Wednesday in the Word

Romans 13:1–7 brings the gospel right down into the everyday frustrations of taxes, laws, and government bureaucracy. In this episode, we consider what it means to be good citizens not because the system is perfect, but because God stands behind all authority—and uses even flawed governments to restrain chaos and create space for His people to live and witness. Submission, fearlessness, and a clear conscience become markers of a life that trusts God more than personal rights. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Romans 13 fits into Paul’s larger call in chapters 12–13 to stop thinking too highly of ourselves and instead live with sober judgment about our place in God’s world
• What “submission” really is: not slavish obedience, but a humble, pre-decided posture that lets God limit us through the authority structures He has permitted
• When civil disobedience is appropriate, and why accepting the consequences can still be an expression of submission to God’s higher authority (Acts 4 as an example)
• Why the greatest danger is not “big government” out there, but lawlessness in our own hearts—our tendency to demand our rights, resent limits, and put ourselves at the center
• How Paul can call rulers “God’s servants” even when they are unjust, and how basic order and stability still serve God’s purposes for the gospel
• The difference between fearlessness and safety: living so that if we suffer, it is for doing good, not for cutting corners or hiding guilt
• Peter’s parallel call to live as free people, not using freedom as a cover for evil, and to silence slander by consistently doing good
• Why paying taxes, respecting officials, and honoring those in office are matters of conscience before God—not just fear of audits, fines, or social pressure
• How grumbling about taxes and mocking leaders can quietly erode a Christian witness that ought to be marked by gratitude, integrity, and respect
• The striking story from a Brazilian prison where a carved crucifix in the “punishment cell” becomes a picture of Christ “doing time for the rest of us,” and how that redefines power, justice, and true change

By the end of the episode, listeners will see that Romans 13 is less about blind patriotism and more about trusting God’s sovereignty in the messy realities of public life. You’ll be invited to trade resentment for submission, anxiety for fearlessness, and cynical complaint for a clear conscience—learning to honor those in authority, bear necessary costs, and quietly adorn the gospel in the way you drive, pay, work, speak, and pray.

 Series: Romans: Justification by Faith

Be the first to know when it's out: What Jesus Taught by Krisan Marotta 

In my new book, I gather Jesus' teaching from all four Gospels and organize it by theme, so you can see what Jesus taught about God, himself, his followers and the kingdom, and how it all fits together. To follow the Teacher, you need to know what he taught.

Romans 12 turns the gospel from foundation into way of life. In this episode, we look at Paul’s call to present our whole selves to God—not as heroic achievers, but as “defective sacrifices” that He mercifully receives and uses. True worship, we discover, is not a mood we generate but a life lived in response to God’s mercy: a renewed mind, a surrendered body, and a willingness to stop living for self-advancement and start living for God’s purposes and His people. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Romans 12 must be read in light of the doxology at the end of Romans 11—and how God’s wisdom, greatness, and mercy make “logical worship” the only sensible response 
• What it really means to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, and why it is sheer mercy that God accepts “defective” people like us instead of demanding perfection
• How the “pattern of this world” is less about obvious vices and more about the quiet obsession with self-advancement and personal happiness
• The renewing of the mind as a shift from “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I serve God’s will and kingdom?”—and how that changes how we see ourselves, our gifts, and our choices
• Paul’s call to think with “sober judgment”: neither inflating ourselves nor tearing ourselves down, but learning to see who God actually made us to be and where we fit in the body of Christ
• The picture of the church as a body with different members and gifts—speaking and serving—and why no one is optional, redundant, or replaceable 
• How to discern the difference between being “called” and being “driven,” and why chronic overcommitment often signals that we’re laboring outside our true calling
• A vision of passionate, generous community life: genuine love, honoring one another, sharing needs, practicing hospitality, rejoicing and weeping together, and reaching for the “check” in relationships rather than keeping score
• Paul’s challenge to respond to enemies with kindness instead of revenge—trusting God with justice and seeking to overcome evil with good rather than being overcome by it 

By the end of the episode, listeners will be invited to step off the treadmill of self-improvement and spiritual busyness and instead offer themselves honestly to God as they are. You’ll learn to name your gifts and season of life with sober joy, to embrace both your limits and your calling, and to lean into a way of life where worship is not confined to a service but woven through ordinary acts of service, love, mercy, and courage in the face of evil. 

