Do you ever wonder whether you're actually hearing God's voice, or whether it's just your own? Have you been in a season where He feels completely silent?
Hosted by Rachael Groll, the Hearing Jesus Podcast brings together daily Bible study, Christian affirmations, prayer, and spiritual growth to help you hear God more clearly and go deeper with Him. Each episode opens the Bible through historical context, Spirit-led teaching, and honest encouragement, so you can understand Scripture, strengthen your faith, and live it out in ordinary days.
Episodes cover daily devotionals, Christian prayer, Bible teaching, hearing the Holy Spirit, emotional healing, identity in Christ, and learning to recognize God's direction in a noisy world.
Whether you're looking for a daily devotional podcast, Christian encouragement, Bible study for women, or practical teaching on hearing God and following Jesus, this is a place to grow.
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Monday Daily Affirmations: A Child of God, Chosen and Loved (1 John 3:1)
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 10:27
Monday Daily Affirmations: A Child of God, Chosen and Loved (1 John 3:1)
Start your Monday with confidence, peace, and purpose. These daily Christian affirmations are a short but powerful way to realign your heart and mind with biblical truth before the week begins. Today's affirmations are all about identity: who God says you are, and what changes when you believe it. Speak life over your day, renew your faith, and step into God's promises with Scripture straight from His Word.
I'll read each phrase, you repeat it, and then I'll tell you the Scripture
it comes from.
Links
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Before we begin
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.
Monday affirmations and Scripture
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
Closing prayer
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.
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If the Mother of Jesus Needed a Savior, You Do Too | Luke 1:39-56
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 34:35
If the Mother of Jesus Needed a Savior, You Do Too | Luke 1:39-56
Mary's song is one of the most beautiful things in all of Scripture, and I don't want us to rush past what she says in the second line. She calls God her Savior. The young woman God chose to carry His Son understood that she needed rescuing just like the rest of us, and she said it out loud in the middle of her own worship. That tells us something about her, and it tells us something about us too.
Today we're in Luke 1:39-56, where Mary travels to see Elizabeth and two miraculous pregnancies end up in the same room. We'll talk about why John leaped in the womb, why Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, what the Magnificat actually is, and what it tells us that a poor teenage girl from Nazareth could weave twelve Old Testament references into a song she made up on the spot.
Join me on an immersive Bible Study Experience. Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org
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Why did Mary go to see Elizabeth right away?
Look at the timing here, because it matters. Gabriel has just delivered his message, and the very next thing we read is that Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country. She left right away.
Based on the locations Luke names, scholars think that journey was about fifty to seventy miles. She was likely traveling alone, and it probably took her three to five days. That's not running over to a relative's house for the afternoon. That's a serious trip for a young girl carrying news that nobody was going to believe.
Why did the baby leap in Elizabeth's womb?
Because in Scripture, leaping is an expression of joy. We see it in Malachi, and we see David leaping and dancing before the Lord in 2 Samuel. So when Luke tells us the baby leaped, he's telling us John responded with joy.
Which means John is already doing the very thing he was created to do. His role was to be the forerunner, the witness to Christ. And he's bearing witness to Jesus before either one of them has even been born.
Why was Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit?
Notice the order of what happens. The baby witnesses to Jesus, and that witness leads the way for the Holy Spirit to fill Elizabeth.
This detail is worth slowing down for. We already know who Elizabeth was. She and Zechariah came from the priestly line, Scripture calls them righteous, and it says they walked blamelessly before the Lord. They already believed in God. They were already serving Him. And still, when the presence of Jesus comes into the room, Elizabeth gets filled with the Holy Spirit. Scripture teaches that there is an indwelling and there is a filling, and we're seeing evidence of that right here.
Notice too what the filling produces. It's the prophetic gift. Remember, we have just come out of four hundred years with no prophets in Israel. Now that Jesus is on the scene, that spirit of prophecy is showing up again.
What is the Magnificat?
It's the song Mary sings in verses 46 through 55, and it gets its name from the first word of the Latin version. The word carries the idea of enlarging or magnifying. One translation puts that opening line as telling out the greatness of the Lord, which I think is a beautiful way to describe what she's doing. She is overflowing with the greatness of God.
The song walks through the mighty acts of God, not only what He's done for Mary but what He's done for His people, and eventually that includes you and me. And running all the way through it is this theme of joy and rejoicing at the arrival of God's salvation. Watch for that, because it comes up again and again in Luke.
How did a teenage girl know this much Scripture?
