Hearing Jesus: Daily Bible Study and Christian Affirmations

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When You Know It Was God but Don't Understand It: Luke 2:41-52 Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Mary knew exactly who her son was. She had the angel, the virgin conception, the shepherds, and Simeon's prophecy. And when her twelve-year-old said he had to be in his Father's house, Scripture tells us plainly that she did not understand what he said to her.

Today we're finishing Luke 2 with Jesus at twelve in the temple. This passage gets taught incorrectly a lot, so we're going to slow down and ask some questions of the text. We'll look at what Passover actually meant to this family, what Jesus was really doing among the teachers, and the difference between knowing something and understanding it.

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What was the Feast of Passover?

It goes back to Exodus 12, the night God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. Each family killed a lamb without defect and put its blood on the doorposts, and when God's judgment moved through Egypt that night, He passed over the homes marked with the blood. That same night Pharaoh finally let God's people go.

God told them to keep that meal every year forever. Roasted lamb, bread without yeast because there hadn't been time to let it rise, and bitter herbs to remember the bitterness of slavery. The feast ran eight days, one for Passover itself and seven for the Feast of Unleavened Bread right after, which is why Luke says they stayed until the days were over. It fell in late March or April, right around when we observe Easter.

Deuteronomy 16 required all the men to appear before the Lord three times a year, at Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Technically only Joseph had to go. Mary went anyway, which was common for devoted families but not universal. We see the same thing with Hannah going up year after year in 1 Samuel. Luke is telling us this was a faithful household. There was a lot of hard in their lives, and they kept showing up.

Why did it take a day to notice Jesus was missing?

Because nobody traveled alone. Nazareth was about eighty to ninety miles from Jerusalem by road, which was a three to five day walk, and families traveled together in large groups with relatives and neighbors for safety. Luke tells us exactly that in verse 44.

So when Mary and Joseph couldn't find Jesus, it was because they assumed he was with the caravan, somewhere among thirty cousins. A whole day could pass before anyone noticed a twelve-year-old was gone.

What was Jerusalem like during Passover?

Packed. Scholars think Jerusalem normally held somewhere in the tens of thousands, and during Passover it swelled well beyond that. Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, wrote about numbers in the millions. Many scholars think that's heavily exaggerated, or that he simply meant there were people everywhere. People camped on the hillsides and in surrounding villages because there was nowhere to stay in the city.

The temple courts would have been loud and crowded, with lambs being sacrificed and the Levitical priests singing psalms. For a boy from a small village, this would have been one of the biggest things he saw all year.

Why did Passover matter so much to them?

For us it reads like a history lesson. For them it was how Israel remembered who they were and where they came from. God built the teaching right into it. Exodus 12 says that when your children ask what this rite means, you tell them the story again.

So every year the children asked and the parents retold it. That's part of how the faith got handed down, because most people couldn't read. It was an oral history carried by ritual.

And remember where they were standing. Israel was under Roman occupation. A feast week about God breaking the power of an empire and setting His people free meant something. During Passover, they were reminded of hope. Rome knew it too, which is why the Roman governor came up from the coast with extra soldiers during the feast to prevent a riot.

What is being foreshadowed here?

Think about what's happening. A twelve-year-old boy travels to Jerusalem for a feast about a lamb whose blood saved people from death, and he sits in the temple courts asking questions. About twenty years later he comes back to that same city, at that same feast, at that same time of year, and becomes the Lamb himself. Paul says it in 1 Corinthians: Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

There's one more thing I hadn't noticed until this time studying it. Mary and Joseph searched three days before they found him. Later, at Passover, three days would pass before Jesus was found again. That pricked my heart about how strategic God was in the timing.

Was Jesus teaching or learning in the temple?

This is where the passage often gets taught incorrectly. Verse 46 says he was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Sitting, listening, asking. Those are the actions of a student.

Then verse 47 says all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. Here's what ties them together: Jewish teaching worked by question and answer. A student asked a question, the teacher often answered with a question back, and the way you answered was how they measured whether you really understood.

