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

Psalms for the Soul: Psalm 127: Daily Bible Study, Daily Devotional, Hearing Jesus

In today’s hustle culture, it can be easy to lose sight of God’s blessings in our lives and take the credit for those blessings ourselves. Today’s psalm serves as a powerful reminder that any good thing in our life is a gift from God. I pray this episode blesses you.

Today’s Key Verse:

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

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Living for What Lasts: The Sobering Gift of Pompeii

What a city frozen in time and James 4:14 show us about the life right in front of us

Pompeii is the Roman city that Mount Vesuvius buried in AD 79, and walking through it is one of the most unexpected stops on our Rome trip. It drops you straight into the world of the New Testament, and it asks a question none of us can dodge: are you living for what lasts? Across this bonus series we've walked through prisons, along ancient roads, and down into the tombs. Today we end up somewhere that might not seem to belong on a Bible study trip at all, until you see why it might be the most important stop of the week.

Pompeii reminds us that today is the day. If the Lord is stirring something in you, come walk this world with us in November and see your Bible with your own eyes. Registration closes July 29 and only a few spots are left. [Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org →]

⁠https://www.rachaelgroll.com/bible-study-live⁠

In this episode
00:01 Welcome and the bonus series
00:35 A stop that might surprise you: Pompeii
02:41 Walking through a city frozen in time
04:43 How Pompeii brings the New Testament to life
06:17 The city that thought it had tomorrow
08:27 Your life is a vapor: James 4
09:38 The parable of the rich fool
10:18 Are you living for what lasts?
11:40 A prayer
12:29 Come and see it for yourself

Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 and buried Pompeii, and that date lands right in the middle of the New Testament era. Paul had walked the roads of the Roman Empire within the same generation. The book of Acts had been written, the early church was spreading through these very regions, and some of the last books of your New Testament were being written in that same world. So when the ash sealed Pompeii, it sealed a living, breathing example of the exact culture the apostles knew. The same empire. The same streets and shops and customs Paul walked among.

The ash that destroyed Pompeii also protected it. It covered everything and sealed it, and it stayed sealed for almost seventeen hundred years. When it was finally uncovered, and archaeologists are still uncovering parts of it today, what they found was not the usual ruins you see across Italy. It was a Roman city frozen in time, frozen at the exact moment the world Paul was writing to was alive.

You walk on the original stone streets, with ruts worn into the stone by cartwheels and raised stepping stones where people crossed to keep their feet out of the mud. You pass homes with paint still on the walls and frescoes that still hold their color after two thousand years. You see shops and what look like fast food counters, with holes in the stone where jars of hot food once sat, right near the theaters. There are public bathhouses and marketplaces and meeting places. And there is graffiti, real words scratched into the walls by real people, election notices, advertisements, someone boasting about their wealth, even love notes with an insult scratched in beside them. Ordinary human life, preserved so completely you can still read it off the walls.

Most of the world we read about in Scripture is gone. We can read about it and imagine it, but we cannot touch it. Pompeii you can touch. When you read Paul's letters to churches in cities like this one and wonder what it was actually like to live there, what the streets and homes and markets looked like, Pompeii lets you walk through the answer instead of picturing it. That is why we go. It takes the world of your Bible and helps you understand it in your body. Paul stops being a figure in a stained glass window and becomes a man who walked streets like these, preached to people who lived in homes like these, and grabbed meals at counters like these.

Pompeii had no idea what was coming. They did not understand volcanoes. They saw a mountain, and even with Vesuvius right there in view, they opened their shops and went about their day. They made their bread. Actual loaves have been found still in the ovens. People were in the middle of meals and errands and an ordinary day, and no one woke up thinking it was their last. They thought they had time. In a matter of hours the whole city was gone. And walking through it, you cannot help but think about how we live the same way, sure there will always be more days ahead to deal with what matters most, to finally do the thing God is asking of us, to turn back toward Him.

James says our lives are brief and not ours to schedule. He wrote it in that same New Testament world.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. (James 4:13-14)

Here for a moment, then gone. Walking through Pompeii is walking through that verse.