This is the part that gets me every time. Go through the Magnificat and count the Old Testament references. There are twelve.
Scholars believe Mary was around fourteen. She was from Nazareth, a rural town nobody paid much attention to. She describes herself as being of humble estate, which is another way of saying she was poor. And she was likely not well educated at all.
She also had three to five days alone on that road to think. We learned in the last episode that Mary was a deep thinker, the kind of person who pondered things in her heart and kept turning them over. So this young woman had days to sit with what God had just told her and trace it back through the Scriptures she already knew.
What comes out of her is her own theological song, naming what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. That puts her right alongside worship leaders like Hannah and Miriam.
And it means something else too. In that culture, the early theological training of children was the mother's responsibility. So at some point, Mary was teaching the Hebrew Scriptures to the Son of God. Now, I know some of you want to push back and say He knew things only God could have taught Him, and that's absolutely true. But Scripture also says He grew in wisdom, and growing in wisdom means learning. Mary was part of how He learned.
Why does Mary call God her Savior?
Because she needed one.
Verse 47 is Mary's own testimony about herself. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. By her own admission, in her own words, she is recognizing her need for rescue. She understood that she was a sinner who needed a Savior, the same as anyone else who has ever lived.
I want to be clear here, even at the risk of stepping on toes. Jesus is the only person who has ever lived without sin, past, present, or future. The teaching that Mary was conceived free from original sin is not found anywhere in Scripture. That's a tradition of man, not the word of God, and Mary herself tells us otherwise in her own song.
And here's why that matters so much for you. If the woman God chose to carry Jesus needed a Savior, then you need one. So do I.
What does "those who fear Him" mean?
Verse 50 says His mercy is for those who fear Him, from generation to generation. That can be confusing coming right off the last episode, where we watched fear become the thing that paralyzed Zechariah and drowned out the voice of God.
Different word, different meaning. Here it's talking about reverence, awe, honoring God the way He deserves to be honored. It's what happens when you're standing in front of something so much bigger than you are that you find yourself leaning in instead of backing away.
What is the upside-down kingdom?
Mary's song describes a kingdom that runs on reversal. The proud get scattered. The humble get lifted. The hungry get filled and the rich get sent away empty. What that does is redefine whose life actually counts as significant. What man elevates, God humbles. What man overlooks, God promotes. We see that all through Scripture, and we're seeing it here.
Then she takes her own pregnancy and ties it directly to the covenant God made with Abraham. She isn't just excited that God picked her. She understands that she is part of a story that has been centuries in the making.
Friend, so are you. It is not by accident that you're listening to this. You are part of a much larger story, and there's an invitation inside of that.
Featured quote
"If Mary, the mother of Jesus, needed a Savior, you and I need a Savior."
Scripture referenced
Luke 1:39-56 (ESV), 2 Samuel, Malachi, 1 Samuel (Hannah)
Timestamps
00:00 Where we are in the Luke study, and going at your own pace
00:49 The Bible I'm using for this series
01:50 Reading Luke 1:39-56
03:30 Prayer
04:00 Two pregnant women in one room
04:30 Asking why, and what the color method slows down
05:25 With haste: fifty to seventy miles, alone
06:20 Why leaping means joy
06:40 John is already doing what he was created for
07:00 Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit
07:30 Righteous and blameless, and still filled
08:25 Indwelling and filling
08:55 Four hundred years of silence, and prophecy returning
09:45 What the Magnificat is and what the word means
10:40 Joy as a theme in Luke
11:25 Twelve Old Testament references
11:55 Who Mary actually was
12:25 Three to five days alone to think
12:55 Alongside Hannah and Miriam
13:50 God my Savior
14:55 Why Mary was not without sin
15:45 Mary knew the word and taught the word to the Son of God
17:15 Two kinds of fear in one chapter
18:25 Standing over the Great Rift Valley
19:25 Power and mercy together
19:55 The kingdom that runs on reversal
20:50 Mary ties her pregnancy to the covenant
21:50 You are part of a much larger story
22:45 The invitation
23:45 Prayer
26:30 My own story at fifteen
28:45 None of us is promised tomorrow
Frequently asked questions
Did Mary need a savior?
By her own words, yes. In Luke 1:47 she calls God her Savior, recognizing her own need for rescue.
Why did the baby leap in Elizabeth's womb?
Leaping is a biblical expression of joy. John was bearing witness to Jesus before either child was born.
How old was Mary?
Scholars generally place her around fourteen.
