Wednesday in the Word

Many Christians feel confused or disappointed when Old Testament promises of prosperity don't seem to apply to their lives. This sermon from Isaiah 54 explains why God hasn't abandoned those promises but has actually fulfilled them in a far greater way through Christ. The New Covenant doesn't diminish Old Testament blessings—it transcends them with spiritual riches that outlast the universe itself.

This week we explore:

• Why prosperity gospel teaching misapplies Old Covenant promises to New Covenant believers
• How Isaiah 54 depicts the Messianic Age as superior to Israel's physical blessings
• What "barrenness" and "desolation" reveal about supernatural spiritual fruitfulness
• Why the new spiritual seed surpasses physical descendants in God's redemptive plan
• How the new inheritance has no geographical or ethnic boundaries
• What makes the New Covenant unshakeable when the Old Covenant repeatedly failed
• Why God's loyal love outlasts His temporary judgment and the created order
• How Christ's atonement secures what Israel's obedience never could

 By the end of this message you will understand why spiritual prosperity far exceeds material wealth. You will feel gratitude for covenant blessings that never depend on your performance. You will be able to explain how Christ fulfilled and surpassed every promise God made to Israel, giving you security that rests entirely on God's faithfulness rather than your own.

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 53 gives the most detailed prophecy of the Messiah's suffering in the Old Testament. This post explores the final section of the fourth Servant Song, focusing on Jesus' trial, death, burial, and ultimate vindication. We'll see why his silence was more powerful than any defense and why his willing sacrifice was the only one that could satisfy God's justice.

This week we explore:

• Why Jesus refused to defend himself at his trial
• How his silence magnified the horror of sin and the depth of God's love
• Why no one in his generation understood he was dying for them
• What made Jesus' sacrifice acceptable to God when animal sacrifices weren't enough
• How God immediately began vindicating Jesus after his death
• The three rewards Jesus received for his obedience
• Why your suffering isn't wasted and what it's preparing you for

 By the end of this post, you'll understand the theological necessity of Jesus' willing sacrifice and how it differed from every Old Testament offering. You'll see how his silence, suffering, and vindication reveal the Father's love for you.  And you'll be encouraged that your own pain, hard as it is, has purpose and will be rewarded in the age to come. 

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.

Many Christians struggle to believe God loves them personally, even after years of faith. This sermon explores Isaiah 52:13–53:6, the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament, to show how the Suffering Servant's is the Messiah and his sacrifice proves God's individual, unshakable love for you.

This week we explore:

• Why the Suffering Servant was rejected by his own people despite fulfilling prophecy
• How Jesus bore your griefs, sorrows, and sins in your place
• Why the nations who never heard the promises embraced the Messiah while Israel rejected him
• What the Servant's disfigurement and suffering reveal about the cost of your redemption
• How God's plan turned rejection into the greatest display of love in history
• Why dying for your enemy is a greater act of love than dying for your child
• How Romans 5 connects Christ's sacrifice to your assurance of salvation

By the end of this message you will understand why Christ's suffering is the ultimate proof of God's personal love for you. You will feel the weight of what it cost to redeem you and you will be able to trust that if God loved you enough to die for you while you were his enemy, he will certainly love you enough to carry you through the rest of your days as his child. 

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 50 reveals the Suffering Servant's secret for enduring rejection without losing faith. This passage contrasts Israel's rebellion with the Servant's obedience, showing how Jesus faced humiliation, abandonment, and a rigged trial by staying grounded in who God is and who He is. The post unpacks the "school of disciples" where listening to God and submitting to rejection become the curriculum for learning to speak life into weary souls.

This week we explore:

• Why Zion complained while the Servant obeyed, and what that contrast teaches us about faith
• The goal of discipleship: learning to sustain the weary with a word
• How Jesus prepared for ministry by listening to the Father morning by morning
• Why rejection and suffering are part of the curriculum for every disciple
• The two things that got Jesus through His trial: knowing who God is and knowing who He is
• What it means to trust in the name of the Lord when you walk in darkness
• The difference between making your own light and relying on God's righteousness
• How God's promises work over centuries, not just seasons
• Why the Servant could face humiliation without being humiliated
• The warning for those who try to deal with darkness through self-sufficiency

 By the end of this post, you will understand how to face rejection without losing faith. You will see how suffering can prepare you to minister to others with compassion and wisdom. You will feel encouraged that God's plan includes your pain and that His vindication is sure, even when earthly courts fail. Most of all, you will be able to apply the Servant's model of obedient listening and confident trust to your own walk with God.

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.

Every faithful believer eventually faces a moment when their obedience seems to produce nothing but disappointment. This sermon from Isaiah 49:1-13 explores how even the Messiah felt like His ministry had failed—and what God's response teaches us about trusting Him when visible results contradict our calling.

This week we explore:

• Why the Servant of God confessed "I have toiled in vain"
• How God responds when His servants feel defeated
• What it means to trust God's vindication over visible evidence
• Why the race isn't over until God says it is
• How Jesus handled apparent ministry failure
• What God promises when earthly hopes are shattered
• Why God often replaces our small dreams with something far greater
• How to measure faithfulness without depending on results

 By the end of this message you will understand that discouragement is not proof of failure but often evidence of faith. You will feel less alone in your struggles and more confident that God is working even when you see no evidence. You will be able to rest in God's timing instead of judging your calling by premature conclusions.

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.