In Matthew 10:40–42, Jesus makes a startling connection: the way we welcome His people reveals the way we welcome Him and, ultimately, the God who sent Him. This episode clarifies what it means to “receive” Jesus in Scripture, showing that it’s not a passive feeling but an active choice to accept, listen, and embrace His messengers and message. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What “receive” means in the Bible and why it implies deliberate welcome rather than passive contact
• How receiving Jesus’ disciples reflects receiving Jesus Himself (and the Father who sent Him)
• What it means to receive a prophet “in the name of a prophet” 
• Why Jesus links “reward” to salvation and mercy
• Why Jesus calls His disciples “little ones,” and how humility and dependence shape true faith
• How welcoming a disciple with something as small as a cup of cold water carries eternal significance
• What your response to Scripture (the apostles’ words) and to fellow believers reveals about your heart toward God

After listening, you’ll have a clearer, more biblical understanding of what it means to “receive” Jesus and why faith shows up in concrete, everyday welcomes.

 Series: Start Strong: A New Believer’s Podcast

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with a warning that is both sobering and hopeful: it’s possible to talk like a disciple while walking the wrong road. In Matthew 7:12–29, we learn how a God-centered worldview reshapes what “love” looks like in practice—and how the Golden Rule, true spiritual fruit, and the foundation we build on reveal whether we’re actually headed toward life.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) summarizes “love your neighbor as yourself” as a call to seek another person’s good—not simply to be “nice”
• Why Jesus frames the choice before us as two roads: the wide way to destruction and the narrow way to life (Matthew 7:13–14)
• What it means to “recognize them by their fruits,” and how discernment protects God’s people from false teachers (Matthew 7:15–20)
• Why calling Jesus “Lord” and even doing impressive religious works isn’t the same as doing the Father’s will (Matthew 7:21–23)
• How the images of rock and sand press the question: are we hearing Jesus’ words and living as if they’re true? (Matthew 7:24–27)
• How humility, mercy, repentance, and a longing for God’s kingdom mark the path Jesus describes throughout the sermon

After listening, you’ll come away with clearer “markers on the road” for examining your faith—not through fear or performance, but through the settled direction of a life built on Jesus’ teaching. You’ll be invited to center your worldview on God, practice love with wisdom and integrity, and choose the narrow path that leads to life. 

Series: Start Strong: A New Believer’s Podcast

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

What does saving faith actually look like and how did Jesus define it? In this episode, we turn to Matthew 5:1–12 and the Beatitudes to hear Jesus describe the people who are truly “blessed.” Rather than offering a path to personal happiness or self-improvement, Jesus paints a picture of saving faith that recognizes sin, depends on grace, and trusts God for eternal life.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the Beatitudes are not a checklist for a better life, but a description of people who inherit the kingdom of heaven
• What Jesus means by calling the poor in spirit, the meek, and the persecuted “blessed”
• How the Beatitudes reveal the sharp divide between those in God’s favor and those under judgment
• The four core convictions of saving faith: Recognize, Embrace, Accept, and Lean (R.E.A.L faith)
• Why future hope, not present comfort, defines who is truly fortunate
• How Jesus’ teaching exposes the lies we believe about God, ourselves, and where real life is found

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer understanding of what saving faith is—and what it is not. You’ll see how the Beatitudes describe the heart posture of those who trust God rather than themselves, and why faith is ultimately about where you are headed, not how comfortable you are now. 

  Series: Start Strong: A New Believer’s Podcast

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

If all religions lead to God, why did Jesus have to die? This episode walks through John 3:14–21 to show why the cross is not one option among many, but God’s gracious and necessary provision for a guilty world. Through Jesus’ nighttime conversation with Nicodemus and the Old Testament story of the bronze serpent, we see why believing in Jesus is the only way to escape condemnation and receive eternal life. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The tension many Christians feel between “all religions are valid” and “Jesus is the only way” and why both cannot be true
• How Jesus challenges Nicodemus’ assumptions about religion, knowledge, and spiritual rebirth
• The wilderness story of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21 and how it prepares us to understand the cross
• What it means for the Son of Man to be “lifted up,” and why simply looking to Christ in faith is God’s appointed way of rescue
• How John 3:16–17 reveals God’s heart: not to condemn the world, but to save it through His Son

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of why the cross was necessary, why belief in Jesus matters so profoundly, and how your response to Him reveals the true condition of your heart. 

 Series: Start Strong: A New Believer’s Podcast

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Why do you still feel guilty even after you’ve apologized and tried to move on? In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks through Romans 1:18–32 to show that guilt is more than a feeling to shake off—it’s the real and serious result of rebelling against a holy God. Paul’s words expose a pattern of rebellion, death, and wrath that explains why life unravels without God, and why real guilt can only be answered by real forgiveness in Christ. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why confusion about sin and guilt is so widespread—even among Christians
• How Romans 1:18–32 fits into Paul’s larger argument about justification by faith
• What it means that God’s wrath “is revealed” now, not just on a future Judgment Day
• How creation itself leaves us “without excuse” before God
• The repeated pattern Paul traces: rebellion, death, and God “giving them over”
• Why idolatry begins with what we see, captures our hearts, and then reshapes our bodies and behavior
• How “respectable” sins like gossip, pride, and arrogance reveal the same underlying exchange of truth for a lie
• Why God’s wrath is not a temper tantrum, but a just decision to hand us over to what we insist on having
• How this bleak diagnosis prepares us to understand and cherish the hope held out in the gospel

After listening, you’ll see guilt in a new light, not as something to ignore or manage, but as a truthful indicator that you need more than a fresh start. You’ll come away with a clearer grasp of what Romans 1 teaches about sin, spiritual death, and God’s wrath, and you’ll be better prepared to understand why the good news of Jesus is not just helpful advice, but the only way out of the prison of sin and death. 

Series: Start Strong: A New Believer’s Podcast

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Most people today assume we’re basically good—and that sin is a few bad choices sprinkled on top. In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks through Romans 6:15–7:6 to show why that view quietly empties the gospel of its power. Paul’s argument reveals that grace doesn’t make sin safer; it exposes just how destructive it really is—and why understanding sin is the first step toward real hope. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why believing we’re “born innocent” blinds us to our need for a Savior
• How Paul answers the objection, “If grace covers all sin, why not keep sinning?” (Romans 6:15) 
• What it means to be a “slave” either to sin or to righteousness—and how that shapes the quality of your daily life 
• How the Bible defines “death” as more than physical dying: a present experience of decay, futility, and relational breakdown 
• Why sin always pays out in death, even for believers whose eternal inheritance is secure (Romans 6:23) 
• Why the law could expose sin but never cure it—and how it actually inflamed our rebellion (Romans 7:1–6) 
• Paul’s marriage analogy for being released from the law so that we can “belong to another,” to Christ, and bear fruit for God 
• How the Holy Spirit, not human willpower, becomes the new way we serve God “in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code” 

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer understanding of what sin really is, why it always brings some kind of death into your life, and why grace is not permission to drift but the power that frees you from slavery to sin. 

Series: Start Strong: A New Believer’s Podcast

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Key takeaways:

• Repentance is more than saying sorry. It's a complete change of direction and the first step of saving faith.
• Sin has both short-term consequences (bitterness, frustration, tragedy) and long-term consequences (standing before God).
• Finding the right church means looking for one that teaches the Bible in a real way, not just political agendas.
• Biblical worldview divides people into sinners who have found forgiveness through Jesus and those who haven't, not oppressors and oppressed.
• Fellowship with other believers is essential for encouragement and growth.
• Fearing God means making what He thinks more important than anything else.

AM 1070 WINA's The Schilling Show January 27, 2026

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Each week, we’ll unpack one key passage from the book’s “See for Yourself” section, helping you build a solid foundation, one truth at a time.

I’m also introducing something brand new: Krisan Marotta’s Bookcast—a subscriber-only podcast where you can listen to the audiobook version of Start Strong, one chapter at a time. Each chapter will release one week before the matching podcast episode, giving you a chance to hear the full teaching, then explore the biblical passage in depth.

If you’ve ever wanted a trusted guide to walk with you through the basics of Christianity—or wished you had a resource to share with someone just starting out—this is for you.

Podcast: Start Strong: A New Believer’s Podcast

Book: Start Strong: A New Believer's Guide to Christianity

Krisan Marotta's BookCast - click on the support the show link

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this Christmas episode, we trace how Psalm 110 reveals the identity and mission of the Messiah and how the New Testament writers apply this ancient psalm directly to Jesus. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why it matters that Psalm 110 is “a Psalm of David” and how Jesus Himself uses that authorship to reveal the Messiah’s greatness 
• What it means for the Messiah to sit at God’s right hand and how that image explains the authority and scope of His reign
• How the promise that enemies will become a “footstool” points to a final, decisive victory over all evil and opposition to God
• The surprising declaration that the Messiah is “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” and why that matters more than the Levitical priesthood
• How Matthew 22, Acts 2, and 1 Corinthians 15 each reach back to Psalm 110 to identify Jesus as David’s Lord, God’s chosen King, and our eternal Priest 
• What Psalm 110 adds to our understanding of Christmas: not just the birth of a child, but the arrival of the One who will rule, judge, and reconcile forever

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer, richer vision of who Jesus is at Christmas, not only the promised son of David, but the greater Lord whom David himself calls “my Lord.” You’ll see how Psalm 110 anchors the Christmas story in God’s larger purpose: a reigning King, a forever Priest, and a sure promise that history is moving toward the day when every enemy is subdued and God’s people stand secure in His kingdom.

Series: Christmas

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, Krisan Marotta walks through key New Testament passages to show how God marks His people inwardly (by a changed heart that endures through testing) and how that mark becomes the basis of true assurance of salvation. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the question “How do I know I’m saved?” is not only common but crucial
• The biblical idea of God “marking” His people—not outwardly, but by circumcising the heart
• How holiness is first a change in direction of the heart, not instant moral perfection
• The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and what these qualities reveal about a heart inclined toward God 
• How the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 describe the inner life of those who will enter the kingdom of heaven 
• The difference between sinners who don’t care about their sin and “righteous sinners” who grieve it and hunger for righteousness
• Why common approaches to assurance—like relying on a remembered prayer or only on God’s general promises—can give false or incomplete comfort 
• How Romans 5 teaches that tested faith, proven through suffering and perseverance, produces a hope that “does not put us to shame” 
• Why God uses trials to reveal, both to us and to others, that His Spirit is truly at work in our hearts

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer, more biblically grounded understanding of assurance. You’ll see that the evidence of salvation is not a flawless life or a perfectly steady heart, but a tested faith that continues to seek God, hate sin, and long for His kingdom. And you’ll be encouraged to view your trials not as proof that God has abandoned you, but as the very means by which He makes it visible that you belong to Him.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul refused financial support from the Corinthians and what that taught about his motives and their spiritual health.
• How Paul responded to accusations of deceit and weakness—not by hiding, but by pointing to God’s power in human frailty.
• The challenge and invitation of Paul’s command to “examine yourselves” to see whether you are in the faith.
• The difference between outward appearances (strong, impressive, successful) and the reality of Christ’s power working through brokenness.
• How Paul’s ultimate aim was not his own reputation but the restoration, maturity and unity of the church.

After listening you’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of how the gospel changes the way you view strength and weakness. You’ll feel encouraged that authentic faith isn’t about putting on a show—it’s about letting Christ live through you in honesty, dependence, and love for others. You’ll be equipped to ask yourself healthy questions about your own walk with God and your community in light of what Paul lays out here.

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we wrestle with one of the most surprising turns in the Christian life: sometimes faith doesn’t bring relief, it brings reliance. Turning to 2 Corinthians 12, we hear Paul the Apostle describe a persistent struggle, a “thorn in the flesh,” and how it becomes the very soil in which Christ’s power grows.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul mentions his weakness and how that challenges our usual ideas of spiritual strength.
• What the “thorn in the flesh” might mean and why God didn’t remove it from Paul’s life.
• The key statement: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
• How admitting our limitations doesn’t mean giving up; it means opening space for God’s strength.
• Practical ways to live when the problem remains, the promise holds, and you are still waiting.

By the end of this episode you’ll understand that faith isn’t a guarantee of trouble-free living. You’ll feel the freedom that comes when you stop hiding your weakness and let the gospel carry you. And you’ll be equipped to walk through challenges with the confident humility that turns brokenness into a platform for God’s strength.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Paul uses the language of a betrothal to illustrate the church’s loyalty to Christ and the risk of being seduced by something false. 
• What Paul means when he calls his opponents “false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.” 
• Why eloquence and polish are not themselves proof of gospel truth and how Paul’s example flips our expectations. 
• The role of suffering, weakness, and authenticity in credible gospel leadership. 
• Practical ways to evaluate the teachers and voices you listen to: what questions to ask, what red flags to watch for, and how to hold to Christ even when others diverge.

By the end of this episode you’ll be equipped to recognize when a message sounds right but leads wrong. You’ll feel empowered to trust substance over surface, and you’ll be better able to choose leaders who reflect the true gospel. You’ll walk away with a clearer sense of how to ground your faith in Christ alone and follow him, no matter how polished the alternatives may appear.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How 2 Corinthians fits together and why this confrontational section belongs in the same letter.
• The accusations against Paul that he is bold in letters but weak in person, and why his opponents see that as a flaw.
• What the meekness and gentleness of Christ look like in real leadership, and how Paul follows that pattern.
• Paul’s “warfare” language and what it means that his weapons have divine power to destroy arguments raised against the knowledge of God.
• The difference between leaders who commend themselves and build their brand, and an apostle who boasts only in what the Lord has truly given him.
• Why Christian leaders must care more about God’s approval than human applause, even when that makes them look unimpressive.
• A modern ministry story that shows how hard it can be to challenge a popular, charismatic leader when the truth of the gospel is at stake.
• Practical ways for churches and believers to evaluate teachers by faithfulness to truth instead of personality, polish, or platform.

By the end of this episode, you will better understand how Paul confronts lies without becoming harsh or self-protective. You will feel both challenged and reassured as you see that humble, servant-hearted leadership can still be strong and decisive. And you will be more equipped to evaluate the voices you listen to, to value truth over entertainment, and to stand for the gospel with the same mixture of gentleness and courage that Paul learned from Christ.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The historical background of the Jerusalem collection and why it mattered so much to Paul.
• How this gift connected Gentile churches to their Jewish spiritual “family” in Jerusalem.
• Why giving to the collection was both an act of mercy and a confession of the gospel.
• How Paul handles money with integrity, including multiple trusted co-workers overseeing the funds.
• The difference between an apostolic command and an apostolic opinion, and why Paul chooses persuasion instead of pressure.
• What it means to give “according to what you have” rather than being pushed into hardship.
• How money exposes what we really trust, and why generosity is part of learning to love God and love our neighbor.

By the end of this episode, you will see giving in a richer and more hopeful light. You will understand why Paul cares more about cheerful, willing generosity than impressive amounts. You will feel encouraged to think about your own resources in terms of family, gratitude, and faith rather than fear or pressure. And you will be better equipped to use your money in ways that reflect the grace you have received and the unity you share with other believers.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What the Jerusalem Collection was and why it mattered so much to Paul.
• Paul’s early, fragile relationship with the Jerusalem church and how Barnabas helped bridge the gap.
• Key moments from Acts and Galatians that shaped the relationship between Paul, the apostles, and the Gentile churches.
• Why the question of Gentile believers and the Law created so much conflict and confusion.
• Why the apostles in Jerusalem asked Paul to "remember the poor" and how that became a long term calling.
• How this background helps us read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 with fresh understanding instead of treating them as random fundraising tips.

By the end of this episode, you will see the Jerusalem Collection as a living picture of one worldwide church family, not a dry historical footnote. You will understand how generosity can express unity, gratitude, and shared faith across distance and difference. And you will be better able to read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 in context, with a clearer sense of what God was doing through Paul, the Jerusalem apostles, and the many believers who gave so that others could stand firm in Christ.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How this section fits into the story of Paul’s troubled relationship with the Corinthians.
• What was at stake in Paul’s “sorrowful letter” and why he risked sending it.
• The difference between godly grief that leads to repentance and worldly sorrow that leads to death.
• How the Corinthians’ response showed their real loyalty to Paul and to the gospel he preached.
• Practical questions to ask yourself when you are deciding whether to speak up or stay silent with a friend.

By the end of this episode, you will better understand how God can use painful conversations to bring real change, not just hurt feelings. You will see more clearly what godly grief looks like and why repentance is a gift you will never regret. And you will be better equipped to examine your own motives, to speak hard truth in love when needed, and to receive loving correction as part of God’s care for your soul.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How this section fits the flow of 2 Corinthians and why it is not an awkward interruption in Paul’s argument.
• The image of being "unequally yoked," where two very different animals try to pull together, and why that picture helps us understand Paul’s concern for the church.
• How this principle applies first to the local church, then to other relationships like marriage, business partnerships, and close ties that shape our daily choices.
• A simple "stoplight" way to evaluate relationships and commitments: green ties that help you follow Christ, yellow ties that pressure you off course, and red ties that require you to live as if God is not your God.

