Wednesday in the Word

Today we’re kicking off a new season of the podcast which is a special companion series to my book, Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity. Each episode will walk you through one of the book’s “See for Yourself” passages, helping you read Scripture with confidence, even if you’re just starting out. Today's passage is from Chapter 1.

Most people today assume we’re basically good—and that sin is a few bad choices sp...

Krisan Marotta, host of Wednesday in the Word podcast, joins Rob Schilling on AM 1070 WINA's The Schilling Show to discuss her book Start Strong: A New Believer's Guide to Christianity. Instead of talking about why she wrote the book, they dive straight into the theology, covering what new believers need to understand and why it matters. 

Key takeaways:

• Repentance is more than saying sorry. It's a complete change o...

Season 27 of Wednesday in the Word begins February 4, 2026, and I couldn’t be more excited to share what’s ahead. This new season is a companion to my book Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity, and it's designed especially for those who are new to faith, returning to church after time away, or walking alongside someone who is.

Each week, we’ll unpack one key passage from the book’s “See for Yourself” section, he...

Psalm 110 doesn’t mention a manger, shepherds, or angels. Yet it gives us one of the clearest pictures of who the baby in Bethlehem really is: the eternal King and Priest who will rule over all and bring His people back to God. 

In this Christmas episode, we trace how Psalm 110 reveals the identity and mission of the Messiah and how the New Testament writers apply this ancient psalm directly to Jesus. 

In this week’s episode, we expl...

How can a believer live with real confidence that they belong to God, even while they still struggle with sin? 

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, Krisan Marotta walks through key New Testament passages to show how God marks His people inwardly (by a changed heart that endures through testing) and how that mark becomes the basis of true assurance of salvation. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the question “How do I ...

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we confront a bold question: “How do you know you’re truly in the faith?” Drawing on Paul the Apostle’s letter to the church at Corinth (2 Corinthians 12–13), we explore how genuine faith is more than appearances, more than impressive speech or credentials. It’s about the living power of Christ at work in weakness and integrity in community.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul re...

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we wrestle with one of the most surprising turns in the Christian life: sometimes faith doesn’t bring relief, it brings reliance. Turning to 2 Corinthians 12, we hear Paul the Apostle describe a persistent struggle, a “thorn in the flesh,” and how it becomes the very soil in which Christ’s power grows.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul mentions his weakness and how that ch...

in this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we wrestle with a tough reality: just because someone looks like a spiritual leader does not mean they are pointing us to the true gospel. Drawing on 2 Corinthians 11, the Apostle Paul exposes the danger of “false apostles,”impressive-speaking teachers who distort the message of Christ. He invites us to discern leadership by substance, not style. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How P...

in this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we look at what it really means to confront error with the meekness of Christ. Through 2 Corinthians 10, Krisan shows how Paul stands up to false teachers without copying their showy style, and how real spiritual authority uses strength to serve, not to impress.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How 2 Corinthians fits together and why this confrontational section belongs in the same let...

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we rethink what it really means to give generously. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 show that Christian giving is not about pressure, formulas, or getting rich. It is a voluntary response to grace that expresses our unity as God’s family and our trust that he will care for us as we care for others.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The historical background of the Jerusalem collec...

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we step behind 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 to uncover the story of the Jerusalem Collection. Krisan shows how this long term fundraising project was never just about money for a famine. It was about caring for real people in real need, healing tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers, and strengthening the bond between Paul and the original apostles in Jerusalem.

In this week’s episode, we ex...

In this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we look at one of the hardest parts of real relationships: when to say the hard thing that might hurt in the moment but heal in the long run. Walking through 2 Corinthians 7:2-16, Krisan traces Paul’s emotional journey after sending a painful letter to the Corinthians and shows how God uses honest words, godly grief, and true repentance to restore broken fellowship.

In this week’s episode, w...

in this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we look at what Paul really means when he warns believers not to be "unequally yoked." Far from a random rule about who you can associate with, this passage in 2 Corinthians 6:13-7:2 is a heartfelt plea for the Corinthians to open their hearts to Paul, turn away from idolatry, and recognize that believers and unbelievers are walking two very different roads.

In this week’s episode,...

What does it really mean to receive God’s grace in a way that changes you, not just your labels? 

Looking at 2 Corinthians 6:1-12, Krisan shows how Paul urges the Corinthians to stop judging by appearances, respond to the message of reconciliation, and treat the gospel like a check you actually cash, not a nice idea stuck on the fridge. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How 2 Corinthians 6 connects to Paul’s call to “be reconci...

in this episode of Wednesday in the Word, we ask what really changes when someone comes to Christ. Walking through 2 Corinthians 5:12-21, Krisan explains how believers become a “new creation” and why that means we can no longer judge ourselves or others by outward appearances, natural talent, or worldly success. Instead, we learn to see people through the lens of the gospel and God’s work of reconciliation.

In this week’s episode, w...

Facing death is not just an abstract topic for Paul. It was built into his daily life as an apostle. 

In this episode, Krisan walks through 2 Corinthians 5:1–11, exploring how Paul can be brutally honest about suffering and the fragility of life, yet deeply confident about his future with Christ. As he reflects on tents and buildings, groaning and glory, judgment and reward, we see how the hope of resurrection shapes the way he live...

When ministry feels discouraging, confusing, or simply exhausting, how do you keep going? In this episode, Krisan walks through 2 Corinthians 4 and traces Paul’s repeated conviction: “We do not lose heart.” By unpacking Paul’s imagery of light in darkness, treasure in jars of clay, and an “eternal weight of glory,” she shows how his battered, unimpressive life as an apostle actually highlights the power and beauty of the gospel he ...

Paul takes the dramatic story of Moses’ shining face and uses it to explain what God is doing in every believer today. In this episode, Krisan walks through 2 Corinthians 3:7–18, tracing Paul’s comparison between the old covenant under Moses and the new covenant in Christ. We see how the law came with real glory, yet could only condemn, while the gospel comes with an even greater glory that brings forgiveness, transformation, and b...

When trying harder still leaves you discouraged, what does God offer instead? In this episode, Krisan turns to 2 Corinthians 3:1–6 to explore Paul’s defense of his ministry and his astonishing claim to be a “minister of a new covenant.” Along the way, she shows how this new covenant does not simply give us better instructions or more spiritual effort—it gives us new hearts, written on by the Spirit of the living God.

In this week’s ...