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

Looking for the Hero: What the Bible Actually Says About Heroes: Bible Study 101: Hearing Jesus, Bible Study, Devotional

In today's episode, Rachael talks about why the people in the Bible were never meant to be our heroes, using Abraham's decision to hand his wife Sarah over to Pharaoh, twice, as the example. It's a harder story than the version most of us learned growing up, and understanding why God let it stay in Scripture changes how you read every Bible character after this one.

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Chapters

0:11 Why we keep turning Bible characters into role models

1:10 The problem with character-study Sunday school lessons

3:39 What happens when we put a person at the center of the story instead of God

6:12 Genesis 12: Abraham hands Sarah over to Pharaoh

10:53 God steps in to protect the promise Abraham put at risk

12:14 Abraham does it again in Genesis 20, and Isaac repeats it in Genesis 26

16:59 What about Hebrews 11 and the "heroes of faith"?

19:32 The one question to ask before you ever get to application

20:31 Closing prayer

Why Did Abraham Lie About Sarah Being His Sister?

Abraham told his wife Sarah to say she was his sister so the Egyptians wouldn't kill him to take her, then let her be taken into Pharaoh's household in exchange for livestock and servants. He wasn't protecting her. He was protecting himself, and profiting from it. God intervened directly, striking Pharaoh's household with disease until Sarah was released, not because Abraham did anything to fix it, but because God was protecting His own promise from the man He'd given it to.

Why Does the Bible Show Its Heroes' Flaws Instead of Hiding Them?

Because the Bible was never trying to hand you a role model. If the people in Scripture were meant to be heroes, this story would have been edited out. It stayed in on purpose. The pattern makes room for your story too: you're not disqualified by being someone who panics, protects yourself, and repeats the same failure more than once. Abraham does the identical lie again in Genesis 20, and his son Isaac repeats it in Genesis 26. The point was never "be like Abraham." The point is that the promise was never dependent on Abraham's character to begin with.

What Does Hebrews 11 Mean If the Bible's Heroes Weren't Actually Heroic?

Hebrews 11 doesn't hold up Abraham's character. It holds up his faith, specific moments he trusted God, not his whole life. It skips right past the Egypt story entirely. The chapter is pointing at God's faithfulness to ordinary, flawed people, not at the people themselves.

FAQ

Does this mean Abraham wasn't a real man of faith? No. His calling and obedience were genuine. This episode is about not confusing his character with the reason God used him.

Is this the same lesson as reading Scripture without making it about yourself, covered in a previous episode? It's the next layer of that same principle, applied specifically to Bible characters instead of to ourselves.
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Wednesday: I Choose To Rest in God's Peace: Daily Affirmations, Christian Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations

In today’s Wednesday Affirmations episode, Rachael leads listeners
through declarations of peace, trust, and confidence grounded in Scripture. As the world feels overwhelming, these affirmations anchor the listener in God’s promises. From surrendering anxiety to trusting God’s timing, each statement is followed by a full Bible verse designed to renew faith and calm the heart. This episode is a gentle reminder that God’s peace isn’t just a feeling—it’s a promise.

 

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Today’s daily affirmations are for peace and trust in God’s plan. I
will say the statement, then pause so you can repeat it after me. Then I’ll
share the Scripture reference where it comes from.

Breathe in God’s peace… and exhale your worries. This day is a
gift, and no matter what’s ahead, you can trust that God is in control. His
love is steady. His plans for you are good. His presence goes before you. Let
these affirmations remind you to trust Him today.

Affirmations and Scriptures:

 

I am ruled by God’s peace today.

Isaiah 26:3

 

I cast all my worries onto Jesus—He carries them for me.

1 Peter 5:7

 

I will not be anxious. I will pray and trust God.

Philippians 4:6–7

 

God’s plans for me are good, and I trust Him.

Jeremiah 29:11

 

I do not need to worry about tomorrow.

Matthew 6:34

 

I will rest in God’s presence today.

Exodus 33:14

 

God is my refuge and strength.

Psalm 46:1

 

I will not let my heart be troubled. I trust in God.

John 14:27

 

The Lord directs my steps.

Proverbs 3:5–6

 

Even when I don’t understand, I trust in God’s wisdom.

Romans 11:33

 

I do not have to be afraid because God is with me.

Deuteronomy 31:8

 

God is fighting for me.

Exodus 14:14

 

I am not alone. God walks with me.

Isaiah 41:13

 

God is my rock and salvation. I will not be shaken.

Psalm 62:6

 

I find rest in God alone.

Psalm 62:1

 

God’s love never fails me.

Lamentations 3:22–23

 

I have peace because I am in Christ.

John 16:33

 

I wait on the Lord and He renews my strength.

Isaiah 40:31

 

I will trust in God, even when I don’t see the whole picture.

2 Corinthians 5:7

 

God is working all things for my good.

Romans 8:28

 

God’s peace
rules in my heart today.

Colossians 3:15

 

I give my burdens to the Lord and He sustains me.

Psalm 55:22

 

I will be still and know that He is God.

Psalm 46:10

 

I trust God’s timing and His ways.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

I will rejoice in the Lord always.

Philippians 4:4

 

Closing Prayer:

Father, I surrender my worries to You. I choose to rest in Your
peace today, trusting that You are in control. Fill my heart with faith instead
of fear, and let Your peace guard my mind. 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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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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