Wednesday in the Word

Love is the first fruit of the Spirit. In this episode, Krisan Marotta shows that this fruit is not a warm, passing feeling. It is a changed way of seeing God, ourselves, and other people: learning to live as those who stand equally guilty and equally loved before Him, and then acting for the good of others the way we would want them to act for us.  In this week’s episode, we explore: What Paul me...

Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is not a set of personality goals—it is the visible result of God’s Spirit at work in people who have been forgiven and made new in Christ. In this introductory episode, Krisan sets the stage for the whole series by walking through the message of Galatians: why Paul wrote it, what crisis the Galatian churches were facing, and how the gospel—not...

The Fruit of the Spirit begins March 6, 2024 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. The Fruit of the Spirit Podcast Page I’d love...

In this episode, we come to Paul’s final words in Galatians 6:6–18, where he urges believers to invest in truth , sow to the Spirit rather than to the flesh, and boast only in the cross of Christ. Paul closes the letter by contrasting teachers who seek approval and comfort with those who bear the costly marks of following Jesus, and by reminding us that what ultimately matters is becoming a “new c...

Paul’s teaching in Galatians 5:25–6:5 shows that walking by the Spirit is not just an inner experience, but something that reshapes how we treat one another, especially when someone stumbles. Instead of comparison, competition, and spiritual pride, Paul calls believers to humility, gentle restoration, and a shared commitment to bear each other’s burdens while honestly owning our own sin before God...

Paul’s words in Galatians 5:13–24 show that Christian freedom is not permission to do whatever we want, but a call to love others and to walk by the Spirit instead of following our old, “broken chooser” selves. In this episode, we trace Paul’s argument that the Spirit, not the Law, is what truly changes us—moving us away from the destructive “works of the flesh” and toward the beautiful “fruit of...

In this episode, we look at Paul’s urgent call in Galatians 5:1–12 to “stand firm” in the freedom Christ has given and refuse any return to law-keeping as a way to be right with God. Paul exposes how adding even a little requirement to the gospel turns grace into slavery and severs us from the only true source of righteousness.  In this week’s episode, we explore: How Galatians fits together so fa...

Galatians 4:21–31 gives us a vivid story of two mothers, two sons, and two very different ways of relating to God. In this episode, we unpack Paul’s difficult but powerful allegory of Hagar and Sarah to show that not all of Abraham’s physical descendants inherit the promise and that those who look to law-keeping for security are choosing slavery over the freedom Christ has already won.  In this we...

In Galatians 4:12–20, Paul steps out from behind the role of apostle and theologian and speaks as a pastor and friend whose heart is breaking for his people. This episode looks at his personal appeal to the Galatians—how he reminds them of their shared history, exposes the motives of the false teachers, and models a kind of leadership that serves, suffers, and tells the truth even when it costs hi...

Paul’s words in Galatians 4:1–11 show the sharp contrast between living like a spiritual minor under strict supervision and living as a mature son or daughter in God’s family. Using the picture of an heir who is treated like a slave until the right time, Paul explains how the law functioned as a temporary guardian, how Christ’s coming changes our status forever, and why going back to a rule-based...

Galatians 3:23–29 pictures the law as a kind of spiritual basic training—good, necessary, and protective, but never meant to be our permanent way of relating to God. In this episode, we trace Paul’s argument that the law served as a strict guardian in our spiritual “childhood,” preparing us for Christ, and that through faith we now stand before God as mature sons and daughters, clothed in Christ a...

Paul presses his third major argument in Galatians 3:15–22 by asking a simple question: are you relating to God on the basis of a deal you must uphold, or a promise he has sworn to keep? Using the everyday world of wills, contracts, and family relationships, Paul shows that God’s promise to Abraham came first, still stands, and cannot be undone or upgraded by the later law of Moses—which was given...

Paul’s words in Galatians 3:1–14 cut through all spiritual confusion: are we made right with God by our efforts, or by trusting what Christ has already done? In this episode, we look at Paul’s first two arguments for justification by faith—drawing both from the Galatians’ own experience and from the story of Abraham—to show that the cross of Christ is completely sufficient, and that adding law-kee...