So we have a twelve-year-old sitting among the teachers, asking, listening, and answering. That's learning. But the depth of his answers was teaching them at the same time. He wasn't correcting them or taking over.

The Greek word for understanding is sunesis, the ability to put things together and see how the pieces connect. They weren't amazed that he had memorized a lot of Scripture. Plenty of Jewish boys had. They were amazed at how he understood what it meant.

This matters theologically. Jesus was fully God and fully human, and his human mind grew the way yours and mine does. He learned his Scripture. It wasn't just automatically installed. He sat under teachers.

I think we need to give ourselves some grace there. People sometimes assume I have the whole Bible memorized. I don't. I know how to read it and study it. I know a lot more than I did five years ago, and that came from studying, listening, and asking questions.

What's the difference between knowing and understanding?

Verse 50 says his parents did not understand the saying he spoke to them. He had said he must be in his Father's house.

Why didn't they understand? Mary knew he was God's Son. She knew she was a virgin when she conceived. She knew it. She didn't understand it yet. She had a twelve-year-old who had scraped his knees and run and played and laughed like any child. She knew, and she was still growing into understanding.

So when we don't understand something right away, we tend to look down on ourselves as though something is wrong with us. This is Mary. This is Jesus. There's a difference between knowing and understanding, and we grow into it. Scripture says she treasured these things in her heart.

Sometimes God reveals something and you know that you know it was Him, and you still have no idea what it means. Sometimes that clears up quickly. Sometimes you sit with it for years. When God first showed me Bible Study Live, I was standing at the villa in Italy and He showed me an image of myself teaching a Bible study. I knew it was revelation from the Lord. I had no idea what it meant. I was working at a church and leading mission trips at the time, so I assumed it was connected to that somehow. It took six years before I understood.

For some of us it takes a lifetime. For some of us, it may be on the other side of heaven.

What happened after they went home?

Verse 51 says he continued in subjection to them. The Son of God went home to Nazareth and spent the next eighteen years obeying a young mom and a carpenter. The next time we see him, he's about thirty.

Verse 52 says Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. The Greek word for increasing is prokopto, and it carries the picture of cutting a path forward through brush. Slow, steady progress.

Notice there are four areas. Wisdom, stature, favor with God, favor with people. Mind, body, spirit, and relationships. He grew in all of them, which means he started in one place and moved to another. If that was true for Him, it's certainly true for you and me.

Timestamps

00:00 Finishing Luke 2 with a slow read
00:27 Reading Luke 2:41-52
01:25 Prayer
02:22 Why this passage gets taught incorrectly
03:16 Where Passover comes from
04:13 The eight days and the three pilgrim festivals
05:11 Mary didn't have to go, and she went anyway
05:37 The walk from Nazareth
06:8 Traveling in family groups
06:34 How a whole day passed unnoticed
07:2 How crowded Jerusalem was
07:58 Passover under Roman occupation
09:27 Why Rome sent extra soldiers
09:54 The Lamb who would become the Lamb
10:52 Three days, and then three days again
11:23 Was Jesus teaching or learning?
12:23 How question and answer teaching worked
13:20 What sunesis means
14:28 Jesus learned the way we learn
15:47 Knowing versus understanding
16:42 Mary knew, and she didn't understand yet
17:40 Six years before I understood
18:33 Eighteen quiet years in Nazareth
19:14 Prokopto, and the four areas of growth

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Tuesday Daily Affirmations: I Do Not Fear Because God Is With Me (Isaiah 41:10) Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Tuesday Daily Affirmations: I Do Not Fear Because God Is With Me (Isaiah 41:10)

Step into your week with boldness, peace, and purpose. These Scripture-based Christian affirmations are a short but powerful way to trade your own strength for God's before the day gets away from you. As the world demands more, God invites you to lean on Him. Today's affirmations are a reminder that you are never alone, never powerless, and never without purpose.

I'll read each phrase, you repeat it, and then I'll tell you the Scripture it comes from.

