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

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.

Join the email list at rachaelgroll.com/newsletter to be entered in the Bible Study 101 giveaway.

☆Sign up for Rachael's newsletter here: RachaelGroll.com/Newsletter

☆Send Rachael a voicemail with any questions at her SpeakPipe here: SpeakPipe Voicemail

☆Go on a trip with Rachael: Bible Study Live

☆Get Ad-Free Episodes, Bonus Content, and more here: patreon.com/HearingJesus

☆Pick up a copy of my latest book: Bible Study and Devotional

☆If you would like to give to Hearing Jesus and financially support the podcast, you can do so here! ➤ Give Here

☆Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/SheHears.org/

☆Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/rachael.d.groll/

☆Website ➤ Hearing Jesus

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saturday: God Is Patient With Me: Daily Affirmations, Christian
Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations

As we slow down today, this is a chance to look back over the week
with God. Not to replay everything or overthink it, but to notice where He met you, where He carried you, and where His grace showed up. Let these
affirmations help you reflect with honesty and gratitude.

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
thank God for walking with me through this week.

Psalm
143:10 – “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.”

I
recognize God’s faithfulness in both the seen and unseen moments.

Psalm
77:11 – “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your
miracles of long ago.”

I
release regret and receive God’s grace.

Psalm
32:5 – “Then I acknowledged my sin to You… and You forgave the guilt of my
sin.”

I
trust that God was at work even when I didn’t notice.

Ecclesiastes
3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

I
give thanks for the strength God provided each day.

Psalm
28:7 – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He
helps me.”

I
acknowledge where I grew this week.

2
Peter 3:18 – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.”

I
notice where God invited me to trust Him more deeply.

Psalm
37:5 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.”

I
receive God’s mercy
for where I fell short.

Micah
7:18 – “You delight in mercy.”

I
choose gratitude over self-criticism.

1
Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

I
honor the work God has been doing in my heart.

Philippians
1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”

I
acknowledge God’s presence in ordinary moments.

Psalm
16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life.”

I
release this week into God’s care.

Psalm
55:22 – “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.”

I
trust God with what remains unfinished.

Proverbs
16:9 – “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes
their steps.”

I
thank God for His patience with me.

Psalm
103:8 – “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
love.”

I
rest in the truth that God sees me fully.

Hebrews
4:13 – “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”

I
choose to end this week with gratitude.

Psalm
92:1 – “It is good to give thanks to the Lord.”

I
release comparison and embrace contentment.

Hebrews
13:5 – “Be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I
leave you.’”

I
acknowledge God’s protection this week.

Psalm
121:7 – “The Lord will keep you from all harm.”

I
thank God for His provision.

Matthew
6:31–32 – “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

I
recognize God’s quiet guidance.

Isaiah
30:21 – “This is the way; walk in it.”

I
let go of striving and receive rest.

Psalm
23:2 – “He leads me beside quiet waters.”

I
honor the limits God has given me.

Psalm
127:2 – “He grants sleep to those He loves.”

I
trust God with what I do not understand.

Romans
11:33 – “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.”

I
receive peace as I reflect with God.

Psalm
4:7 – “You have filled my heart with greater joy.”

I
end this week grounded in God’s faithfulness.

Lamentations
3:23 – “Great is Your faithfulness.”

 

Closing Prayer:

God, thank You for walking with me through this week. Help me to
see Your faithfulness clearly and to release what I need to let go of. I trust
that You were present in ways I noticed and in ways I didn’t. I place this week
back into Your hands. Amen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bible Study 101: What Bible Translation is Best? Hearing Jesus, Bible Study, Daily Affirmations

Hey friend, welcome to part three of Bible Study 101. Today Rachael tackles Bible translation: why your English Bible is already an interpretation of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, why so many different translations exist, and how a translator's own theology can shape a single word choice, using the real example of Phoebe in Romans 16. She also makes the case, using some sobering global statistics, for why the "one true translation" debate falls apart pretty quickly once you zoom out.

Join the email list at rachaelgroll.com/newsletter to be entered in the Bible Study 101 giveaway.

☆Sign up for Rachael's newsletter here: RachaelGroll.com/Newsletter

☆Send Rachael a voicemail with any questions at her SpeakPipe here: SpeakPipe Voicemail

☆Go on a trip with Rachael: Bible Study Live

☆Get Ad-Free Episodes, Bonus Content, and more here: patreon.com/HearingJesus

☆Pick up a copy of my latest book: Bible Study and Devotional

☆If you would like to give to Hearing Jesus and financially support the podcast, you can do so here! ➤ Give Here

☆Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/SheHears.org/

☆Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/rachael.d.groll/

☆Website ➤ Hearing Jesus

Is the English Bible I'm reading "the original Bible"?

Not literally. Unless you're reading Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, you're reading a translation, a careful, prayerful rendering of the original text. The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew (with some Aramaic), and the New Testament in Koine Greek, the everyday language of merchants and dock workers, not the polished Greek of philosophers. God chose the language of ordinary people on purpose.

Is translating Scripture even a biblical idea?