By the end of this episode, you will see that Paul’s warning about being unequally yoked is really an invitation to clarity and courage. You will better understand what it means to fear the Lord, to pursue holiness, and to recognize when a relationship or partnership is pulling you down the wrong road. You will feel encouraged to love unbelievers well without pretending you are headed in the same direction, and you will be more equipped to make wise choices about whom you walk closely with as you follow Christ.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Looking at 2 Corinthians 6:1-12, Krisan shows how Paul urges the Corinthians to stop judging by appearances, respond to the message of reconciliation, and treat the gospel like a check you actually cash, not a nice idea stuck on the fridge. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How 2 Corinthians 6 connects to Paul’s call to “be reconciled to God” at the end of chapter 5
• What it means to “receive the grace of God in vain” and why Paul is not assuming everyone in the church is automatically a true believer
• Four core convictions that mark genuine saving faith, not just religious activity or church involvement
• Isaiah’s servant song and Paul’s claim that “now is the day of salvation” and the time of God’s favor
• Paul’s list of hardships and character qualities that actually commend him as a true servant of God, even though he looks weak and unsuccessful

By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of what it means to truly respond to God’s grace instead of letting it slide past you. You will understand why Paul presses his readers to examine what they really value and who they really trust. You will feel both challenged and encouraged to stop judging the gospel by how flashy its messengers look, and instead to cling to the simple message that brings real reconciliation with God and real hope for your life.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why some in Corinth judged Paul by his speaking style and personal presence instead of his message and motives.
• What it means for the “love of Christ” to control Paul and shape the way he lives and serves.
• What Paul means when he says we no longer “regard anyone according to the flesh.”
• The powerful promise that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, with the old passing away and the new coming.
• Paul’s role as an ambassador for Christ and what it means to hear God’s appeal, “Be reconciled to God.”
• The striking summary of the gospel in 2 Corinthians 5:21, that the sinless Christ became sin for our sake so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of what it means to be a new creation in Christ and why that truth reshapes how you see yourself, other believers, and even your spiritual leaders. You will understand the heart of Paul’s message of reconciliation, feel encouraged that your worth does not rest on your resume or reputation, and be better equipped to evaluate people by the quiet work of God’s Spirit rather than by surface impressions.

 Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan walks through 2 Corinthians 5:1–11, exploring how Paul can be brutally honest about suffering and the fragility of life, yet deeply confident about his future with Christ. As he reflects on tents and buildings, groaning and glory, judgment and reward, we see how the hope of resurrection shapes the way he lives, speaks, and serves right now.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Paul’s imagery of our present bodies as “tents” and the promise of a permanent, resurrection “building from God”
• How the gift of the Holy Spirit functions as God’s guarantee that believers really will share in future glory
• Why Paul can say he is “of good courage” even while facing constant danger, rejection, and the possibility of death
• The long-standing debate over what happens between death and resurrection and why it is as a secondary, not central, issue
• What it means to “walk by faith, not by sight” in the middle of real discouragement and pressure
• How the reality of appearing before the judgment seat of Christ shapes Paul’s priorities and whom he ultimately fears
• The relationship between faith and works: why our deeds do not earn salvation, yet still reveal the genuineness of our faith
• Paul’s longing for the Corinthians to see his heart and motives clearly—even as he rests in the fact that God already does

After listening, you’ll come away with a steadier grasp of how the hope of resurrection is meant to steady your own heart in the face of weakness, aging, loss, or fear of death. You’ll be invited to think less about how others evaluate you and more about living openly before the Lord who knows you, to anchor your courage in the promise of eternal life, and to let that coming “weight of glory” reshape how you suffer, serve, and trust Christ today.

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How 2 Corinthians 4 fits into Paul’s larger defense of his ministry in this letter
• Why Paul refuses to “tamper with God’s word,” even when many people reject his message
• What Paul means when he says the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers
• The significance of “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”
• Why Paul describes himself as a fragile “jar of clay” carrying a priceless treasure
• How his afflictions mirror the sufferings of Jesus
• Why Paul can call his very real hardships “light and momentary” in contrast to the eternal glory to come
• How Paul’s sufferings serve both the Corinthians’ spiritual good and his own confident hope of resurrection

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer understanding of why Paul did not give up, even when his ministry looked weak and unsuccessful by human standards. You’ll be encouraged to see your own weaknesses and trials in light of God’s purposes, to remember that the results of faithful service belong to Him, and to keep speaking and living for Christ without losing heart, anchored in the promise of eternal life and glory with Him.

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Exodus 34 and Moses’ veiled, radiant face set the background for Paul’s argument in 2 Corinthians 3
• Why Paul calls the law a “ministry of death” and “condemnation,” even though it came from God and carried glory
• What Paul means when he says the new covenant “far exceeds” the old in glory and is permanent rather than passing
• The significance of the veil—first on Moses’ face, then over Israel’s heart and how it pictures both separation and spiritual blindness
• How the Holy Spirit “removes the veil” so that believers have direct, free access to God’s glory
• What it looks like, in practical terms, to be “transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another”
• How Paul holds together two truths: we are weak “jars of clay,” yet entrusted with a glorious message that is worth proclaiming with courage
• The tension between speaking the gospel clearly without watering it down and caring wisely about how our words land on others

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of what it means to live as someone whose face is “unveiled” before God. You’ll be encouraged to honor the courage of Paul’s ministry, to take your own opportunities to speak about Christ seriously, and to cling to the glory of the gospel even when it is misunderstood, resisted, or costly to share.

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why “try harder Christianity” leaves so many believers frustrated, and how Paul addresses that struggle in 2 Corinthians 3
• Paul’s question about “letters of recommendation” and how the Corinthian believers themselves function as his living letter
• What it means for the Corinthians to be a “letter from Christ,” written not with ink but by the Spirit on human hearts
• The contrast between tablets of stone and hearts of flesh, and how that echoes key Old Testament promises in Deuteronomy 30, Ezekiel 36, and Jeremiah 31
• What Paul means by the “new covenant,” and how it fulfills God’s long-standing promise to forgive sin and transform the heart
• The true meaning of “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” and why it’s not about breaking the “letter” but keeping the “spirit” of the rules
• A careful look at Victorious Christian Life / Keswick teaching and why it misreads this passage and misunderstands the role of the Holy Spirit
• How Paul can say he is “not sufficient” in himself, yet boldly claim that God has made him sufficient as an apostle—and why that matters for how we read his letters today

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of what is truly new about the new covenant: not a fresh technique for spiritual success, but God’s promise to forgive, to give His Spirit, and to change His people from the inside out. You’ll be invited to lay down the burden of self-improvement as your primary hope, and instead rest in the God who not only points you toward life, but is actively making you into the kind of person who loves Him and walks in His ways.

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan walks through 2 Corinthians 2:5–17, unpacking the story behind a painful offense in the church, the Corinthians’ response, and Paul’s call to both discipline and forgiveness. From there, she turns to Paul’s striking image of the triumphal procession and the “aroma of Christ,” showing how his fragile, often troubled ministry still becomes the vehicle for God’s victory in the world.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What we can piece together about the unnamed offender in Corinth and how his actions wounded both Paul and the church
• How the Corinthians initially responded with church discipline—and why Paul now urges them to forgive, comfort, and reaffirm their love
• Why Paul insists that the real damage was not to him personally, but to the unity and spiritual health of the congregation
• The anxious journey from Ephesus to Troas to Macedonia as Paul waits for Titus and news of how the Corinthians received his “severe letter”
• How Paul can say that God “always leads us in triumphal procession” even when his ministry looks weak, messy, and unimpressive
• What it means for Paul’s ministry to be the “aroma of Christ,” bringing life to some and exposing death to others
• Why Paul refuses to “peddle” God’s word, and what that teaches us about faithfulness in teaching, parenting, and sharing the gospel
• The hard but freeing reality that we can speak truth and love others—but we cannot control their response

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of Paul’s heart: tender, anxious, and yet deeply confident that God is at work through his flawed ministry. You’ll be encouraged to take seriously both church discipline and restoration, to hold fast to the gospel without packaging or manipulating it, and to entrust the people you love—children, friends, prodigals—to the God who alone can make the message of Christ a fragrance of life.

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we walk through 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:4, tracing Paul’s “painful visit,” his “severe letter,” and his change of travel plans and showing how all of it fits with his claim to be a faithful apostle whose message and motives are anchored in God’s unshakable “Yes” in Christ.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The timeline of Paul’s relationship with the Corinthians, including the “lost” letters, the painful visit, and the severe letter
• Why some in Corinth questioned Paul’s integrity and accused him of being changeable, insincere, or unreliable
• How Paul defends his conduct by appealing to a clear conscience, simple sincerity, and God’s grace rather than human cleverness
• What Paul means when he says that God’s promises are all “Yes” in Jesus Christ—and how that supports his ministry
• How the gift of the Holy Spirit functions as God’s seal and guarantee that believers truly belong to Him
• Why Paul chose not to visit them again when he said he would, and how that decision was meant to spare them, not abandon them
• The difference between “lording it over” someone’s faith and working with them for their joy in Christ

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of the backstory behind 2 Corinthians and a deeper confidence in God’s steady faithfulness, even when relationships with Christian leaders are strained or confusing. You’ll see how Paul ties everything—his plans, his tears, his letters—back to God’s trustworthy promises in Christ, and you’ll be encouraged to rest your hope not in human reliability, but in the God who has sealed you with His Spirit and is committed to your lasting joy.

2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks through 2 Corinthians 1:1–11, unpacking Paul’s troubled relationship with the Corinthian church, his claim to be a true apostle, and his confession that he despaired even of life itself. Along the way, we see how God’s comfort is not the removal of hardship, but the courage to endure it—and how that encouragement is meant to flow from one believer to another.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why understanding the history between Paul and the Corinthians is essential for reading 2 Corinthians
• How Paul’s use of “we” in this passage often refers specifically to himself and his ministry
• What it means for Paul to be an “apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” amid rejection and suspicion
• How 2 Corinthians 1:3–7 portrays God as the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” in real affliction, not easy circumstances
• The way Paul’s sufferings and encouragement are for the Corinthians’ sake—and what that reveals about true Christian ministry
• How trials make the truths of the gospel move from ideas in our heads to convictions that shape our choices
• What Paul teaches about prayer: not as spiritual “credits” or force, but as an expression of shared trust in God and shared gratitude when He answers

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of how 2 Corinthians 1:1–11 frames the whole letter: a rejected ambassador appealing to those he loves, inviting them to see his hardships—and their own—through the lens of God’s mercy. You’ll be encouraged to think more carefully about how God uses suffering to mature faith, how your own encouragement can strengthen others, and how prayer binds believers together before the Father who raises the dead.

2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Series: 2 Corinthians: When Church Hurts

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the church

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The biblical principle of stewardship, showing how everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him.
• How to use financial resources to fulfill the responsibilities and calling God gives us.
• The importance of work to meet those responsibilities, with practical encouragement for starting your career.
• Common pitfalls like overspending or over-giving, and how to avoid them through balanced planning.
• Practical strategies for spending, earning, and saving/investing, including budgeting tips and the power of compound interest.
• The virtues of justice, mercy, and faithfulness in handling money contrasted with the sins of pride, greed, and fear.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The significance of Jesus’ miraculous signs and their role in proving his identity as the Messiah.
• The critical role of the apostles as eyewitnesses who pass down Jesus’ teachings through written testimony.
• The theme of belief versus unbelief and why it’s central to John’s message.Jesus as the Christ—prophet, priest, and king—and what that means for salvation.
• The promise of eternal life and how faith in Jesus offers forgiveness, freedom from sin, and victory over death.

By listening, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of John’s purpose in writing his Gospel and how its themes of signs, testimony, and belief apply to your life today. Krisan Marotta breaks down complex ideas into an accessible overview, showing you how to connect the dots between Jesus’ actions and the hope of salvation. Whether you’re new to the Bible or a seasoned reader, this episode offers practical insights into why faith matters and how John’s words continue to resonate 2,000 years later.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Jesus’ Departure and Return: Jesus announces his leaving but reassures his disciples of his eventual return, offering hope through the promise of his second coming.
• Commissioning of the Apostles: Jesus explains to his apostles their mission and the challenges they will face.
• The Role of the Holy Spirit: Jesus promises he will not leave them alone. He will send the "Spirit of Truth" to eguip and guide them in their ministry.
• Ethical Teachings for Believers: Jesus gives a new commandment to love one another, modeled after his own sacrificial love and service.
• Perseverance in Faith: Jesus explains the importance of persevering in faith while he's gone.
• Assurance of God’s Protection: Jesus’ prays for his disciples and all future believers, promising that they will be preserved and protected by God.

By listening, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the Upper Room Discourse’s historical context and its profound implications for Christian life today. You'll understand what applies uniquely to the apostles and what extends to all followers of Jesus. You’ll also discover practical insights into living out Jesus’ teachings on love, perseverance, and faith in a world where he is no longer physically present. This episode not only enriches your knowledge of the Gospel of John but also offers encouragement through the assurance that, though Jesus has left, his Spirit remains with us, and he will one day return.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Mary’s anointing of Jesus: Her act of devotion with costly perfume signifies loyalty and foreshadows Jesus’ burial.
• Judas’ contrasting reactionl: His objection to Mary’s act reveals his self-interest and sets the stage for his treachery.
• The triumphal entry: Jesus enters Jerusalem as a peaceful king on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy and accepting the crowd’s acclaim.
• The dynamics of belief and unbelief: Mary’s faith starkly contrasts with Judas and the Pharisees’ rejection, highlighting the complexity of genuine faith.
• Jesus’ acceptance of his destiny: He acknowledges his imminent death as necessary for salvation, affirmed by a voice from heaven.
• The end of public ministry: Jesus summarizes his mission as bringing light and eternal life, urging belief before his withdrawal from public view.

Listening to this episode offers a compelling look at how John chapter 12 weaves together key themes of faith, sacrifice, and divine purpose. You’ll gain insight into the significance of Jesus’ action.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection: Jesus demonstrates his authority over death, performing a sign that testifies to his divine power.
• Jesus’ path to the cross: This event triggers the sequence leading to his crucifixion, showcasing his obedience to God’s will.
• The spectrum of belief and unbelief: From Martha’s faith to the Jewish leaders’ rejection, the story examines how people respond to Jesus’ signs.
• Jesus as the resurrection and the life: The miracle reinforces his messianic claim to grant eternal life to believers.
• God’s sovereignty amid opposition: Even the hostility of the Jewish leaders is woven into God’s redemptive plan.
• Jesus’ empathy and humanity: His tears reveal his deep compassion for human suffering, even as he fulfills a divine purpose. 

By listening to this episode, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how the raising of Lazarus ties together the central themes of John’s Gospel. Krisan Marotta’s thoughtful exploration offers fresh insights into Jesus’ mission, his power over death, and the hope he extends to believers, encouraging a deeper appreciation of the text and its relevance to faith today.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The historical backdrop of the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah): Learn the significance of this setting and how it frames Jesus’ confrontation with the Jewish leaders questioning his messianic identity.
• Jesus’ relationship with his “sheep”: Discover how Jesus describes his followers as those who hear his voice, follow him, and receive the promise of eternal life.
• The meaning of “I and the Father are one”: Explore the interpretation of this statement, its implications for Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, and the debate over its hints at divinity.
• The escalating tension with the Jewish leaders: Understand how Jesus defends his divine mission with Scripture and miracles, intensifying the conflict that leads toward his crucifixion

.Listen to this episode to gain insights into the theological themes of belief and testimony in John’s Gospel, as well as the historical context of Jesus’ teachings during the Feast of Dedication. The episode also offers a thoughtful analysis of Jesus’ claim to oneness with the Father, helping you appreciate the depth of his identity and mission as the Christ.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The continuation of Jesus’ conversation from John 9, addressing spiritual blindness and the judgment his presence brings.
• Jesus’ shepherd and sheep analogy, illustrating his protective relationship with believers while critiquing the Pharisees as false leaders.
• The significance of Jesus as the "good shepherd" who voluntarily lays down his life for his sheep, contrasting with self-serving hired hands.
• The division among the Jews reacting to Jesus’ words and miracles, underscoring the complexity of belief.
• The choice confronting the healed blind man—and all listeners—about whom to believe amidst competing voices.

By tuning into this episode, you’ll gain insight into how Jesus’ teachings in John 10 affirm his role as the true shepherd guiding believers to eternal life. Krisan Marotta’s thoughtful exploration encourages you to reflect on the evidence of Jesus’ identity, the importance of recognizing his voice over others, and the depth of his sacrificial love. Whether you’re studying the Gospel of John or seeking to strengthen your faith, this episode offers meaningful perspectives on trusting Jesus as the way to abundant life.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The miraculous healing of the man born blind and its significance.
• The varied reactions of different groups to the miracle, revealing their spiritual conditions.
• The theological discussions prompted by the miracle, including the nature of sin and suffering.
• The concept of spiritual blindness and how it contrasts with true faith.
• The man’s journey from physical blindness to spiritual sight and belief in Jesus.
• Jesus’ teachings on judgment, light, and the true nature of seeing.

By listening, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how Jesus’ miracles serve as signs of his divine identity and mission. You’ll see how the story of the man born blind illustrates the transformative power of faith and the perils of spiritual arrogance. 

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The background and context of John 8:48-59
• The traditional interpretation of "Before Abraham was, I am" and its implications
• Alternative understandings based on biblical language and translation
• The significance of Abraham’s faith and how it connects to Jesus’ statement
• Why understanding this passage matters for Bible study and faith

By listening to this episode, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for biblical interpretation, how translation choices impact meaning, and why Jesus' words in John 8 continue to spark important theological discussions. 

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

We explore why believing in Jesus is not just a one-time decision but a lifelong relationship of trusting his words, even when they confront our pride and self-sufficiency. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Jesus uses the image of light and darkness to describe our spiritual condition and our need for truth.
• What is at stake if we reject Jesus and “die in our sins,” and why that is the worst possible outcome.
• What Jesus means when he says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
• The contrast between being children of Abraham and being true children of God, and why our response to Jesus reveals who our “father” really is.
• The kind of freedom Jesus promises: not freedom from hardship, but freedom from the power of sin and the corruption in our own hearts.

By the end of this episode, you will see more clearly why Jesus is not just a good teacher but the only one who can bring you out of darkness into light. You will better understand your own struggle with sin, why you cannot free yourself, and how trusting and continuing in Jesus’ word leads to real, lasting freedom as a beloved member of God’s household.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why some Bible translations set this story in brackets or move it to a footnote, and what textual criticism is trying to sort out. 
• What the Law of Moses actually said about adultery, why the missing man exposes the leaders’ hypocrisy, and how they are using the law for their own agenda. 
• Why Jesus’ words, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone,” cut through their trap and expose everyone’s guilt. 
• Several ideas about what Jesus may have written on the ground and how that might have confronted the accusers with their own sins. 
• How Paul’s instructions in Galatians 6 help us apply this story, showing us how to restore someone caught in sin with humility and gentleness instead of pride and condemnation. 