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Before we begin

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

Tuesday affirmations and Scripture

I am strong and courageous in Christ.
Joshua 1:9

I do not fear because God is with me.
Isaiah 41:10

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

I am victorious through Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:57

I have the power of God working within me.
Ephesians 3:20

I will not be shaken because God is my refuge.
Psalm 62:6

I walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

No weapon formed against me shall prosper.
Isaiah 54:17

God fights my battles and I need only to be still.
Exodus 14:14

I am not afraid because God has overcome the world.
John 16:33

I have authority in Christ over every attack of the enemy.
Luke 10:19

I am rooted and established in God's love.
Ephesians 3:17

I have divine wisdom and strength for today.
James 1:5

I am resilient and I will persevere through trials.
Romans 5:3-4

I am filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8

I will not grow weary in doing good.
Galatians 6:9

God's grace is sufficient for me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

I have peace that surpasses understanding.
Philippians 4:7

I am never alone. God is always near.
Deuteronomy 31:8

I am protected under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

God's Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

I stand firm in faith and do not waver.
James 1:6

I am free from fear because God's perfect love casts it out.
1 John 4:18

I have a spirit of power, love, and sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

God is working all things for my good today.
Romans 8:28

Closing prayer

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

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

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Not Everything Is for Everyone: Luke 2:22-40 Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Two people recognize the Messiah on the same day, in the same temple. God gives one of them a private word and the other a public one. That difference has a lot to say about how God works through you when He starts giving you spiritual insight.

Today we're in Luke 2:22-40 with Simeon and Anna. We'll talk about why Mary needed purification, what the two birds tell us about this family, how the Holy Spirit worked before Pentecost, and what Simeon meant when he said the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed.

Links

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Why did Mary need to be purified?

Jesus had no sin, so why would His mother need cleansing? This wasn't about sin. It had to do with the blood of childbirth, going back to Leviticus 12. That law said a mother waited forty days after having a son before returning to worship at the temple, and eighty after a daughter. Then she brought offerings to the priest.

Being unclean didn't mean she'd done something wrong. It meant she wasn't ready to come near holy things yet. Leviticus 15 says any bodily discharge made a person ceremonially unclean, and Numbers 19 says touching a dead body made you unclean for a week. If Joseph helped Mary deliver, he would have been unclean too. This was ritual cleansing, not a sin offering.

Why did they bring two birds instead of a lamb?

Leviticus 12 called for a lamb and a bird, but if you couldn't afford a lamb you were permitted to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons instead.

They brought two birds. That tells us they couldn't afford a lamb. The Son of God was born into a family living in poverty.

And think about this. She didn't need one. She was holding the Lamb. Years later Jesus would become the final sacrifice, which is why you and I don't have to bring a perfect lamb as an offering.

Birds were plentiful in that region and nested in the clefts of the rock walls there. They were considered clean, simple, and harmless, which is why they fit as a sacrificial animal. Keep an eye on the doves as we move through Luke.

Why does Scripture say "up to Jerusalem"?

Because people literally had to go up. Jerusalem sat on a ridge higher than the surrounding area, so you climbed to reach it from almost any direction. The Psalms of Ascent were the songs people sang on that journey up the hill.

How do the regions fit together?

Galilee was the north, green and fertile with trade routes running through, which meant many non-Jewish people settled there. Isaiah calls it Galilee of the Gentiles. Southerners looked down on Galileans and could pick out their accent immediately. That's where Jesus grew up.

Samaria was the middle. There was real bad blood between Samaritans and Jews over where to worship and which Scriptures to accept, and Jewish travelers would cross the Jordan and back just to avoid passing through. That's what makes it so striking later when Jesus had to go through Samaria to meet the woman at the well.

Judea was the south, the heartland, with Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The name comes from Judah, which is also where we get the word Jew.

Nazareth was a small village in Galilee, the kind of place that prompted Nathanael to ask whether anything good could come from there. Bethlehem was a small town in Judea about six miles south of Jerusalem, and its name means house of bread. It was David's hometown and the setting of Ruth and Boaz.

Here's what used to confuse me. City of David usually means Jerusalem in the Old Testament. But Luke gives that title to Bethlehem, because that's where David was born and tended sheep. It's a reversal his readers would have caught. The King of kings comes from a small town, not the royal capital.

