God doesn’t need us to do anything.
However, He invites us to do a great deal!
Specifically He gives us jobs of great importance.
How then should we respond?
That will be the focus of today’s study in Matthew 10.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What is the harvest field, and who are the laborers?
B) Why did Christ tell His apostles not to rely on their provisions?
C) What jobs and responsibilities do you and I have this year?
Speaker: Dr. Toby B. Holt
Elisha And The Bears (What Really Happened) (00:25:27)
Elisha was bald. Very bald.
In 2 Kings 2, the youth noticed – and mocked him for it.
How did Elisha respond?
Well, not in a way that you might expect.
He cursed the youth – and two bears came out to maul them.
So, what’s the deal with that? For some, it seems like an overreaction.
Other Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What was so sinful about the youth’s actions?
B) Why was Elisha justified in the response?
C) What do these events tell us about God?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
A Towering Yet Tender God (00:24:01)
In Psalm 8, David marveled at the stars.
And as he did so, he considered God’s power.
‘What is man,’ David asked, that God should care for him?
In other words, why would a God so big care for people so small?
And yet, He does.
In today’s text, we’ll consider the towering yet tender nature of our God.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What is so striking about Psalm 8?
B) Why does David focus on the ‘name’ of God?
C) What proof do you have that God loves you?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
A Time For Everything (00:20:15)
‘To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under heaven.’
– Ecclesiastes 3:1
In life, there is a time to be born and a time to die.
There is a time to kill and a time to heal.
There is a time of war and a time of peace.
In today’s study, we’ll consider the various cycles of our existence.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) Who wrote this famous passage, and why?
B) Why is life futile ‘under the sun?’
C) What makes things different ‘under heaven?’
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
The Finish Line (Of The Christian’s Race) (00:22:56)
What is your ‘finish line?’
Your life and choices are taking you somewhere.
One decision at a time, you are closer to a destination.
The question is: what sort of destination is it?
That will be the focus of today’s study in Philippians 3.
Other Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What does our past have to do with our future?
B) What did Paul say about his own history?
C) What does it mean to ‘press toward the prize?’
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
Why, God? (When We Ask God Why) (00:27:15)
Why?
It is the most basic of all questions.
As humans, we want to know why things happen.
Especially when those things are painful.
That was Job’s problem.
Job couldn’t understand how God could allow his suffering.
We’ll explore this further in today’s study of Job 10.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What was Job’s struggle? What couldn’t he understand?
B) Is God indifferent to our hurts or pains?
C) What are the implications to your own life?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
The Light And The Darkness (00:22:54)
This world is not our home.
We live out our earthly days in the ‘shadowlands.’
All around us is a mixture of darkness and light.
However, we still have a choice.
Will we be agents of the light or the dark?
That will be the focus of today’s study in 1 Thessalonians 5.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What were the Thessalonians anxious about?
B) How did the Apostle Paul address that anxiety?
C) What were the implications for how they were to live?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
John: The Return Of Jesus Christ (00:24:40)
In John 21, Jesus talked about His ‘return.’
He would leave.
In due time, He would come back.
But for what purpose? And at what point?
That will be the focus of today’s study.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) Why did Jesus suggest that John would remain?
B) How do the events of 70AD relate to this passage?
C) How does John’s gospel conclude?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
John: Feed My Sheep (Christ’s Words To Peter) (00:00:00)
How many times had Peter ‘denied’ Jesus?
Three.
How many times did Jesus ask Peter if he ‘loved’ Him?
Three.
In today’s study of John 21, we’ll see the forgiveness of Christ, and the commissioning of Peter.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What caused Peter to recognize Jesus on the beach?
B) What did Jesus mean by ‘feed My sheep?’
C) How does this passage apply to our own lives and leadership?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby B. Holt
John: Of Scars And Skeptics (00:24:20)
Skepticism is NOT a fruit of the Spirit.
In John 19, Jesus died.
In John 20, He was resurrected.
And after that, He appeared to His apostles in the Upper Room.
However, one was missing. And he didn’t believe the other ten.
The ‘doubts’ of Thomas will be the focus of today’s study.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What are the proofs of Christ’s resurrection?
B) What else do we know about ‘Doubting Thomas?’
C) What does this text teach us about ‘faith?’
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby B. Holt
John: The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ (00:25:20)
He Is Risen!
In John 19, Jesus died. But He didn’t stay dead.
In John 20, He rose from the tomb (just as He said He would)!
And in doing so, He made possible our own resurrection.
That will be the focus of today’s study in the Gospel of John.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) What are the proofs / evidences of the resurrection?
B) Why were two angels sitting on either side of the grave slab?
C) What did Jesus say to Mary Magdalene at this time?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby B. Holt
John: It Is Finished (Victory On Calvary) (00:28:35)
It. Is. Finished.
Just three words – yet, the most significant ever spoken.
On Calvary, Jesus declared ‘it is finished.’
The question for us is: what was He referring to?
What was ‘finished,’ and what value does it have for us?
That will be the focus of today’s study in John 19.
