Bible Study

In this exposition of Revelation 7:9-17, Dr. Toby Holt connects Palm Sunday and Passover with the innumerable multitude worshiping before God and the Lamb.

Why does the gospel stir up so much trouble? In Acts 17:1-15, the message of Jesus turns whole cities upside down. Dr. Toby Holt explains why the good news unsettles the world — and why that is exactly what it is meant to do. In Thessalonica, Paul reasoned from the Scriptures for three Sabbaths that Jesus is the Christ who had to die and rise. Some believed, but jealous opponents stirred up a mob, accusing the missionaries of proclaiming "another king — Jesus."...

How is the story of David and Goliath really about the gospel? In 1 Samuel 17, a shepherd from Bethlehem defeats a giant who defied the living God. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt shows how this famous account foreshadows Christ — the Gospel in Old Testament clothing. Questions this sermon answers: 1. How was Goliath like the serpent? He was a defiant enemy of God's people — a "proxy" for the evil one, calling for a champion to defeat him. 2. How does David point to...

Why do Christians experience both glory and grief? In Romans 8, Paul describes the tension of the Christian life — a glorious future secured, yet present suffering not yet ended. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt explains the "already, but not yet" reality believers live in. Questions this sermon answers: 1. Why does all creation "groan"? Because the world was subjected to futility through sin and now awaits its redemption — a brokenness we feel deeply. 2. How can we...

Why is worship hard for so many people? For many, worship feels unnatural — and in 2 Chronicles 7, we glimpse why true worship matters so much. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt shows that genuine worship grows from knowing the character of God. Questions this sermon answers: 1. Why is worship difficult? Because we are used to glorifying ourselves. Worship redirects our hearts to glorify Someone infinitely greater. 2. What happened when the temple was dedicated? God's...

Can God's promises really be trusted? The Bible is full of promises — some made by men, many made by God. In this sermon (Deuteronomy), Dr. Toby Holt contrasts our flimsy, often-broken promises with the iron-clad faithfulness of God's covenant word. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What is a covenant? A binding promise or relationship. God repeatedly bound Himself to His people by covenant, pledging His faithfulness. 2. How reliable are God's promises? Utterly....

Will God really provide for His children? In 1 Kings 17, God feeds the prophet Elijah by ravens and sustains a starving widow through a famine. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt shows how the God who provided then will look after His people now. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What was Elijah's situation? He was in hiding from wicked Ahab and Jezebel, and God provided for him in the wilderness — even using ravens to bring him food. 2. What happened with the widow of...

What has God called His people to do? In Matthew 9-10, Jesus sees the crowds, has compassion, and sends out laborers into the harvest. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt explores the directions Christ gives His disciples — and the tasks He entrusts to us. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What is the harvest field? The world full of lost people. Jesus says the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 2. Why did Christ send the disciples without provisions? To...

What really happened with Elisha and the bears? In 2 Kings 2, a crowd of youths mocks the prophet Elisha, and two bears maul them — a passage many find puzzling. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt explains what was actually happening and what it teaches us about God. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What was so sinful about the mocking? This was no harmless teasing. A gang of young men contemptuously rejected God's appointed prophet — and, through him, God Himself. 2....

Why would a God this great care about you? In Psalm 8, David looks at the night sky and asks, "What is man that You are mindful of him?" Dr. Toby Holt shows how God is both towering above all things and tender toward each of us. David is overwhelmed by God's majesty — the heavens, moon, and stars, all the work of His fingers. Against that vastness, people seem tiny. Yet the wonder is that this towering God stoops to care for us, crowning humanity with honor and...

Is there really "a time for everything"? In Ecclesiastes 3, the Preacher reflects on the seasons of life — a time to be born and a time to die, a time for war and a time for peace. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt explores the rhythms of our existence and where lasting meaning is found. Questions this sermon answers: 1. Who wrote this passage, and why? Traditionally Solomon, reflecting on life's fleeting seasons and the search for meaning "under the sun." 2. Why does...