Jesus told a story that could almost be about Pompeii. A man had a great harvest and told himself he would build bigger barns, store up all his goods, and finally relax, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?" So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:20-21)

Jesus was not trying to scare that man. He was trying to wake him up before it was too late, to say stop building your whole life on things that vanish in a night, and put your focus on what will last.

That is what Pompeii asks of anyone who walks its streets. Not fear, but waking up to the fact that the decisions you make either push you toward God or away from Him. If today were the day, have you built your life on the one thing that cannot be buried or taken away? The people of Pompeii thought they had tomorrow. We think it too. The strange gift of a place like that is the reminder that no one is owed another day, and that the invitation to go all in for God is always for today.

Father, thank You for this life, and for every ordinary day in it as a gift. We so easily live as though we have endless time, and we put things off, even the things that matter to us most. Would You wake us up to what really lasts, and help us build our lives on things that do not vanish. I want to pray for the person who has been putting off turning toward You, who keeps thinking there will be a better time or that they need to get it together first. Would You help them see that today is the day, that You are here right now, ready to be found. Make us rich toward You, and help us respond to Your call and live for You. In Jesus' name, amen.

What translation does Rachael use on the podcast?
The written study materials use the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Is Pompeii part of the Rome trip itinerary?
Yes. Pompeii is so large it would take days to see all of it, so we focus on one section for reasons Rachael explains in person. When timing allows, we also visit nearby Herculaneum, another town Vesuvius buried that is still being carefully excavated.

Do you have to be a history person to get something out of Pompeii?
Not at all. The point is not the archaeology. It is standing inside the world of your Bible and letting it ask you what you are living for.

When does registration for this year's Rome trip close?
Registration closes July 29, and there are only a few spots left.

What is coming next in this bonus series?
Next week's episode releases on Wednesday instead of Friday, and it is the final stop in the series. It ends somewhere unexpected, so you will want to come back for it.

Pompeii reminds us that today is the day. If the Lord is stirring something in you, come walk this world with us in November and see your Bible with your own eyes. Registration closes July 29 and only a few spots are left. [Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org →]

https://www.rachaelgroll.com/bible-study-live

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Friday: Fully Loved by God:  Daily Affirmations, Christian
Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations

End your week anchored in peace and presence. This episode invites
listeners to release their burdens and find rest in God’s care. With each
affirmation and verse, you’re reminded that you’re not alone—God’s strength, love, and renewal are available right where you are. It’s time to stop striving and start resting in His goodness.

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

 

Affirmations for rest, renewal, and surrender:

The week is ending, and as we step into the weekend, let’s take a
moment to breathe. Release our 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.

 

Repeat after me, then listen to the Bible verse.

 

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.

 

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

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Psalms for the Soul: Psalm 125 and 126: Daily Bible Study, Daily Devotional, Hearing Jesus  

Today we focus on both Psalm 125 and 126 together because they give us a powerful picture of the restorative work that God can do after a difficult season. While we won’t be fully restored until we get to heaven, there can be such joy in knowing that God can work in the places of our lives that the enemy tried to steal. I pray this episode blesses you!

Today’s Key Verse:

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalm 126:5

☆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

Bible study, Christian affirmations, prayer, devotionals, hear God’s voice, grow spiritually, Scripture, biblical context, walk with God, hearing God, understanding the Bible, spiritual growth, the Holy Spirit, Christian living, emotional healing, identity in Christ, prayer, discipleship, apply Scripture, daily devotional, Christian encouragement, Bible teaching, faith-based, Bible teaching, Spirit-led, spirit-filled.

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Thursday: I Seek God's Wisdom: Daily Affirmations, Christian Affirmations,
Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations

You were created on purpose—for a purpose. In this episode of Daily
Affirmations, we focus on walking with intention, clarity, and wisdom, grounded in God’s truth. Whether you’re questioning your calling or navigating a new season, these affirmations help you trust God’s plan, listen for His guidance, and move forward with boldness.

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

 

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.

I’ll say the affirmation, pause so you can repeat it after me, and
then share the Scripture reference it’s based on.

 

Affirmations and Scriptures:

 

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.

 

 

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

 
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