What does the word Magnificat mean?
It comes from the first word of the Latin version of the song and carries the idea of magnifying or enlarging. Mary is telling out the greatness of the Lord.
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Sunday Daily Affirmations: Inviting God Into Every Moment | Preparation and Trust
Sunday, September 20, 2026 • Duration 09:11
Sunday Daily Affirmations: Inviting God Into Every Moment |
Preparation and Trust
Sunday is for looking ahead with God. Before the week begins, we pause and place what's coming into His hands. These Scripture-based Christian
affirmations are a steady way to enter the week grounded, attentive, and
trusting God to lead you one day at a time.
I'll say each affirmation, pause so you can repeat it after me, and then
read the Bible verse it comes from.
Links
AD-FREE Daily Affirmations are on my Patreon: Patreon
Join me on an immersive Bible Study Experience. Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org
Have a question? Leave me a voicemail: SpeakPipe
Sunday affirmations and Scripture
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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Saturday Daily Affirmations: Looking Back with God | Reflection and Gratitude
Saturday, September 19, 2026 • Duration 11:04
Saturday Daily Affirmations: Looking Back with God | Reflection and
Gratitude
Saturday is a good day to slow down and look back over your 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. These Scripture-based Christian affirmations are a gentle way to reflect with honesty and gratitude before the new week begins.
I'll say each affirmation, pause so you can repeat it after me, and then
read the Bible verse it comes from.
Links
AD-FREE Daily Affirmations are on my Patreon: Patreon
Join me on an immersive Bible Study Experience. Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org
Have a question? Leave me a voicemail: SpeakPipe
Saturday affirmations and Scripture
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.
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FRIDAY BONUS: Who is Rachael and How Did the Hearing Jesus Podcast Start?
Friday, September 18, 2026 • Duration 42:05
Who is Rachael and How Did the Hearing Jesus Podcast Start?
This bonus Friday episode is an introduction to Rachael and the Hearing Jesus podcast for all our new listeners. Rachael explains what listeners can expect each week, why the show is structured the way it is, and how her own story shaped the heart of the podcast. She also shares her testimony, the origins of the show, and the vision behind Bible Study Live and the wider Hearing Jesus community.
Send Rachael a voicemail with any questions at her SpeakPipe here
Go on a trip with Rachael: Bible Study Live
Get Ad-Free Episodes, Bonus Content, and more here: patreon.com/HearingJesus
Chapters
00:00 - What this bonus Friday episode is about
01:01 - Why the podcast had extra bonus content this week
01:49 - The normal weekly rhythm of affirmations and Bible study
03:11 - Why interviews became more selective
05:05 - Final call for unclaimed giveaway winners
06:48 - Rachel’s calling to help people hear God’s voice
08:03 - Early life, marriage, divorce, and healing
09:25 - Ministry training, education, and early church work
10:55 - Leaving the daycare and stepping into church leadership
12:07 - From children’s ministry to outreach and justice work
13:02 - Starting Sidewalk Sunday School in hard parts of town
14:27 - The first empty bus and learning to keep going
15:24 - Why outreach grew beyond kids into food, housing, and care
16:23 - Missions work around the world
17:16 - Pushback over preaching Jesus in the housing community
18:30 - One conversation that changed everything
19:27 - Fighting back and regaining gospel access
19:56 - Writing Go and speaking about outreach ministry
20:48 - The message that became She Hears
22:37 - Starting the podcast during COVID
23:33 - Asking whether the podcast was worth the work
24:25 - Treating the podcast like the church
26:48 - Full-time missions work and global ministry
28:29 - Why immersive Bible study trips became the next step
29:28 - How Bible Study Live began with Rome
31:42 - Adding Maui and planning Greece
32:35 - The heart behind immersive Bible study
33:31 - Finding older episodes and sending questions
34:52 - Organizing the episode library through Patreon
35:52 - SpeakPipe questions and prayer requests
36:21 - Encouragement for listeners facing discouragement
37:16 - Closing resources and final thoughts
Notable quotes
“The call of God on my life was not instant.”
“God’s word does not come back void.”
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Favored Is Not the Same Thing as Favorite (Luke 1:26-38)
Friday, September 18, 2026 • Duration 44:48
Favored Is Not the Same Thing as Favorite (Luke 1:26-38)
Have you ever wondered why, if you are really favored by God, life still feels this hard? A lot of us quietly carry that question. We hear that God favors His people, and then we look at our circumstances and feel confused, overlooked, or unqualified. The story of Mary clears up something we have gotten mixed up for a long time.