What is the finish line of your life? Every choice we make moves us toward some destination. In Philippians 3, Paul presses on toward the goal of knowing Christ. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt asks where your life is heading, and how to run toward the right finish line. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What does our past have to do with our future? Paul refused to be defined by his past — neither his failures nor his achievements. He pressed forward toward Christ....

Is it okay to ask God "why"? In this bonus study from Job 10, Dr. Toby Holt asks a question every hurting believer has felt: is it allowed to bring God our raw, grief-filled "why"? Job, the most righteous man on earth, tells God plainly that he loathes his life and wants to know why God is contending with him. God is big enough to receive our honest laments — asking "why" in our pain does not mean God loves us less. Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, David, and Paul all...

Will you walk in the light or the darkness? In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul reminds believers that they are "sons of light" living in a dark world. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt calls Christians to live as agents of light amid the shadows of this age. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What were the Thessalonians anxious about? The future — especially the coming "day of the LORD" and the fate of those who had died. 2. How did Paul comfort them? By assuring them they...

Would the apostle John never die? A rumor once spread that the apostle John would never die. In John 21:20-25, the very end of the Gospel, Dr. Toby Holt explains what Jesus actually said — and what He really meant. When Peter asked about John's future, Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." People took this to mean John would never die, but John corrects the rumor. Holt explains Jesus' words point to His coming in...

Can Jesus restore you after you fail Him? Yes. In John 21:15-19, the risen Jesus meets Peter — who had denied Him three times — and gently restores him. Dr. Toby Holt shows that failure is not the end for those Jesus loves. Over a breakfast on the shore, Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" — one for each denial. Each time Peter says yes, Jesus gives a charge: feed My lambs, tend My sheep, feed My sheep. Love shows itself in faithful service. Jesus then...

Is it wrong to doubt? Not always — but doubt can blind us to plain evidence. In John 20:19-29, the risen Jesus meets the doubting disciple Thomas. Dr. Toby Holt looks at faith, evidence, and the scars of Christ. On the evening of the resurrection, Jesus appears in a locked room, shows His wounded hands and side, and gives peace. Thomas, absent, refuses to believe unless he can touch the wounds. A week later Jesus returns and offers exactly that. Thomas already had...

What proof is there that Jesus rose? In John 20:1-18, Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty and meets the risen Lord. Dr. Toby Holt walks through the evidence that Jesus truly rose from the dead. Mary comes while it is still dark and finds the stone rolled away. Peter and John find the grave clothes lying in place and the face cloth folded by itself — not what robbers would leave. Two angels sit where the body had lain. Then Mary, weeping, mistakes Jesus for the...

Why was the sinless Jesus baptized? In Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus comes to be baptized by John — though He had no sin to wash away. Dr. Toby Holt explains what Jesus meant by "fulfilling all righteousness." John objected, knowing Jesus needed no repentance, but Jesus insisted it was proper "to fulfill all righteousness." Holt explains our salvation needs both Christ's death and His perfect life: forgiveness makes us "not guilty," but we also need righteousness to stand...

What does the name "Emmanuel" mean? "God with us." In Matthew 1:18-25, an angel tells Joseph that Mary's child will be Emmanuel — God come to dwell with His people. Dr. Toby Holt explains the comfort packed into that name. Mary was found with child by the Holy Spirit while only engaged to Joseph. He planned to end it quietly until an angel explained the child was from God, giving two names: "Jesus," the Lord saves, "for He will save His people from their sins"; and...

Why was God silent for 400 years? In this opening study of Matthew 1:1-17, Dr. Toby Holt explains the roughly 400 silent years between the Old and New Testaments — and why Matthew begins with a long family tree. After Malachi, God sent no new word for about four centuries — the calm before the storm. Empires rose and fell, from the Greeks under Alexander to the Romans. Then Matthew, a former tax collector, opens his Gospel by tracing Jesus' line back through David...

