Zero In—Connecting God’s Truth to Your Heart

Claire Black: Welcome to True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one drive at a time. Buckle up!You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus!

Hey there, True Girl. I hope you’re enjoying learning the 4-Z Method of Bible study. It’s really a simplified version of what some people call the Inductive Method of Bible study. Let’s do a quick recap of the four Zs in our method:

1. Zoom Out to see the bigger picture.

2. Zoom In to dig into the details.

We’ve covered those first two. And now . . .

3. Zero In—today’s step—to discover what it means for you. 

4. Zip It Up with prayer. We’ll learn more about that next week.

Last time, we Zoomed In on the word “truth” in John chapter 8, verses 31 and 32. This week, we’re taking the next step and Zero In on what this verse means for you. And let’s get real—truth isn’t just about knowing what’s right or wrong. It’s about knowing who is right. 

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” If we don’t know Him, we can’t know real truth. Today, we’re diving into what it means to know the truth—not just in your head, but in your heart—and how it can set you free. Let’s get started!

Dannah Gresh is going to help us zero in during this mini-episode. It’s called, “Zero In—Connecting God’s Truth to Your Heart.”

Dannah Gresh: Imagine you’re lying in bed staring at the ceiling. It’s late, but your mind just will not stop spinning. Earlier today, your big brother laughed at you when you answered a question your dad asked. “That’s so dumb,” he said.For some reason, you can’t stop replaying that moment in your mind. Maybe I am dumb, you think. The words feel heavy, like a chain around your heart.

Ever been there? Where something someone said to you plays over and over in your head? Like a podcast that you just can’t turn off!? 

Okay, let me tell you something. You know those sticky feelings you can get, the kind you cannot get rid of? So many times they get stuck in us because of our thoughts. So, you’ve gotta tell your thoughts, “You are not the boss of me!” 

So, if you’re sitting in your bedroom late at night thinking about someone telling you that you’re dumb, I hope you remember that sticky feeling is an invitation to open your Bible. And, let’s say you do. And when you do, you find a verse your mom wrote down on a Post-it note for you. She gave it to you last week. It’s Psalm 139:14. It reads, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

You read it out loud, slowly. God made me wonderfully, you think. 

But looking at those words, they don’t feel like they fit. You don’t know if you believe it. I’ve been there, done that. I’ve been there before where I don’t really know if I believe what I’m reading in my Bible.

My friend, it is time to Zero In!

What does it mean to Zero In on a Bible verse?Zeroing In is about taking what you’ve learned from God’s Word and applying it to your life. It’s like asking, “Okay, what does this mean for me?” It’s also kind of like Zooming In again, but instead of just looking at the details, you’re thinking about how those details connect to your heart and your actions.

Let’s read our key verse and think about what it means for you, True Girl. John 8:31–32: 

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

At this point, we’re asking the question, “What does it mean for me?” So, if you see the word “you” in the verse, that’s a good place to start thinking. You might even circle those words. In this verse, Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What does it mean to know the truth? Well, we learned last week that the truth is Jesus! He is the standard or original for us when it comes to all the things that are true about God, about us, and about this world! Jesus said if we are faithful to His teachings, we can know the truth. We can know Jesus!

But this word know is a very intimate word. It’s personal. It is describing, experiencing something to know it. 

Let me see if I can explain that better. Oh, I’ve got an idea! Let’s take the book Pilgrim’s Progress. It’s a very old Christian classic, maybe you’ve heard of it. 

The know in John 8:31 and 32 is not like, “I know the book Pilgrim’s Progress is about a man who goes on a powerful journey to become like Jesus.”

The know used in John 8:31–32 is more like, “Pilgrim’s Progress is one of my favorite stories! It’s about a man named Christian who sets off on an amazing adventure to reach the Celestial City. He faces all kinds of challenges—like escaping the giant Despair. But he never gives up because he trusts the King’s promises. It’s such a powerful story about faith, courage, and staying on the right path no matter what! I just love it!”

Hear the difference?

One is a head knowledge. The other is a heart knowledge. I’ve experienced Pilgrim’s Progress, and I really do love it.

To know something isn’t just about learning facts. It’s about having a deep understanding and maybe even a relationship with it. Think about how you get to know a friend. You spend time with her, talk with her, and really listen to her. That’s how you build a close relationship.

It’s the same with Jesus. To know the truth, you need to get to know Jesus, because He is the truth. Spending time with Him will help you hold on to His teaching and obey it—not because you have to, but because you want to.

Now, how do you get to know Jesus?

Getting to know Jesus is just like getting to know a friend. It takes time and intentionality. Here are a few ways you can do that:

Spend time worshiping Him. Put on your favorite worship song and sing your heart out!

Write Him a letter. Tell Him what’s on your mind, what you’re thankful for, and what you need help with.

Read about Him in the Bible. Flip to the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—to see what Jesus said and did while He was on earth.

The more time you spend with Jesus, the more you’ll come to know Him, and the easier it will be to hold on to His truth and obey it.

It actually works the same way with individual verses. Let’s go back to that fight with your sticky feeling. The words “I’m dumb” are having a boxing match with the words “I am wonderfully made.” The words your brother said vs. the words God first had written down for you centuries ago and then He had your mom write them on a Post-it note for you last week. 

Which one will win? The ones you get to know!

So, you might have to take that Post-it note and put it on your mirror. Start to memorize it. Start to say it over and over in your head—instead of the “I’m dumb” words that are playing over and over in your head! And eventually, you do know it. You believe you are wonderfully made! But, you have to be intentional. You have to focus, and you have to get to know, experience, become familiar with those words.

Let me pray for you. 

Lord Jesus,

I don’t have to wonder if my sweet True Girl friend listening has ever thought bad things about herself. We all have. But when we focus on what You say is true about us in our Bible, those bad thoughts don’t stand a chance. 

Father, I pray that You would give her a desire to open her Bible and read what is true, and not just know them in her head, but know them in her heart and to experience them because she becomes familiar with them. I pray that when she does that, she would experience the freedom of Jesus Christ

In Your precious name, amen. 

Okay, my friend, you have homework again this week. Spend some time getting to know Jesus. That’s how you can Zero In on John 8:31–32.

This week, pick one way to spend time with Jesus. Maybe you’ll write Him a letter, or read a chapter about Him in the Bible, or spend time worshiping. Whatever you choose, make it meaningful—just you and Jesus.

And remember, the True Girl Pop Up Party is the best way to take a deep dive into the 4-Z Method of Bible study! Join me and Staci (and more of our team) for an incredible night of worship and a hands-on workshop the next morning. You’ll dive deep into learning how to study the Bible like never before. 

We’re going to be featuring the 4-Z Method throughout the year in some of our other True Girl stuff—like you could catch us on the True Girl Crazy Hair Tour this month or during our next online Bible study this spring. Head to MyTrueGirl.com for all the details, and make plans to spend time with me and my team discovering the joy of studying God’s Word in 2025!

Claire Black: You can know the truth and the truth will set you free! Truth is a person. His name is Jesus. As you get to personally know Him and His Word, you’ll experience freedom. That sounds awesome!

Your assignment this week is to spend time with Jesus getting to know Him. Dannah said you can do that by worshiping, or writing a letter to Jesus, or reading about Him in the Bible.

We’re one week away from the final mini-episode in our mini-series. We have one step left to learn in the 4-Z Method of Bible study. We need to Zip It Up! Be back next week for that!

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

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