In this episode we slow down in Luke 1:26-38, the moment the angel Gabriel visits Mary, and we sit with one word that changes everything: favored. Being favored by God is not the same thing as being His favorite, and once you see the difference, it changes how you read your own life. This is the second stop in our slow read through the Gospel of Luke.
"And coming in, he said to her, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.'" (Luke 1:28, NASB)
Links
Join me on an immersive Bible Study Experience. Learn more at https://biblestudylive.org
Leave me a voicemail with your question for the series: SpeakPipe
Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. SEEDS APP
What does "favored" actually mean in Luke 1:28?
The word behind favored comes from the Greek word for grace. It describes someone who has been given grace, not someone who earned a gold star. When Gabriel calls Mary the favored one, he is not saying she out-performed every other woman alive. He is saying God freely poured out grace on her. Favor starts with God's character, not our performance.
Is being favored the same as being God's favorite?
This is where so many of us get tripped up. A favorite is earned. Think of the favorite student or the favorite child, the one who won the spot by their grades or their effort. Favored is the opposite. It is a free gift, and in Scripture it is tied to being given a purpose, not to comfort or ease. Mary was favored, and it led straight into a hard, costly assignment.
Why would God favor a girl from Nazareth?
Nazareth was a small, overlooked town with no reputation. Later in John's Gospel, someone asks whether anything good could come from there. That is the point. Out of every place and every person God could have chosen, He chose the girl nobody would have picked, because His favor has never been about status or standing.
What did being favored cost Mary?
Betrothal was far more than a modern engagement. It was a legally binding contract, essentially marriage in every way except living together. A pregnancy that was not her husband's could expose Mary to public disgrace and real danger. Her favor came wrapped in risk. That is the piece we miss when we treat favor like a reward for good behavior.
Why did Gabriel respond to Mary so differently than to Zechariah?
When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, fear fell on him and he asked for proof. Mary was troubled too, but her response was to ponder, to turn the words over and work through them. Zechariah was older, credentialed, and established. Mary was young with no title or standing. Yet she is the one who trusted. God's favor and His ability to use us have nothing to do with our credentials.
What does favor look like when you say "let it be"?
Mary's words, let it be, came before she knew how any of it would work out. She still had to face Joseph, her town, and the math everyone would do on her pregnancy. Being favored did not remove the cost. It gave her the grace to trust God inside the cost. That is the invitation for us too, to trust Him so deeply that even when it does not make sense, we can say, let it be.
Common Questions
What passage does this episode cover?
Luke 1:26-38, Gabriel's visit to Mary. It is the second teaching episode in the slow read through the Gospel of Luke.
What Bible translation does Rachael use?
Rachael reads from the ESV while using the color method and studies and teaches from the NASB, so you may hear small wording differences during the teaching.
What is the color method?
A simple Bible study approach Rachael teaches in the Bible Study 101 series for marking and noticing patterns in a passage as you read slowly.
How can I send a question for the Luke series?
Leave a voicemail through the SpeakPipe link above or email Rachael. Some questions get answered in future Q and A episodes.
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Friday Daily Affirmations: Fully Known by God | Rest, Renewal, and Surrender
Friday, September 18, 2026 • Duration 11:23
Friday Daily Affirmations: Fully Known by God | Rest, Renewal, and
Surrender
End your week anchored in peace and presence. These Scripture-based
Christian affirmations are a short, steady way to set down what you've been
carrying and find rest in God's care. Today's affirmations are about releasing
your burdens, letting go of striving, and remembering that God's strength,
love, and renewal are available right where you are. It's time to stop striving
and start resting in His goodness.
I'll say each affirmation, pause so you can repeat it after me, and then
share the Scripture it comes from.
Links
AD-FREE Daily Affirmations are on my Patreon: Patreon
Join me on an immersive Bible Study Experience. Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org
Have a question? Leave me a voicemail: SpeakPipe
Before we begin
The week is ending, and as we step into the weekend, let's take a moment to
breathe. Release your burdens and rest in God's presence. We're not meant to carry everything ourselves. God calls us to lay our worries at His feet and
find renewal in Him.
Friday affirmations and Scripture
I release my worries and trust God to handle what I cannot.
1 Peter 5:7
God's peace fills my heart and I rest in His presence.
Matthew 11:28
I am not defined by my mistakes. God's grace is greater than my failures.