Does God actually keep His promises? In 1 Kings 8, Solomon dedicates the temple and declares that not one of God's good promises has failed. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt celebrates the God who keeps His word — including the promises He has made to you. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What is the high point of 1 Kings 8? The temple is finished, God's glory fills it, and Solomon praises the God who fulfilled every promise made to Israel. 2. What did Solomon...

What can we learn from how a great man died? In Deuteronomy 34, Moses climbs a mountain one last time — not to return, but to die within sight of the Promised Land. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt reflects on the death of Moses and what it teaches about faith, leadership, and God's faithfulness. Questions this sermon answers: 1. How did Moses die? At 120, still strong, God Himself showed him the Promised Land and then took him; God alone buried him. 2. Why didn't...

What is the war being waged inside you? In 1 Peter 2:11-12, the Apostle Peter warns of a war — not against outward enemies, but within: the flesh waging war against the soul. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt explains this inner battle and how the believer is to fight it. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What "war" is Peter describing? Not a battle with external foes, but the conflict inside us — "fleshly lusts which war against the soul." The struggle is internal,...

How does saving faith begin? In Romans 10, Paul shows that no one believes in a Savior they have never heard of — "faith comes by hearing." In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt traces how the gospel reaches the lost, and why every believer is now sent to share it. Questions this sermon answers: 1. Where does faith come from? From hearing God's Word. If you have come to faith, it is because someone shared the gospel with you. 2. Why is preaching so important? Because...

Who is your neighbor? In Luke 10, a lawyer tries to justify himself by asking Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answers with the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt unpacks what real love for neighbor looks like. Questions this sermon answers: 1. Why did the lawyer ask the question? To justify himself — to narrow "neighbor" down to a manageable few. Jesus widened it instead. 2. Why was a Samaritan the hero? Samaritans were despised by the...

What did Jesus mean, "It is finished"? In John 19:25-37, Jesus speaks His final words from the cross: "It is finished." Dr. Toby Holt explains why those three words are the heart of the gospel. From the cross, Jesus entrusts His mother to John. Then, having borne the full weight of God's judgment against sin, He cries, "It is finished," and gives up His spirit. The debt is paid in full — nothing left for us to add — and the Old Testament sacrifices are complete. To...

Why call a crucified man a king? In John 19:14-24, Pilate fixes a sign above the dying Jesus: "The King of the Jews." Dr. Toby Holt shows how the cross is the true throne of the King. Jesus is handed over on the day the Passover lambs were prepared — the true Lamb dying at the appointed hour. He carries the crossbar to Golgotha and is crucified between two criminals. Pilate writes the charge in three languages and refuses to change it. The soldiers gamble for His...

What is truth? "What is truth?" Pilate asked Jesus that question and walked away without waiting for the answer. In John 18:28-40, Dr. Toby Holt examines the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor. The Jewish leaders bring Jesus to Pilate because only Rome could carry out an execution. Pilate questions Him about being a king, and Jesus answers, "My kingdom is not of this world." The two talk past each other — one of eternal truth, the other of politics. Finding...

How could Peter deny Jesus three times? In John 18:12-27, the bold disciple Peter denies even knowing Jesus — three times in one night. Dr. Toby Holt shows how quickly confidence can collapse, and how grace meets us in failure. After Jesus is arrested, Peter follows at a distance and warms himself at the enemy's fire. Three times he is asked if he knows Jesus, and three times he says no. Then the rooster crows. Holt contrasts the faithful Rock, Christ, with the...

How does the book of Genesis end? In Genesis 50:15-26, the first book of the Bible closes — not in a garden, but with a coffin in Egypt. Dr. Toby Holt traces the whole sweep of Genesis and its two great themes: human sin and God's grace. After Jacob dies, Joseph's brothers fear revenge. Instead Joseph weeps and forgives them, summing up the whole book in one sentence: what they meant for evil, God meant for good. Joseph dies asking that his bones be carried to the...

