putting off what should be done today putting it off until tomorrow and then tomorrow comes and you put it off

to the next day. Now Ecclesiastes says something about this, and I'll put it in the show notes for you. In Ecclesiastes 9 and verse 10, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. For there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in shield to which you are going. Now, I'm not prophesying there. Don't worry about that. But the first part of that is what I want you to remember. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your might. Don't just put it. in a notebook. Don't just put that tape or that CD or that book or that podcast or that whatever, back on the shelf. No, whatever your hand finds to do. Whatever you're finding here, do it. Ecclesiases 114 goes on and says, he who observes the wind will not sow and he who

regards the clouds will not reap. So just observing the wind and just, you know, regarding the clouds, you're not going to sew or reap. You've got to actually sow or reap. And I like what John said in the New Testament, John chapter 9 and verse 4, we must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night comes when no one can work. So John's telling us there is a time where you're just not going to be able to work after that. So you have to work the works of him who sent me. That's what Jesus said. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. My friend, it's day right now. It's the time when you can put that into practice. Now there's a number of wonderful verses that talk about the importance of today. And I want to go over those with you after the

break. And then I want to take one special topic. And I want to apply it to show you what I'm talking about. Okay. Hey, guys, my name's Father Mike Schmitz. I am excited to announce that I'll be launching the parables tour this spring. We'll come together and we'll see what the Lord wants to share with us in his word through the parables. And then we'll follow that with a live Q&A. So if you're interested, go to ascensionpress.com slash Father Mike tour to find out dates. and locations. That's ascensionpress.com slash F-R-M-I-K-E tour. God bless and we'll see you there. Welcome back. You thought I'd never return. I am not going to procrastinate on this show.

I will come back after the breaks. I tell you what. Okay, so we're talking today about stop procrastinating, grow today, grow today. And when we learn something from a talk or a book or on TV your radio, whatever it is, your pastor, the homily on Sunday, we really have to do a better job of taking responsibility for that and bringing that into our heart, taking custody of the truth and applying it to our lives today. After all, you learned that. It hit your heart. It stirred your spirit for a reason. And that reason is it's probably for you. It's not just unique or cute or interesting or woo that was that was unusual no it might be but i believe that the lord stirs our heart when we hear something because he wants us to apply it in our lives you know what i'm saying

there so a few verses here that really talk about the importance of today not tomorrow in fact one one thing that jesus said is stop stop thinking about tomorrow stop worrying about tomorrow it's got enough worry of its own you know in matthew chapter six and verse 34 let's see he said yeah he said therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself, as its own built-in anxiety motor, I guess. So let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day. Keep your eyes on today. Focus on today. What's going on today? What's God saying to you today? What is he stirring in your heart today? It could overflow into tomorrow or the whole week, it could, the whole month, but you got to start today. And again, if you don't, I'm telling you, I'm telling you. I'm telling you.

you're probably not going to return to it because you know what the NFL playoffs are going to be here and the Super Bowl is going to be here and then you're going to go on that ski trip and that revelation that you received today or yesterday long gone i'm curious has that ever happened to you if it has write me the jeff khaven show at ascensionpress.com i want to hear is that ever happened to you now it's kind of a trick question because the answer might be but i can't remember what it's probably the answer but I'd love to hear so here's what it says now okay Psalm 118 24 this is the day which the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it I like that because it connects today with action this is the day which the Lord has made now listen what it doesn't say is this is the day the Lord has made therefore put it in your pocket and bring it back up next October doesn't say that it says this is the day the Lord has made so so rejoice and be glad in it today today so you can't get today back once

it's tomorrow matthew 6.11 give us today our daily bread we notice that the prayer doesn't say say lord give give us our bread next Friday says give us today our daily bread we bring today into the picture when we want something, don't we? When we really want something, I want it now. I want to go to the mall. I want to go to Amazon. Can I borrow some money? Can I take a loan on that work?

