Wednesday in the Word

What if God has called me to something and I'm just plain afraid to follow?  What if the path He has put before me seems too frightening or overwhelming?

Passages: 2 Kings 6

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

How do you accomplish great things for the kingdom of God and quiet that inner voice that says whatever you're doing, it's not enough? In 2Kings 5 we see a series of contrasts between how the world measures greatness and God measures greatness.

Passages: 2 Kings 5

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

When God called Elisha to be succeed the prophet Elijah, Elisha was a farmer with no apparent qualifications. Yet Elisha burned his ox and followed. Then Elisha refused to leave his mentor's side, humbly asking that God equip him for the journey ahead.

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

Habakkuk 3 records a prophet who has heard God’s terrifying answer, trembles to his core, and yet chooses to rejoice in the God of his salvation. In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks through Habakkuk 3:1–19 as a prayer set to music—a vision of God’s majestic coming in judgment and salvation that leads Habakkuk from anxiety and dread to quiet, settled trust. 

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

Habakkuk 2:1–20 records God’s second answer to a worried prophet: yes, He will use the Babylonians to discipline His people, but He will also hold them accountable for every act of violence, greed, and idolatry. 

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

Habakkuk opens his book with a bold, unsettling honesty: he looks at the injustice in Judah, cries out to God for help, and is stunned when God’s answer seems even worse than the problem. In this episode, Krisan Marotta walks through Habakkuk 1:1–2:1, tracing the prophet’s first complaint, God’s shocking response about the Babylonians, and Habakkuk’s decision to keep watching and waiting even when he cannot understand what God is doing. 

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

Habakkuk is a short prophetic book born out of long, anguished questions: How can a loving, righteous God allow His people to suffer under corrupt leaders and violent empires—and why keep trusting Him when the answers seem worse than the problem? In this introductory episode, Krisan Marotta sets the stage for Habakkuk’s struggle by walking through Israel’s history, the rise of Assyria and Babylon, and the spiritual collapse of Judah under kings like Manasseh and Jehoiakim. 

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

Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a powerful call to action. In this final section, he summarizes everything he's been teaching through two essential themes: love your neighbor as yourself (the Golden Rule) and choose the narrow road that leads to life over the wide road that leads to destruction. This isn't just good advice for being nice. It's Jesus describing what saving faith actually looks like and warning us that religious activity alone won't save us.

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!

When Jesus says "ask and you will receive," is He promising to grant every request we make? Not quite. In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we examine one of Scripture's most encouraging yet misunderstood passages. Jesus isn't offering a blank check for our wishes. He's making a profound promise to those who pray with genuine saving faith—those who humbly recognize God owes them nothing, admit they deserve condemnation, and hunger for the holiness only He can give. Understanding this passage requires grasping four biblical truths that transform how we approach prayer and what we expect from our Heavenly Father.

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!

Most Christians think Matthew 7:6 warns against sharing the gospel with hostile, unworthy people. But what if that popular interpretation completely misses Jesus' point? 

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!