Hearing Jesus: Daily Bible Study, Christian Affirmations, Hearing God, Prayer, Holy Spirit, Daily Devotional

Looking for God Instead of Ourselves: Bible Study 101: Hearing Jesus,
Bible Study, Devotional

In today's episode, Rachael talks about the very first question we bring to
a passage of Scripture, and why the order of our questions matters more than we realize. Using the Martha and Mary story and the parting of the Red Sea as examples, she walks through what changes when you ask "what does this show me about God?" before you ever ask what it means for you.

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Chapters

0:09 Why the order of your questions matters

1:30 The Martha and Mary trap: making a passage about you first

3:17 Exodus 14 and the parting of the Red Sea

9:01 What the Red Sea story is actually revealing

12:19 How you learn to recognize a voice you know well

15:41 Why the first question always has to be about God

16:46 What about passages that are directly about us?

18:17 What does "seek first the kingdom of God" actually mean?

20:03 Closing prayer

How Do I Read the Bible Without Making It About Myself?

Most of us read Scripture and immediately ask what it means for us, what it
says about our situation, or how we're supposed to apply it. Those aren't bad
questions, but asked first, they turn a passage that's about God into a passage about you. The fix is simple to say and hard to practice: ask what a passage shows you about God before you ask what it means for you.

What Does the Martha and Mary Story Actually Teach?

The common teaching turns Martha and Mary into a mirror, are you a Martha or a Mary. That's not wrong, but it's incomplete, because it makes the story about our personality and our to-do list before it says anything about who Jesus is. The same self-centered pattern shows up anywhere we look for ourselves in Scripture first: David and Goliath becomes about our giants, the storm on the lake becomes about our storms.

What Does Exodus 14 Show Us About God?

Read to find yourself, Exodus 14 becomes a lesson about complaining, don't
be like the panicking Israelites at the Red Sea. Read to find God, it becomes
something bigger: "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the
LORD which He will accomplish for you today... The LORD will fight for you
while you keep silent." Every part of Moses' answer is about God, not
about the people's attitude. And God tells us directly why He's doing this, so
that the Egyptians would know who He is. The rescue is real, but it's serving
something bigger than the rescue itself.

Why Does the Order of the Question Matter So Much?

Because you learn to recognize a voice by spending time with the person, not by collecting facts about yourself. Asking "what does this show me about
God" first is what builds the kind of familiarity that lets you recognize
His voice later, the same way a close friend or family member can tell you
exactly what you'd say before you say it.

What About Passages That Are Directly About Me?

Some commands really are about our behavior, love your neighbor, don't be
anxious. But even those are anchored to God's character. "Be holy"
comes with a reason: because I am holy. The behavior is always attached to who God is.

What Does "Seek First the Kingdom of God" Mean?

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these
things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33, NASB). In the Greek,
"seek" means to intensely strive after something, and
"first" means first in order of priority. It's a direct instruction
to look for God before anything else, including before your own need for an
answer.

FAQ

Does this mean I shouldn't ever ask what a passage means for my life? No.
Application still matters, but it should be built on God's character, not
personal reflection alone.

Is this method the same as the Color Method mentioned in the series?

It's related but not identical. This episode focuses on question order; the Color Method is a separate marking system covered later in the series.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tuesday: I Am Never Alone: Daily Affirmations,
Christian Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This Tuesday episode offers powerful, Scripture-based affirmations to help you step into your week with boldness, peace, and purpose. As the world demands more, God invites you to rely on His strength. Through these promises, you’re reminded that you are never alone, never powerless, and never without purpose.

AD-FREE Daily Affirmations can be found on my Patreon at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/HearingJesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today’s daily affirmations are for strength and confidence for the week ahead. Whatever this week holds, you are not facing it alone. God is with you—strengthening you, guiding you, and fighting for you. No matter what challenges you encounter, you can walk in faith knowing that God has already prepared the way for you.

Affirmation:
I am strong and courageous in Christ.

Joshua
1:9

 

Affirmation:
I do not fear because God is with me.

Isaiah
41:10

 

Affirmation:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians
4:13

 

Affirmation:
I am victorious through Jesus.