I really want that today. When we want it today, but what about when we need to change? What if we just change those and the things that we need to change became the things that we wanted? We could trick ourselves because we would want that today. Deuteronomy 281. Oh, by the way, Deuteronomy is filled. with a lot of commands for today, it says in Deuteronomy 281, and if you obey the voice of the Lord,

your God, being careful to do all his commandments, which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. Isn't that beautiful? And if you obey the voice of the Lord, not, and if you hear the voice of the Lord, your God, be careful to write down those commandments. Right? No, you didn't say that. at all. He says, if you obey the voice of the Lord, your God, be careful to do all that he has commanded. And then Deuteronomy 40, therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God gives you forever. Isn't that wonderful?

I love this because, you know, while I'm picking up a Bible, I have a great adventure Bible in my hand right now, and it is the new premium. check it out there hasn't been a premium catholic bible around for a long time and we've got one now goat skin cover beautifully bonded oh just it's really strong in the block it's not going to be ripped out it's not going to tear beautiful gsm paper that's gsm 40 in its color and it has the catechism built right into it all the citations there's nothing like it anyway i wasn't going to talk about that but i'm holding it here so i had to say something today and I don't want to wait till tomorrow.

Okay, so I've got my Bible in my hands here. And by the way, I do know what God is dealing with me right now in my life. And it really has a lot to do with just my family, you know, the Lord really, really working on me. But I chose an example that I think everybody can identify with. So let's just take one topic. And I'll tell you what I'm thinking about, okay? So the topic that I would like to talk about with you

is the topic of, it's one of the deadly sins. You know what the deadly sins mean, right? They're deadly. They're not friendly. They don't just tease. They're deadly. So what is that deadly sin that some of us deal with in our lives? Here it is, envy.

Envy. Do you struggle with envy? Now, I'm talking about envy. I could have talked about patience. I could have talked about anger. I could have talked about focus in your life, whatever it might be, but I chose envy. Now, there is a difference between envy and. jealousy. Jealousy is I want what you have, and that's not necessarily a sin. You might have a nice

home. I'd like to have a nice home. You have a beautiful marriage. I'd like to have a beautiful marriage. That's, oh, I'm so jealous. I wish I could have that. There's nothing necessarily wrong or sinful about it. It can be. But envy, there's nothing ever good about it. Not one speck of goodness in envy. Nothing. Envy is when I don't want you to have the good things you have. Oh, and right away, you can see this is deadly because I can't control that. all it does is spew its poison into my bloodstream, into my spiritual bloodstream, and takes me down. Now, there's different ways of looking at envy, right? Now, here's a good example of it, really, from Scripture.

It talks about rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Now, Satan turns that upside down. It's his kind of piety. It's his envy. And that is, rejoice with those who are mourning and mourn when others rejoice. Yuck. Okay, so we have envy, hatred, a deep dislike for someone, not because of just who they are, but maybe what they have, or their success in life, or their fortune that they seem to have acquired. It's tailbearing. Oftentimes people who struggle with envy are all caught up in tailbearing, malicious gossip, revealing secrets about somebody hoping that they will be brought down low.

Oh, that's deadly. That's deadly. revealing secrets for no reason other than you make me sad i can't take it michael angelo you're so good detractions another part of envy reduce or it means to reduce or take away the worth of a or the value of a person with your tongue joy at your neighbor's misfortune grief of others prosperity oh this is so bad so if you're dealing with that don't put it off when in the world would you have time to take that one on and go after it, other than now because it's fresh in your mind. God might be bringing that up to you for a certain reason.

It might be coming up on your schedule with the people you're meeting or the experiences that you're going to have, the places you're going to go, the decisions you have to make. You can't afford to be envious. So here's the answer. Here's what I would share with you. And there's all kinds of things you could put down here. And I'm sure that you could add to this list, no doubt. The two of us together can get a lot done, right?

So here's what I would do, and this is what I typically do in my life. I'm struggling with one particular area. Number one, pray. Tell God what you're dealing with. Lord, I'm dealing with this, and I am not comfortable with it. And I don't have any way of justifying it, envy. And it's bringing me down. It's even infected my family, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with my wife.

So you begin to pray. You bring this to God. That's the first thing to do. Don't keep it from God. He knows it anyway. But you bring it to God, number one. Number two, I would encourage you to start finding some verses in the Bible that relate to this problem of envy. Today, don't wait.