By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of how Jesus holds justice and mercy together, and why no one stands above anyone else at the foot of the cross. You will be better equipped to respond when you see sin in others, not with harsh superiority, but with the humility of someone who knows they also need grace, and with a desire to help lighten their burden rather than add to it. 

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus stays in Galilee at first and then goes to Jerusalem in secret, and what this reveals about God’s timing and plan. 
• The unbelief of Jesus’ own brothers, who treat him like an aspiring celebrity instead of the Messiah, and what that shows us about misunderstanding spiritual greatness. 
• Jesus’ claim that the world hates him because he exposes its evil, and how that confronts our tendency to reshape Jesus into someone who never challenges us. 
• How Jesus’ powerful teaching forces people to decide whether he speaks from God or is just promoting himself, and why our willingness to do God’s will affects what we are able to believe. 
• The controversy over Sabbath keeping, how Jesus uses circumcision to expose the leaders’ legalism, and what it means to “judge with right judgment” instead of by appearances. 
• Jesus’ dramatic invitation on the last day of the feast: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink,” and how John explains this as the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit. 
• Practical ways this passage helps us think about our own spiritual growth, the danger of measuring people by “approved lists,” and the long, sometimes messy path of learning to trust Jesus. 

By the end of this episode, you will see more clearly how your response to Jesus is shaped by what you most want, not just by what you know. You will come away better able to recognize legalism in your own thinking, more patient with the slow process of growth in yourself and others, and more eager to come to Jesus as the one who truly satisfies your deepest thirst.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why John links the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water, and how both miracles set up the “bread of life” conversation. 
• How the crowd reacts to being miraculously fed and why their desire to make Jesus king reveals a shallow understanding of what the Messiah came to do. 
• What Jesus means when he warns them not to work for “food that perishes” but for the food that endures to eternal life. 
• How the manna in the wilderness prepares us to understand Jesus as the true bread from heaven and why this comparison matters. 
• Jesus’ startling claim that the real “work of God” is to believe in the one he has sent, and why that sounds simple but is actually very costly. 
• What Jesus means when he says, “I am the bread of life,” and how his flesh and blood become the source of eternal life through his death on the cross. 
• Why many of his disciples walk away when his teaching becomes hard, and what this reveals about the difference between seeking Jesus and seeking an easier life. 
• Peter’s powerful confession, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” and how it models a faith that clings to Jesus even with unanswered questions. 

By the end of this episode, you will see more clearly what Jesus is really offering when he calls himself the bread of life. You will be better able to recognize when you are seeking Jesus mainly for earthly comforts, and you will be encouraged to come to him instead as the one who alone can satisfy your deepest hunger and secure your life with God forever.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why John focuses less on the healed man and more on the reaction of the Jewish leaders to a miracle done on the Sabbath. 
• How Jesus’ simple statement, “My Father is working until now, and I am working,” claims a unique authority to act with God’s approval, even on the Sabbath. 
• What it means for Jesus to be the Son who only does what he sees the Father doing, and how that father–son picture helps us understand his mission. 
• Jesus’ astounding claims about giving life, raising the dead, and executing judgment, and why honoring the Son is inseparable from honoring the Father. 
• The different “witnesses” God has provided to confirm Jesus’ identity, including John the Baptist, Jesus’ miracles, and the Old Testament Scriptures. 
• How the religious leaders could study Moses so diligently yet still miss the Messiah Moses wrote about, and why Jesus says Moses himself will accuse them. 
• The connection Jesus makes between belief and what we really want, especially our desire for glory from other people instead of the glory that comes from God. 
• What this passage teaches us about unbelief, not as harmless doubt, but as a willful refusal to come to the light because we do not want what Jesus offers. 

By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of who Jesus claims to be and why that claim cannot be pushed to the margins of life. You will better understand how God has testified to Jesus through Scripture and signs, how your own desires can pull you away from faith, and how seeking the glory that comes from God frees you to honor the Son and find true life in him.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the Samaritan woman’s question about where to worship is not a distraction, but an honest concern about whose religion is right.
• How Jesus can say that the Jews are right about God and his plan, while still pointing beyond temples and locations to something more important.
• What it means to worship the Father in spirit and in truth, and why God is more interested in our hearts than in our outward religious routines.
• The danger of letting rituals and church traditions become the main thing, while our inner response to God grows cold or distracted.
• How Jesus uses the picture of food to describe what truly satisfies him: doing the will of the Father who sent him.
• Why Jesus talks about sowing and reaping as he waits for the Samaritan villagers, and how others had already prepared this town to recognize the Messiah.
• What this harvest image suggests about our own culture today, where many people no longer feel the weight of sin or see their need for a Savior.
• How God may call us to break hard ground and plant seeds that others will harvest later, rather than expecting instant results in every conversation.
• Practical ways to examine what we are really “hungry” for and to grow in wanting what God wants more than quick fixes to our earthly problems.

By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of what true worship looks like and why it cannot be reduced to buildings, styles, or external routines. You will be better able to see your place in God’s long story of sowing and reaping, more realistic about the challenges of sharing the gospel today, and more eager to let your deepest hunger be for God’s will and the life that comes from knowing him.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How John’s Gospel keeps returning to the same big question: why should we believe that Jesus is the Messiah and trust him for eternal life.
• The history between Jews and Samaritans and why Jesus talking with this particular woman at this particular well would have shocked the first readers.
• What Jesus means by “living water,” how the Old Testament uses that picture, and why ordinary water can only ever give temporary satisfaction.
• How Jesus exposes the woman’s hidden story with miraculous knowledge, not to shame her, but to call her to repentance and faith.
• The way her simple testimony to the town leads many Samaritans to believe, and how their secondhand faith grows into firsthand conviction once they hear Jesus themselves.
• The contrast between the eager faith of the Samaritans and the more hesitant response of the Jewish official who comes to Jesus for help with his dying son.
• How the official moves from seeking a miracle to trusting Jesus’ word, and how his whole household comes to believe through his testimony.
• What these stories teach us about belief that rests on signs, belief that rests on testimony, and the way God uses both to draw people to his Son.

By the end of this episode, you will see more clearly why it is reasonable to trust the testimony we have about Jesus, even though we did not see his miracles in person. You will better understand John’s picture of “living water,” be encouraged that no one is too far outside for God to reach, and feel more confident that God can use your own story about Christ to help others believe.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How John the Baptist’s disciples react when Jesus’ ministry starts attracting bigger crowds, and why their jealousy sounds so familiar to us today.
• John’s simple but profound answer that we cannot receive even one thing unless it is given from heaven, and how that truth speaks to our longing for recognition and success.
• The best man at a wedding as a picture of faithful ministry and why John rejoices, rather than resents it, when the bridegroom finally steps into the center.
• What it looks like in real life for Jesus to increase and for us to decrease, especially in our service, our ministries, and our relationships with other believers.
• Why John insists that Jesus is different from every other prophet or teacher because he comes from above and speaks from firsthand knowledge of the Father.
• How receiving Jesus’ testimony is the same as declaring that God is true, and why rejecting that testimony is not a small or neutral decision.
• The strong final contrast in this passage: whoever believes in the Son already has eternal life, while whoever refuses to obey the Son remains under the wrath of God.

By the end of this episode, you will better understand why John the Baptist could gladly shrink back while Jesus moved forward, and how that same attitude can free you from comparison, envy, and the craving for a bigger platform. You will see more clearly why Jesus’ words carry unique authority, what is really at stake in your response to him, and how resting in the role God has given you can lead to deeper joy, courage, and contentment in your walk with Christ.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How John 3:14-21 fits into Jesus’ late-night conversation with Nicodemus and why “you are a teacher from God” is not enough.
• The Old Testament story of the bronze serpent and how it helps us understand what it means for the Son of Man to be “lifted up.”
• What Jesus is claiming when he says that believing in him is the difference between eternal life and perishing, and why that sounded so shocking to his hearers.
• Why “God so loved the world” is not a sentimental slogan, but a picture of costly, rescuing love for people who already stand guilty and condemned.
• The difference between Jesus’ first coming to save and the final judgment still to come, and what that means for us today.
• How belief and unbelief act as a kind of spiritual X-ray, exposing whether we love the light or prefer the darkness.
• Why unbelief is more than lack of information - it often reveals a deeper hostility to the truth about God and about ourselves.
• How genuine faith shows that God’s Spirit has been at work in our hearts, giving us new birth and a willingness to walk into the light.
• The four core convictions of saving faith and how they help us make sense of why believing in Jesus is so central to the gospel.

By the end of this episode, you will better understand why belief in Jesus matters so much, not as a random test of doctrine, but as a window into your heart’s response to God’s truth. You will see more clearly what it means to come into the light, admit your need for mercy, and rest in the saving love God has shown in his Son, so that you can trust him with greater honesty, humility, and hope.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How John’s Gospel keeps returning to three big themes: trustworthy testimony, eternal life through believing in Jesus, and the need to be born of the Spirit.
• Who Nicodemus is as a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, and why his quiet visit to Jesus at night is both risky and revealing.
• Why being impressed by miracles does not guarantee genuine faith, and why Jesus does not automatically trust the belief of the crowds.
• Jesus’ first challenge to Nicodemus: that no one can see or enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again, or born “from above.”
• The idea of spiritual birth as a new birthright that comes not from ancestry or law-keeping, but from the Spirit giving a new kind of life.
• How Old Testament promises in Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel already pointed to God changing hearts, writing his law within, and giving his Spirit to his people.
• What it may mean to be “born of water and the Spirit,” and how cleansing from sin and new life by the Spirit belong together.
• Jesus’ picture of the Spirit as wind that you cannot see or control, yet you can clearly see the results in a changed life.
• How this challenges our modern tendency to look for techniques, steps, and formulas for spiritual growth, instead of depending on the quiet, powerful work of the Spirit.
• The hopeful hints that Nicodemus is on a real journey toward faith, and how Jesus’ challenge is meant to awaken him, not push him away.

By the end of this episode, you will better understand what Jesus means by being born again and why spiritual life is always a gift of God’s Spirit, not the result of your own effort or religious record. You will be encouraged to rest less in techniques and performance, to trust more in the unseen work of the Spirit, and to persevere faithfully as you share the gospel and watch for the “wind” of God at work in your own life and in the lives of those you love.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How this temple scene fits into John’s bigger themes of testimony, belief, and new life by the Spirit.
• Why pilgrims needed animals and money changers in Jerusalem in the first place and how a necessary service slowly turned into a noisy marketplace.
• The key phrase “in the temple” and why setting up shop in the court of the Gentiles turned worship space into a profit center.
• What Jesus’ anger reveals about his zeal for his Father’s house and how Psalm 69 helps us understand the cost of that zeal.
• How “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” points ahead to Jesus’ death and resurrection, even though no one understands it at the time.
• The way the disciples later remember this event and realize it is one more piece of evidence that Jesus knew who he was and what he came to do.
• Why John ends the chapter by warning that many believed because of signs, yet Jesus did not entrust himself to them, and what that tells us about shallow versus real faith.

By the end of this episode, listeners will see the temple cleansing as more than a dramatic story about overturned tables. They will better understand how this moment points to the cross and resurrection, how it strengthens the disciples’ testimony about Jesus, and how it invites us to examine our own faith, our motives in worship, and our willingness to trust the Lord who knows what is in every human heart.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why John places this story early in his Gospel and how it fits his big themes of testimony, belief, and new life.
• What running out of wine meant in that culture and why it was such a serious embarrassment for the host.
• Mary’s request, Jesus’ reply that his “hour has not yet come,” and what that tells us about God’s timing and Jesus’ mission.
• The quiet way Jesus works this miracle so that only the servants and disciples know what happened.
• How the details about the water jars, the master of the feast, and the quality of the wine function as eyewitness testimony.
• The idea of “signs” in John’s Gospel and why this first sign is given to build the disciples’ confidence that they are following the true Messiah.
• How this moment becomes one more step in the disciples’ growing conviction, which they later pass on to us through the New Testament.

By the end of this episode, you will see the wedding at Cana as a carefully chosen sign that points to who Jesus is, not just a charming miracle story. You will better understand why the disciples found Jesus so compelling, why their testimony is worth trusting, and how this quiet act of compassion invites you to believe that he really is the Christ.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How John’s Gospel keeps returning to the themes of testimony, belief, and new life from God’s Spirit, and where this story fits in that bigger pattern.
• The way John the Baptist’s clear witness to Jesus as the Lamb of God sets off a ripple effect among his own disciples.
• How Andrew and the likely unnamed author John move from following John the Baptist to following Jesus, simply on the strength of trusted testimony.
• Why Andrew runs to tell Simon, how Peter is drawn in through his brother’s excitement, and what Jesus is doing when he gives Simon the new name “Rock.”
• How Philip believes when he sees his friends believing, and how he tries to persuade Nathanael with the promise, “We have found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about.”
• Nathanael’s honest skepticism about Nazareth, why Jesus praises him as an Israelite without deceit, and how one small miracle changes his mind.
• What Jesus’ supernatural knowledge under the fig tree reveals, and why Nathanael responds by calling him the Son of God and King of Israel.
• How titles like Messiah, Son of God, King of Israel, and Son of Man all point to the promised ruler of Daniel 7 who will receive everlasting authority.
• Jesus’ mysterious promise about heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man, and how it connects to Jacob’s ladder and God’s work focused in Christ.
• The larger question this story raises for all of us: what will it take for you to believe, and how do testimony, evidence, and the work of the Spirit all fit together.

By the end of this episode, you will see more clearly how the first disciples became convinced that Jesus is the Christ and why their testimony is worth trusting. You will be better able to think about why you believe what you believe, more confident that God can use simple words and small signs to awaken faith, and encouraged to see your own story as one more link in the long chain of witness that leads others to Christ.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How John’s Gospel skips John the Baptist’s backstory and focuses almost entirely on his testimony about Jesus.
• The background to Jewish baptism, why it was normally for Gentile converts, and why John’s baptism of Jews created such a stir.
• The delegation from Jerusalem that presses John with big questions and how his strong, repeated “I am not” answers make his role crystal clear.
• What it means for John to call himself “the voice crying in the wilderness” from Isaiah 40 and how that picture of preparing a highway for the king helps us understand his mission.
• Why John insists that he is not even worthy to untie the Messiah’s sandals and how that humility points everyone’s attention away from himself and toward Jesus.
• The rich Old Testament background behind the title “Lamb of God,” including Passover, Isaiah’s suffering servant, and the idea of a substitute sacrifice.
• How God gave John a specific sign to recognize the Messiah and what it meant when John saw the Spirit descend and remain on Jesus.
• The way John’s water baptism points ahead to Jesus’ greater baptism with the Holy Spirit and how that introduces a major theme in this Gospel.
• Why titles like “Lamb of God” and “Son of God” in this passage are first and foremost messianic titles that highlight Jesus as God’s promised king.
• How this scene fits John’s larger theme that we come to faith through trustworthy testimony about what eyewitnesses have seen and heard.

By the end of this episode, you will better understand why John the Baptist was so certain about Jesus and why his testimony still matters for your faith today. You will see more clearly how God prepared the way for the Messiah, how Jesus came to deal with sin as God’s Lamb, and how you can rest with greater confidence in the eyewitness reports that invite you to believe that Jesus is the Christ.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why John skips the birth stories and opens with a poetic prologue that sets the tone and purpose for his whole Gospel.
• What the word “Logos” meant in the ancient world, how it connects to the idea of “Tao,” and why John uses it to talk about God’s plan and purpose for the universe.
• How the prologue declares that everything that exists is part of God’s ordered design, not random chaos, and what that means for the meaning of our lives.
• What John means by “life” as the “light of men” and how this points to eternal life - the kind of uncorrupted, joy filled life God always intended for his people.
• The image of light shining in the darkness and why our sin and the brokenness of the world have not extinguished God’s plan to give life.
• The role of John the Baptist as a witness to the light and how this introduces one of John’s key themes: we believe through trustworthy testimony.
• What it means to “receive” the true light, believe in his name, and be given the right to become children of God who are born not by human effort, but by God.
• How “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” and why John emphasizes that Jesus, as the unique Son, is full of grace and truth.
• How titles like “Son of God,” “Messiah,” and “Christ” in this passage point to the promised king who rules on God’s behalf and brings God’s plans to fulfillment.
• The three big themes John will develop throughout his Gospel: testimony about Jesus, believing in Jesus to receive life, and the Spirit’s work in bringing us to faith.

By the end of this episode, you will see the prologue not as a vague theological poem, but as a clear roadmap to John’s entire Gospel and to the heart of the Christian message. You will better understand why believing in Jesus is the way to eternal life, how God’s ordered plan gives meaning to your story, and how the testimony about Christ invites you to trust him as the one who brings light, life, and the full revelation of God.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The case for the apostle John as the author, including the testimony of early church leaders and John’s own way of referring to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
• How to sort out the different Johns in the New Testament and why it matters to distinguish John the apostle from John the Baptist and John Mark.
• What it means to be an apostle, why their authority was unique, and how miracles functioned as God’s way of confirming that their message was true.
• Key biographical details about John’s life, family, partnership with Peter and Andrew, and his long ministry from Galilee to Ephesus and finally Patmos.
• Why John’s Gospel is so different from the “synoptic” Gospels, and how his purpose and audience shaped the stories he chose to include.
• The different ways Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell the story of Jesus’ relationship to Jerusalem compared to John’s repeated “back and forth” pattern around the Jewish feasts.
• How to think about the Gospels as theological portraits and apologetic writings that aim to persuade us of Jesus’ significance, not just record bare facts.
• A helpful analogy about biographies and puzzle pieces that shows why we must pay attention both to the small details and to the overall structure of a book.
• Why this series will focus on the “big picture” of John, tracing major themes and author choices so that later detailed study has a strong framework to sit in.

By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer sense of who John is, why his Gospel is trustworthy, and what kind of book you are reading when you open it. You will be better equipped to notice how John arranges his material to make a point, more confident about the differences between the four Gospels, and ready to follow this study with an eye for both the details on the page and the bigger picture of what God is revealing through the life of Jesus.

Series: Gospel of John: Believe and Find Life

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In June 2005, Apple added podcasting to iTunes 4.9. When I started podcasting in 2011, iTunes (which is now Apple podcasts) carried approximately 300 podcast shows. You had to complete 20 episodes before you could even apply to Apple to include your show. Thankfully, they accepted Wednesday in the Word, and the rest — as they say —is history.

Season 25 of the podcast kicks off August 21, 2024

We’ll be studying the Gospel of John. This will be a different study. I want to model a different aspect of Bible study. Rather than focusing on the details, we're going to focus on putting all the details together into the big picture. I hope you enjoy it and learn from it as much as I have.

Please mark your calendars for August 21. 

Be sure you’re following Wednesday in the Word wherever you listen so you can get notified when each new episode drops.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Thanks to everyone who listened to the Galatians and the Fruit of the Spirit.  I pray that God used it to help you grown in wisdom and understanding.  It’s such a joy to share the Bible with you and hear your wonderful feedback. 

I’ll be taking a short break from the podcast while I work on our next series. But you can still listen to previous episodes. There are over 500 episodes in 24 different series in the podcast feed in your app.  Just keep scrolling down until you find one you want that interests you.

If you’re on the website, select podcast and browse through the list.

I’ll leave you with a song called “My Prayer for You” by Reggie Coates from his album Intimacy.  You can find this song and all of Reggie’s music on Heartfeltmusic.org.

Thanks again for listening to this Wednesday in the word update.  I can’t wait to see you at Wednesday in the Word.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the fruit of the Spirit are not the cause of spiritual maturity but the result of a Spirit-shaped worldview rooted in the gospel
• Two contrasting pictures of the gospel: the “red wire” instruction manual versus the enchanted-princess story, and why the second better captures how faith reveals who we are becoming
• Eight key “truths of our new worldview”: the real God of the Bible, our equality before Him, our sin and guilt, God’s active work for our good, our solid hope, our unique bond with believers, our new freedom, and our growing love for what is truly good
• The ongoing danger of legalism—from the Judaizers in Galatia to modern forms that quietly say, “God is pleased with me because I do things the right way”
• How the four core convictions of saving faith (I am a sinner; God owes me nothing; I cannot save myself; God will forgive me through Christ) reshape everything about how we see ourselves and others
• Why Paul’s exhortation to pursue these qualities is ultimately an exhortation to believe the gospel more deeply, not to “try harder” or “tap into” a special spiritual power
• The comforting promise that if you belong to Christ, the Spirit will grow this fruit in you over time—imperfectly now, but surely and steadily along the path God has planned

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of how the entire list of the fruit of the Spirit fits inside Paul’s message to the Galatians and inside your own story of faith. 

Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul’s own struggle in Romans 7 shows that self-control cannot mean the end of temptation or the disappearance of inner conflict in this life 
• How the Law functions like a diagnosis—exposing our “disease” of sin without causing it—and why that exposure intensifies our awareness of the battle inside us 
• Paul’s conversation with Felix and Drusilla in Acts 24, and how righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment together reveal why it is wise to limit ourselves in light of God’s verdict 
• How 1 Corinthians 9 uses the image of athletes to show self-control as freely limiting our rights and freedoms—for the sake of others and for the sake of the gospel we hope to share 
• Peter’s list in 2 Peter 1, where faith leads to knowledge and knowledge to self-control, and how this shows that self-control grows out of a gospel-shaped worldview, not sheer willpower 
• The difference between three kinds of self-control: worldly self-control that learns (too late) that indulgence destroys; religious, Pharisee-style self-denial fueled by pride; and true Spirit-given self-control rooted in the hope of the gospel 
• How growing self-control shows up over time: the same old temptations may still appear, but our vision clears, our desires slowly shift, and we increasingly want our lives to be about belonging to God 

After listening, you’ll have a more honest and hopeful understanding of self-control as a fruit of the Spirit. 

Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How “gentleness” in Galatians 5 is the same idea as “meekness” in the Beatitudes, and why no single English word fully captures this rich biblical concept 
• Moses as “very meek, more than all people on the face of the earth”—a man with unparalleled privilege and access to God who never grabbed for glory or equality with others, but accepted the role God assigned him 
• Psalm 37 and Jesus’ beatitude, “the meek shall inherit the earth,” as a call to refuse the grasping, scheming ways of evildoers and to wait quietly and confidently for God to vindicate His people in the end 
• Jesus as the perfect model of meekness: entering Jerusalem lowly on a donkey, inviting weary sinners to take His yoke because He is “gentle and lowly in heart,” and using His authority to bless and save rather than to exploit 
• James’s contrast between selfishly ambitious leaders and those who show their wisdom “in the meekness of wisdom,” content to let God exalt them rather than building their own little kingdoms 
• Paul’s call in Galatians 6:1 to restore a sinning brother “in a spirit of gentleness,” remembering our own weakness and resisting the temptation to use others’ failures to prop up our spiritual pride 
• How meekness reshapes everyday relationships in the church: taking the lower place, refusing to trample others for recognition, and trusting God to provide honor in His time rather than seizing it now 

After listening, you’ll see gentleness not as timidity or niceness, but as a Spirit-produced humility that flows from deep trust in God’s character and promises. 

Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How viewing faith as a one-time “switch” at conversion misses the New Testament emphasis on a lifelong battle to keep believing
• The problems with dividing Christians into “spiritual” and “carnal” based on who has supposedly “claimed” more blessings by faith
• A clear definition of saving faith as believing the gospel and living in light of it, not conjuring up certainty about whatever we want God to do
• Four core convictions at the heart of saving faith: longing for holiness, knowing we can’t save ourselves, recognizing God is not obligated to save us, and trusting His mercy because of Jesus
• The “armor of God” in Ephesians 6 as a picture of standing firm—holding fast to truth, righteousness, the gospel, salvation, and the Word in a real spiritual battle
• Paul’s call in 1 Thessalonians 5 to stay awake, sober, and ready for Christ’s return, wearing “the breastplate of faith and love” and “the hope of salvation”
• The Spirit’s role in taking scoffers and skeptics, opening their eyes to the gospel, and slowly growing a faith that weaves into every decision and desire

After listening, you’ll see why “faith” truly belongs on the list of the Spirit’s fruit—not as vague religious language, but as a profound, growing trust in the gospel that changes how you interpret everything in life.  

Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How “goodness” in Galatians 5 fits into Paul’s larger contrast between the works of the flesh and the Spirit’s transforming work in believers
• Ephesians 5 and its call to live as “saints”—people set apart to God—by letting our lives match what we say we believe
• Why goodness cannot be separated from rejecting immorality, impurity, and greed, even when our culture celebrates those things as normal or even virtuous
• Paul’s warning about greed and covetousness as a form of idolatry—trusting worldly success and possessions more than God’s promises
• What it means to “walk as children of light,” with the “fruit of light” expressed in all that is good, right, and true, and to expose the works of darkness rather than quietly go along with them
• The difference between true goodness as a work of the Spirit and the pale imitation of legalism that lowers God’s standard so we can feel righteous about ourselves
• Ephesians 2:1–10 and the hope that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ for good works—evidence that any real shift toward valuing and pursuing goodness is His gracious work in us

After listening, you’ll gain a sharper, more realistic picture of what “goodness” actually means in the Christian life—and why it will sometimes make you stand out from both the surrounding culture and religious pretenders. 

 Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How the New Testament uses “kindness” to describe actively pursuing someone else’s good, not just refraining from anger or retaliation
• The way God’s kindness is displayed in salvation: washing, renewing, and justifying foolish, hostile sinners by His mercy in passages like Titus 3 and Ephesians 2
• How God’s ongoing kindness sustains our daily lives now while also holding out a future hope of eternal riches in Christ
• Paul’s picture in Romans 11 of both the kindness and severity of God—and why real kindness doesn’t mean He overlooks sin or abandons justice
• How Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6 and His parable of the two debtors in Luke 7 show that understanding how much we’ve been forgiven fuels genuine kindness toward others
• Paul’s call in Ephesians 4 to put away bitterness and wrath and instead be “kind…tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”
• Why Christians are often perceived as unkind, what part of that charge is unfair, and where it may reveal a drift into self-righteousness or a shallow grasp of the gospel
• How the Spirit slowly grows kindness in us over a lifetime, moving gospel truth from theory to the practical choices we make with spouses, coworkers, neighbors, and even enemies

After listening, you’ll see kindness not as a personality trait for naturally “nice” people, but as a Spirit-produced response to the staggering kindness God has shown you in Christ. 

 Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the New Testament word often translated “patience” is better captured by the older word longsuffering—being “slow to anger” and willing to endure over a long time
• The two main ways Scripture uses this word: persevering through difficulties with hope, and forbearing with the sins and failures of other people
• How biblical patience is rooted in belief, not temperament: it flows from trusting who God is, what He has promised, and where He is taking history
• Jesus’ parable of the sower and the “rocky soil” as a picture of faith that lacks longsuffering and withers when trouble comes
• Abraham, Job, and the prophets as examples of those who “patiently waited” for God’s promises, like farmers laboring in hope for a future harvest
• James’s call to be patient “until the coming of the Lord,” and how that future-oriented hope reshapes how we interpret present trials and injustices

After listening, you’ll have a clearer picture of what patience really is—and is not—as a fruit of the Spirit.  

Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Different biblical uses of “peace”: peace with God instead of war (Romans 5:1), peace as the end of all trouble, peace of mind in a broken world, and peace as the opposite of strife among believers
• Why “peace with God” is the foundation for all the fruit of the Spirit—but not the specific “peace” Paul lists in Galatians 5
• How Jesus’ words in John 16:32–33 promise real peace in Him even while His followers still face tribulation in the world
• What Philippians 4 shows us about both peace of mind (freedom from anxiety through prayer and trust) and peace between believers (Euodia and Syntyche learning to agree in the Lord)
• How Galatians 5 connects peace to life in the church: moving away from biting, devouring, rivalry, and factions toward humble, gospel-shaped relationships
• Paul’s vision in Ephesians 4 of “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” and what it means to see fellow believers as those with whom we will share eternity, across all lines of background, culture, and personality

After listening, you’ll come away with a richer, more concrete understanding of what “peace” looks like as the Spirit’s work in real communities: less anxiety as you rest in God’s promises, and a growing willingness to live at peace with other believers. 

 Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why “joy” in Scripture can coexist with sorrow, loss, and hardship—and how Paul can say he is “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” 
• The difference between happiness (pleasant circumstances, upbeat feelings) and biblical joy (confidence in a good outcome God has promised) 
• How passages like 2 Corinthians 6, 2 Corinthians 8, and James 1 show believers rejoicing right in the middle of affliction, poverty, and trials
• A working definition of joy: the settled delight and satisfaction that comes from knowing something truly good is coming our way in Christ
• How Jesus’ parables—the hidden treasure, the lost sheep and coin, and the picture of a mother after childbirth—illustrate joy in the result, not in the struggle itself
• Why joy is tied more closely to hope than to ease or comfort, and how Romans 12:12 and Romans 15:13 connect joy, peace, hope, and the work of the Holy Spirit
• Paul’s call to “rejoice always…pray without ceasing…give thanks in all circumstances” and how this invites us to relate everything we face back to God’s purposes

After listening, you’ll have a clearer, more realistic understanding of what joy is and what it is not—freeing you from the pressure to feel cheerful all the time and inviting you instead to anchor your heart in the sure hope of the gospel. 

 Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Galatians 5 connects the fruit of the Spirit to real moral transformation, not to personality traits or instant spiritual experiences 
• Why love is rooted in seeing our essential equality before God—equally created, equally guilty, and equally in need of grace
• Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 10 that receiving His apostles and His people is ultimately receiving Him, and how that shapes our view of fellow believers
• What Jesus means in John 13:34–35 when He says the world will recognize His disciples by their love for one another—not by a “glow,” but by concrete, sacrificial care
• How the “sheep and goats” scene in Matthew 25 shows that serving “the least of these my brothers” is really expressing love for Jesus Himself
• Paul’s descriptions in Ephesians 1 and Colossians 1 of faith in Christ and love for all the saints as twin evidences of genuine hope in the gospel
• Peter’s call in 1 Peter 1:22–23 to love one another earnestly from a pure heart as the outworking of new birth and obedience to the truth

After listening, you’ll see more clearly how love for other believers is not an optional “extra,” but one of the clearest fruits of the Spirit and signs of real faith.  

Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What Paul means by “fruit”: not instant transformation or spiritual mood, but the long-term result of the Spirit’s work in us through struggle, trials, and growing understanding 
• Why the fruit of the Spirit are not feelings, but perspective changes that come as the Spirit reshapes our worldview and teaches us to see truth more clearly 
• How 1 Timothy 1:5 shows that love flows from sincere faith, a pure (undivided) heart, and a good conscience rooted in genuine understanding of the gospel 
• The biblical command to “love your neighbor as yourself” in Leviticus 19:18, and how it forbids vengeance and grudges while calling us to act with the same patience and forgiveness we would want if the roles were reversed 
• How 1 John 3:16–18 and Luke 6 teach that love is action, not talk—doing good, blessing, praying, giving, and seeking another’s welfare even when they do not treat us well in return 
• The difference between biblical equality before God and modern ideas of equality, resentment, and victim/oppressor categories—and why love grows from knowing that we are all equally in need of mercy 
• Why learning to love this way is both our present struggle and our future hope: evidence that the Spirit is at work now, and a promise that one day we will love as Christ loves, easily and fully 

After listening, you’ll have a richer, more concrete understanding of what “love” really means as a fruit of the Spirit—and why it is so much more than being naturally kind or emotionally warm. 

Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The background of Galatians: Paul’s missionary journey, the young churches in Galatia, and the arrival of the Judaizers
• Who the Judaizers were, what they taught about keeping the law, and why Paul calls their message “another gospel”
• The two great human problems the gospel addresses: our guilt before a holy God and our inward bent toward sin and selfishness
• How the cross of Christ answers both problems—removing our guilt and reconciling us to God so He can give us His Spirit
• Why the law can diagnose sin but can never heal it, and how legalism produces rivalry, pride, and division rather than true holiness
• Paul’s contrast between the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5, and what each list reveals about the heart
• What it means to “walk by the Spirit,” “crucify the flesh,” and “keep in step with the Spirit” in everyday Christian life
• How this list—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—serves both as a promise of God’s work and a challenge to what we truly desire 

After listening, you’ll have a clear grasp of how the fruit of the Spirit fits inside Paul’s larger argument in Galatians and why it matters for your own spiritual growth. You’ll be better equipped to see the difference between rule-keeping and real transformation, and to approach this series looking not for quick techniques, but for the gracious, lifelong work of the Spirit who changes our hearts from the inside out. 

 Series: Fruit of the Spirit

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Have you ever wondered what Paul meant by love, joy, peace and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23? Listen to the next podcast series!  We will explore what Scripture teaches about these concepts and why Paul put them on the list. You’ll discover life-changing truths behind each fruit.

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Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Paul’s final exhortations in Galatians tie together the whole letter’s message about justification by faith alone
• What it means to “share all good things” with those who teach the Word—and why this is about embracing the same gospel, not just financial support
• Paul’s warning that “God is not mocked” and the sobering principle that we reap what we sow, whether to the flesh or to the Spirit
• How to discern between teachers who flatter our desires and those who faithfully teach hard but life-giving truth
• Why pursuing teachers who entertain us or minimize sin leads to spiritual corruption, while seeking truth leads to eternal life
• Paul’s call not to “grow weary of doing good,” and how perseverance in doing what is morally beautiful fits with our hope of final reward
• The priority of doing good “to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith,” and what that means for our relationships in the church
• Paul’s critique of the Judaizers’ motives—desiring to “make a good showing in the flesh” and avoid persecution for the cross of Christ
• Why Paul refuses to boast in anything except “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and how that redefines what counts as success or status in the Christian life
• The meaning of being a “new creation,” the “Israel of God,” and how God’s peace and mercy rest on those who walk by this rule of faith in Christ
• Paul’s closing confidence that God’s grace will keep straying believers and bring them back, even through seasons of doubt or wandering

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of how Galatians calls you not just to believe the gospel but to plant your whole life in it—to seek truthful teaching, resist messages that cater to your pride or comfort, and keep sowing to the Spirit through steady, sometimes costly, obedience. 

 Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What it means to “live by the Spirit” and “keep in step with the Spirit” in the context of real church life, not just private spirituality
• How comparison and law-keeping can fuel conceit, envy, and rivalry within a congregation
• Paul’s instruction to restore a brother or sister “caught in any transgression” with gentleness rather than superiority
• The practical meaning of “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” and how that reflects Jesus’ command to love one another
• Why Paul warns that thinking we are “something” when we are “nothing” is a form of self-deception that makes us vulnerable to temptation
• How to “test your own work” instead of grading yourself against other believers, and why God does not grade on a curve
• The difference between helping others with their burdens and taking full responsibility for our own “load” before God
• What this passage implies about the kind of honest, interdependent community Christians are meant to form—where we can admit failure, ask for help, and offer real encouragement

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer picture of how a gospel-shaped community responds to sin: not with denial or harsh judgment, but with humility, truth, and Spirit-led care. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Paul answers the charge that his gospel encourages sin by showing that true faith leads to a pursuit of goodness, not indulgence
• What it means to be “called to freedom” and why using that freedom to serve our own desires contradicts the gospel
• Paul’s summary of the Law in the command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and how that shapes everyday choices
• The image of believers “biting and devouring” one another, and how legalism can fuel rivalry, judgment, and division in a church
• Paul’s definition of “the flesh” as our entire fallen selves—our natural, self-centered way of life apart from God
• What it means to “walk by the Spirit”: not mastering a technique, but trusting God’s invisible, sovereign work like the unseen wind
• The contrast between the evident “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit,” and why these two patterns of life cannot coexist
• Paul’s warning that a life characterized by the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God, and how that calls us to honest self-examination and repentance
• Why the Law can diagnose our problem but cannot heal it, and how the Spirit alone produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
• What it means that those who belong to Christ have “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” and now live in hope of being made truly and fully holy

After listening, you’ll come away with a richer understanding of how Galatians 5:13–24 reframes both legalism and license, showing that neither rule-keeping nor “being true to yourself” can lead to life. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Galatians fits together so far, and why chapters 5–6 focus on the freedom the gospel brings
• What Paul means by “For freedom Christ has set us free” and why returning to the Law is a “yoke of slavery”
• Why circumcision in this context represents a whole system of law-keeping as the basis for justification
• How seeking to be “justified by the law” actually cuts us off from Christ and from grace
• The contrast between life under the Law and “through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness”
• What Paul means by “faith working through love” and how genuine saving faith inevitably changes our values, choices, and relationships
• Paul’s concern about false teachers, the image of “a little leaven leavens the whole lump,” and the danger of subtle additions to the gospel
• Modern forms of “returning to the Law,” including spiritual disciplines or experiences treated as steps to a higher spiritual status
• The seriousness of our response to Jesus Christ, and the invitation to receive forgiveness and new life as a gift of grace

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of why the gospel can’t be mixed with performance, how Galatians 5:1–12 guards your heart from legalism, and what it looks like to let faith express itself through love in ordinary life. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why many consider this one of the hardest passages in Galatians, and how a basic grasp of Abraham’s family story (Hagar, Sarah, Ishmael, and Isaac) clears the fog
• What an allegory is and how Paul can use a real, historical story to illustrate a spiritual truth without turning the Old Testament into a book of hidden riddles
• How Abraham’s two sons, both physically related to him, end up with very different futures: Ishmael “according to the flesh,” and Isaac “through promise”
• The difference between the Old Covenant at Sinai (a conditional “deal” that exposes our sin) and the New Covenant in Christ (a promise based on God’s faithfulness, not our performance)
• Why Paul links Hagar with Mount Sinai and “the present Jerusalem,” and Sarah with “the Jerusalem above,” showing two spiritual lineages: slavery under law and freedom through faith
• How Isaiah 54’s “barren woman” becomes a picture of God creating a new, supernatural family by his Spirit—one that far outnumbers Israel’s physical descendants
• Paul’s startling claim that the real question is not just, “Is Abraham your father?” but “Who is your mother?”—law-based striving (Hagar) or promise-based faith (Sarah)
• The ongoing pattern of persecution: how those “born according to the flesh” have always mocked and opposed those “born according to the Spirit,” and what that means for believers today
• The call to “cast out the slave woman and her son” as a warning not to mix the gospel of grace with a return to law-keeping as the basis of our standing before God

After listening, you’ll see this challenging passage as a clear, searching invitation: to stop living as though you are under a deal you can never keep, and to stand instead as a child of promise. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How this passage marks a change in tone in the letter, as Paul moves from argument to affection, pleading with the Galatians as people he loves
• What Paul means when he urges them, “become as I am, for I also have become as you are,” and how his willingness to live like a Gentile displays gospel-shaped freedom and humility
• The story behind Paul’s “bodily ailment,” how the Galatians first welcomed him despite his weakness, and why their joyful gratitude for the gospel seems to have faded
• Paul’s piercing question, “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” and what that reveals about the cost—and necessity—of honest, loving correction
• How the false teachers “make much of” the Galatians in order to shut them out and win them over, and why spiritual flattery and exclusion are such powerful tools of manipulation
• Paul’s contrasting posture as a spiritual parent, “in the anguish of childbirth” until Christ is formed in them, showing leadership that is willing to suffer rather than control
• The way peer pressure and the desire to be “inside the circle” can draw believers toward a distorted gospel that confuses spiritual authenticity with rule-keeping
• Five leadership principles that emerge from Paul’s example:

After listening, you’ll come away with a more personal sense of Paul’s heart for the Galatians and a clearer picture of what Christlike leadership looks like in the church. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Paul’s image of a child-heir under “guardians and managers” helps us understand the law’s temporary role in God’s plan
• What it means to be “enslaved to the elementary principles of the world,” and why Paul likens life under the law to spiritual kindergarten
• The significance of “the fullness of time” when God sent his Son, born of a woman and born under the law, to redeem those under the law and secure our adoption
• Why adoption as sons is central to the gospel, and how it moves us from being condemned lawbreakers to beloved family members and heirs
• The meaning of the Spirit of God crying “Abba, Father” in our hearts, and how this intimate address to God expresses both reverence and deep personal relationship
• How Paul shifts from “we” to “you,” addressing both Jewish and Gentile believers, and showing that all who trust Christ share the same status as sons and heirs
• The contrast between former slavery to idols—“those that by nature are not gods”—and knowing and being known by the one true God
• Why returning to “days and months and seasons and years” is not harmless tradition, but a step back into spiritual childhood and bondage
• Paul’s sober fear that his labor among the Galatians might be “in vain,” and what that reveals about the danger of trading grace for religious performance

After listening, you’ll gain a clearer sense of what it means to move from slavery to sonship—to leave behind a life managed by rules and live instead as someone who belongs to the Father through Christ. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What Paul means by “before faith came,” and how the law functioned as protective custody, fencing in human rebellion and teaching right from wrong
• The picture of the law as a harsh but caring guardian or drill instructor—necessary for spiritual immaturity, but not meant to define life after Christ has come
• Why “graduating” from the law doesn’t mean despising it, but recognizing its purpose: to expose our sin and drive us to be justified by faith in Christ
• How baptism works as a public marker that we have “put on Christ,” identifying ourselves with him the way clothing publicly identifies us
• What it means that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female—and in what sense those distinctions no longer matter
• How Galatians 3:28 has been misused to erase all gender and social distinctions, and why good Bible study insists on context, coherence, and the author’s purpose
• The shared spiritual story of every believer: all of us equally sinful, equally in need of the law’s discipline, and equally welcomed as heirs through faith alone

After listening, you’ll see more clearly what it means to move from spiritual childhood under the law to adult sonship in Christ. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Paul’s illustration from a human covenant or will helps us see that once a promise is ratified, you don’t later come back and attach conditions without breaking it 
• The difference between a “deal” (an if–then agreement with mutual responsibilities) and a “promise” (a one-sided commitment that stands regardless of the other party’s performance) 
• What it means that God’s covenant with Abraham was a promise, and how that promise runs through Abraham’s line not by physical descent alone, but through those who share his faith in Christ, the true “offspring” 
• Why the giving of the law 430 years later does not cancel or rewrite the earlier promise, and how Paul contrasts God’s gracious inheritance with the conditional demands of the Mosaic law 
• Paul’s answer to the question, “Why then the law?”—that it was added “because of transgressions,” to spell out God’s standard, close every loophole, and show us just how deeply we break his commands 
• The significance of the law being given “through angels by an intermediary,” and how the presence of a mediator highlights the law as a two-party deal, in contrast to God’s direct, one-sided promise to Abraham 
• What it means that Scripture “imprisoned everything under sin”—that the law boxes us in, proving we are lawbreakers so that we will look away from our performance and cling to the promise by faith in Jesus Christ 
• How this passage exposes the way many of us live as if we are holding up our end of a spiritual deal—afraid to fail, desperate to look like we have it all together, and quietly terrified someone will see through us 
• The freeing claim of the gospel that your worth is not tied to your résumé, godliness record, or family performance, but to God’s unwavering promise to love and redeem sinners through the blood of Christ 

After listening, you’ll come away seeing Galatians 3:15–22 as an invitation to step off the treadmill of religious deal-making and live as a child of promise. You’ll better understand why the law cannot give life, why God gave it anyway, and how its true purpose is to drive you back to the certainty of God’s promise in Christ—a promise that gives you the freedom to be honest about your failures, and the security of knowing that your hope rests not on what you can offer God, but on what he has pledged to do for you. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul calls the Galatians “foolish” and “bewitched,” and how their shift toward law-keeping shows they have forgotten the power and clarity of the cross
• Paul’s question about how they received the Spirit—by “works of the law” or by “hearing with faith”—and why their own conversion story answers the debate
• What it means to “begin by the Spirit” and not try to be “perfected by the flesh,” including the symbolism of circumcision as a human mark versus the Spirit as God’s mark
• How their early suffering and the miracles among them confirm that God was at work through faith in the gospel, not through their performance of the Mosaic law
• Paul’s move to Scripture and to Abraham as the key example that righteousness has always been counted on the basis of faith, long before the law was given at Sinai
• The difference between being Abraham’s physical descendants and being his true “sons” who share his faith and receive the same blessing
• The sobering reality that “all who rely on works of the law are under a curse,” because the law demands complete obedience, not sincere effort or “mostly good” lives
• How Christ “became a curse for us” on the cross, taking our place under God’s judgment so that we might receive the blessing of Abraham and the promised Spirit by faith
• Key terms like atonement, propitiation, and expiation, and why the classic Christian view sees the cross as absolutely necessary for satisfying God’s justice and freeing sinners
• The sharp contrast between law and gospel: the law saying “Do this,” and the gospel proclaiming “Christ has done it all”

After listening, you’ll come away with a firmer grasp of why the cross is enough—why you cannot improve your standing before God by adding your own works to Christ’s finished work. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What happened when Peter stopped eating with Gentile believers out of fear of the “circumcision party,” and why Paul called this hypocrisy rather than a change in theology
• Why this confrontation had to be public, and how Paul’s boldness shows that the truth of the gospel—not personalities or reputations—was on the line
• How Paul’s question “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile… how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” exposes the contradiction of demanding law-keeping from others
• What it means to be “justified by faith in Jesus Christ and not by works of the law,” and why no amount of religious effort can ever satisfy God’s justice
• The picture of God’s wrath and our bondage to sin, and why our “broken chooser” means we cannot simply decide to become righteous on our own
• How Christ’s death answers the problem of guilt, and his resurrection life, given by the Spirit, answers the problem of our ongoing slavery to sin
• The Reformation language of justification by faith alone: forensic justification, “simultaneously just and sinner,” and why God’s verdict is not a legal fiction
• The difference between righteousness being infused into us versus imputed to us—and why it matters that we are saved by Christ’s righteousness credited to our account
• Paul’s climactic claim that if righteousness could come through the law, then “Christ died for no purpose,” and how that question presses us to abandon all confidence in ourselves

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of what it really means to be justified by faith alone—and why this doctrine is not a theological side issue but the center of Christian hope. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul went up to Jerusalem “because of a revelation,” and how this likely connects to the famine visit in Acts 11 rather than the later council in Acts 15
• How the presence of Barnabas (a Jewish believer) and Titus (a Gentile, uncircumcised believer) turns this trip into a real-time test of competing gospels
• What’s at stake in the demand to circumcise Gentile believers, and why Paul calls those pushing it “false brothers” who want to drag believers back into slavery
• How Titus stands as a concrete example that faith in Christ alone is enough for full inclusion in the people of God—no extra conditions, no added rituals required
• The significance of Paul’s private meeting with James, Peter, and John, and what it means that they “added nothing” to his message but instead extended the right hand of fellowship
• Why remembering the poor in Jerusalem matters theologically, not just practically, as an expression of gospel-shaped unity between Gentile and Jewish believers
• How this passage models a gospel that can be verified—confirmed by multiple witnesses and ministries—not just claimed by one person with a private spiritual experience
• The danger of trying to “modernize” or soften the gospel to make it more attractive, and how those efforts often end up changing the message rather than simply clarifying it
• Paul’s reminder that God shows no partiality and does not recruit “superheroes,” but delights to use ordinary, flawed people whose usefulness rests on grace, not credentials or reputation

After listening, you’ll come away with deeper confidence that there is one true gospel, given by God and confirmed across the apostolic witness, and that it does not need to be adjusted to fit any age or audience. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Paul’s claim that the gospel he preached is “not man’s gospel” and that he “did not receive it from any man” but through a revelation of Jesus Christ 
• What the gospel is not: not human wisdom, religious speculation, or the result of spiritual experts piecing together their best ideas about God
• Paul’s former life in Judaism—his zeal for the law, his rapid advancement, and his violent persecution of the church—and how that exposes the false promise that law-keeping alone can make us pleasing to God 
• How God took the initiative “before [Paul] was born,” calling him by grace and revealing his Son so that Paul would preach Christ among the Gentiles 
• The timeline of Paul’s early Christian life: his encounter with the risen Jesus, his time in Arabia, and his return to Damascus, read together with the account in Acts 9
• Why Paul describes three “alibis”—Arabia, a brief visit with Peter and James in Jerusalem, and years in Syria and Cilicia—to show that he did not learn his gospel from the Jerusalem apostles 
• How the churches in Judea knew Paul only by reputation: “he who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy,” and why they glorified God because of him 
• The surprising fact that Paul spent roughly 12–14 years in relative obscurity after his conversion, with little visible “success,” and what that teaches us about God’s pace and priorities in ministry 
• How Paul’s question about possibly having “run in vain” speaks to anyone who has labored faithfully with few results, and how Scripture reframes success as obedience rather than numbers or applause 

After listening, you’ll see Galatians 1:11–24 not just as autobiography, but as a window into how God reveals his gospel, confirms his messengers, and quietly prepares a life for lasting fruit. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Paul introduces himself as an apostle “not from men nor through man,” and why his authority rests entirely on the call of the risen Christ 
• What Paul’s greeting teaches us about grace, peace, and Christ “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age”
• Why the cross is not just a display of love but a sin-offering that addresses both our guilt and our inner corruption
• How Paul’s description of this age as “the present evil age” contrasts with the coming age of righteousness and helps us understand what it means to be rescued
• Paul’s shock that the Galatians are “so quickly deserting” God by turning to a different gospel—and why desertion is such a serious image for abandoning the truth
• The nature of the false teaching in Galatia: adding law-keeping to faith in Christ and subtly shifting from grace to a gospel of human effort
• Paul’s severe warning that anyone—even an apostle or an angel—who preaches a different gospel stands under God’s curse
• How this passage helps us discern modern distortions of the gospel, whether they minimize sin, make the cross unnecessary, or treat apostolic teaching as outdated
• Why immersing ourselves in Scripture is the best way to recognize counterfeit gospels and to listen carefully to the trustworthy apostolic voice

After listening, you’ll come away with a sharper sense of what the gospel actually is—and what it is not. You’ll see why Paul speaks so strongly in defense of grace, how the cross answers both your guilt and your bondage to sin, and why anchoring your faith in the apostolic message of Christ crucified is the surest protection against every “new and improved” version of the gospel. 

Series: Galatians: Living by Faith

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Who Paul was before and after his conversion—from zealous persecutor to apostle of Jesus Christ (Acts 7–9; Philippians 3)
• How Paul’s early years after conversion (Damascus, Arabia, Jerusalem, and Tarsus) prepared him for ministry to both Jews and Gentiles
• The setting of Galatia: where these churches were located and why their mixed Jewish-Gentile makeup matters for interpreting the letter
• Key moments from Paul’s first missionary journey in Acts 13–14, including opposition, persecution, and the surprising joy of new Gentile believers
• Who the “Judaizers” were, what they were teaching, and why their message sounded close to the gospel—but wasn’t the gospel at all
• Why Galatians is so forceful in tone, including Paul’s confrontations, strong language, and a series of striking contrasts (law vs. promise, flesh vs. Spirit, sonship vs. slavery)
• How Galatians addresses our two deepest problems: guilt before God and the inner corruption that keeps us from true righteousness
• The central claim that forgiveness and real moral transformation both come through Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit—not through law-keeping or religious performance
• How this letter challenges attempts to blend Christianity with other beliefs, cultural expectations, or “spiritual hedging”

After listening, you’ll come away with a clear sense of what is at stake in Galatians: whether we will trust a gospel of grace centered on the cross and the Spirit, or a gospel of human effort clothed in religious language. 

 Series: Galatians: Living by Faith 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In the meantime, you can also listen to any of over 500 previous episodes.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul begins his conclusion by asking for prayer, and what it means to pray that “the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored”
• How Paul’s own situation in Corinth—facing opposition yet seeing the gospel bear fruit—shapes his request for deliverance from “wicked and evil men”
• The contrast between human unfaithfulness and the Lord’s faithfulness to establish believers and guard them from the evil one
• Paul’s confidence that God Himself will keep the Thessalonians doing what He commands, and his prayer that their hearts be directed to God’s love and Christ’s steadfastness
• The recurring problem of idleness in Thessalonica, and why Paul takes so seriously those who are “not willing to work” but live off the generosity of others
• What it means to “keep away” from an idle brother—not to shun as an enemy, but to stop enabling irresponsibility and to practice loving, corrective distance
• Paul’s own example of working “night and day” so as not to be a financial burden, even though he had a right to support as an apostle
• The strong command, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat,” and how it distinguishes between real, unavoidable need and stubborn refusal to take responsibility
• How financial irresponsibility is not just impractical but spiritually dangerous, revealing what we truly value and whether we are embracing God’s wisdom
• Wise giving: when it is loving to offer support out of gratitude, patronage, or charity—and when continued support actually harms rather than helps
• Paul’s encouragement not to “grow weary in doing good,” especially when others resist correction or take advantage of generosity
• The final prayer to the “Lord of peace” to give peace at all times, and how the hope of Christ’s return shapes the way believers handle work, money, conflict, and endurance

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of how 2 Thessalonians 3:1–18 connects everyday issues like work, money, and boundaries to the larger hope of Christ’s return.

 Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the Thessalonians are shaken about the coming of Christ and “our being gathered together to Him,” and how Paul calms their fears
• How Daniel’s prophecies and Jesus’ Olivet Discourse shape the background for Paul’s teaching about the “man of lawlessness”
• Three broad approaches to end-times passages (all future, all past/preterist, and a mixed “already/not yet” view), and why Christians should hold their conclusions humbly
• A tentative framework for understanding Satan’s power as “bound” by Christ’s first coming and one day “loosed” again before His return
• What Paul may mean by “the rebellion,” the revealing of the “man of lawlessness,” and the mysterious “restrainer” who currently holds that lawlessness back
• The difference between healthy curiosity about prophecy and an unhealthy obsession with dates, charts, and speculative timelines
• How Paul’s main goal is comfort, not controversy—assuring believers that Christ will easily defeat the lawless one “with the breath of his mouth”
• Why biblical illiteracy will be spiritually dangerous when deception increases, and how a love of truth anchors believers when signs and wonders mislead many
• The sharp contrast Paul draws between those who “refuse to love the truth” and those whom God has chosen, called, and is sanctifying through the Spirit and belief in the truth
• What it practically means to “stand firm and hold to the traditions” handed down through the apostles in a world of shifting ideas and growing confusion

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer, more measured way of thinking about 2 Thessalonians 2:1–17—less anxious about decoding every symbol, and more grounded in the central realities Paul emphasizes: Christ will return, evil and deception will not have the last word, and those who love the truth of the gospel are secure in God’s hands. 

Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How 2 Thessalonians builds on the first letter and why Paul writes again so soon
• The specific ways the Thessalonian believers are growing in faith and love right in the middle of opposition
• Why persevering under pressure is “evidence” of God’s righteous judgment and of their place in His kingdom
• How Paul comforts a suffering church by talking plainly about God’s future judgment on those who afflict them
• What Scripture means by “eternal destruction” and being “away from the presence of the Lord,” and why these are two ways of describing the same reality
• The tension many Christians feel about God’s wrath, and why punishment is a necessary part of true justice
• The danger of living only for the present—whether through “fear of missing out” or simple short-sightedness—and the call to recover an eternal perspective
• The two paths Scripture sets before us: humbly receiving mercy through Christ or continuing in rebellion and facing judgment
• How biblical examples like Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gomorrah illustrate both God’s judgment and His rescue of those who trust Him
• Paul’s closing prayer that God Himself would make believers worthy of His calling, strengthen every resolve for good, and glorify the name of Jesus through their perseverance

After listening, you’ll come away with a more sober but also more hopeful view of God’s judgment—seeing it not as a public-relations problem but as the necessary counterpart to His love and justice. 

 Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul’s rapid-fire commands at the end of 1 Thessalonians actually form a coherent vision for church life
• What it means to “appreciate” and “esteem” those who labor among us and have spiritual oversight—and how that relates to living at peace with one another
• How power struggles, criticism, and turf wars can fracture a church, and why Paul reframes leadership as service rather than control
• Paul’s call to “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak” and be patient with everyone, and what that looks like in a mixed, imperfect congregation
• Why refusing to “repay evil for evil” is central to Christian love, both toward difficult believers and toward unbelievers who oppose the gospel
• How “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything” flows from confidence that God is at work in every circumstance, not from pretending life is easy
• What it means not to “quench the Spirit” or “despise prophetic utterances,” and how to stay both teachable and discerning as we listen to those who claim to speak God’s truth
• Paul’s charge to “examine everything carefully, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil,” and how this guards us from both gullibility and cynicism
• The significance of Paul’s closing prayer to the “God of peace” who will sanctify believers completely and faithfully bring them to the finish line

After listening, you’ll have a clearer sense of how 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28 calls a church away from rivalry, resentment, and suspicion and toward a shared life marked by respect, patience, thoughtful discernment, and hope. 

 Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul does not forbid grief, but calls believers to grieve differently—anchored in the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of our own
• What Paul teaches about those who have “fallen asleep,” and why dying before Christ returns is not a disadvantage but part of God’s good plan
• How the Lord’s return will gather all His people—both the dead and the living—to be with Him forever
• The meaning and context of being “caught up… to meet the Lord in the air,” and why popular rapture scenarios go beyond what this passage actually says
• How 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 fit together to describe the resurrection and the transformation of our perishable bodies
• A brief look at dispensationalism, the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, and why tying our hope to escape from suffering misses the New Testament pattern
• What Scripture means by “the day of the Lord,” and how the image of a thief in the night and birth pains highlights both surprise and inevitability
• The false promise of “peace and security” from governments, prosperity, or personal planning, and the contrast with the true security found only in God’s kingdom
• Paul’s call to live as “children of light,” awake, sober, and spiritually alert—instead of numbing ourselves with distraction, comfort, or denial
• The armor of faith, love, and the hope of salvation, and the assurance that God has not destined believers for wrath but for salvation through Jesus Christ

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer, more grounded understanding of what 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11 actually promises—and what it does not promise—about the return of Christ. 

Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How this section fits into the flow of the letter, as Paul shifts from encouragement to addressing specific problems Timothy has reported
• What Paul means by “brotherly love,” and why biblical love is measured more by how we treat people than by how we feel about them
• The way the Thessalonians’ generosity to believers throughout Macedonia became a visible “labor of love” flowing from genuine faith
• The emerging problem of some believers not working and living off the generosity of others, and how this distorts both love and responsibility
• Paul’s surprising call to “have ambition to lead a quiet life,” and what it means to live within God-given boundaries rather than chasing constant impact
• How “live quietly,” “mind your own affairs,” and “work with your hands” describe a posture of faithful, ordinary obedience rather than withdrawal from the world
• The difference between real, unavoidable need that calls for generous help and irresponsible idleness that we should not enable
• What Proverbs says about laziness, and how taking responsibility for our own needs is part of loving our neighbor as ourselves
• How modern restlessness (“I should be doing more”) and the divide between “spiritual” and “secular” work can keep us from seeing our daily labor as part of our calling
• Why the goal of the Christian life is not “change the world” but trust God, love the people He’s given us, and be faithful to the tasks in front of us

After listening, you’ll be invited to see your ordinary work—whatever it is—as a meaningful part of following Jesus, not a distraction from “real” ministry. 

 Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What “sanctification” and “holiness” actually mean—not a perfect “sin-meter,” but belonging to God and living differently from the surrounding culture
• Why Paul begins his practical instructions with sexuality and how this issue exposes what we really believe about God’s wisdom and authority
• A biblical perspective on sexual morality: chastity before marriage, faithfulness within a monogamous marriage, and sex as a good gift within God’s design
• The meaning of Paul’s call to “abstain from sexual immorality” and to control our own bodies “in holiness and honor,” rather than in the passion of lust
• How sexual sin “defrauds” others, showing that there is no such thing as a purely private, victimless sexual choice
• The contrast between being ruled by desire (“if it feels good, do it”) and submitting our desires to God’s purposes and timing
• Paul’s sober reminder that the Lord is an avenger in these things, and that rejecting God’s boundaries for sexuality is ultimately rejecting God Himself
• Hope for strugglers: the difference between ongoing failure with repentance and humility, and a hardened refusal to let God correct us
• Why genuine faith includes a willingness to be taught, to admit we are wrong, and to seek change—even when change feels slow or impossible

After listening, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8 connects sexuality to sanctification, and why God’s boundaries are an expression of His goodness rather than a denial of joy. 

 Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul describes his forced absence as being “torn away” and what that reveals about genuine spiritual friendship
• How Paul understands his calling as an apostle “destined” for suffering, and why he stays away from Thessalonica to protect this young church
• Why he sends Timothy back, fearing that the tempter might undo their faith and his labor might prove to be in vain
• The relief and joy Paul feels when Timothy returns with good news of their faith, love, and continued affection for Paul
• What Paul means when he says, “Now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord,” and how other people’s perseverance can become our greatest joy
• How this passage keeps pulling our focus toward the future—Christ’s return, coming wrath, and entrance into God’s kingdom—as the horizon that makes present suffering bearable
• The priority of investing in people and their faith rather than in achievements that look impressive but won’t last into eternity
• The New Testament pattern of trials as God’s tool to test, prove, and mature our faith, rather than a sign that something has gone wrong
• How everyday situations—not just dramatic persecution—force us to choose between trusting God and clinging to comfort, reputation, or security
• Why persevering in faith does not mean flawless obedience or unshakable toughness, but a growing pattern of repentance, humility, and hope
• Paul’s closing prayer that God would increase their love and establish their hearts “blameless in holiness” at the coming of the Lord Jesus

After listening, you’ll see more clearly how 1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:13 calls you to value people and their faith the way Paul does—to treat spiritual investment as your real legacy. 

Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul spends so much time talking about himself in this chapter, and how his unique role as an apostle shapes that
• The pattern of rejection and hostility Paul faced from Philippi to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth—and what that reveals about people’s response to the gospel
• What Paul didn’t do in Thessalonica: no error, impurity, deception, flattery, greed, or pursuit of human glory
• What it means that Paul was “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” and spoke to please God rather than people
• How Paul’s refusal to assert his apostolic rights, demand honor, or take their money displayed Christlike humility
• The tender images of a nursing mother and an encouraging father, and how they capture Paul’s care for the “souls” of the Thessalonian believers
• Why Paul worked “night and day” to avoid being a financial burden, and what that says about his motives in ministry
• How the Thessalonians received Paul’s message “not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” at work in them
• The way their suffering at the hands of their own countrymen mirrors the suffering of the Judean churches—and why persecution is not a sign of failure, but of sharing in the pattern of God’s people
• How to understand Paul’s strong language about those who oppose the gospel, without turning it into a blanket condemnation of all Jews
• What this passage teaches us about evaluating teachers today: watching for red flags of flattery, greed, and ego, and valuing those who quietly guard the truth and care for souls

After listening, you’ll gain a clearer picture of Paul’s heart and integrity, and why our attitude toward his teaching is inseparable from our response to the gospel itself. 

Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 fits into the story of Paul’s short but intense ministry in Thessalonica
• Why Paul opens with thanksgiving and what his prayers reveal about his heart for their spiritual growth
• What Paul means by their “work of faith,” “labor of love,” and “steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ”
• How faith expresses itself in real choices, changed priorities, and a new way of life
• Why love in Scripture is less about warm feelings and more about costly, committed care for others in the family of God
• How Christian hope is a confident expectation rooted in the promised return of Jesus, not wishful thinking about a better life now
• Paul’s confidence in their election—how he connects God’s choice of them with the visible changes in their lives
• The way God confirmed Paul’s message “in power and in the Holy Spirit,” through both miracles and the integrity of his character
• How the Thessalonians became a “pattern church,” turning from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven
• What this passage teaches us about prayer as an expression of what we truly value, rather than a mere spiritual routine

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer picture of what authentic Christian faith looks like in daily life: trusting the gospel and living as if it’s true, investing yourself in love for others, and holding fast to the hope of Christ’s return. 

 Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How New Testament letters are structured and what we learn from the greeting in 1 Thessalonians 1:1
• Who Paul, Silas, and Timothy are, and how God brought them together as a ministry team
• Paul’s dramatic conversion from persecutor of Christians to apostle of Christ
• The path of Paul’s second missionary journey—from Antioch through Asia Minor to Macedonia and Greece
• Why the vision of the “man of Macedonia” in Acts 16 is such a turning point in the spread of the gospel
• What life was like in Thessalonica: its history, culture, strategic location, and religious environment
• How the church in Thessalonica began, including the mix of Jews, Gentile God-fearers, and prominent women who believed
• The intense opposition Paul faced, the mob in Thessalonica, and the charge that these men were “turning the world upside down”
• The contrast between the hostile response in Thessalonica and the “noble-minded” Bereans who searched the Scriptures
• Why Paul had to leave Thessalonica so quickly, what happened when Timothy returned there, and why Paul wrote this letter only months later
• How Paul describes the Thessalonian believers as those “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” and what that tells us about their faith and identity

After listening, you’ll have a clearer picture of the people, places, and pressures behind 1 Thessalonians. 

 Series: 1&2 Thessalonians: Between Times

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How the healing of a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute triggers a sharp divide between the amazed crowd and the hostile Pharisees
• Why attributing Jesus’ Spirit-empowered work to Satan is both illogical and spiritually revealing
• What Jesus means when he says, “If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you”
• The “strong man” parable and how it pictures Jesus breaking Satan’s hold in order to rescue people
• How the warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit fits the immediate context—and why it is best understood as hardened, informed unbelief rather than a random “super sin”
• Why our words—especially in response to Jesus’ teaching and miracles—expose the true condition of our hearts
• The image of the tree and its fruit, and how Jesus uses it to unmask the Pharisees’ claim to be righteous
• What Jesus means when he says people will give account for “every careless word,” and how that connects to faith, hypocrisy, and judgment
• The request for “a sign,” and why asking for more proof can sometimes be an excuse to avoid dealing with the evidence already given
• How the “sign of Jonah” points forward to Jesus’ death and resurrection—and why the repentance of Nineveh and the queen of the South will stand in judgment over an unrepentant generation
• The puzzling picture of the unclean spirit returning with seven others, and how it illustrates a heart that edges up to the truth and then retreats into deeper resistance
• Jesus’ redefining of family around those who “do the will of my Father,” and what that means for our identity and relationships today

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer, calmer understanding of Jesus’ warning about the unforgivable sin and the blasphemy of the Spirit—and why the real issue is a settled refusal to believe what God has made plain in Christ. You’ll be invited to examine the words that come out of your own mouth, to see how they reflect your heart’s response to Jesus, and to take comfort in the promise that those who cling to him in repentance and faith are welcomed as his true family.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew 12:15–21 flows out of the growing hostility over Jesus’ Sabbath teaching
• Why Jesus withdraws from danger and tells those he heals not to make him known
• The tension between Jesus’ public miracles and teaching and his refusal to stir up a political or grassroots revolution
• How John’s Gospel helps us see that Jesus does not entrust himself to the excitement of the crowds
• What Matthew means by “fulfill,” and the difference between predictive prophecy and the idea of a theme brought to its fullest expression
• The background of Isaiah 40–42: exile, questions about God’s faithfulness, and the challenge to the idols of the nations
• Why Isaiah’s “Servant” in chapter 42 is best understood as the Messiah, not simply the nation of Israel
• How the Servant is equipped by God’s Spirit to bring justice to the nations and why he does it in a quiet, unexpected way
• The images of the bruised reed and smoldering wick, and how they picture vulnerable, discouraged people whom God will not crush or extinguish
• How Jesus’ pattern of withdrawing, refusing to rally an army, and bearing the burden himself fulfills Isaiah’s description of the Servant
• What this passage reveals about Jesus’ mission now—gentle, patient, seemingly quiet—and the justice he will one day finally establish

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of why Jesus avoided public spectacle even as he claimed unique authority—and how that restraint is part of his identity as God’s chosen Servant. You’ll be encouraged to trust that he has not abandoned bruised, wavering people, to rest in his quiet but certain commitment to bring justice, and to see your own fragile faith as something he protects rather than snuffs out.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew 12 continues the theme of growing conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders
• Why the Sabbath had become such a central identity marker for Israel—and why a rabbi’s view of it was so controversial
• The disciples plucking grain, the Pharisees’ accusation, and why their complaint rests on their own oral traditions rather than the Mosaic law
• Jesus’ appeal to David eating the holy bread and what it shows about obeying God’s purposes when ritual laws and real need collide
• How the priests “break” the Sabbath by working in the temple and yet remain guiltless—and why Jesus says something greater than the temple is here
• What Hosea 6:6 (“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice”) reveals about God’s priorities and how Jesus uses it to defend his disciples
• What it means for the Son of Man to be “lord of the Sabbath,” and how that shapes our understanding of rest, worship, and obedience
• The second Sabbath scene in the synagogue, where a man with a withered hand becomes the occasion for a trap
• Jesus’ argument from everyday life—rescuing a sheep from a pit—and his simple conclusion: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath”
• The symbolism of the withered hand, the hard hearts of the Pharisees, and their decision to conspire to destroy the very one who brings true rest
• How Jesus models good Bible study by saying “Have you not read…?” and drawing together law, story, and prophets to understand God’s heart

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of why Jesus’ Sabbath controversies are really about his identity, God’s mercy, and the kind of obedience that matters most. You’ll be encouraged to see Sabbath as a gift rather than a burden, to let Scripture interpret Scripture as Jesus does, and to let his lordship reshape how you think about rest, religious practice, and doing good in his name.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew 11:25–30 completes a chapter focused on Israel’s mixed response to Jesus
• What Jesus means when he thanks the Father for hiding truth from “the wise and understanding” and revealing it to “little children”
• How Isaiah 29 and 1 Corinthians 1 help us understand the difference between worldly wisdom and true, God-given wisdom
• Why our beliefs are tied to our wills—and how a proud, self-sufficient heart can make even brilliant people blind to the gospel
• How Jesus, as the Messiah and Davidic King, can say that “all things have been handed over” to him
• What it means that no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him
• How Jesus’ teaching and ministry are the very means by which God reveals himself—and why the same message softens some and hardens others
• The rich metaphor of the “yoke,” and how Jesus’ yoke contrasts with the heavy burdens of legalism and self-righteous religion
• The possible background from Jewish wisdom traditions that speak of taking on the “yoke” of instruction—and how Jesus takes that image and centers it on himself
• What it means to be “weary and heavy laden” not only under bad teaching, but under sin, guilt, futility, and the fear of death
• How the rest Jesus offers begins now in the hope of forgiveness and will be completed in the coming kingdom

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of why Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me…and I will give you rest,” is both intensely personal and theologically rich. You’ll be encouraged to lay down the burdens of self-made wisdom and performance, to entrust yourself to the gentle and lowly heart of Christ, and to embrace his yoke as the only path that leads to true understanding of God and lasting rest for your soul.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew 11 fits into the unfolding story of God’s relationship with Israel
• Jesus’ picture of “this generation” as children who complain no matter what tune is played
• Why John’s austere lifestyle and Jesus’ table fellowship both provoked criticism from the religious leaders
• What it reveals about the Pharisees that they condemn John for abstaining and Jesus for feasting
• How “wisdom is justified by her deeds” in the contrasting lives of John the Baptist and Jesus
• Why Jesus pronounces woes on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—the very cities that saw most of his miracles
• The shocking comparison between these Jewish towns and Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, and what that says about privilege and responsibility
• How Jesus uses hyperbole to stress the seriousness of rejecting the clearest revelation God has ever given
• What this passage teaches about the day of judgment and differing degrees of accountability
• The parallels between Israel’s expectations of the Messiah and our own expectations of what Jesus “should” do for us today
• How self-righteousness and worldliness can keep religious people from truly repenting and following Christ

After listening, you’ll come away with a sobering yet clarifying view of why seeing and hearing Jesus brings both immense privilege and real responsibility. You’ll be invited to examine your own expectations of Jesus, to resist the impulse to judge him by your terms, and to respond with genuine repentance and trust rather than the subtle, sophisticated resistance that marked so many in the cities where he once walked.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew connects John’s question from prison with Jesus’ public teaching about John’s identity and significance
• What Jesus’ rhetorical questions about a “reed shaken by the wind” and “soft clothing” reveal about John’s character and courage
• Why Jesus affirms John as a true prophet—and “more than a prophet”—despite his current confusion and questions
• How Malachi 3 and Isaiah 40 together shape our understanding of John as the God-sent herald who prepares the way for the Messiah
• What it means for John to be “greater” than all who came before him, and yet for the “least in the kingdom of heaven” to be greater than John
• How Jesus’ coming marks a turning point in redemptive history: “the Law and the Prophets” until John, and then the clearer revelation of the kingdom through the Son
• Different ways of understanding the puzzling phrase about the kingdom “suffering violence” and those who “take it by force,” and why the context suggests a strong, urgent response to the gospel
• How ordinary believers who embrace Jesus’ teaching stand in a position of understanding that even the greatest prophets longed for
• What it means that John comes “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” and how Jesus links John to the Elijah expectation in Malachi 4
• The tension between John’s pivotal prophetic role and his personal struggle with unmet expectations about what the Messiah would do
• How John’s wrestlings mirror our own questions when Jesus does not act according to our timetables or priorities

After listening, you’ll come away with a richer sense of John the Baptist’s unique place in God’s story—and of your own place on the other side of Christ’s coming and teaching. You’ll be encouraged to take Jesus’ evaluation of John seriously, to see how urgently the kingdom presses its claim on us, and to respond with the kind of steady, thoughtful trust that keeps following Christ even when his ways are not what we expected.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew shifts from Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve (chapter 10) to stories that reveal different responses to him
• Why John the Baptist, who once boldly proclaimed Jesus as “the Lamb of God,” now sends messengers to ask, “Are you the one who is to come?”
• The background of John’s ministry as the herald of Isaiah 40—the voice preparing the way for the Lord
• What John likely expected the Messiah to do: wield the axe, swing the winnowing fork, judge evildoers, and establish visible righteousness now
• How John’s imprisonment under Herod and the apparent success of wicked rulers could shake his understanding of Jesus’ mission
• Why Jesus answers John by pointing to his miracles—the blind seeing, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, the dead raised—and how these echo Isaiah 35
• How these acts of healing are both signs of God’s approval and symbolic previews of the full restoration the Messiah will one day bring
• The connection between Jesus’ proclamation of good news to the poor and the Messianic mission described in Isaiah 61 and Luke 4
• What Jesus means when he says, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me,” and how he himself becomes a stumbling stone for mistaken expectations
• The tension between the first and second comings of Christ: why judgment and triumph are promised, but not yet fully realized
• How John’s need to adjust his expectations invites us to examine our own hopes for what we want Jesus to “fix” in this life

After listening, you’ll come away with a more grounded understanding of why even John the Baptist wrestled with Jesus’ unexpected way of being Messiah—and why Jesus points us to what he is doing rather than what he hasn’t yet done. You’ll be encouraged to trust Christ when your circumstances don’t change, to read his miracles and teaching as God’s confirmation of his identity, and to keep walking in faith, confident that the same Messiah who did not spare John’s life will one day bring complete justice, healing, and life in his kingdom.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew 10:40–42 completes Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve in chapter 10
• What “receiving” someone means in biblical language—an active welcome and embrace, not a passive acceptance
• How welcoming the apostles is spiritually equivalent to welcoming Jesus, and therefore welcoming the Father
• Why “in the name of a prophet” or “because he is a prophet” points to recognizing and honoring God-given authority
• What Scripture means by “reward,” and why it is best understood as the hoped-for outcome of salvation, not a bonus prize
• How passages like Hebrews 11 and the Sermon on the Mount clarify the idea of God as the one who rewards those who seek Him
• Why Jesus calls his disciples “little ones” and how this highlights childlike humility and dependence on God
• The different biblical senses of “righteousness,” and which sense is in view in this passage
• How our treatment of prophets, righteous people, and ordinary disciples exposes our true posture toward God
• The three “intermediaries” between us and God: Jesus himself, his apostles and prophets, and his people—and why we cannot claim to love God while rejecting them
• What this passage teaches about the eternal significance of even the smallest act of kindness done “because he is a disciple”

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of how closely Jesus links himself to his messengers and his people—and how your response to them reveals your response to God. You’ll be encouraged to see even simple acts of care for Christ’s followers as meaningful before God, to take the apostolic witness in Scripture with renewed seriousness, and to rest in the promise that those who open their hearts to Jesus and his people “will by no means lose their reward.”

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Matthew 10:34–39 fits into Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve as he sends them out
• The Old Testament expectation that the Messiah would bring peace (Isaiah 9; Micah 4–5)
• Why Jesus, the “Prince of Peace,” can still say he came to bring “a sword”
• How Micah 7 provides the background for Jesus’ words about families divided
• Why the gospel message naturally creates division, even within our closest relationships
• What Jesus means by “loving” or “hating” family and life itself—language of loyalty and priority, not emotion
• The sense of “worthy” in this passage, and why it is about living consistently as a disciple, not earning acceptance
• What it truly means to “take up your cross”—not generic hardship, but a willingness to face hostility, rejection, and even death for Christ
• How “finding” your life now leads to loss, and “losing” your life for Jesus’ sake leads to true and lasting life in his kingdom
• Why this age is “the time of the sword” and what that reveals about what God values in our faith and perseverance

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of why following Jesus inevitably involves division and cost—and why it is still worth everything. You’ll be encouraged to weigh where your ultimate loyalty lies, to see suffering and rejection in light of eternal life, and to stand firm in the approval of Christ even when family, culture, or authorities push back.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Jesus defines the relationship between disciple and teacher, servant and master – and why we should not expect kinder treatment than he received
• What it means that what is hidden will be revealed, and why God will not allow his message to be silenced
• Jesus’ command not to fear those who can kill the body but not the soul – and what this tells us about eternal life and true security
• The image of sparrows and numbered hairs as a picture of God’s intimate care, even in suffering and danger
• Jesus’ promise to acknowledge before the Father those who acknowledge him before others – and the sober warning for those who deny him
• How “who you fear” reveals what you truly believe about God, judgment, mercy, and your ultimate good
• What it practically looks like to become more like Jesus in confronting self-righteousness and worldliness
• How valuing God’s eternal promises over this world’s rewards will inevitably put us at odds with a culture that loves image, status, and comfort

By the end of the episode, you’ll be better equipped to see how fear – or reverence – for God can free you from being ruled by the opinions, threats, or approval of others. You’ll gain a clearer picture of what it means to identify with Jesus in a costly world, to be honest about your own need for mercy, and to live with your eyes fixed on the kingdom that cannot be taken from you.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta tackles one of the most debated verses in the New Testament. As Jesus sends out the twelve, he tells them they will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. This short sentence opens up big questions about timing, mission, and what Jesus is preparing his disciples to expect. Without settling every theological argument, Krisan offers a thoughtful and clear look at the possible interpretations—and how this verse fits into the broader picture of Matthew’s gospel.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Matthew 10:23 is considered one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament
• Five major views on what “the coming of the Son of Man” could mean
• How Old Testament passages in Daniel, Amos, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah shape our understanding
• What it means that the disciples’ mission to Israel will remain unfinished
• How Jesus prepares his followers for rejection, not success
• Why this verse invites humility in interpretation and perseverance in calling

After listening, you’ll come away with a deeper grasp of how Jesus shapes expectations for those he sends. You’ll see that rejection isn’t a sign of failure and that some missions unfold on God’s timeline, not ours. Most of all, you’ll be encouraged to stay faithful even when the outcome seems uncertain—because the story isn’t over until the Son of Man comes.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta continues exploring Jesus’ second major teaching discourse in the Gospel of Matthew. As he sends out the twelve disciples to minister on his behalf, Jesus gives them surprising instructions. Instead of preparing for a successful campaign, he prepares them for hardship. Their journey will test the hearts of those they encounter and teach the disciples to rely completely on God. Through it all, Jesus makes it clear: representing him will not be easy, but it is deeply significant.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus tells the disciples to carry no money, clothes, or supplies
• How their dependence on hospitality serves as a test for Israel
• What it means to “shake the dust off your feet”
• The powerful comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah and what it reveals about rejecting truth
• How this first mission prepares the apostles for their future ministry
• The meaning of being “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”
• The difference between divine revelation to apostles and Spirit-given understanding for believers today
• Why hardship, rejection, and persecution are part of the journey of faith

After listening, you’ll gain insight into how Jesus prepared his followers for a life of mission marked by both challenge and purpose. You’ll better understand how God uses trials to grow our faith, and how the message of the gospel calls for perseverance and courage. Most of all, you’ll be reminded that even in the hardest places, God is at work and his kingdom is near.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, Krisan Marotta opens a new section in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus prepares to send out the twelve disciples. But first, we see what moved him to act: compassion for people who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. That compassion launches a mission. Jesus not only sends his disciples out with instructions. He gives them authority to extend his ministry of healing and proclaiming the kingdom.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How this moment transitions from Jesus’ miracles to his second major teaching discourse
• What it means to be “sheep without a shepherd” in the biblical story
• The importance of Jesus’ compassion and why it drives mission
• The echo between the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel
• Why Jesus initially restricts their mission to Israel
• How Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ authority and his power to share it

After listening, you’ll understand how Jesus equips ordinary people to carry out extraordinary tasks. You’ll see the connection between compassion and calling, and how the work of the apostles flows from the heart of Christ himself. Most importantly, you’ll be encouraged to see your own opportunity to extend that same compassion by speaking truth, offering hope, and pointing others toward the Good Shepherd.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this final episode of Matthew chapter 9, Krisan Marotta guides us through two striking healings that mark a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. As the crowds grow more amazed, the Pharisees grow more hostile. These miracles are more than moments of compassion. They’re acts of authority that force everyone watching to wrestle with who Jesus really is—and how they’ll respond.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• What the title “Son of David” reveals about Jesus’ identity
• Why faith isn’t wishful thinking, but a right response to who Jesus is
• The cultural role of beggars and what the blind men risked by asking for healing
• Why Jesus tells the healed men to stay silent and why they can’t
• The significance of the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus works through demons
• How these miracles summarize major themes from chapters 8 and 9

After listening, you’ll walk away with a richer understanding of what Jesus’ miracles were meant to show—not just then, but now. You’ll be able to recognize how his healing points to something greater than relief from suffering. It calls us to trust him not just as a miracle worker, but as the Messiah who came to restore all things.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks us through the story of Jairus, a synagogue leader who risks everything to beg Jesus for help when his daughter is dying. But before they even reach the house, news arrives that it’s too late—she’s already gone. What follows is not only a demonstration of Jesus’ authority over death, but also a powerful portrait of his compassion for the grieving and his challenge to hopelessness. This passage calls us to believe, even when the situation looks beyond saving.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Matthew shortens the account, and what the longer versions in Mark and Luke reveal
• Who Jairus was, and why his bold approach to Jesus mattered
• How Jesus balances tenderness toward the grieving and severity toward those who surrender to despair
• What Jesus meant when he said, “She is not dead, but sleeping”
• How fear of death can enslave us and why Jesus calls us to believe instead
• What this story teaches us about hope, grief, and the real victory of the gospel

After listening, you’ll see that Jesus not only has authority over sickness and storms, but over death itself. You’ll understand how this story reframes what it means to live by faith, and why death for the believer is not the end of the story—it’s only sleep before the resurrection. This kind of hope changes how we grieve, how we pray, and how we live.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The cultural and religious weight of ritual uncleanness in the first century
• Why the woman’s condition isolated her from community, worship, and help
• How Jesus responds to her hidden act of faith
• The meaning behind Jesus’ words, “Your faith has made you well”
• What this story tells us about spiritual restoration, not just physical healing
• How Jesus prioritizes the outcast over social status and urgency

By the end of this episode, you’ll see how Jesus meets us in our hidden pain, not just to heal our bodies but to restore our hearts and reintegrate us into community. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how personal and tender Christ’s healing really is—and why your faith, no matter how quiet, never goes unnoticed.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus’ disciples did not follow the expected fasting customs
• The biblical context and history of fasting in Jewish tradition
• How fasting became a ritual used for self-righteousness and judgment
• What Jesus’ metaphors about weddings, patches, and wineskins reveal about his mission
• The difference between outward religious practices and inward humility
• How Jesus’ response speaks to modern church culture and communion practices

By the end of this episode, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of how Jesus distinguishes between authentic faith and hollow tradition. You’ll be better equipped to examine your own spiritual habits, not just by what you do, but by the heart behind your actions.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we reflect on one of the most personal and theologically loaded moments in Matthew’s Gospel: the call of Matthew and Jesus’ decision to dine with tax collectors and sinners. This encounter isn’t just about hospitality. It’s a confrontation with the religious leaders of the day over what righteousness really looks like, who needs saving, and what it means to reflect the heart of God.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus’ call to Matthew was both shocking and deliberate
• What the Pharisees got wrong about holiness and association
• The meaning of “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” and why Jesus quotes Hosea
• How hesed—steadfast, merciful, covenantal love—shapes our understanding of righteousness
• What real compassion looks like and why it must be grounded in truth
• How saving faith changes not just what we believe, but how we live

After listening, you’ll be better equipped to hold together two hard but essential truths: sin is serious, and grace is real. You’ll gain clarity on how to love others like Jesus did—without minimizing sin or compromising truth—and be reminded that the most loving thing we can do is help people face their true condition and point them toward the only cure.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we look at the moment Jesus heals a paralyzed man in Capernaum. But the real surprise isn’t the miracle. It’s what Jesus says first: “Your sins are forgiven.” This story draws a sharp line between those who come to Jesus in faith and those who stand by in judgment. It reveals not only what Jesus has the power to do, but who he truly is.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Matthew leaves out key details found in Mark and Luke—and what that highlights
• How the paralytic’s crisis was spiritual, not physical
• What Jesus saw in the bold actions of the man and his friends
• Why the scribes were offended, and how Jesus exposes the limits of their theology
• What it means for Jesus to forgive sins before the man even asks
• How this miracle confirms Jesus’ divine authority—and challenges our assumptions

After listening, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how Jesus responds to faith, why forgiveness is always the greater miracle, and what it means to trust a Savior who sees our true need before we speak. You’ll be invited to respond, not with ritual or performance, but with faith in the one who has authority to heal both body and soul.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we explore one of the most unsettling and revealing moments in Matthew’s Gospel. Two violent, demon-possessed men confront Jesus—and the demons inside them immediately recognize his authority. What follows is a strange and unforgettable scene involving a herd of pigs, a frightened town, and a powerful reminder of who Jesus truly is. This isn’t just a story about spiritual warfare. It’s a story about hope for anyone who’s ever felt tormented, trapped, or too far gone to be rescued.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How this miracle fits into Matthew’s larger theme of Jesus’ authority
• What the demons reveal when they call Jesus the “Son of God”
• Why Jesus allows the demons to enter the pigs—and what that teaches us
• How this story exposes the real enemy we face: not people or circumstances, but evil within
• Why the townspeople were afraid of Jesus and asked him to leave
• What this passage teaches us about identity, deliverance, and the power of Christ to restore

After listening, you’ll understand that no evil is too strong, no past too broken, and no heart too lost for Jesus to reach. The same voice that calmed the storm also silences the chaos within. And just like the healed men, we are invited to live in freedom and share the story of what the Lord has done.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we explore the familiar story of Jesus calming the storm—but this time, with fresh eyes on the fear behind the fear. The disciples panic not just because of the wind and waves, but because they wonder: does Jesus care? Can he help? Is he really who he says he is? As Jesus sleeps through the storm, their faith is tested—and so is ours.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the disciples’ fear wasn’t just about drowning, but about doubt
• What “O you of little faith” really means—and how Jesus uses it throughout Matthew
• How this miracle connects to Psalm 107 and God’s authority over creation
• The difference between immature and maturing faith
• What this story teaches us about Jesus’ identity and divine authority
• How Jesus uses real storms to teach lasting lessons

After listening, you’ll be better equipped to recognize the storms in your own life as opportunities to remember who Jesus truly is. You’ll see how faith grows not by avoiding trouble, but by learning to trust the one who commands the wind and waves with a word.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we look at two short but striking conversations Jesus has with would-be disciples. One wants to follow him “wherever you go.” The other wants to delay following until it’s more convenient. In both cases, Jesus responds with words that are intentionally cryptic—and deeply revealing. These interactions pull us into the heart of discipleship and ask: What are we really hoping Jesus will do for us? What are we willing to leave behind to follow him?

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus speaks cryptically—and how that invites deeper reflection
• What “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” really means
• The cultural and theological context of “let the dead bury their own dead”
• How the authority of Jesus confronts our loyalty to family, comfort, and culture
• The temptation to follow Jesus for the wrong reasons—or to delay following him at all
• What true saving faith looks like and why it starts with knowing our deep need

After listening, you’ll have a clearer view of what real discipleship requires—not perfection, but a willingness to follow Jesus above all else. You’ll be invited to consider whether your faith is shaped more by what you hope to gain in this world or by a genuine desire to be made holy and live in the kingdom of God.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we explore how Jesus’ miracles aren’t just acts of compassion or proof of divine power—they’re signposts pointing to a deeper truth. When Jesus heals the sick or casts out demons, he’s not just solving temporary problems. He’s revealing who he is and what he came to do. And Matthew wants us to see the connection between those physical healings and the greater healing promised in Isaiah 53.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Peter’s mother-in-law’s quick recovery mattered in that cultural context
• How Matthew uses the word fulfill—and why it doesn’t always mean “predicted and came true”
• The layered meaning of Isaiah 53 and how it relates to physical and spiritual healing
• Why God chose acts of healing, not spectacle, to confirm Jesus’ identity
• What these miracles say about the heart of Jesus—and the mission he came to accomplish
• How these healings still call us to respond with faith today

After listening, you’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of why Jesus’ miracles matter—not just to those he healed then, but to all of us now. You’ll see how his authority, mercy, and mission work together to point us to the cross, where the deepest healing takes place.