 Series: Romans: Justification by Faith

Be the first to know when it's out: What Jesus Taught by Krisan Marotta 

In my new book, I gather Jesus' teaching from all four Gospels and organize it by theme, so you can see what Jesus taught about God, himself, his followers and the kingdom, and how it all fits together. To follow the Teacher, you need to know what he taught.

Repentance is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Christianity. Many people confuse it with feeling sorry, avoiding consequences, or trying harder to be good. But Isaiah 55 reveals that true repentance is something far deeper: a complete turning away from sin and an active return to God. This sermon explores what repentance truly means, why it's necessary, and how God's grace makes it possible.

This week we explore:

• The biblical definition of repentance as a 180-degree turn from sin toward God
• Why sorrow for sin and repentance are not the same thing
• How God's accessibility and nearness make repentance possible for everyone
• The profound difference between human and divine forgiveness
• Why repentance is a response to grace, not a work to earn it
• The story of King Manasseh and the reach of God's mercy
• How God's Word transforms barren hearts into fertile ground
• The hope and assurance that God's promises will not fail

 By the end of this message, you will understand what the Bible truly teaches about repentance and how it differs from cultural or emotional substitutes. You will feel confident that no sin is too great for God's forgiveness and that His compassion is great

Series: Isaiah: Servant Songs

Be the first to know when it's out: What Jesus Taught by Krisan Marotta 

In my new book, I gather Jesus' teaching from all four Gospels and organize it by theme, so you can see what Jesus taught about God, himself, his followers and the kingdom, and how it all fits together. To follow the Teacher, you need to know what he taught.

God offers a feast that costs nothing and satisfies completely, yet most people refuse it. This sermon from Isaiah 55 explores why we chase empty pursuits when abundant life is freely available. It's an invitation to trade the world's broken tables for the King's eternal banquet.

This week we explore:

• Why God's banquet is available, high quality, and completely free
• How empty pursuits like ambition, pleasure, and success leave us starving
• What it means to listen with belief rather than just collect information
• How the Davidic Covenant connects to your personal invitation to eternal life
• Why God keeps pleading with us even when we refuse His table
• What happens when you finally come and eat at the King's feast
• How to invite others to the abundance you've discovered

 By the end of this message, you'll understand the stark contrast between the world's empty offerings and God's generous invitation. You'll feel the weight of how much you've been sacrificing for things that don't satisfy. And you'll know exactly what it means to come, listen, and feast on the Bread of Life who offers eternal satisfaction at no cost to you.

Series: Isaiah: Servant Songs

Be the first to know when it's out: What Jesus Taught by Krisan Marotta 

In my new book, I gather Jesus' teaching from all four Gospels and organize it by theme, so you can see what Jesus taught about God, himself, his followers and the kingdom, and how it all fits together. To follow the Teacher, you need to know what he taught.

Isaiah 54 paints a stunning picture of God's New City, a place built not with stone and mortar but with living stones—His people. This city stands secure, not because of military might or human effort, but because it is founded on the righteousness of the Servant, Jesus Christ. In this post, we explore what it means to be part of this unshakeable city and how that changes everything about your security, peace, and purpose.

This week we explore:

• How the New City's splendor far surpasses the Old Jerusalem
• Why God's people are the real jewels, not buildings or programs
• What it means to be personally taught by the Lord under the New Covenant
• How righteousness guarantees lasting security and freedom from fear
• Why victory is assured even when battles rage
• The difference between fighting spiritual forces and fighting flesh and blood
• How to focus on eternal people instead of temporary programs

 By the end of this post, you will understand that your security rests not on your performance but on God's unchanging covenant. You will feel the freedom that comes from knowing God will never abandon you, and you will be equipped to shift your focus from temporary things to the eternal work of building up living stones in God's city.

Series: Isaiah: Servant Songs

Be the first to know when it's out: What Jesus Taught by Krisan Marotta 

In my new book, I gather Jesus' teaching from all four Gospels and organize it by theme, so you can see what Jesus taught about God, himself, his followers and the kingdom, and how it all fits together. To follow the Teacher, you need to know what he taught.