Wednesday in the Word

The resurrection of Jesus is not just a meaningful symbol or comforting idea. It is a real event in history, and everything Christians believe about forgiveness, salvation, and hope depends on it being true. 

In this Easter episode, Krisan Marotta walks through why the bodily resurrection of Jesus is central to the gospel and why Paul insists that, without it, faith itself would collapse. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

•  Why Paul calls the death and resurrection of Jesus the message “of first importance” 
•  How 1 Corinthians 15 ties the resurrection directly to the forgiveness of sins 
•  Why the gospel is grounded in historical fact, not religious sentiment or personal preference 
•  What Paul means when he says that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile 
•  How the eyewitness testimony of the apostles supports the claim that Jesus truly rose from the dead 
•  Why Easter matters because God’s raising of Jesus confirms that his sacrifice for sin was accepted 

After listening, you’ll have a clearer understanding of why the resurrection stands at the center of Christian hope. This episode invites you to see Easter not as a celebration of a beautiful idea, but as the remembrance of a true and decisive act of God—one that assures believers that sin has been answered, death is not the end, and their faith rests on something solid.

This episode turns to 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8 to ask what it really means to follow Jesus with our sexuality in a confused and permissive world. Paul insists that God’s will is our sanctification and then applies that calling directly to sexual integrity, warning against “sexual immorality” and urging believers to honor God with their bodies and their relationships. 

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

In 1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:13, Paul’s deep love for the Thessalonian believers comes into focus. Cut off from them by persecution, Paul grieves their separation, sends Timothy to check on their faith, and then rejoices when he hears they are standing firm because for Paul, people who persevere in the gospel are his true legacy, his “glory and joy” before Christ. 

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

In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks through 1 Thessalonians 2:1–16, where Paul defends the way he first lived and taught among the Thessalonians. Rather than a manipulative salesman or spiritual celebrity, Paul presents himself as a servant entrusted with God’s message—someone who refused flattery, greed, and glory-seeking, and instead poured himself out like a nursing mother and a faithful father for their spiritual good. 

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

In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks through 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10, showing how Paul sees this young church as a living picture of what genuine faith looks like. Their “work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope” are not abstract virtues, but visible evidence that God has chosen them, changed them, and is using them as a model for other believers. 

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

In this episode, we step into the world of 1 Thessalonians by looking closely at its opening verse and the story behind it. Krisan Marotta introduces Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy, traces how the gospel first came to Thessalonica, and explains why this young church needed encouragement to endure opposition and remain faithful to Christ. 

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

In this final section, we offer some advice on how to evaluate your current relationships and what to talk through before you say "I do."

If the cultural view of sexuality, what is the biblical view? Is it just a list of dos, don'ts, and not yets? The question I want to address in this section is: What are you waiting for and why is it worth it? We find those answers in the Song of Solomon.

We compare and contrasts the different kinds of relationships: biblical marriage, secular marriage, friendship, dating, friends with benefits, and an ideal Christian courtship.

When it comes to dating, sex and romance, a majority of college students report being "profoundly upset" about their own behavior. Our goal in this seminar is to show you a better way.