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, we explore the turning point between Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and his powerful acts of healing. As Matthew shifts from words to miracles, a central question emerges: Does Jesus truly speak and act with God’s authority? And how should we respond to that authority?

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the crowd was “astonished” at Jesus’ teaching and what set him apart from the scribes
• How the theme of authority connects the end of the Sermon on the Mount to the miracles that follow
• What it means to accept (or reject) Jesus as one who speaks for God
• The difference between forced authority (like a police officer) and invitational authority (like a trusted doctor)
• How the miracle stories in Matthew illustrate a personal response to Jesus’ authority
• Why recognizing Jesus’ authority matters not just then—but now

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand:

Why Matthew draws attention to Jesus’ authority at this point in the gospel, how miracles serve as signs of divine validation, and what it means to trust Jesus today. You’ll be equipped to ask the right question—not just did Jesus have authority, but will I submit to it?

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Passages: Mark 2:23-3:6; 1 Samuel 21:1-6; Leviticus 24:5-9; Matthew 12:1-8 

Series: Sabbath: Why, how and when

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Passages: Hebrews 3:7-13; Psalm 95; Exodus 17; Hebrew 4:1-16 

Series: Sabbath: Why, how and when

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Passages: Exodus 16;  Exodus 35:1-3; Numbers 15:32-36; Nehemiah 13:15-22; Psalm 46 

Series: Sabbath: Why, how and when

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Passages: Exodus 20:8-11; Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 31:12-17; Deuteronomy 5:12-15. 

Series: Sabbath: Why, how and when

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Passages: 2 Kings 6

 Series: When God Calls: 5 ways to run your race well

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Passages: 2 Kings 5

 Series: When God Calls: 5 ways to run your race well

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Passages:  1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-6;  2 Kings 2:7-14 

Series: When God Calls: 5 ways to run your race well

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Habakkuk’s final response is not more argument, but a psalm—“a prayer…according to Shigionoth”—offered in the midst of real fear and uncertainty
• What it means for Habakkuk to say, “I have heard the report of you, and your work…do I fear,” and how “in wrath remember mercy” captures the heart of his plea for God’s people 
• The stunning vision of God coming from Teman and Mount Paran, with splendor filling heaven and earth, and creation itself trembling before His presence
• How the imagery of plague, shaking mountains, roaring seas, and halted sun and moon all communicate God’s power to judge evil and to deliver His people 
• The way God’s mighty acts in history—especially the Exodus—shape Habakkuk’s hope that God will again “go out for the salvation of [His] people”
• Habakkuk’s honest physical reaction to God’s plan (“my body trembles…my legs tremble beneath me”) and what it looks like to trust God while still feeling afraid 
• The extraordinary declaration of faith in 3:17–19: choosing to rejoice in the Lord even if every visible source of security and provision is stripped away

After listening, you’ll see how Habakkuk’s closing prayer models a faith that does not deny fear or loss, yet clings to the God who saves. You’ll come away better equipped to face your own seasons of uncertainty with the same resolve: even when the fig tree does not blossom and the stalls stand empty, the Lord is your strength, and He alone can make your feet steady on the high, hard places of life. 

Series: Habakkuk: Faith Under Fire

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta traces how God exposes the pride of the Babylonians, contrasts it with “the righteous [who] will live by his faith,” and anchors Habakkuk—and us—in the certainty that His justice will come at the appointed time. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why God tells Habakkuk to “write the vision” on tablets and what that permanence says about the certainty of coming judgment
• What it means that the vision “awaits its appointed time” and why God’s apparent slowness is not indifference but patience
• The contrast between the proud soul that thinks it is its own god and the righteous person who finds life by trusting the Lord
• Different biblical senses of “righteousness”—justified, holy, and rightly responsive to God—and which one is in view in Habakkuk 2:4
• How verse 5 and the image of wine set up the five “woes” that follow, revealing an empire with an appetite that is never satisfied
• The five woes against the Babylonians: looting nations, building false security, bloodshed and slave labor, humiliating their neighbors, and trusting in lifeless idols
• The stunning contrast between mute idols and the living Lord in His holy temple, before whom all the earth must be silent
• Four key lessons for today: wickedness always has consequences, God is free to act in surprising ways, His justice will prevail, and the righteous will ultimately find life through faith

After listening, you’ll see Habakkuk 2 not just as an ancient prediction of Babylon’s fall, but as a powerful answer to the question, “Why believe if faith doesn’t spare me from suffering?” You’ll come away with a steadier confidence that God’s justice is real, His timing is purposeful, and that trusting Him—especially when evil seems to be winning—is the very path that leads to life. 

Series: Habakkuk: Faith Under Fire

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Habakkuk gives faithful voice to the question, “How long, O Lord?” as he surveys corruption, violence, and the breakdown of justice in Judah
• What the word “violence” captures in this passage—not just physical harm, but a society where everything is crooked, unfair, and out of order
• Why Habakkuk turns to God rather than to politics, reform movements, or human power as the only real answer to a collapsing culture
• God’s surprising response: He is acting—but by raising up the Babylonians, a ruthless, self-sufficient empire whose “might is their god”
• Habakkuk’s struggle with the idea that God would use a nation more wicked than Judah to judge His own people, and what this reveals about justice and mercy
• The vivid image of the Babylonians as fishermen and Judah as helpless fish, and how that metaphor exposes their arrogance and idolatry
• Habakkuk’s resolve in 2:1 to stand at his watchpost, waiting to hear from God, even as he anticipates a future filled with real loss and devastation

After listening, you’ll see more clearly how Habakkuk models honest lament that still clings to faith. You’ll come away better equipped to bring your own confusion and fear to God, learning to trust His character and wait on His timing even when His plans bear little resemblance to the smooth, trouble-free life you would have chosen. 

Series: Habakkuk: Faith Under Fire

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why life’s “bad surprises” can feel so incompatible with faith in a loving, sovereign God
• How Habakkuk gives voice to the believer’s cry: “How long, O Lord?” in the face of injustice, violence, and national turmoil
• The key moments in Israel’s story—from Abraham to the divided kingdom—that lead to Habakkuk’s time
• How the fall of Assyria, the reforms of Josiah, and the rise of Babylon shape the crisis behind Habakkuk’s questions
• What it meant for Judah to live under corrupt rulers and oppressive foreign powers, even while remaining God’s covenant people
• The two central questions that frame the whole book: Why does God let His people suffer, and why keep believing when rescue doesn’t come? 

After listening, you’ll have a clear sense of where Habakkuk fits in biblical history and why his questions are still ours today. You’ll be better prepared to read this short prophetic book with understanding—seeing not only the geopolitical chaos of his day, but the way God invites His people to know Him more deeply when circumstances grow darker, not brighter. 

Series: Habakkuk: Faith Under Fire

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week's episode, we explore:

• The Golden Rule as a compass - Why "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" summarizes the entire Law and the Prophets
• The principle of the mirror - How looking at your neighbor is like looking at yourself, and why this changes everything about how we treat others
• The two roads metaphor - Understanding the narrow gate versus the wide gate and why most people choose the wrong path
• False prophets and bad fruit - How to recognize wolves in sheep's clothing by examining their fruit, not their claims
• The terrifying warning of Matthew 7:21-23 - Why calling Jesus "Lord" isn't enough and what it really means to do the will of the Father
• Building on the rock versus sand - The critical difference between hearing Jesus' words and actually acting on them
• Why the Sermon on the Mount matters for salvation - How this sermon describes the hearts of people who genuinely respond to the gospel

This episode will challenge you to examine whether you're truly on the narrow road or just going through religious motions. You'll gain clarity on what Jesus means by doing the will of the Father and understand why the Sermon on the Mount isn't optional teaching but essential for anyone who wants to inherit eternal life. Most importantly, you'll see how everything Jesus taught in this sermon points toward hearts that are humble, merciful, and hungry for the kingdom of God.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold, the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week's episode, we explore:

• Why God doesn't answer every prayer with "yes" (and why that's actually good news)
• The four essential truths that unlock the meaning of "ask, seek, knock"
• How saving faith changes what we pray for and how we pray
• Why God's definition of "good gifts" looks radically different from ours
• The powerful comparison between earthly fathers and our Heavenly Father
• What perseverance in prayer reveals about the authenticity of our faith
• How this passage fits into the larger context of the Sermon on the Mount
• Why believers can have absolute confidence that God will never turn them away

By the end of this episode, you'll understand that Matthew 7:7-11 isn't about getting everything you want from God. It's about receiving everything you truly need. When you humbly ask for forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life in His kingdom, God always answers yes. You'll learn to pray with confidence, knowing your Heavenly Father delights to give spiritual life to those who seek Him, and you'll gain tools to persevere in faith even when the waiting is long and the answers seem delayed.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold, the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta challenges the traditional reading of "don't cast pearls before swine" and offers a minority view that better fits the context of the Sermon on the Mount. Instead of identifying who the "dogs and pigs" are, Jesus may be warning us not to become the fool who throws away what's precious.

In this week's episode, we explore:

• Why the traditional interpretation creates theological problems and contradicts Jesus' earlier teaching about not judging others
• The crucial difference between parables and allegories, and why Matthew 7:6 works better as a parable than symbolic code
• How Exodus 22:31 provides the Old Testament background that unlocks this verse's true meaning
• The three soul-searching questions every person must answer that determine their eternal destiny
• Why this verse isn't about avoiding hostile unbelievers but about recognizing and treasuring God's gifts
• How the Sermon on the Mount contrasts true believers with self-righteous Pharisees and worldly hypocrites
• The four core convictions of saving faith that reveal whether we truly trust God

After listening, you'll understand how Matthew 7:6 fits seamlessly into Jesus' larger message about who will inherit the kingdom of heaven. You'll be challenged to examine not whether others are worthy of hearing the gospel, but whether you're treating God's precious gifts as worthless. This fresh perspective will help you read the Sermon on the Mount with new eyes and ask yourself the question that really matters: Am I the fool throwing away treasure?

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold, the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

This episode explores how understanding our equal need for grace transforms the way we see ourselves, treat others, and receive God's mercy.

In this week's episode, we explore:

• Why "judge not" doesn't mean never recognizing right from wrong
• The connection between showing mercy and receiving mercy from God
• The Copernican Revolution analogy: how the gospel shifts us from self-centered to God-centered thinking
• What the log and speck metaphor reveals about self-righteousness and spiritual blindness
• The four core convictions of saving faith that characterize those who will inherit God's kingdom
• How to help a sinning friend with humility instead of superiority
• Why marriage and close relationships expose our tendency to condemn others while excusing ourselves
• The parallel teaching in Galatians 6:1-5 about restoring others "in a spirit of gentleness"

After listening to this episode, you'll understand why your attitude toward other sinners reveals whether you truly grasp the gospel. You'll see how recognizing your own desperate need for forgiveness is the key to both helping others and receiving God's mercy. Most importantly, you'll learn practical ways to approach others' sins with the same humility and grace you need for your own.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold, the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week's episode, we explore:

• The Greek word for "anxiety" and how it can mean both healthy concern and destructive worry 
• Why Jesus uses birds and flowers to teach about God's provision 
• The difference between planning for tomorrow and worrying about tomorrow 
• How worry reveals what we truly believe about God's character 
• Why the Pharisees' worldliness is a warning for religious people today
• What "seek first the kingdom" actually promises (and doesn't promise) 
• The Apostle Paul's example of feeling anxiety while maintaining faith 
• How Jesus in Gethsemane shows us that faith doesn't mean emotional numbness

After listening to this episode, you'll understand how to balance responsible stewardship with trust in God's goodness. You'll learn to recognize when your legitimate concerns have crossed the line into faith-destroying worry. Most importantly, you'll see how remembering who God is and what He's promised can free you from the paralyzing fear that keeps you from seeking His kingdom first. This teaching isn't about ignoring your needs. It's about keeping your eyes fixed on eternal treasure while you meet the daily challenges of life.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold, the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

his passage challenges us to examine whether we're investing our lives in the fleeting rewards of this world or the eternal promises of God. Through three vivid metaphors (treasures, the eye as a lamp, and serving two masters), Jesus exposes the danger of spiritual blindness and divided loyalties. He warns that we cannot serve both God and the pursuit of worldly success, because eventually, we'll have to choose.

In this week's episode, we explore:

• What Jesus really means by "treasures in heaven" and why they're more valuable than anything this world offers
• How the metaphor of the eye as the body's lamp reveals our capacity for spiritual blindness
• Why you think you see clearly but might actually be trapped in darkness
• The conflict of interest between serving God and serving wealth (and why you can't do both)
• How the Pharisees illustrate the danger of religious activity without true devotion to God
• Why storing up treasure in heaven means trusting God's promises over worldly security
• What makes the kingdom of God worth more than all earthly success, comfort, and approval combined

Your Takeaway

After listening, you'll understand why Jesus insists that your treasure reveals your heart. You'll be challenged to evaluate whether your life reflects a pursuit of temporary worldly rewards or eternal kingdom promises. Most importantly, you'll discover why the gospel offers something far better than this world ever could: freedom from the fear of failure, lasting meaning, an unshakable future, and the love and acceptance of God that never ends. This episode will help you see with clear eyes what truly matters and make the choice that leads to life.

Series: Gospel of Matthew: Behold, the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

In this week's episode, we explore:

• The Greek word peirasmos and why it can mean both "testing" and "tempting"
• Why God tests our faith but never tempts us to sin 
• The difference between facing temptation and falling into it 
• Whether "evil" refers to Satan personally or evil in general 
• Why the doxology ("For yours is the kingdom...") might not belong in the original text 
• How this prayer acknowledges that without God's rescue, our faith won't survive 
• Why every petition in the Lord's Prayer ultimately asks for the same thing: God's holiness

After listening, you'll understand why Jesus included this uncomfortable prayer about our weakness. You'll see how it connects to the rest of the Lord's Prayer and why praying it honestly is an act of submission to God. Most importantly, you'll grasp that this isn't a prayer about avoiding hard circumstances but about asking God to preserve your faith through them. Your spiritual survival depends entirely on God's intervention, and this prayer boldly admits that truth.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

This episode explores why Jesus connects being forgiven by God to forgiving others, and what that connection tells us about our own hearts. Through the parable of the unforgiving servant, we discover that our willingness to show mercy reveals whether we truly understand the mercy we've received.

In this week's episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus emphasizes forgiveness more than any other part of the Lord's Prayer
• The three Greek words Matthew and Luke use interchangeably for sin, debt, and trespass
• How the parable of the unforgiving servant exposes our double standards about mercy
• Why forgiving others is not a separate work but an integral part of saving faith
• What it means practically to forgive someone who has sinned against us
• How understanding the depth of our own sin transforms how we treat others
• Why Jesus includes "as we forgive our debtors" in this model prayer
• The connection between the Lord's Prayer and Jesus' teaching in the Beatitudes

After listening to this episode, you'll understand why mercy toward others flows naturally from grasping how much God has forgiven you. You'll see how the Lord's Prayer challenges us to confront the reality of our own sins and recognize that refusing to forgive reveals a failure to understand the gospel itself. Most importantly, you'll gain clarity on what biblical forgiveness actually looks like in daily life and why it's essential to the Christian faith.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

he Greek word epiousios appears nowhere else in ancient literature, leaving scholars debating its meaning for 2,000 years. 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta tackles this translation mystery head-on, examining the linguistic evidence, exploring both literal and metaphorical interpretations, and showing how context shapes our understanding. More importantly, she explains why translation uncertainty doesn't have to shake your confidence in Scripture.

In this week's episode, we explore:

• Why the word translated "daily" is so difficult to understand (it appears only in the Lord's Prayer and nowhere else in Greek)
• The two main interpretive options: literal bread for physical sustenance or metaphorical bread representing eternal life
• How etymology, ancient translations, and context help us make educated guesses about uncertain words
• Why Jesus likely meant "the bread of tomorrow" or "the bread we truly need" rather than physical food
• How the Lord's Prayer focuses on one central theme: asking God to establish His kingdom
• What we should do when scholars disagree and we can't be 100% certain of a Bible passage
• Why you don't need to despair when the Bible contains difficult verses

After listening, you'll understand how to handle translation uncertainty with confidence. You'll see why the Bible's main themes are clear and repeated, even when individual words remain debatable. Most importantly, you'll grasp the heart of the Lord's Prayer: it's not a grocery list of requests but a unified plea for God to bring His kingdom, forgive our sins, and give us the spiritual sustenance that leads to eternal life. Whether you land on a literal or metaphorical interpretation, you'll pray Matthew 6:11 with deeper insight and renewed purpose.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold the King!

Give more than an invitation this Easter; give a guide to the Christian faith.

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available wherever books are sold. 

Jesus contrasts two wrong views of prayer: the Pharisees who pray for human approval, and the Gentiles who use repetitive phrases to manipulate their gods. Then he teaches a prayer that changes everything. When we pray "hallowed be thy name" and "thy kingdom come," we're not asking God to bless our comfortable lives. We're asking him to establish his holy reign, vindicate his reputation, and free us from sin once and for all. This prayer exposes what our hearts are truly set on.

In this week's episode, we explore:

• Why Jesus warns against two common perversions of prayer: seeking human approval and trying to manipulate God
• What "hallowed be thy name" actually means and how it connects to Ezekiel 36
• Why Jesus gave us this prayer in Aramaic instead of Hebrew
• How "Thy kingdom come" is the central request that unifies the entire prayer
• What it means that God already knows what we need before we ask
• Why prayer is the arena where we wrestle with God's priorities versus our own
• How this prayer reveals whether our hearts are set on worldly comfort or eternal holiness