Put the travel together: Nazareth in the north, ninety miles south to Bethlehem for the census, then six miles up to Jerusalem to present Him at the temple.

How did the Holy Spirit work before Pentecost?

Luke says the Spirit was upon Simeon and led him into the temple on the exact day Jesus was brought in. But Pentecost hasn't happened yet, so what is this?

All through the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon specific people for a specific assignment or season. We saw it with Zechariah and Elizabeth. David spoke of it and begged God not to take it from him. It was real, and it was temporary. The Spirit came on and off people.

At Pentecost that changes. Peter quotes Joel, that God will pour out His Spirit on all mankind and sons and daughters will prophesy. Not just prophets and kings. You and me. And it becomes permanent, made possible by the finished work of Jesus.

So if you have come to faith in Jesus, you already have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There's also the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which works more like what we see here, coming on someone for a specific purpose. We'll get to that later in the series.

What does "the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed" mean?

This line is easy to brush past. The word for revealed is apokalypto, where we get apocalypse. It means unveiling. It does not mean disaster.

The word for thoughts is dialogismoi, where we get dialogue. It describes internal reasoning, the back and forth you have with yourself in your own head. So Simeon is talking about the private objections and doubts people carry about Jesus without ever saying them out loud.

We see it again when Jesus asks the Pharisees why they are reasoning in their hearts, and after the resurrection when He asks why doubts arise in their hearts. He knows. Jesus is going to pull the cover off what people actually think about Him.

That can bring peace, and it can also feel like chaos. I'm not saying God is the author of chaos. But when He brings truth into the light, whatever has been hiding in the dark scatters. In some places I've worked, you flip a light on and the cockroaches run. He exposes things because He wants to heal them.

Why does Simeon speak privately and Anna publicly?

Simeon waited a long time, and when the fulfillment came, he kept his word private. He gave it to one couple, specifically to Mary, and it was hard. A sword will pierce your own soul.

Anna does the opposite. She declares her word publicly to everyone waiting for the redemption of Israel.

Jewish law required two witnesses to establish something, going back to Deuteronomy, and Luke keeps giving us pairs. Zechariah and Mary. Elizabeth and Mary. Now Simeon and Anna.

Luke calls Anna a prophetess with no hesitation. She was a woman, a widow, and at least eighty-four. Some translations suggest she'd been a widow for eighty-four years, which would put her past a hundred. Widows were among the outcasts of that culture, and her tribe, Asher, had been scattered generations earlier. She was part of the faithful remnant God preserved.

Two people, same room, same day, two assignments. One private, one public.

That's what I want you to carry. When God gives you a word, not everything is for everyone. If He's growing you in spiritual insight, recognize that, especially when the word is hard. Hard words are usually meant for private. Knowing the difference is part of spiritual maturity.

Featured quote

"Not everything is for everyone."

Scripture referenced

Luke 2:22-40 (ESV), Leviticus 12, Leviticus 15, Numbers 19, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Joel, Acts 2

Timestamps

00:00 Where we are and why we go slowly
01:22 Reading Luke 2:22-40
03:17 Prayer
04:11 Why did Mary need purification?
06:11 Two birds instead of a lamb
07:03 She was holding the Lamb
08:25 Why Scripture says up to Jerusalem
10:57 Galilee, Samaria, and Judea
13:37 Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem
15:45 Why Luke calls Bethlehem the city of David
17:40 The Holy Spirit before Pentecost
19:02 What changes at Pentecost
21:18 The thoughts of many hearts revealed
23:27 Why Jesus brings things into the light
24:38 Simeon's private word
25:28 Anna's public word
26:34 Who Anna was
27:25 Not everything is for everyone
28:23 Prayer

Frequently asked questions

Was Mary being cleansed from sin?
No. This was ritual purification after childbirth under Leviticus 12.

How far did Mary and Joseph travel?
About ninety miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then six miles up to Jerusalem.

How old was Anna?
At least eighty-four, and possibly over a hundred depending on the translation.

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Monday Daily Affirmations: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Psalm 139:14) Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Monday Daily Affirmations: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Psalm 139:14)

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.