Yes, and there's a real example of it happening inside Scripture itself. After the exile, when the Israelites had lost fluency in the Hebrew their grandparents spoke, Ezra stood before the whole assembly at the Water Gate and read the Law aloud from early morning until midday, while the Levites moved through the crowd explaining it as they went (Nehemiah 8:1-8). Scripture describes exactly what they were doing: translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading (Nehemiah 8:8, NASB). Translating Scripture so people can understand it is straight out of the Bible, and the result, in that moment, was worship: the people lifted their hands, bowed low, and wept.

Why is Bible translation genuinely hard?

Because languages don't line up word for word. Rachael shares a story from mission work in the Dominican Republic, where a translator corrected her: "I'm not a translator, I'm an interpreter," because he had to capture what she meant, not just her exact words. Translate "it's raining cats and dogs" literally into another language, and people will picture actual animals falling from the sky. Every translator has to choose, on every line, between preserving exact wording and preserving meaning.

What's the difference between all these translations?

Think of it as a spectrum. Word-for-word translations like the NASB and ESV stay as close as possible to the original structure, even when the English feels stiffer. Thought-for-thought translations like the NLT and NIV work out what a passage means and say it in natural English. Paraphrases, like The Message, retell Scripture in someone's own words, which can be beautifully fresh but isn't built for serious study. Rachael also flags that the Passion Translation, which she used to reference, has since run into enough credibility issues that it's been pulled from many online translation databases.

Why do new Bible translations keep coming out?

Four honest reasons. Older manuscripts keep being discovered (like the Dead Sea Scrolls), giving translators better evidence than what earlier committees had access to. English itself drifts, so a phrase like "suffer the children" meant "let them come" 400 years ago and means something completely different now. Translation is a series of judgment calls, so different committees land in different places. And, less comfortably, Bibles are also a business, and a new edition is a product.

How can a translator's own theology shape a single word?

Rachael points to Romans 16, where Paul introduces a woman named Phoebe using the Greek word diakonos. That same word is translated "deacon" when it describes men elsewhere in the New Testament, but for Phoebe, some translations choose "servant" instead, a decision that reflects what that translation committee believed about women in ministry, not a different underlying Greek word. She also notes that adelphoi, literally "brothers," was commonly used in everyday Greek to address a mixed group, similar to saying "hey guys" to a room with both men and women, which is why some translations render it "brothers and sisters" and others don't.

How do I check a confusing verse against the original language?

You don't need Hebrew or Greek training anymore. Free tools like the Blue Letter Bible app offer an interlinear view that shows you the original word and its root right next to the English. The YouVersion Bible app also lets you compare multiple translations side by side for free, which Rachael recommends whenever two solid translations word something differently enough to change the meaning.

Is the King James Version the one "true" translation?

No, and even its own translators wouldn't have claimed that. The KJV was itself a revision built on earlier English translations, produced by a committee under royal authority, and it included marginal notes acknowledging uncertainty about how certain words could be translated. It was also initially met with suspicion as the new, unfamiliar version. On top of that, North America is home to only around 10 percent of the world's Christians, which means the vast majority of believers globally have never read Scripture in English at all. Rachael also shares that of roughly 7,400 living languages, only 795 currently have a complete Bible, and more than 1,600 have no Scripture translated at all.

So which Bible translation should I actually use?

The one you will actually open and understand. A word-for-word Bible sitting closed on your nightstand does nothing for you. Rachael herself uses different translations for different purposes: NASB for serious study, NLT for teaching kids, and NIV when teaching internationally. Her practical challenge: read a familiar verse like John 3:16 in four or five different translations back to back and notice what changes.

Where can I compare Bible translations side by side for free? The YouVersion Bible app lets you view multiple translations next to each other, and the Blue Letter Bible app shows an interlinear view with the original Hebrew or Greek and its root word.

Where can I learn more about the global Bible translation gap Rachael mentioned? She has a video on this topic on her Instagram page, covering the roughly 1,600 languages with no Scripture translated and the added gap for sign language Bibles.

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 Welcome back: picking up where we left off on Bible translation

0:31 Is the English Bible I'm reading "the real Bible"?

2:36 Nehemiah 8: an ancient example of Scripture being translated live

7:24 Why the goal of translation has always been "make it clear"

9:15 Why translation is genuinely hard, an interpreter's story

11:33 The translation spectrum: word-for-word vs. thought-for-thought vs. paraphrase

14:26 A caution about newer translations like the Passion Translation

15:51 Why new Bible translations keep coming out

19:48 How a translator's theology can shape a single word: Phoebe and "deacon"

21:26 Why "brothers" sometimes means "brothers and sisters"

22:57 Free tools for comparing translations yourself

25:22 Only 10 percent of the world's Christians are American

27:11 How many languages still have no Bible at all

30:33 Setting the record straight on the King James Version

34:46 So which translation should you actually use?

38:33 A simple exercise: compare John 3:16 across versions

39:19 Closing prayer

40:44 The Bible Study 101 giveaway

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices