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

443// Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers? And Other Audience Questions In this episode, Rachael answers various questions from the audience. The topics covered include baptism for salvation, concerns about the strength of one's relationship with God, dealing with family disapproval of interracial relationships, and understanding unanswered prayers.  Takeaways: Baptism is not a requirement for salva...

442// Accepting God’s Invitation: Devotional, Bible Study: Matthew 22:1-14 In this episode, Rachael teaches on Matthew chapter 22 and explores the parable of the wedding feast. She explains the cultural context of wedding feasts in ancient times and the significance of the invitations. Rachael highlights the rejection of the initial guests and the parallel to the behavior of the religious leaders....

441// The Capstone the Builders Rejected: Devotional, Bible Study: Matthew 21:33-46 In this episode, Rachael continues her exploration of the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on the parable of the vineyard in Matthew chapter 21. She provides background information on the social structure and power dynamics of the time, highlighting the role of the religious leaders. The parable serves as a metaphor for...

440// Tax Collectors vs. Religious Leaders: Devotional, Bible Study: Matthew 21:23-32 In this episode, Rachael continues the study of Matthew chapter 21. The main theme of the episode is the questioning of Jesus' authority by the religious leaders. Jesus responds with a parable about two sons, highlighting the importance of repentance and obedience. Rachael shares a personal experience with outrea...

439// What Angers Jesus? Devotional, Bible Study: Matthew 21:1-22 In this episode, Rachael continues the devotional study of Matthew chapter 21. She explores Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, his actions in the temple, and the symbolism behind these events. Rachael highlights the Messianic text and Jesus' declaration of his own Messiahship. She also discusses the significance of Jesus' anger in the tem...

438// What do Near Death Experiences (NDE) Reveal About the God of Heaven? Today we are talking about the fascinating concept of near death experiences. I invited the best-selling author, John Burke on to the show to talk about his research of over 1,000 NDE’s. In John’s research, he has found ten areas that overlap, regardless of the age, location, or religion of those he interviewed. Join us for...

437// Jesus’ Guide to Greatness: Humility and Sacrifice- Devotional, Bible Study Matthew 20 Jesus was counter-cultural in so many ways, including his perspective on leadership. In today’s study, we see the disciples make some bold requests, and then learn from Jesus how to truly lead in the kingdom- and it’s not what they expect.  Calling all kids (and parents of kids)! Check out my new show Heari...

436// Who Is First and Who Is Last In God’s Kingdom? Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 20:1-16 In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is helping his listeners understand something essential about his kingdom: that the gospel is lavishly generous, in a way that for someone struggling with self-righteousness, might feel very unfair. Let’s read this passage of God’s Word together and learn what God has f...

435// What Does Jesus Say About Wealth? Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 19:16-30 We’re wrapping up chapter 19 in the Gospel of Matthew by looking closely at what Jesus had to say about riches and the kingdom of God. While there is nothing wrong with having nice things, they should not get in the way of your relationship with God. Chasing after wealth should not be our goal. But as we’ll see in to...

434// What Does Jesus Say About Divorce? Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 19:1-15 As we make our way through the Gospel of Matthew, today we are diving into Jesus’ teaching on divorce. This is a topic that is widely debated within the body of Christ. I'm sure you've been part of or heard some of those conversations yourself, but what we see here is that this is a topic that was debated even in Jes...

How That Nightly Glass of Wine Can Keep Us From Hearing God's Voice For today's episode, I wanted to air a conversation I had with my friend Christy Osborne to talk about the wine culture many women find themselves in. Christy explains how alcohol can rob us of our joy, despite the fact that we can sometimes go to it to find joy. Christy shares from her personal story and shares some biblical insi...

432// How to Forgive Like Jesus: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 18:21-35 In today’s Bible story, Peter asks a question about forgiveness, and Jesus’ answer was as radical then as it is today. The forgiveness of our Father is unconditional, and he expects our forgiveness of others to be like his. How can we do this? Listen to today’s study of Scripture and find out. Calling all kids (and parents...

431// Childish vs. Childlike Faith: What's The Difference? Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 18:1-20 In order for Christ to transform us from the inside out and to transform our character, our attitude towards him has to be like a child. But what does it mean to have childlike faith - and how is that different than childishness? That’s what we’re going to study in today’s Bible reading and devotion...

430// How Prayer Results Are Connected to How Much Time We Spend With God: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 17 Today we are exploring the connection between the time we spend with God and how that impacts the results of our prayers. As we study this topic, we'll uncover the power of faith, as described in Matthew 17, and the significance of the Mustard Seed parable. Join us on this spiritual journ...

429// The Power of the Keys to the Kingdom: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 16 In today's episode, we talk through what Jesus meant when He said that He would build His church on the rock. We also look at the authority and power Jesus assigns as He explains what it means to have the keys to the kingdom. As we learn more about the apostle Peter, it helps us understand how Jesus wants us to walk in...

428// From Fear to Freedom: How the Gospel Changes Everything On today's episode, I asked my friend Jey Mbiro to join me to talk about his experience with how the gospel can replace fear with freedom.  Jey grew up in the slums of Nairobi and was jailed as a child for stealing food. He experienced the horrors of slum life, extreme poverty, and extreme hunger before being enrolled in Compassion Inte...

427// The Power of Faith: Canaanite Woman's Story, Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 15:21-28 What comes out of our mouths is an indication of what’s in our hearts. As Jesus confronted the Pharisees, He challenged their interpretation of the law, drawing a distinction between their traditions and God’s actual law. As we consider what it means to have a clean heart, we see from the perspective of Je...

426// Clean Hands vs. A Clean Heart: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 15:1-20 What comes out of our mouths is an indication of what’s in our hearts. As Jesus confronted the Pharisees, He challenged their interpretation of the law, drawing a distinction between their traditions and God’s actual law. As we consider what it means to have a clean heart, we see from the perspective of Jesus that it may...

425// Jesus Draws Us Out of Deep Waters: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 14:22-36 As Jesus was preparing Peter for leadership, one of the ways He did that was by calling Him to step out of the boat. As Peter took those first steps, He was focused on Jesus and was able to do what God was calling Him to do. It wasn’t until he allowed the circumstances of what was going on around him to distract him...

424// How God Can Multiply What You Give Him: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 14:13b-21 Repeatedly in the gospels, we see Jesus attend to physical needs as a means to reach spiritual ones. And this incredible, miraculous story is no exception. While Jesus mourns the death of his cousin, a great crowd gathers near, hoping to see, hear, and hopefully touch and be touched by Jesus. We see how He min...

What if God is Silent: With Special Guest Addison Bevere  Today I decided to re-air this powerful conversation I had with my friend Addison Bevere. Addison and I talk about a struggle that is probably familiar to most of us: God's silence. Addison shares from his new book, Words With God, about this very issue and offers some practical and heart felt insight on how to hear God’s voice more clearly...

423// Is the Rapture Happening Soon? Are We in the End Times? And Other Audience Questions Today Rachael answers some pressing questions from the audience. Together we discuss everything from the end times, to heaven, to grief.  To ask Rachael your own questions, email them to rachael@shehears.org Calling all kids (and parents of kids)! Check out my new show Hearing Jesus for Kids - be sure to sub...

422// Standing Up for What's Right: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 14:1-13 There's a lot going on in this story, and you have probably heard it in the past. Today, we’re diving into the death of John the Baptist and the picture it paints of the depravity of man. Despite how difficult this story is to hear, it helps us to be encouraged to stand up for what's right, speaking truth to those around...

421// When You’re Not Accepted: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 13:44-58 In Jesus’ day, treasured possessions would often be buried for safekeeping. So his hearers would have instantly connected with the story of a man finding a buried treasure in a field. In this parable, Jesus uses buried treasure imagery to stir his listeners to see how the Kingdom of God is worth sacrificing whatever is neces...

420// What is Heaven Like? Jesus Answers: Devotional, Bible Study, Matthew 13:31-43 Jesus used all sorts of metaphors to describe the indescribable kingdom of God and the people who will inhabit it: it’s like a mustard seed, yeast in dough, seeds in a field. In this section of Scripture, Jesus tells the crowd these parables to reveal things that were until that point hidden from them. We’ll unpack...