Can God bring good out of the worst things? In Genesis 45:1-15, Joseph finally reveals himself to the brothers who sold him into slavery. Dr. Toby Holt unfolds the meaning of "providence" — God's hand at work even through hardship and evil. After years of slavery and prison, Joseph stands as second-in-command of Egypt, with his brothers at his mercy. He could have taken revenge. Instead he weeps, embraces them, and explains that God had sent him ahead to preserve...

Where is God when life seems unfair? In Genesis 40, Joseph sits in an Egyptian prison for a crime he never committed — yet "God was with him." Dr. Toby Holt shows how God works in the dark seasons when life seems most unfair. Falsely accused and forgotten, Joseph meets Pharaoh's imprisoned cupbearer and baker, and God enables him to interpret their dreams: one restored, one executed. Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him — but he forgets, and Joseph waits two...

Why did Joseph's brothers hate him? In Genesis 37, Joseph's brothers hate him enough to sell him into slavery. Dr. Toby Holt asks where God is when calamity strikes — even though God's name never appears in the chapter. Jacob plays favorites with a special coat, and the brothers' jealousy turns to hatred when Joseph shares his dreams of ruling over them. They plot to kill him, then sell him to traders bound for Egypt, and deceive their father with a blood-stained...

Who did Jacob wrestle with all night? In Genesis 32:22-32, Jacob wrestles a mysterious "Man" through the night and walks away with a limp and a new name. Dr. Toby Holt explains this strange and pivotal encounter. Returning home after twenty years, Jacob is terrified of meeting Esau. Left alone at the river, he wrestles until daybreak with One he realizes is God Himself — a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. He clings to Him: "I will not let You go unless You bless...

What was Jacob's ladder, really? In Genesis 28:10-22, the fleeing deceiver Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven. Dr. Toby Holt reveals what that ladder truly was. Running from Esau, Jacob sleeps with a stone for a pillow and sees a ladder joining heaven and earth, angels going up and down, and God above it renewing His promises. Every person senses a gap between earth and heaven, and our error is trying to build our own ladder by good works. But...

Can God use a broken family? In Genesis 27, a blind old father, a scheming mother, and a deceiving son all sin their way through one chaotic day. Dr. Toby Holt shows how God works His good plan even through a deeply broken family. Isaac plans to bless Esau, ignoring God's choice of Jacob. Rebekah schemes, and Jacob lies to his father's face to steal the blessing. Every major figure does wrong — yet the blessing still lands on Jacob, the son God had chosen. Nothing...

Why did God choose Jacob over Esau? In Genesis 25, before twin brothers are even born, God declares that "the older shall serve the younger." Dr. Toby Holt explores one of the Bible's clearest teachings on God's electing choice. As Isaac's line continues, Rebekah gives birth to Esau and Jacob, and God announces His choice of Jacob before either has done good or bad. Quoted by Paul in Romans 9, this is a foundation for predestination: God's choice rests on His...

Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? In Genesis 22, God gives Abraham the hardest command imaginable: offer your son Isaac as a sacrifice. Dr. Toby Holt walks through this famous test and the gospel it foreshadows. Abraham obeys, traveling three days to Mount Moriah as Isaac carries the wood up the hill. At the last moment God stops him and provides a ram as a substitute. Abraham trusted God so fully that, Hebrews says, he believed God could raise Isaac...

Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? In Genesis 18:22 through 19, God rains down judgment on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Dr. Toby Holt examines a sobering account of both God's wrath and His mercy. Before judgment falls, Abraham pleads with God, who agrees to spare the cities for ten righteous people — but not even ten are found. Two angels rescue Lot's family as fire destroys the cities; Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt. Jesus...

