The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - Trading TV for Bible Knowledge

Episode Date: March 6, 2026

Are we spending more time keeping up with the latest shows and headlines than we are with the Word of God? Jeff invites us to “redeem the time” by trading a little screen time for Scripture, showing just how quickly many books of the Bible can be read. 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!

This podcast is brought to you by Ascension. To discover even more free Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources, to help you live your faith every day, visit ascensionpress.com. 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 472, Trading TV for Bible Knowledge. Welcome to the show. I'm Jeff Kavans. Thank you for taking a few minutes to join me. I promise that if you stay with me, you're really going to get something out of this. And you're certainly going to get more of the Word of God. The Bible, reading the Bible. No, I want to talk today about trading TV for Bible knowledge because I have been talking to a lot of people recently

who ask me the same question. And I got to thinking, what in the world are people doing in evening as far as their TV habits. What I mean by this is that people have been asking me, hey, did you hear about what so-and-so said last night on TV? Did you hear about what so-and-so said on their podcast? Did you hear about this on YouTube and so forth? Asking me all these questions about pop formators out there. And they're wonderful people. Don't get me wrong. There are just a lot of good people saying a lot of good things on Fox. We got Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson. We've got all of these wonderful people.

But then we have also a lot of other kinds of shows that are getting into people's schedules, so to speak. And I am wondering, are people spending too much time trying to stay up on politics, stay up on the war, stay up on immigration, stay up on Minnesota, and so many other topics that they literally are not sitting down and reading scripture.

Not even once in a while, much less on a daily basis, which we should all do since we are all so blessed with a copy of the Bible. So anyway, that's what I want to talk to you about today. I've got some scripture for you, and I also, I've got some formulas for you about how to trade in some of your favorite shows

for reading the Bible. I'm holding in my hand right now, my wonderful chart called Time. to read each Bible book. I know how long it takes to read Nehemiah, 58 minutes. I know how long it takes to read Exodus, two hours and 51 minutes. I know how long it takes to read Obadiah, four minutes. And I could go on and on. Fileman, I think is the smallest, that's three minutes. You got three minutes to read the word of God? So we're going to talk about that today. If you do want the scriptures that I'm going to be sharing with you. All you got to do is text my name, Jeff Kavens, one word to the number 33777. That's

3377, and I will get you the scriptures that I'm going to be using. All right. Let me start by laying a bit of a foundation for you, from the Bible, of course, on your time and wisdom in using your time. Now, I want you to think with me for a moment this week. Are you using, you, use? your time wisely? Or from six in the evening to 10 in the evening, are you watching cable news? Are you listening to things on YouTube, for example? What are you doing with your time? Are you using it wisely? Now, here's a few scriptures, and I want to lay a foundation here. I'll give you a few scriptures, and then I'll give you some calculations as to how you can trade in some of the things that you're watching, some of the very popular shows out there. And you can spend the

that time, reading the Bible, reading the catechism, prayer, adoration. How about spend some time with God? So here we go. Ephesians 5 says something really important. Ephesians 5, 15 and 16, says, look carefully then how you walk. Not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Now, I would think that you would agree with me that the days are evil. There's a lot of things happening out there. There's fraud. There's war. There's all kinds of craziness, you know, going on in the news, this hearing, that hearing. Are you making the best use of your time? The days are evil. Don't be unwise. Be wise. How do you become wise? Make the best use of your time. Colossians 4 or 5 says walk in wisdom toward outsiders making the best use of the time.

So so far we know that if we're talking about a walk in wisdom with people outside of the church, outside of the people that we normally you fellowship with and worship with, how do you do that? How do you walk in wisdom towards outsiders? Well, you've got to make the best use of the time. And that's connected to Ephesians 5. How do you make the best use of your time? You get to know the word of God.

In fact, I didn't give you all of the reading of Ephesians 5. Let me go back just for a moment on that, okay? Ephesians 5, 15, 16, and 17. That's what I wanted to share with you. It says, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore, listen, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. So how do you redeem the time? How do you make the most of your time?

Well, knowing what the will of the Lord is. Because if you don't know what the will of the Lord is in your life, you can waste your time. But if you know what the will of the Lord is, well, then you will spend it accordingly. So then Colossians 4-5 comes in, walk in wisdom toward outsiders making the best use of the time. How do you make the best use of your time? You understand what the will of the Lord is. And where do we find that in the Word of God? Then number three, Psalm 90 in verse 12 says, so teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

So there's a direct relationship there with time management, numbering your days, figuring out you only have so many days, weeks, months, years on earth, number your days so that you can get a heart of wisdom. See, focus on wisdom. Focus on the will of God. Now again, I'll bring you back to that question. What are you doing with your time at night? Six to ten? Is it all the shows on Fox and CNN, MSNBC? Is it other famous shows out in the world today?

