The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Introduction to the Church (with Jeff Cavins)

Date: November 18, 2025
Guests: Fr. Mike Schmitz (A), Jeff Cavins (B)

Episode Overview

This special episode marks a pivotal transition in the "Bible in a Year" journey—from the story of Jesus in the Gospels to the era of the Church, exploring Acts and the New Testament epistles. Fr. Mike and Jeff Cavins set the stage for understanding the mission of the early Church, the movement of the Holy Spirit, and how the story continues today with listeners invited to take part. The conversation covers the historical context of Acts, the meaning of the epistles, the significance of sacramental life (especially confirmation), and encouragement for the continued journey as Christians in the world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Transition to the Era of the Church

• The podcast moves into the last period of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline: the Church—our present era (04:09).
• Jeff Cavins: “Jesus has come. He has fulfilled everything from January to November. … The last thing he said was, now you go into all the world and make disciples.” (04:09)

2. The Book of Acts: Not Just History

• Acts is described not as distant history, but as the ongoing story of the Church—our story (04:09–06:21).
• The early Christians faced a world dominated by Rome, often in direct opposition to the claims of Caesar (07:26).
• Jeff: “The church is not a body that just sits and studies Jesus. The church is the body of Christ ... going forth and continuing what he started.” (04:09)
• Jeff: “This is a martyr business here ... Rome was the world power, and people need to remember that right before Jesus, we had Julius Caesar, who proclaimed himself to be God.” (07:26)

3. The Mission: From Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth

• Acts provides the structure:
  • Witness in Jerusalem (chapters 1–8:3)
  • Judea and Samaria (8:4–12:25)
  • The whole world (13–28) (11:33)
• Fr. Mike: “That can be backwards for us. We think, if it's going to be blessed...it'll be in a way that just...fruits everywhere. But it's often...the fruit of suffering that gives new life to the Church.” (13:32–14:33)

4. Two “Super Apostles”: Peter and Paul

• Acts 1–12 focuses on Peter; 13–28 on Paul.
• Both imitate Christ; Paul mirrors Peter (11:33).
• Jeff: “Both of them are mirroring Christ. And that tells us something…we’re doing the work of Christ like Peter and Paul did.” (11:33)

5. Expanding the Kingdom in a Hostile World

• Early Christians challenged the claim that Caesar was the Son of God—offering the true Gospel.
• Peter and Paul’s journey to Rome is seen as a “new Remus and Romulus,” making Rome the center for Christianity and symbolically “redeeming” the city (09:53–10:45).
• Jeff: “There’s actually artwork from very early on showing Peter and Paul...the new Remus and Romulus...It’s a new Rome.” (10:12)

6. Letters (Epistles): Context and Relevance

• The Epistles address theology, practical life, and real problems in communities (16:18).
• Important to read with context: Who is being addressed? What’s going on in their world?
• Jeff: “Four of [Paul’s] writings he wrote not from the beach with an iced tea. He wrote them from prison...For anybody who feels like ‘I’m in prison’...pay close attention to those prison epistles.” (17:28)
• Fr. Mike: “Sometimes they become much more clear...not only how this applied then...but how it applies now.” (16:18)

7. Your Turn: The Unfinished Story

• Listeners are invited to see themselves as present-day participants in Acts—“on the stage now” (19:12).
• Jeff: "We're in that period right now. You are the one…it's your turn to take this mission and continue to grow it.” (17:28)

8. The Holy Spirit and the Sacraments

• This is the age of the Holy Spirit: Baptism and especially Confirmation equip Christians for mission (21:28–24:51).
• Jeff: “Now the Holy Spirit is really center stage...this is the time where you go to your pastor and you say, 'You know what, I need to be confirmed.'” (21:28)
• Fr. Mike: “Someone could say, 'Well, I’ve been baptized. I have the Holy Spirit.' You are right...and yet there’s more. More.” (24:51)