Other Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) Why did Jesus have to die? Was it really necessary?
B) Why did the sky grow dark, and why was the temple veiled ripped?
C) What proofs are there of the crucifixion and resurrection?
Dr. Toby Holt is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, in Gulfport MS.
John: The King On The Cross (00:24:35)
It is finished.
Three simple words – three words, on which your fate rests.
On Calvary, Jesus completed the work that He was sent to do.
What was that work? And what does it mean for you?
That will be the focus of today’s study from John 19.
Questions That We’ll Answer:
A) Did Jesus really have to die? And if so, why?
B) What did Christ’s death actually accomplish?
C) What prophesies were fulfilled on the cross?
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
John: Pilate’s Interrogation Of Jesus (00:27:07)
“What is truth?”
That was Pilate’s question.
It was a great question – too bad he didn’t wait for an answer.
Pontius Pilate asked Jesus a number of things in John 18 – and was befuddled by Christ’s responses. We will consider their unique conversation in today’s study.
Questions We’ll Address:
A) Who was Pilate, and what was his background?
B) Why did the Jewish leaders take Jesus to Pilate?
C) Why did the people demand the release of Barabbas?
John: The Denials Of Peter (00:27:29)
Peter said that he loved Jesus.
Peter said that he’d die for Jesus.
But on the night of Christ’s betrayal, Peter denied Him three times.
So, what do we make of Peter’s failure? What do we make of his weakness?
And how did Christ respond?
That will be the focus of today’s study in John 18.
Web: www.fpcgulfport.org
John: The Betrayal And Arrest Of Jesus (00:25:53)
Lanterns, torches and weapons.
The men who sought Jesus were heavily armed!
That’s what rebels do – they arm themselves for battle.
Meanwhile, Jesus waited patiently.
In a sense, the events of John 18 are a microcosm of mankind’s history.
Specifically, our ‘armed rebellion’ against a loving and patient God.
We’ll consider that rebellion (and Christ’s response) in today’s study of John 18.
Church Website: www.fpcgulfport.org
John: The High Priestly Prayer (00:24:04)
You are not alone.
You have a divine ‘intercessor.’
And when life gets hard, the Son pleads your case to His Father.
But what does He say? What does He ask for?
That will be the focus of today’s study in John 17.
John: Jesus Has Overcome The World (00:24:00)
Jesus, 1. The World, 0.
It wasn’t even close.
Herod, Pilate, the devil, and all the Pharisees could not stop Christ’s victory.
They didn’t even delay it.
In John 16, Jesus said He had overcome the world – but what does that mean for you and I as believers?
That will be the focus of today’s study.
John: The Myth Of Spiritual Neutrality (00:26:45)
Some believe the world is a ‘neutral’ place.
But they’re wrong.
The world is filled with light and shadow; good and evil, angels and demons.
The world is not neutral. It is spiritually polarized.
And that’s just what Jesus told His disciples in John 15.
John: What It Means To Abide In Christ (00:23:25)
Picture a branch.
If that branch is on the ground, it’s dead.
A severed branch bears no fruit.
However, if that same branch is connected to a tree or vine, it’s alive.
In John 15, Jesus says that the same is true of us.
Specifically, He tells us to ‘abide’ in Him (as a branch on a vine).
But what does the word ‘abide’ really mean? That will be the focus of today’s study.
John: The Indwelling Of The Holy Spirit (00:26:03)
Who is the Holy Spirit, and what does He do?
In John 14, Jesus promised that the ‘Holy Spirit’ would appear after His departure.
“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth.” – John 14:16
Jesus also said that this ‘Spirit’ would be of great blessing to His disciples.
So, what kind of blessing would that be?
That will be the focus of today’s study in John 14.
John: Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled (00:26:30)
Fear overwhelmed the disciples.
Huddled in the Upper Room, Jesus had talked about His coming death, the presence of a betrayer, and of the dark days to follow.
The men were shaken.
But, sensing their anxiety, Jesus gathered them close, saying “let not your heart be troubled.” Dark days would soon give way to hope and victory.
If your heart is troubled today, then be encouraged by this study of John 14.
John: The Washing Of The Disciple’s Feet (00:20:56)
Unthinkable.
In John 13, the Creator washed the feet of people that He created.
And moments later, one went out to betray Him.
The Lord Supper was filled with several shocking moments like these.
We’ll consider two of them in today’s study of John 13:1-17.
John: The Voice That Shook Heaven (00:29:01)
God’s voice boomed from Heaven.
Did the people listen and obey?
No. They dismissed it as ‘thunder.’
Many say they’re waiting for proof of God and His plan, asking for a clearer revelation from on high. Yet when He answers, guess what? They ignore Him.
What about you?
This will be the focus of today’s study in John 12.
John: The Arrival Of The Messiah (00:25:57)
Jesus wept on Palm Sunday.
While others shouted ‘Hosanna’ and laid down palm branches, Jesus wept.
But why?
Because He knew something the others did not.
In today’s study, we’ll consider what that was.
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Toby Holt
Text: John 12:12-19