You know what I'm talking about, those shows that everybody is talking about, the shows like Yellowstone or Young Sheldon or Law and Order SVU? What about American Idol, The Bachelor? We're going to take a look at some of the Chicago PD, all of these. incredibly important programs that may be taking your time right now. Now, there's a lot more, isn't there? Of course, there's Abbott Elementary, Stranger Things, the Bear. Now, please no, I am not putting any of these people down.

These actors are showing, I'm asking the question, how can you use your time? Just a little bit better. Want some more scripture before we get into that? Okay. Ecclesiastes 9. In verse 10, whatever your hands find to do, do it with your might, with all your might. Proverbs 10.4, a slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

And 1st Corinthians 1031, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Wow. Now, there's the will of God right there. That'll save you some time. You'll make the most of every opportunity. is your evening schedule and your evening pattern all to the glory of God. I know you're going to watch TV here and there. That's part of our culture.

I'm just, you know what I'm talking about, right? You know what I'm talking about. So let's do this together, shall we? Let's just look at a little bit of this. We've got shows. How about Bluey, Disney Jr., okay? 30 minutes. What can you do with 30 minutes?

Well, let's look here on the old menu. Well, you can read Ecclesiastes for one because it only takes 31 minutes. What else can you do? Josea takes 32 minutes. You can trade in Bluey for Josea. Amos, 24 minutes. So you can read Amos and have six minutes left over to watch a little Bluey. Another one.

What do we got here? Zechariah is 35 minutes. You can read Zechariah. So that's Bluey. Here's a real popular show. Now, this one varies between 60 and 90 minutes. And, of course, when it's in. in season.

And that's Survivor. Oh, Mr. Kavins, you just touched on something very sacred in our home. In fact, we get together with our neighbors and we have Survivor parties. Please, please talk about the voice or bachelor, but not Survivor. Now let's talk about Survivor, shall we? I mean, you want to read the Bible for two hours a night and then watch Survivor? I suppose that's okay. But if you're not reading the Bible right now on a regular basis, let me ask you, my friend,

What are you doing spending 90 minutes with Survivor? Hmm. So what can we do with 90 minutes? Let's say it's 90 minutes, shall we? That's an hour and a half. What can I get you here? Well, book Judges is 141. You can read Judges for one episode of Survivor.

Here's Second Maccabees. Maybe you've never even read Second Maccabees. That's an hour and a half. Prover. Oh, listen to this. Talk about trading in things. Proverbs is an hour and 35 minutes. That's one episode of Survivor, one 90-minute episode.

You can always tape it and then play it back at like one and a half speed just to find out what the plot was, but you're trading it in for wisdom. Proverbs. Okay, let me give you another one here. Hmm. Well, we can do some combinations here as well. For example, I can get you Daniel and Zachary. for one, one episode of Survivor for 90 minutes. Zechariah takes 35 minutes.

Josea, well, look at this. It's a better deal. Josea's 32 minutes. Zachariah's 35 minutes. If I can get more, one more here. Let me look. Ecclesiastes. So there's a combination.

It's like going to a soda fountain or an ice cream shop and putting together all the different combinations you can to fill your heart for one. show. So that's Survivor. How about American Idol? That's an hour in 20 minutes. That's two hours. Oh, look at this. You're going to love it.

You can get Leviticus. I know right now you're like, seriously, Jeff? Really? Man, you just made my day. Yes, Leviticus for one American Idol. Okay, now we also have First Maccabees. You can read that.

First Maccabees for one American Idol. Let's see, what else do we got here? Is there anything? It's two hours to read in the... There it is. There it is. First Kings. And that's one American Idol.

Throw two of them in. And you got first and second kings. That's not a bad idea, actually. And look at this. First Chronicles is two hours and three minutes. You can get that one in, too. Let's touch on a couple. You know what?

I'm going to take a break. When I come back, I'm going to share with you some real big savings in your Bible reading this week, if you're willing to make the most of every opportunity. You're listening to The Jeff Kaven Show. I am Father Colomba, Jordan a Franciscan friar of the Renewal, living here in Ireland. This lent, I'm partnering with Ascension to bring you Crooks, a set of daily challenges and videos in the Ascension app. Starting Ash Wednesday, we'll take on four challenges each day that remind us of the course.

cross of Christ. One, reading scripture, two, praying the examined prayer, three, doing one workout or exercise and four, and dietary fast of your choice. Nothing extreme. It's about stepping into small daily challenges that rub up against our weakness so we can learn to meet God in those moments and rely on him alone. So here's the invitation. Join me every day this lent in the Ascension app. Get ready for a that stretches you, challenges you, and draws you closer to God. Download and subscribe to the Ascension app to get started today. God bless you. I'll see you soon. Welcome back. Oh, we're having fun this week.

We're trading in television shows for the Bible because people are saying, I just don't have the time to read the Bible, but they do know a lot about American Idol. And let's go after the Bachelor, shall we? let's just go after one of the favorites. That's an hour and 20 minutes. That's another two. And I'm going to show you here that you can read a book of the Bible and have 15 minutes left over. Joshua takes an hour and 42 minutes.

An hour and 42 minutes. Well, man, it's only 20 minutes longer, I guess, than The Bachelor. Bachelor is 120 minutes. So that would be, let me see if I can get you something else here. You might think of a book as well as long as we are doing this together. So we have, let's see. Well, here we go. Here we go.

Two hours, 20 minutes. You can read Matthew. So in the time that you would have watched The Bachelor, throw in some change, throw in 20 minutes. You got yourself Matthew's Gospel. Now think about it for a moment. Matthews Gospel trade it for the Bachelor one evening

and I should go into business doing this I can save people so much time 60 minutes we got Chicago fire that's 60 minutes what can you read for that

1st Corinthians and if you had the 90 survivor for example you can trade Survivor in for First Corinthians and Second Corinthians. Oh, if I had a cowbell, I'd ring that right now. That's amazing. Survivor for both Corinthians. Pretty cool.

120 minutes on American Idol is Axe. That's two hours and 15 minutes. Let me see what else I've got here for you. Maybe you are a fan of Stranger Things. For Stranger Things, a 60-minute episode. There's 90-minute episodes as well. But for a 60-minute one, you can get in... You ready?

Now, this is a collection of them. You can get in Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Naham, Habakkuk, Zefaniah, and Haggiyai. All of them for Stranger Things. That's pretty good. The bear. Oh, that might have been one that you liked as well on Hulu, right? 30 minutes on an episode. That'll get you Baruch. You can read Lamentations in 20 minutes and, you know, take a walk around the block real quick. Amos, you can get Amos in for the bear. And you can get Zechariah in for the bear. You can get Ephesians, Philippians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Second Thessalonians for the bear. That combination. that's amazing you can get first and second

Thessalonians and second Timothy for the bear isn't that something oh you like SWAT there's a 60 minute one right there you can get Hebrews in and have time left over that's only 44 but for SWAT you can get James 1st Peter second Peter first John and

2 John, 3rd John, and Jude, all of them. I just went from James, 1st, 2nd, Peter, 1st, 2nd, John, 3rd, John, Jude, all for the bear. Pretty good. Well, I think you get the idea there, right? I could go on all day with that. But let me share this with you in kind of winding all of this down. This is the important thing I read to you. Ephesians 5, redeem the time.

make the time in all serious and snow redeem the time buy it back make it up find time for jesus rather than senseless entertainment not all entertainment it's senseless but you know what i mean it's just like okay what are you really getting out of all of this particularly if you're not into the word of god or studying the catechism or the lives of the saints so ephesians five redeem the time Psalm 90, number your days. Number your days. And Ecclesiastes 9, which I gave you, do your work with all of your might. Now, I want to drop the big, big one on you.

You ready? I'll leave you with this one today, okay? Yellowstone. Mm-hmm. Yellowstone. That's 53 episodes. Now, I calculated this. You can read if you give up Yellowstone, the whole series, you give it up.

You can read the whole Bible minus Numbers and Maccabees. That's not a bad deal. Anyway, I know we're having some fun today, but it's also serious giving you some ideas on how to redeem the time and get it back so that you can be wise and you can walk in wisdom. can walk in God's knowledge. Okay? All right. Let's pray. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Lord, I thank you for my friend and I ask you, Lord, to each one of us, just give us insight and wisdom into your word and help us to make the choices of how we're going to spend the time that you have actually given us. In Jesus' name, amen. God bless you. Talk to you next week.