In this episode, we trace one of the most startling moments in the New Testament: Paul publicly rebuking Peter in Antioch over the very heart of the gospel. Working through Galatians 2:11–21, we see how a conflict over table fellowship exposed a deeper question—are we made right with God by faith in Christ alone, or by faith plus our own efforts at law-keeping?  In this week’s episode, we explore:...

In Galatians 2:1–10, Paul takes us into a crucial meeting in Jerusalem where the question is on the table: Is there more than one valid version of the gospel, or is there only one truth that never changes? Fourteen years after his conversion, Paul lays his message before the “pillars” of the Jerusalem church, brings along Titus as a living test case, and shows that the gospel he preaches—faith in...

In this episode, we follow Paul’s own story in Galatians 1:11–24 as he explains where his message came from, why it can be trusted, and how God often works through long seasons that look unimpressive from the outside. Paul insists that the gospel he preached in Galatia was not his invention or anyone else’s—it was given to him by revelation from Jesus Christ—and then he walks through his past, his...

Paul opens Galatians with urgency and clarity: there is only one true gospel, and it comes from God, not from human invention. In this episode, we look at Galatians 1:1–10, where Paul establishes his authority as an apostle, summarizes the heart of the gospel in the death of Christ, and warns the Galatians that to turn to a different message is not a small adjustment—it is deserting God himself. ...

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is spiritual dynamite—written to rescue believers from a distorted gospel and call them back to the cross of Christ alone. In this introductory episode, we trace Paul’s story, the birth of the Galatian churches, and the crisis that led him to write one of the most urgent and passionate letters in the New Testament.  In this week’s episode, we explore: Who Paul was be...

May 2023: The podcast is on break for some much needed study time before we start a new series. In the meantime, you can also listen to any of over 500 previous episodes. Most people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any passage for the rest of your life. Sign up for Bible Stu...

This episode looks at 2 Thessalonians 3:1–18, where Paul closes his letters to the Thessalonians by tying prayer, perseverance, work, and hope together. He asks for prayer that the gospel would spread, reminds believers that the Lord is faithful to guard them, and then addresses the problem of idleness.  In this week’s episode, we explore: Why Paul begins his conclusion by asking for prayer, and w...

This episode turns to 2 Thessalonians 2:1–17 and the unsettling question: Has the “day of the Lord” already come—and how would we know? Paul reassures a confused young church that Christ has not returned in secret, explains what must happen first, and reminds them that the goal is not to map every detail of the end times, but to hold fast to the truth of the gospel and trust God with the future. ...

This episode turns to 2 Thessalonians 1:1–12 and the hard but hopeful question of how to handle suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul praises a persecuted church for their growing faith and love, then lifts their eyes to the bigger story God is telling, where their endurance will be vindicated, evil will be judged, and God’s justice and mercy will be seen clearly at the return of Christ.  In...

This episode looks at 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28 and how Paul teaches a young, diverse church to live together in peace. Rather than closing his letter with random bits of advice, Paul weaves together a picture of community life shaped by respect for leaders, patient care for one another, discerning openness to God’s word, and steady confidence in God’s faithfulness.  In this week’s episode, we explo...

This episode turns to 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11 and the hope bound up with the return of Christ. We look at how Paul comforts believers who are grieving, clarifies what will happen to those who have died in Christ, and explains why the “day of the Lord” should lead us not to speculation or fear, but to steady faith, watchfulness, and encouragement.  In this week’s episode, we explore: Why Paul doe...

This episode turns to 1 Thessalonians 4:9–12 to ask what brotherly love looks like in everyday life and why Paul moves from sexual integrity to something as ordinary as getting a job. He commends the Thessalonians for their generous love, then urges them to “aspire to live quietly,” mind their own affairs, and work with their hands so that their faith shows up in responsibility, discernment, and t...