Lamentations 3:22-23
I let go of the need to control everything and surrender to God's perfect
plan.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I am deeply loved by God and nothing can separate me from His love.
Romans 8:38-39
God refreshes my soul and renews my strength.
Isaiah 40:31
I will be fully present today, trusting that God holds tomorrow.
Matthew 6:34
My body, mind, and spirit find rest in God alone.
Psalm 62:1
I let go of striving and choose to rest in God's love.
Zephaniah 3:17
I step into the weekend with joy, knowing that God is in control.
Psalm 118:24
God's presence is my safe place.
Psalm 91:1
I am fully known and fully loved by God.
Psalm 139:1-2
I will not let stress steal my peace today.
Philippians 4:6-7
God is my refuge and I am safe in His hands.
Psalm 46:1
I do not need to have all the answers. I trust God.
Romans 11:33
God is fighting my battles and I can rest in His victory.
Exodus 14:14
I will not fear because God is with me.
Isaiah 41:13
I am held together by God's love even when life feels overwhelming.
Colossians 1:17
God's goodness and mercy follow me every day.
Psalm 23:6
I will not carry burdens that God has already taken from me.
Matthew 11:29-30
I am at peace because God is in control.
Isaiah 26:3
I trust in God's timing even when I don't understand.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
I will lay down my burdens and take on God's.
Psalm 4:8
I am never alone for God is always with me.
Deuteronomy 31:6
No matter what happens today, God is still good.
Nahum 1:7
Closing prayer
Father, as this week comes to an end, I lay my burdens at Your feet. Help me
to release my worries, rest in Your peace, and trust You with everything I
cannot control. Refresh my heart and renew my spirit so I can step into the
weekend with joy. 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.
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When Fear Drowns Out God's Voice: Zechariah and Elizabeth: Luke 1:5-25
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 40:43
When Fear Drowns Out God's Voice: Zechariah and Elizabeth: Luke 1:5-25
There are things that keep us from hearing God, and fear is one of the loudest. Not because God stops speaking, but because fear gets between us and what He is saying.
Zechariah is a hard case to dismiss. He came from a priestly family, Scripture calls him righteous, and it says he walked blamelessly. He was literally in the middle of serving God when God spoke to him. And he still couldn't hear it, because he had waited and prayed so many years that the fear of another disappointment had gotten louder than the voice in the room.
Today we slow down in Luke 1 and look at what fear actually cost him, and what it did not cost him.
Links
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Who was Herod, and why does Luke mention him first?
Because Luke is anchoring this in real history. Herod the Great ruled Judea for Rome from roughly 37 to 4 BC. This is not once upon a time in a land far away. Luke is telling you when this happened so you can go and check it.
There's also a contrast being set up in that very first sentence. On one side, a paranoid and violent king who was terrified of losing his power, and everyone was watching him. On the other side, God quietly setting the arrival of the real King in motion through an ordinary priest in a small town, while nobody important was paying attention.
What is the division of Abijah?
Long before this, King David divided the priests into twenty-four family groups so each one got a fair turn serving in the temple. You can read about it in 1 Chronicles 24. Abijah's group was eighth in line, and each group served about a week at a time, twice a year, plus festivals when everyone served together.
Luke includes this detail for the same reason he named Herod. It tells you which family Zechariah belonged to and narrows down when this happened. This is a real man in a real place at a checkable moment in time.
What does "daughters of Aaron" mean?
Aaron was Moses' brother and the first priest of Israel. So this tells us Elizabeth also came from a priestly family. In that culture, a priest marrying a woman from a priestly line was considered an excellent match.
Both of them came from the most respected religious families in the country. Which makes the years of childlessness harder, not easier. In that time, the assumption was that being without children meant you had done something wrong. That was never what God said, but it was what the culture said, and people still say versions of it today. Luke is showing us the opposite. These two had done everything right.
Why couldn't John drink wine or strong drink?
Gabriel is pointing to something like a Nazirite vow, described in Numbers. That was a promise a person made to set themselves completely apart for God, and abstaining from alcohol was part of it. Normally an adult made that vow for themselves. Here, John receives the calling before he is even born, the way Samson did in Judges 13. It's God's way of saying this child belongs to Him completely.
There's a practical dimension too. John's assignment was to prepare the way for the Messiah, and God wanted no obstacles and no grounds for dismissing him. When someone carries a word from the Lord, anything that gives listeners a reason to doubt the source can undermine the message. Even Jesus and the disciples were accused of being drunk.