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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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Sunday Daily Affirmations: I Place This Coming Week in God's Hands (Psalm 31:15) Sep 27, 2026

Show notes

Sunday Daily Affirmations: I Place This Coming Week in God's Hands (Psalm 31:15)

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

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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: I Thank God for Walking with Me Through This Week (Psalm 143:10) Sep 26, 2026

Show notes

Saturday Daily Affirmations: I Thank God for Walking with Me Through This Week (Psalm 143:10)

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.

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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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The God Who Locates You: Listener Questions and the Sacred Echo Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Today we're pressing pause on the Bible study so you have time to catch up. The color method takes real work, and not everyone can listen every day. A couple of times a month I'll stop, let you get caught up, and do a separate teaching that still connects to where we are.

Two parts today. First, your questions from SpeakPipe, including a correction I owe you, a great catch about the bread and the fish in John 6, and a long answer about the Ethiopian Bible and the so-called lost books. Then a teaching on the sacred echo, and the one thing God has repeated to me all week: He knows exactly where you are, and He is the one who comes looking.

Links

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A correction about the New World Translation

I answered a question about translations recently and didn't catch that the caller mentioned the New World Translation. A listener pointed it out, and I'm grateful.

I do not endorse it. That's the Watchtower Bible, used by Jehovah's Witnesses, and there is a great deal in it that is problematic from an evangelical Christian perspective. My answer was about the standard Christian translations, and I apologize for not catching the reference sooner.

Why doesn't John mention the fish in the leftovers?

Great catch, and it shows how intentional each gospel writer was. These were four different people with different purposes in what they chose to include.

In John 6:13 the disciples fill twelve baskets with pieces of the five barley loaves, and the fish aren't named. But John isn't the odd one out. Matthew and Luke also describe the leftovers as broken pieces without naming the fish. Mark is the only one that says bread and fish.

So why do three out of four focus on the bread? Bread carries real theological weight in John, because right after this Jesus gives the I am the bread of life teaching. John's attention lands there because he's setting up what's coming. Bread also echoes the manna God provided in the wilderness, and the crowd would have been thinking about Moses. The fish didn't carry that same weight.

It may also be how people told stories. Bread was often shorthand for a whole meal. I've seen that serving overseas, where someone says they made bread and they mean bread and stew and fruit and everything else. It's like telling your family there's leftover pizza when there's also salad and breadsticks. The fish weren't forgotten. They just weren't the detail John wanted to highlight.

Notice what you notice

This is the whole reason I teach the color method. It slows your brain down enough to actually comprehend what you're reading.

A lot of us trained ourselves into short attention spans. What the Lord draws your attention to may be different from what He draws mine to, because He is a personal God. We each have a personal calling and a personal relationship with Him. The more you do this, the more you'll see how He reveals things to you specifically.

What about the Ethiopian Bible and the lost books?

This comes up constantly, and I have some passionate feelings about it.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has a Bible with 81 books. Ours has 66. The extra ones include titles like Enoch and Jubilees, plus some you've probably never heard of.

First thing to understand: these books are not lost in the sense that anyone is hiding them from you. They've been around the whole time, part of the Ethiopian church from very early on, while the rest of the church settled into a different set.

Take Enoch. It was written centuries after the real Enoch could have lived, and it's full of speculative material you don't find anywhere else in Scripture. It was attributed to him to give it credibility. Yes, Jude quotes a line from it, but quoting a true statement is not the same as calling the whole book inspired. Paul does something similar when he quotes pagan Greek poets in Acts. He's using a reference his audience knows, not endorsing it as Scripture.

Jubilees is a later retelling of Genesis and Exodus that adds things the original text never says, like an angel dictating everything to Moses.

The Meqabyan books sound like Maccabees, which we talked about in the 400 years of silence episode, but they're completely different. Nobody really knows where they came from, and they've never been used anywhere in church history outside Ethiopia.

Catholic Bibles include several additional books, like Tobit and Judith. Those are a different case, because they have genuine historical value. I've read a number of them, Judith especially, while researching women in the early church for my new book. But they were written in Greek rather than Hebrew, which means they were never part of the Hebrew Bible that Jesus and the apostles used. Neither the Jewish community nor the early church recognized them as Scripture. Historical value, not scriptural value.