9. Revelation: The End and the Hope

• The Book of Revelation: complex, apocalyptic, rich with Old Testament allusions, focusing on the end of the Old Covenant and the ultimate victory of Christ (27:06).
• Jeff: “The Book of Revelation...was written to the seven churches of Asia Minor...there was a formula: you're doing good...you need to correct this...then we see the judgment on Jerusalem...the end of Jerusalem and the beginning of this amazing family, the Church.” (27:08)

10. Dealing with Overwhelm: The Water Fountain Analogy

• Don’t worry if you can’t take in everything; rejoice in what you receive.
• Jeff: “Don’t be discouraged by the water that falls to the ground, but rejoice in the water that you drink...the fountain exhausts you, you don’t exhaust the fountain.” (32:20)

11. Live Like You’ve Won

• The final message: The end of the story is victory—so act like it!
• Jeff: “We do not have to live our lives with our head hung low like we're losers. We won. Act like it.” (34:06)
• Fr. Mike: “I feel more confident now than maybe I’ve ever felt...confident in the Lord, confident in my faith.” (35:29)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jeff Cavins: "The church is not a body that just sits and studies Jesus. The church is the body of Christ..." (04:09)
• Jeff: “This is a martyr business here...Rome was the world power...Caesar was worshiped as God...Peter and Paul are going out into [that], saying...he's not the Son of God. But there is one, and we're going to tell you about him." (07:26–08:47)
• Fr. Mike: “They have not yet, in some ways, really cooperated or said yes to that [confirmation]...all it takes is a good confession and asking the Lord—come alive now in my life in the same way you did in the lives of the apostles.” (25:30)
• Jeff: “We’re in that period right now… it’s your turn to take this mission and continue to grow it.” (17:28)
• Jeff: “Don’t be discouraged by the water that falls to the ground, but rejoice in the water that you drink...the fountain exhausts you, you don’t exhaust the fountain.” (32:20)
• Jeff: “We do not have to live our lives with our head hung low like we're losers. We won. Act like it.” (34:06)
• Jeff: “The response, when the divine word of God is revealed...is faith. And that means that we go from here believing and entrusting ourselves to him in the midst of the story.” (36:13)
• Jeff: “The last thing I would say is...you have done an amazing thing...there's going to be eternal fruit...as a result of it.” (37:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:09 — Launch into the Church period, the era we live in now
• 07:26 — Early Church’s courageous mission into the Roman world
• 09:53 — Shift from the Holy Land to Rome as the heart of the Church
• 11:33 — Structure of Acts: Peter, Paul, and the Church’s outward movement
• 13:32 — How suffering and persecution led to the spread of the Gospel
• 16:18 — Reading the Epistles: theology, real-life struggles, and context
• 17:28 — Paul’s prison epistles and the ongoing mission for us
• 21:28 — The age of the Holy Spirit: importance of Confirmation
• 24:51 — Sacramental life and cooperating with the Holy Spirit
• 27:06 — Revelation: apocalyptic literature and hope amidst mystery
• 32:20 — The St. Ephrem analogy: take what you can from Scripture, don’t be anxious
• 34:06 — “We win!”: Facing life with hope and victory
• 36:13 — Faith as the response to receiving the Word
• 37:50 — Closing gratitude and encouragement for the journey

Tone & Community

The conversation is warm, uplifting, and enthusiastic—inviting listeners deeper, while remaining approachable and filled with practical encouragements and analogies. The camaraderie between Fr. Mike and Jeff brings both scholarship and brotherly encouragement, echoing the ongoing community of the Church through the ages.

Final Encouragement

As the "Bible in a Year" listeners approach the home stretch, Fr. Mike and Jeff Cavins urge everyone to stay faithful, respond to God’s Word with personal commitment, and remember: the story isn’t just about past heroes—it’s an invitation for all to live as part of God’s ongoing plan of sheer goodness and victory.