What does "the spirit and power of Elijah" mean?
Centuries earlier, Malachi said God would send someone with Elijah's spirit to prepare people before the Messiah arrived. Elijah was bold and direct, never afraid to call people back to God even when it cost him. Gabriel is not saying John is Elijah returned. He's giving a job description. John will carry that same boldness into the same role.
Why does it matter that the angel is Gabriel?
Because Gabriel is named only a handful of times in all of Scripture. Twice in Daniel, and twice in Luke. In Daniel, he explains a vision and lays out a countdown to the arrival of the Messiah. Now the same messenger who told Daniel to watch for Him has come back to say it's happening.
Luke is the details man. That detail is not decoration.
How does fear keep us from hearing God?
Most of us have heard this taught as a mouth problem. He spoke doubt, and he was silenced. That's true as far as it goes. But what comes out of our mouths does not start in our mouths. It starts in the heart.
Back up to verse twelve. Zechariah was troubled, and fear fell on him. The angel recognizes it immediately and speaks directly to that fear, and then rattles off roughly a dozen promises, one after another. Your prayer has been heard. You will have a son. You will call him John. You will have joy and gladness. Many will rejoice. He will be great before the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. He will turn many back to God. He will go in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children. He will turn the disobedient toward wisdom. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
A dozen supernatural promises, and Zechariah doesn't seem to hear past the first one. He's still standing in his fear. That's what fear does. It doesn't stop God from speaking. It makes His voice harder to receive.
After all those years of waiting and praying, the waiting had almost become his identity, and the fear of it never happening spoke louder than the voice of God standing right in front of him.
What did fear actually cost him?
Here's the part worth sitting with. Look at verse twenty-four. After these days, Elizabeth conceived.
She conceived anyway. Gabriel had said it would be fulfilled in its time, and it was. Zechariah's fear did not stop God from doing what God was going to do.
What it stopped was his participation in it. A multitude of people were waiting outside for him, the very people he was called to lead and had served faithfully his whole life. He walked out with the greatest news of his life and could not say a word. He still got to see what God did. He just didn't get to tell anyone.
He was doing all the right things on the outside and still let fear rob him on the inside. Our doubt will not stop God's plan. But it can silence our testimony of it.
What's the invitation today?
Sit with this one honestly. Where might God be authoring something in your life that you are too afraid to see? Where is fear the thing drowning out His voice?
Maybe you've been holding a promise for a long time. Maybe you're afraid to hope, because hoping and being disappointed again feels worse than not hoping at all. Fear can keep you from recognizing the miracle standing directly in front of you.
It won't stop God. It may stop you from being part of it.
Featured quote
"Our doubt won't stop God's plan. But it may stop your testimony of it."
Scripture referenced
Luke 1:5-25 (ESV), 1 Chronicles 24, Numbers, Judges 13, Malachi 4, Daniel
Timestamps
00:00 Picking back up in the Luke and Acts study
00:30 Reading Luke 1:5-25
04:28 Prayer
04:56 The way this passage usually gets taught, and what gets missed
06:46 Who was Herod, and why Luke starts there
08:27 The contrast between a paranoid king and the real King
08:57 The division of Abijah, and how David organized the priests
11:10 The daughters of Aaron, and what it meant to be barren then
12:49 The Nazirite vow, and why John was set apart from the womb
15:50 The spirit and power of Elijah
17:13 Why Gabriel by name matters
19:20 Righteous, blameless, and still waiting
21:22 It started in his heart, not his mouth
22:11 Fear fell upon him
23:06 The dozen promises Zechariah didn't hear
25:21 When waiting becomes your identity
27:23 Elizabeth conceived anyway
29:16 God will do what God is going to do
31:41 The multitude waiting outside
32:47 Doing all the right things and still bound by fear
32:58 Your homework for today
35:00 Prayer against the spirit of fear
36:47 Why we go to Rome
38:23 Coming tomorrow: Mary
Frequently asked questions
Is fear a barrier to hearing God's voice?
Yes, and Zechariah is one of the clearest examples in Scripture. God was speaking audibly through a messenger standing in front of him, and fear still kept him from receiving it.
Why was Zechariah struck mute?
Gabriel says it plainly: because he did not believe the words that would be fulfilled in their time. The deeper issue was the fear underneath the unbelief.
Did Zechariah's unbelief stop the promise?
No. Elizabeth conceived exactly as Gabriel said. What his fear cost him was the ability to speak about it, not the miracle itself.