Even in the Ethiopian church, some of those books, like the Shepherd of Hermas, are considered valuable but not inspired. So even they don't treat all 81 the same way.

Here's the pattern. Most were written later than they claim, far removed from the original timeline, and credited to someone famous for credibility when that person had nothing to do with them. That's dishonest on its face, and it's worth asking what agenda was behind it.

From an evangelical view, the 66 books we have are the ones God intended us to have, and that canon has been settled a very long time because those are the books that were verified.

My honest advice: unless you're in seminary studying why these books were excluded, I wouldn't spend your time there. So many people I talk to don't yet know what their actual Bible says. Bankers don't study counterfeit money. They study the real thing until they know the feel and texture of it, so they recognize a fake immediately. Study the authentic Scriptures, and when someone hands you a sensational claim about hidden books, you'll be able to stop right there.

If you want new revelation, go study the Old Testament. God is not trying to hide Himself from you. He wants you to know Him.

What is a sacred echo?

It's what happens when God keeps saying the same thing to you through different means until you catch it. Here's how mine went this week.

On Sunday I woke up with the name Zebedee on my heart, the father of James and John. I went back to Scripture to see whether I was forgetting something, and I wasn't. There's very little about him.

What we know is that he was a fisherman with multiple boats, which in that time meant he was a businessman with money enough to buy a second one. He had influence and likely some affluence. We don't really know him for himself. We know him as the father of those boys.

Zebedee was doing what he was called to do. He was faithfully fishing. And that put his sons in the exact place they needed to be when Jesus came walking by.

As a parent, that got me. My greatest aim is children who love and serve the Lord, far more than podcasts or books or anything else I do. There was a reason Zebedee was on the Sea of Galilee doing what he was doing, because God was getting ready to use his sons, and his ordinary faithfulness positioned them for it.

I carried that into church still praying about it. During communion, our pastor's wife said we were doing something different. Instead of coming forward, they would bring it to us. As they served us where we sat, the Holy Spirit said: I know where you are. I can come to you.

That was the Zebedee connection. God knew where he was, and He had positioned him there on purpose.

Then this week we got to Luke 2 and the shepherds, and the same thing happened. They were out in the field doing a job many considered beneath them, and God sent an angel to announce that the Messiah had come. God located them.

Where does that leave us?

God can locate you. He knows exactly where you are, and much of the time He placed you there on purpose, in His timing.

We talked about Zechariah this week, and how his past didn't prevent his future. The same is true for you. Your past does not prevent your future. Often it becomes one of the things the Lord uses to redeem and restore and prepare you for what He's calling you to.

He seeks us out. He finds us. That's the pattern all through Scripture, and I'm so thankful for it.

Featured quote

"He is the God that locates us."

Scripture referenced

John 6, Luke 2, Acts, Jude

Timestamps

00:00 Why we're pausing the Bible study
07:20 A correction about the New World Translation
08:36 Why John doesn't mention the fish
12:29 Notice what you notice
14:14 The Ethiopian Bible and the lost books
16:20 What's going on with Enoch
18:12 Jubilees and the Meqabyan books
19:38 Catholic Bibles and historical value
22:18 Why to study the real thing first
24:39 Waking up with Zebedee on my heart
27:23 What happened during communion
28:19 The shepherds, and the same echo again
29:07 God locates us
30:06 Prayer

Frequently asked questions

What is SpeakPipe for?
Prayer requests and genuine questions about the series we're in. It isn't a place for counseling or complaints.

How many books are in the Ethiopian Bible?
Eighty-one, compared with the sixty-six in an evangelical Protestant Bible.

When does the Luke study pick back up?
Next episode.

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Friday Daily Affirmations: I Release My Worries and Trust God (1 Peter 5:7) Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Friday Daily Affirmations: I Release My Worries and Trust God (1 Peter 5:7)

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

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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 ends, 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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To Know Him and To Make Him Known: Luke 2:1-21 Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

So many of us read Luke chapter 2 as the Christmas story, but we don't recognize how strategic God was in the timing of it. Politically and spiritually, we see God's perfect timing and intention reveals His heart for humanity. In today's episode, we take a look at what it means for us and how we can know Him and make Him known.