Please don't wait. Today, if this is in your heart, you've got the time. You've got the time. In one episode of Survivor, you can look up 20 verses online about envy. I know it. And your meal 10 minutes early. You got some time. So find verses in the Bible that relate to this problem.

get yourself about five to ten of them write them down put them in your phone so you pray then you start turning to god's word find what he has to say and then check out the catechism regarding envy and this is all easy online if you don't have a catechism but if you've ever seen the the new ascension catechism amazing along with the great adventure bible the two can knock down envy in your life of course you have to put some elbow grease into it so it's pray go to the Word of God. Find out what the church has to say about this. Go to confession. Get or done today if you can. Today. Don't wait. Look it up. Call your local church. Call the other churches in the area. Look them up on the web. Are they open for confession today? And then get yourself

down there. It's all easy online. It really is. Go to confession. By doing it now, you'll demonstrate to yourself that you are very serious about this. It's not just a fleeting thought. Hey, when in the world can envy be a fleeting thought that can be hanging around. I'll just deal of it sometime. Wow, that's true with all of the deadly sins. And then number five, laser focus. What are we going to do? We are now going to focus throughout the day. That when I start to feel envious about something, I'm going to stop. I'm going to praise God because God is sufficient. God has all that I'm looking for. my happiness and my joy and my purpose in life is not dependent upon Frank or Susan or Barry or Thomas or Linda or Maggie or Rebecca or David it's not it's between me and the Lord and you see

envy is not a problem between you and that person at work envy is a problem between you and God you are not receiving his sufficient blessing you're not it's not enough it's what you're saying you're saying, Jeff, it is. It really is. Well, let's make it then. This is the hard work. Roll up your sleeves. This is such hard work. You don't even have to roll up your sleeves. Put on a muscle shirt. We're going to get this thing done, right? Today. And then we're going to work on it tomorrow. In the next day, the next day. Maybe this is going to be a whole month, but you're going to start today. So you write down a couple of verses throughout the day you are praying constantly, Lord. You are enough. You are enough. And then begin to pray.

for that person. Lift them up to the Lord. Ask God to continue to bless them. You say, oh, I don't know if I can do that. Well, I do. I know you can. You wouldn't be listened to this show right now if you didn't have the capability

of doing something like that. Paul said to the Corinthians in 2nd Corinthians 10.5, I'm going to throw this one in. We destroy arguments in every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ there. Don't argue with me.

Argue with Jesus. I like that so much. We destroy arguments in every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God. And we, we, you take every thought captive. Captive to what? Not to sit around and pick it up tomorrow and noodle it? No. You take every thought captive to obey Christ.

That's why you have to know scripture. That's why you got to know what the church teaches. That's why you have to go to confession. It's work, yes, but the work is well. well worth doing you might want to take a whole week on this one well my friend that's how it's done that's what we need to do and if you let's say you let's say you took a month on one item and the next month another item get this a year from now will come whether you're on earth or not that's between you and god but a year from now will come and you will have either dealt with 12 issues in

your life or six issues in your life or three issues in your life or or or or or or 52 issues in your life or whatever. Or you will be just like you are today, but probably a little more discouraged because all of the garbage and everything has just been heaping on one day after another and it's just getting deeper. Listen, you don't want that.

I know you don't. I don't want that in my own life. Let me pray for you. And again, I love to hear from you. I really would. I'm not just saying that. I want to hear what you, you know, what the Lord has been doing in your life,

the Jeff Kaven Show at ascensionpress.com. And again, if you want the show notes and all these delicious scriptures that I shared with you today, text my name, Jeff Kaven's one word, to 33777. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, I thank you today for your life.

I thank you, Lord, for giving your life to us, dying for us. And Lord, we repent from study. but not doing. We repent from saying the word but not doing it. Help us, Lord, to take custody of our thoughts and bring them into obedience to you. Lord, show us each individual of that area in our life that we really need to focus on and give us that tenacity, that certitude that we can go forward and know that you are going to help us in this area. We give all the glory to you in Jesus name. Amen. I love you, my friend. Looking forward to talking to you again next week.

By the way, the last two shows I was talking to L.A. and anyone else who has a real tragedy, whether it be a fire or some kind of family situation or work, share those shows with people who are suffering. Really, my heart is still there with you, L.A. and all my brothers and sisters out there. God bless you. We'll talk to you next week. Thank you.