Were Zechariah and Elizabeth being punished with barrenness?
No. Luke goes out of his way to tell us both were righteous and walked blamelessly. The assumption that childlessness signaled wrongdoing was cultural, not biblical.
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Thursday Daily Affirmations: I Have the Mind of Christ | Walking in Purpose
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 10:19
Thursday Daily Affirmations: I Have the Mind of Christ | Walking in
Purpose
You were created on purpose, for a purpose. These Scripture-based
Christian affirmations are a short, steady way to walk into your day with
intention, clarity, and wisdom. Whether you're questioning your calling or
finding your footing in a new season, today's affirmations will help you trust
God's plan, listen for His guidance, and move forward with boldness.
I'll say each affirmation, pause so you can repeat it after me, and then
share the Scripture it's based on.
Links
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Before we begin
God created you for a reason. Your life is not an accident, and your
steps are not random. He has a plan for you, a purpose that brings glory to Him and fulfillment to your heart. As you listen to these affirmations, let them
remind you that God is leading, guiding, and equipping you for everything He has called you to do.
Thursday affirmations and Scripture
God has a purpose for my life and I walk in His plan.
Jeremiah 29:11
I trust in the Lord to guide my steps.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I seek wisdom, and God gives it freely.
James 1:5
God is directing my steps and I do not walk alone.
Psalm 37:23
I am a light in this world, shining for Christ.
Matthew 5:14
God has prepared good works for me to do today.
Ephesians 2:10
I am equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:17
I walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8
I will walk in faith, not in fear.
2 Timothy 1:7
God's Word lights my path.
Psalm 119:105
I choose obedience, knowing God's ways are best.
Deuteronomy 5:33
I live with purpose and do not waste my time.
Ephesians 5:15-16
I am called to make an impact for God's Kingdom.
Matthew 28:19-20
I have the mind of Christ and seek His wisdom daily.
1 Corinthians 2:16
I am a vessel for God's work.
2 Corinthians 4:7
I will not grow weary in doing good.
Galatians 6:9
God's purpose for me cannot be stopped.
Job 42:2
I do everything for the glory of God.
Colossians 3:23
God is using my life to accomplish His plan.
Romans 8:28
I am bold in sharing the gospel.
Romans 1:16
I walk in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25
I remain steadfast in my calling.
1 Corinthians 15:58
God will finish the work He started in me.
Philippians 1:6
I live with an eternal perspective.
Colossians 3:2
I press forward in my faith, knowing my reward is in Heaven.
Philippians 3:13-14
Closing prayer
Father, thank You for calling me to a life of purpose. Help me to walk in
wisdom today, seeking You in all I do. Give me clarity where I need direction,
courage where I need boldness, and a heart that is always ready to serve You.
Let my life bring You glory. 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.
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Luke Was Not a Disciple: An Introduction to the Gospel of Luke
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 • Duration 24:27
Luke Was Not a Disciple: An Introduction to the Gospel of Luke
We're starting our fall study of the Gospel of Luke, and before we open the text, it's worth knowing who wrote this book and why. Luke was a physician, a careful historian, and the only non-Jewish author in all of Scripture. He wasn't one of the twelve. He never met Jesus. And he wrote for someone who had already heard the stories but needed something solid underneath them.If you have ever felt like an outsider in church, or found that your own faith has gotten a little shakier than you'd like to admit, this is your gospel.
LinksJoin me on an immersive Bible Study Experience. We visit Luke's house in Rome, and our 2027 dates include Greece, Maui, and Rome. Payment plans are interest free. Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org
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Why are we studying Luke and Acts together?
Because that's how they were written. Luke was originally the first of two books, with Acts as the second. Treating them as one continuous work is the way they were meant to be read, and together they make up roughly a quarter of the New Testament. Luke gives us the birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Acts picks up with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the formation of the early church, and the work of the apostles.
Who wrote the Gospel of Luke?
The book itself doesn't name its author, but the consensus is unanimous and uncontested. Early Christian tradition, along with the writing style and structure, all point to Luke. This isn't one of the books scholars argue about.Here's what surprises most people: Luke was not one of the disciples. He never knew Jesus personally. He was a Gentile who later became a follower of Jesus, which makes him the only non-Jewish author of any book in the Bible. Paul calls him a dear friend and tells us he was a physician. He was educated, careful as a historian, and a theologian.
Who was Theophilus?