Links

Join me on an immersive Bible Study Experience. Learn more at BibleStudyLive.org

Have a question about the Luke series or a prayer request? Leave me a voicemail: SpeakPipe

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What is a decree, and who was Caesar Augustus?

A decree is an official order from someone in power. It's not a request or a suggestion. It carries the force of law, and people could not ignore it. The Greek word here is dogma, which is where we get our English word, though here it means a legal ruling rather than a religious teaching.

Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of Rome, ruling from about 27 BC to AD 14. Before that his name was Octavian, and he was the great nephew of Julius Caesar. When Julius was murdered, his will named Octavian as his adopted son and heir. He was only eighteen. He fought his way into power, and the Roman Senate eventually gave him a new name, Augustus, meaning the revered one or the majestic one.

Why does Luke mention Caesar at all?

Because of the contrast, and it's sharper than most of us realize.

When Julius Caesar died, the Roman Senate declared him a god. That meant Augustus, as his adopted son, could call himself Divi Filius, Latin for son of the deified one. Son of a god. He put that title on coins and monuments across the empire.

He picked up other titles too. People called him Savior, because his rule brought a long stretch of peace known as the Pax Romana. One inscription from Egypt during his reign calls him a great heavenly savior.

So by the time Jesus was born, Rome already had its own son of a god, its own savior, and its own version of peace. All of it came from a human ruler. All of it was political propaganda. Luke wants you to see that the real Son of God and the real Savior was about to be born, not in a palace, but in a stable. The enemy always offers a counterfeit.

What was the census actually for?

Taxes. Augustus was counting his empire so he could tax it.

Here's what he had no idea about. While he thought this was all his doing, God used that decree to move a pregnant teenager from Nazareth to Bethlehem, exactly where the prophet said the Messiah would be born. Augustus was helping fulfill a promise hundreds of years old and never knew it.

Did women have to register for the census?

Yes. Since the census was about taxes, most women were counted, and in the Roman province of Syria, which included Judea, women paid the poll tax too. Records show taxation started as early as twelve or fourteen and ran to age sixty-five. So Mary would have been on the tax rolls, though whether she had to appear in person is a separate question given how risky travel would have been.

We actually have surviving census records from that world. The papyrus and leather used in Judea rotted away over the centuries, but in the dry climate of Egypt hundreds of census forms survived. And among documents found near the Dead Sea are the personal papers of a Jewish woman named Babatha, including her own census declaration listing land she owned. That's roughly a century after Mary's trip, and it's real evidence of a Jewish woman taking part in a Roman census.

Was Jesus really born in a stable?

Most scholars think the inn wasn't an inn at all. It was a house, and the space they stayed in was the area where the family brought their animals inside at night. That may sound strange in an American context, but I've served in missions around the world and seen homes with a section in the back where the cows are kept, so they don't get stolen or wander off.

The point is the contrast. Caesar, the political son of a god, would have been born in a palace. The actual Son of God was born in a crowded house in the space reserved for animals, with no special room set aside and a feeding trough for a bed because it was the softest place available. God came right into the middle of normal and messy and crowded, on purpose.

Why did God tell the shepherds?

Shepherds were near the bottom of society. They worked outdoors constantly and often smelled like their animals, which meant they couldn't always keep the religious washing rules. Shepherding was work a lot of Jewish fathers wouldn't even teach their sons. They'd hire it out or give it to their daughters. And like women, a shepherd's testimony wasn't trusted as a witness in court.

These were the people God chose to tell first.

There's something beautiful in the location too. This was Bethlehem, David's hometown, and David was a shepherd boy before he was king. God describes Himself as the shepherd of His people in Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34, and He promised a shepherd king from David's line. So God announces the birth of the great Shepherd King to ordinary shepherds working the same hills David once worked.