Is anything too hard for God? In Genesis 18:1-15, the Lord promises ninety-year-old Sarah a son — and she laughs. Dr. Toby Holt asks whether anything is truly too hard for God. Three visitors come to Abraham, one of them the Lord Himself in human form. As Abraham serves a lavish meal, the Lord renews His promise: Sarah will have a son within the year. Sarah, far past childbearing age, laughs at the impossibility. God's reply: "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"...

What does it mean to be a friend of God? In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham out of a pagan land with a staggering set of promises. Dr. Toby Holt opens the life of the man the Bible calls "the friend of God." Abraham came from Ur, steeped in idol worship, yet God chose him — not for his merit but by grace. God told him to leave his country and family for a land he had never seen, and he obeyed. God promised to make him a great nation and to bless all the families of...

Why did God confuse the world's languages? In Genesis 11:1-9, humanity unites to build a tower to the heavens — and God scatters them by confusing their language. Dr. Toby Holt explains what really happened at Babel. God had told mankind to spread out and fill the earth, but the people gathered to build a city and tower "to make a name for ourselves" — pride and rebellion. God came down, confused their language, and scattered them, accomplishing His will despite...

Was Noah's flood about more than animals? In Genesis 6, the world has grown so corrupt that God sends a flood — yet "Noah found grace." Dr. Toby Holt shows that the flood is far more than a children's story. As humanity's wickedness fills the earth, God resolves to judge it with a flood — a picture of His wrath on sin. But Noah finds grace, and God provides the ark as the one means of rescue, pointing forward to Christ, the only refuge from judgment. Jesus said the...

Why did Cain kill his brother? In Genesis 4:1-12, the first child ever born grows up to commit the first murder. Dr. Toby Holt shows how Cain and Abel reveal the deep reality of sin in every human heart. Both bring offerings, but God accepts Abel's and not Cain's — because of the heart behind it. Instead of repenting, Cain grows furious and murders his brother. There was no bad upbringing to blame; Cain's sin came from his own fallen nature. God had warned, "sin...

How did one sin change everything? In Genesis 3, a single act of disobedience plunges the whole world into ruin. Dr. Toby Holt explains the fall of mankind — and the first promise of a Savior. The serpent tempts Eve by twisting God's word and questioning His goodness, and both Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. Shame, blame, and death follow, and the curse spreads to all creation. Yet even in the curse comes the first gospel promise: a coming "Seed" of the woman...

Did God really create everything? In Genesis 1, the Bible opens with five world-shaping words: "In the beginning, God created." Dr. Toby Holt shows why how we understand creation shapes everything else we believe. Genesis declares God made the heavens and earth out of nothing, by His word, and made human beings in His image. This is the foundation of all right thinking about God and ourselves — "there is a God, and you are not Him." As Creator, He sets the purpose...

Is there real evidence that Jesus rose from the dead? In Luke 24, the resurrection is presented with witnesses, proofs, and eyewitness testimony. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt considers the empty tomb and why so much hangs on whether it is true. Questions this sermon answers: 1. Why were the disciples anxious at first? Because the news seemed too good to believe — even those closest to Jesus struggled to grasp that He was truly alive. 2. What evidence does Luke...

Why did John the Baptist call Jesus "the Lamb of God"? In John 1, as the people prepared for Passover, John pointed to Jesus and called Him "the Lamb of God." In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt explores why Jesus is the true Lamb, and what that means for our salvation. Questions this sermon answers: 1. Why call Jesus a "Lamb"? Because the Passover lamb was slain so that judgment would pass over God's people — a picture fulfilled in Christ, who takes away sin. 2. Why...

Why does God allow His children to suffer trials? In 1 Peter 1, the apostle writes to suffering believers, reminding them that this world is not their home. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt brings encouragement for Christians facing hardships and trials. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What did Peter say to the suffering? That their trials are temporary, and that a living hope and an imperishable inheritance await them in Christ. 2. Why does God allow testing? To...