The name means one who loves God, which has led some to read it as a title for any believer. That's a fair application, but it's probably not what it meant originally. Luke calls him most excellent, and that same phrase is used elsewhere in Scripture for Roman officials. Most scholars land on Theophilus being a Roman official or at least a man of real wealth and status, quite possibly Luke's sponsor, the person who funded the writing and distribution. Either way, this was a letter written to a specific man for a specific reason.
Why did Luke write a fourth gospel?
Because there was a gap. Matthew wrote for a Jewish audience. Mark wrote a short account for the church in Rome. But Greek-speaking Gentiles had only oral accounts and brief written summaries. They had no complete story of Jesus from a perspective that made sense to them. Luke saw the need, and the Lord led him to fill it. Most of his research was likely done while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea, and he probably finished soon after arriving in Rome.You can see that Gentile focus in the text itself. Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham, which is what a Jewish audience would want. Luke traces it all the way back to Adam, because his readers needed to know that Jesus came for all of humanity, not one nation.
What makes Luke different from the other gospels?
Luke's writing (Luke and Acts together) is the longest book in the New Testament and the most comprehensive account of the life of Jesus. It has the most polished Greek. It's the only gospel that shows us Jesus as a young boy. It gives us a large body of teaching and parables found nowhere else, most of it delivered on the road to Jerusalem.Luke also keeps his eye on particular people: the poor, women, widows, children, the sick, the social outcasts. He was a doctor, and he notices things the others don't. He pays close attention to the prayer life of Jesus, to joy, and to the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus and in the lives of His followers. The title he uses most is Son of Man, which holds together that Jesus was fully God and fully man.
What does "exact truth" actually mean in Luke 1:4?
This is the heart of it. Luke states his purpose plainly: so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. The Greek word behind exact truth shares a root with our English word asphalt, and it carries the sense of something firm and solid, a stable foundation, something that will not let you slip.That's what Luke was after. He wrote so that a man who had already been taught would have something concrete under his feet when life got hard.
Why does that matter for us?
Because a lot of people are walking around with a faith more fragile than they would ever say out loud. You can attend every Sunday and know all the right words, and still find that a hard season, a painful loss, or a stack of unanswered questions has softened the ground underneath you.That's exactly who Luke wrote for. And it's why this gospel is so accessible now. Luke wrote for outsiders, for people with no background and no context, starting from the beginning. The poor, the Gentile, the tax collector, the Samaritan woman, the leper, the sinner, all of them get placed at the center of his story.If you have ever felt too far outside to be included in what God is doing, this is your gospel. And if you haven't felt that way, someone near you has.
Featured quote:
"Luke is saying, I wrote this for you so that you would have something firm and stable to stand on."
Scripture referenced: Luke 1:1-4 (NASB)
Timestamps
00:00 Where we've been, and why the Bible Study 101 episodes matter
00:55 Why we skipped Luke last year, and why we're doing Luke and Acts together
01:48 Reading Luke 1:1-4
02:25 Who was Theophilus, and what "most excellent" tells us
03:41 Who wrote this gospel, and why there's no real debate
04:30 Luke was not a disciple, and he was not Jewish
05:26 What Luke and Acts cover together
06:36 What Paul tells us about Luke
07:29 The gap Luke was filling for the Gentile church
08:26 Abraham or Adam: how audience shapes a genealogy
09:22 What's inside Luke, and what's found nowhere else
10:19 The longest, most literate, most comprehensive gospel
10:49 The marginalized, prayer, joy, and the Holy Spirit
11:26 Why the big picture of Scripture changes how you read
13:18 Luke is the gospel for people who feel like outsiders
14:14 Rachael's own story of walking in with no context
15:14 The faith that's more fragile than we admit
16:39 Asphalēs: something firm to stand on
17:39 Why Luke is a better starting point than most people are told
18:32 What to expect this fall
18:47 Prayer
20:26 Standing in Luke's house in Rome
Frequently asked questions
Was Luke one of the twelve disciples?
No. Luke never met Jesus and was not one of the twelve. He came to faith later and built his account on eyewitness testimony and careful research.
Was Luke Jewish?
No. Luke was a Gentile, which makes him the only non-Jewish author of any book in the Bible.
Should I read Luke or John first if I'm new to the Bible?
There's no bad place to start. But Luke explains things in a way that assumes no background, which makes it an especially good entry point if church language feels unfamiliar.
Why study Luke and Acts as one book?
Because Luke wrote them that way, as volume one and volume two of a single work addressed to the same man.
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