One more thing worth considering. All through the Old Testament, it's often young people and women tending flocks. Rachel in Genesis 29 was a shepherdess. So were Zipporah and her sisters in Exodus. Watching sheep was often given to the youngest in the family, which is why David was almost overlooked when Samuel came. The word Luke uses is plural and masculine, but it's the kind of word that can describe a mixed group. We don't know for certain who was out there. What we do know is how society saw them.

Why does it say "heavenly host" instead of angels?

This is one of my favorite details. The word for host is stratia, and it means army. It connects to the Old Testament title Lord of hosts, meaning the Lord of armies, the commander of heaven's forces.

So verse 13 is telling us a whole army of heaven showed up. And they didn't come to declare war. They came to announce peace.

Remember Caesar and the Pax Romana, peace brought to the empire through armies. Now heaven's army appears and announces a completely different kind of peace, one that comes through a baby laid in a manger. This was the rescue plan, and it was always a spiritual battle.

Where do we see "know Him and make Him known" in this passage?

Right here, in the first twenty verses after Jesus is born.

Verse 8 tells us the shepherds were out in the field keeping watch by night. They were working. It was an ordinary night on an ordinary shift, and God found them right there.

Verse 10 has the angel bringing good news of great joy. That phrase is the Greek word we get evangelize from. The first person to share the good news of the gospel was an angel, and he shared it with shepherds in a field. God takes the first step and comes to where we are.

Verse 15 has the shepherds saying let's go and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. God isn't afraid of us verifying. He invites it. He wants us to seek Him out for ourselves.

Then verse 17 says they made known what had been told to them. It's the same Greek word used in verse 15. God made Himself known to them, and after they experienced Him, they made Him known to everyone else.

That's the whole pattern. God reveals Himself, you go see for yourself, and then you tell somebody.

What does "those with whom he is pleased" mean?

Verse 14 says peace among those with whom He is pleased, and I've wondered before how a person becomes someone God is pleased with. The Greek word is eudokia, made of two parts meaning good and to think or decide. It's God's good pleasure, His kind intention, His good decision. The focus isn't on how good the people are. It's on God's pleasure resting on them.

It works a lot like the favor we talked about earlier in this series. It starts with God, not with us.

Featured quote

"Jesus is God's rescue plan. It was strategic. He thought through it. Everything was on purpose, on time, in time."

Scripture referenced

Luke 2:1-21 (ESV), Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34, Genesis 29, Exodus

Timestamps

00:00 Starting Luke 2, and why I'm not re-teaching the prophecies
01:30 Reading Luke 2:1-21
03:33 Prayer
04:30 What a decree actually is
05:22 Who Caesar Augustus was
06:48 Son of the deified one
07:47 Rome's savior and the Pax Romana
08:47 A census for taxes
09:28 What Augustus didn't know he was doing
10:21 Did women have to register?
11:11 Taxation from twelve to sixty-five
12:00 Do the census records still exist?
13:05 Babatha's papers
13:58 The inn that wasn't an inn
15:02 A palace versus a feeding trough
15:58 Who the shepherds really were
17:02 Washing rules and untrusted testimony
17:31 David's hometown and David's hills
18:28 Were they young? Were they women?
20:20 Why it says heavenly host
21:06 An army that declares peace
22:34 Pax Romana and the counterfeit
23:36 Know Him and make Him known, right here
24:41 God finds you in the ordinary
25:10 The angel evangelizes first
26:06 Go and see for yourselves
27:10 They made known what was made known to them
28:19 What "those with whom he is pleased" means
32:32 Prayer

Frequently asked questions

When did Caesar Augustus rule?
From roughly 27 BC to AD 14. He was the first emperor of Rome.

What does the word dogma mean here?
It's the Greek word behind decree, meaning a binding legal ruling rather than a religious teaching.

Who was Babatha?
A Jewish woman whose personal papers, including her own census declaration, were found near the Dead Sea. They date to about a century after Mary's trip to Bethlehem.

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Thursday Daily Affirmations: God Has a Purpose for My Life (Jeremiah 29:11) Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Thursday Daily Affirmations: God Has a Purpose for My Life (Jeremiah 29:11)

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

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

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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