1
Corinthians 15:57

Affirmation:
I have the power of God working within me.

Ephesians
3:20

 

Affirmation:
I will not be shaken because God is my refuge.

Psalm
62:6

 

Affirmation:
I walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 

 

Affirmation:
No weapon formed against me shall prosper.

Isaiah
54:17

 

Affirmation:
God fights my battles and I need only to be still.

Exodus
14:14

 

Affirmation:
I am not afraid because God has overcome the world.

John
16:33

 

Affirmation:
I have authority in Christ over every attack of the enemy.

Luke
10:19

 

Affirmation:
I am rooted and established in God’s love.

Ephesians
3:17

 

Affirmation:
I have divine wisdom and strength for today.

James
1:5

 

Affirmation:
I am resilient and
I will persevere through trials.

Romans
5:3-4

 

Affirmation:
I am filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts
1:8

 

Affirmation:
I will not grow weary in doing good.

Galatians
6:9

 

Affirmation:
God’s grace is sufficient for me.

2
Corinthians 12:9

 

Affirmation:
I have peace that surpasses understanding.

Philippians
4:7

 

Affirmation:
I am never alone. God is always near.

Deuteronomy
31:8

 

Affirmation:
I am protected under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm
91:1

 

Affirmation:
God’s Word is a
lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm
119:105

 

Affirmation:
I stand firm in faith and do not waver.

James
1:6

 

Affirmation:
I am free from fear because God’s perfect love casts it out.

1
John 4:18

 

Affirmation:
I have a spirit of power, love, and sound mind.

2
Timothy 1:7

 

Affirmation:
God is working all things for my good today.

Romans
8:28

 

Closing
Prayer

Lord,
I surrender my fear to You. Fill me with boldness, courage, and confidence in
You. No matter what today holds, I trust in Your strength. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

 Listen daily and start your morning with God’s truth so you can
walk in faith, clarity, and confidence.

 

 

#ChristianPodcast
#DailyAffirmations #FaithOverFear #BiblicalTruth #MorningDevotions
#RenewYourMind #HearingJesusPodcast
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Bible Study 101: The Big Storyline of Scripture: Hearing Jesus, Bible Study, Daily Affirmations

Hey friend, welcome to part four of Bible Study 101. Today Rachael zooms out to the big picture, the meta-narrative, or overall storyline of Scripture, and shows why knowing where you are in that story changes everything. She uses Jeremiah 29:11, maybe the most quoted verse on graduation cards and coffee mugs, to show what it actually meant to a devastated, exiled people and why the real version is so much sturdier than the one on the mug.

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What's the "meta-narrative" of Scripture, and why does it matter?

The meta-narrative is the big storyline running underneath all 66 books, the story of God's rescue plan for His people through Jesus. Knowing roughly where a passage sits in that story, before the rescue or after, before the kings or after the kingdom fell, before Jesus or after, clears up a huge amount of confusion when you open to a random page.

Why do so many people quit their Bible reading plan by March?

Because reading straight through without a sense of the timeline feels like reading a letter from 1750 and a text message from this morning back to back and being confused they don't sound alike. Genesis and Exodus read like a story, but Leviticus suddenly shifts into instructions about skin diseases, and it's easy to lose the thread if you don't know why.

What's the short version of the whole story of Scripture?

God creates everything good, humanity chooses independence and breaks it (the fall), God calls one man, Abraham, and promises him a family and land, that family becomes enslaved in Egypt and is rescued through Moses, they receive the law and eventually a king, King David and then Solomon, who builds the temple at the high point of the story. The kingdom later splits and drifts into idolatry, prophets warn them for generations, and eventually Assyria and then Babylon conquer the nation and its people are marched into exile. After decades, a remnant returns, four centuries of silence follow, and then Jesus arrives, lives, dies, and rises, followed by the church and the promise that God will finish what He started.

Where does Jeremiah 29:11 actually sit in that story?

Right in the middle of the exile, the lowest point of the whole timeline. Jerusalem hadn't been fully destroyed yet, but Babylon had already carried off a group of people, including the king, leaving behind the elderly and the marginalized. Jeremiah, still in Jerusalem, wrote a letter to those already exiled in Babylon.

What did Jeremiah's letter to the exiles actually say?

It told them to build houses, plant gardens, marry, and have children in Babylon, in other words, to settle in for the long haul, not to expect a quick rescue. It also warned them about false prophets promising an early return within two years. The actual number, revealed a few verses before "the plans I have for you," was seventy years. For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11, NASB) comes directly after that correction, not as a quick comfort, but as a promise for people who had just learned most of them would die in exile.

Why does God tell them to seek the welfare of Babylon, the empire that destroyed them?

Because the instruction wasn't rescue, it was presence. God wasn't promising to pull them out immediately. He was telling them He would be with them exactly where they were, in the place they didn't want to be, as a consequence of choices that had played out over generations.

What's the honest version of "plans to give you hope and a future"?

It's a promise made to a devastated people in the middle of a disaster God had just told them would outlast most of their lifetimes. It's not a promise that circumstances would quickly improve. It's a promise that God had not abandoned them and that His plan, however slow, was still good, which is a very different, and far sturdier, message than the graduation card version.

How do I find this kind of context myself?

Start with your Bible's introduction page for each book (it will usually tell you the author, timeframe, and situation in under two minutes), pay attention to chapter headings and dates your Bible includes, and get a little suspicious of any verse you've seen printed everywhere, since that's usually a sign nobody has read the context around it lately.

FAQ

What's this week's homework? Find a verse you already have somewhere in your home, on a mug, sign, or card, and go read the entire chapter it's from. No note-taking required, just notice what you feel.

Where can I learn more about the "silent years" between the Old and New Testaments? Rachael has covered this in earlier episodes of the podcast; search the back catalog for "silent years" to find them.

How do I enter the Bible Study 101 giveaway? Join the email list at rachaelgroll.com/newsletter. Entry is automatic, no extra steps, and there are three separate giveaways over three weeks.

Chapters

0:01 Continuing Bible Study 101: understanding the storyline of Scripture

0:40 What the "meta-narrative" means and why it matters

2:41 Why so many people quit their Bible reading plan by March

4:49 The whole story of Scripture in under six minutes

10:31 Where Jeremiah 29:11 actually sits in that timeline

11:29 What Jeremiah's letter to the exiles really said

14:10 Why God tells them to seek Babylon's welfare

15:27 The hard truth: it was seventy years, not two

16:31 The honest version of "plans to give you hope and a future"

19:53 Three practical ways to find this context yourself

21:15 Closing prayer

22:32 This week's homework

22:56 The Bible Study 101 giveaway

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Monday: Walking in Confidence: Daily Affirmations, Christian Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations

 

Start your day with confidence, peace, and purpose through these Daily Affirmations for Adults. Each episode is a short but powerful way to realign your heart and mind with biblical truth. Speak life over your day, renew your faith, and step into God’s promises with Scripture-based affirmations.

AD-FREE Daily Affirmations can be found
on my Patreon at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/HearingJesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Here are your Monday affirmations. I will read the phrase, then you
repeat it, and then I’ll tell you the Scripture it’s from.

Take a deep breath. This is a new day filled with God’s grace and
purpose. You are not defined by your past or your mistakes or the opinions of
others. You are defined by the truth of God’s Word. Let these affirmations fill
your heart as you step into today.

 

I am a child of God, chosen and loved.

1 John 3:1

 

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

 

I am fully known and loved fully by God.

Psalm 139:1–2

 

I have been chosen before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4

 

I am created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27

 

I am redeemed and made new in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

I am set apart for God’s purpose.

1 Peter 2:9

 

I am God’s masterpiece, created for good works.

Ephesians 2:10

 

I am loved with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah 31:3

 

I am called by name and belong to God.

Isaiah 43:1

 

I am not my past. I am a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.

1 Corinthians 6:20

 

I’m seated in heavenly places with Christ.

Ephesians 2:6

 

I am co-heir with Christ.

Romans 8:17

 

I am not rejected. I am accepted in Christ.

Ephesians 1:6

 

I am never alone. God is always with me.

Hebrews 13:5

 

I am valuable and precious in God’s sight.

Isaiah 43:4

 

I have been set free by the truth of Jesus.

John 8:36

 

I am more than a conqueror through Christ.

Romans 8:37

 

I am a light in this world, shining for Christ.

Matthew 5:14

 

I am God’s dwelling
place. His Spirit lives within me.

1 Corinthians 3:16

 

I am forgiven and free from condemnation.

Romans 8:1

 

I have a divine purpose and calling from God.

Jeremiah 29:11

 

I am dearly loved and nothing can separate me from God’s love.

Romans 8:38–39

 

Father, thank You for reminding me who I am in You. Help me to
walk in confidence today, knowing that I am chosen, loved, and called by You. No matter what comes my way, let my identity be rooted in Your truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

I hope these affirmations spoke to your heart today. If you want to
go deeper, just keep listening. Your full Bible study episode is coming up
next.

Listen daily and start your morning with
God’s truth so you can walk in faith, clarity, and confidence.

 

 

#ChristianPodcast #DailyAffirmations
#FaithOverFear #BiblicalTruth #MorningDevotions #RenewYourMind
#HearingJesusPodcast

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Sunday: I Trust God With Every Decision:  Daily Affirmations,
Christian Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations

Today is about looking ahead with God. Before the week begins, we
pause and place what’s coming into His hands. These affirmations are meant to help you enter the week grounded, attentive, and trusting God to lead you one day at a time.

AD-FREE Daily Affirmations can be found on
my Patreon at: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/HearingJesus⁠

Repeat after me, then listen to the Bible verse.

 

I place this coming week in God’s hands.

Psalm
31:15 – “My times are in Your hands.”

I
trust God to guide my steps.

Psalm
37:23 – “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him.”

I
enter this week with expectancy, not fear.

Romans
15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in
Him.”

I
invite God into every moment ahead.

Proverbs
16:3 – “Commit to the Lord whatever you do.”

I
trust God to order my priorities.

Matthew
6:33 – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.”

I
receive God’s wisdom for the days ahead.

James
1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.”

I
walk into this week anchored in truth.

Psalm
119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet.”

I
trust God with what I cannot foresee.

Isaiah
46:10 – “I make known the end from the beginning.”

I
choose faith over anticipation of stress.

Psalm
56:3 – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”

I
rely on God’s grace for each day.

2
Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you.”

I
trust God’s timing
this week.

Habakkuk
2:3 – “Though it linger, wait for it.”

I
remain open to God’s leading.

Psalm
25:4 – “Show me Your ways, Lord.”

I
step forward with humility and trust.

Micah
6:8 – “What does the Lord require of you? To walk humbly with your God.”

I
depend on God’s strength, not my own.

Psalm
68:35 – “God gives strength and power to His people.”

I
trust God with every conversation and decision.

Proverbs
20:24 – “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.”

I
choose obedience over control.

John
14:23 – “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching.”

I
walk into this week aware of God’s presence.

Exodus
33:14 – “My Presence will go with you.”

I
trust God to work through ordinary moments.

Zechariah
4:10 – “Do not despise these small beginnings.”

I
release anxiety about outcomes.

Psalm
112:7 – “They will have no fear of bad news.”

I
remain attentive to God’s voice.

John
10:27 – “My sheep listen to My voice.”

I
trust God to meet my needs.

Philippians
4:19 – “My God will meet all your needs.”

I
step into this week with courage.

Psalm
31:24 – “Be strong and take heart.”

I
trust God to shape my character.

Romans
8:29 – “To be conformed to the image of His Son.”

I
begin this week grounded in hope.

Hebrews
6:19 – “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul.”

I
rest in God’s faithfulness as I move forward.

Psalm
33:4 – “The word of the Lord is right and true.”

 

Closing Prayer:

God, as I step into this new week, I place everything ahead of me
in Your care. Go before me, guide my steps, and help me stay attentive to You. I trust You with what’s coming, one day at a time. Amen.

 
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