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How does the Old Testament end? In Malachi 4:1-6, we reach the very last words of the Old Testament — and then God falls silent for some 400 years. Dr. Toby Holt shows how the Old Testament closes with both warning and hope. Malachi describes a coming day of judgment that will burn up the proud like stubble, but for those who fear God's name, "the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing...

Is serving God really worth it? In Malachi 3:13-18, God's people grumble that serving Him is useless — they see no payoff. Dr. Toby Holt answers a question every believer feels at some point: is faithfulness worth it? The people complained that the proud and wicked seemed to prosper while the godly gained nothing. Our circumstances are not the measure of God's love. God keeps a "book of remem...

In Malachi 3, God accused His people of "robbing Him." What were they doing? As we'll see in today's study, God had given His people everything that they had. For that matter, He has done the same for us. How should we respond? Well, Scripture calls us to be good and generous stewards. However, our inclination is to be the opposite - to be selfish and greedy. In today's text, we'll see h...

God is good, and yet evil exists. How do we reconcile the two? In today's text, we will see that God intends to judge every last drop of evil. It is only a matter of time. For the righteous, that is welcome news - and for the wicked, it means that a 'reckoning' is right around the corner. We will consider these topics and more in today's study of Malachi 3. Questions That We'll Answer: A) Why did...

Why does God say He hates divorce? In Malachi 2:10-16, God confronts His people for breaking faith in their marriages. Dr. Toby Holt explains why marriage matters so deeply to God — and what He means when He says He hates divorce. God charges His people with "treachery" — unfaithful both in marrying those who worshiped false gods and in betraying "the wife of your youth." Marri...

Pastors are not supposed to show partiality - not in what doctrines they teach, and not in who they teach those doctrines to. In Malachi's day, this was a problem. The Old Testament priests were showing partiality to specific teachings and specific people. And that had made God angry! Click to learn more in Episode 2 of our new series in Malachi. Questions That We'll Answer: A) What is the sin of...

How do you know God loves you? In Malachi 1:1-5, God's people ask a heartbreaking question: "In what way have You loved us?" Dr. Toby Holt opens the book of Malachi and God's surprising answer. The people had drifted from God and doubted His love. God answers not by pointing to the Exodus, but to two brothers: "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." God set His saving love...

Will there be a temple in heaven? In Ezekiel 40-48, the prophet is given a sweeping vision of a vast, measured temple. Dr. Toby Holt explains what that future temple really is — and why it is not a building made of bricks. Taken to a high mountain, Ezekiel sees a glorious temple measured out in detail, and the glory of God returning to fill it. It reads like a guided tour, not a blueprint — a pict...

Can dead, hopeless things live again? In Ezekiel 37, God sets the prophet down in a valley full of dry bones and asks, "Can these bones live?" Dr. Toby Holt unpacks one of the Bible's most vivid pictures of hope. The bones picture God's people in exile, who said, "Our bones are dry, our hope is lost." As Ezekiel preaches God's word over them, the bones come together, take on fl...

Can God change a hard heart? In Ezekiel 36, God promises to remove His people's "heart of stone" and give them a "heart of flesh." Dr. Toby Holt explains the great doctrine of regeneration — the new heart only God can give. Israel had broken covenant and disgraced God's name, yet God promises to act — for the sake of His own holy name, not their merit. He will sprinkle them cle...

Why does pride lead to a fall? In Ezekiel 26-28, God pronounces judgment on the proud, wealthy city of Tyre — and in doing so, gives a startling glimpse of the devil himself. Dr. Toby Holt traces the deadly path of pride. Tyre gloated over Jerusalem's fall and trusted in its wealth and island fortress. God judges the "prince of Tyre," a human ruler who claimed, "I am a god." Th...

What happens when God leaves a church? In Ezekiel 8-11, the prophet watches the glory of God lift from the temple and depart. Dr. Toby Holt explains one of the saddest scenes in all of Scripture. God shows Ezekiel the hidden idolatry inside His own temple — leaders worshiping false gods with their backs to Him. What is most striking is not God's anger but how long He held back judgment. Faithful p...

When the TRAIN is coming, it is time to get off the TRACKS. In Ezekiel's day, the Israelites were standing on the train tracks of God's wrath, and were about to get run over. But why? What had they done? In Ezekiel 4-5, God details their errors and the nature of His coming judgment. Questions That We'll Answer: A) If Israel was God's covenental people, why was God so angry with them? B) Would God...

What is a spiritual watchman? In Ezekiel 3:16-21, God appoints the prophet as a "watchman" for His people. Dr. Toby Holt explains the watchman's solemn duty — and what it means for us. A watchman had two jobs: to watch and to warn. If he saw danger and stayed silent, the people's blood would be on his hands. God tells Ezekiel the danger is not a foreign army but God's own judgment on sin...

In Week 2 of our study, we consider Ezekiel's call to be a prophet. This was not an easy job - because Israel had a history of rejecting (and even killing) its prophets. With that said, how would this young man respond to God's call? What would he say to his rebellious people? And would his words have any application to our own day and age, all of these centuries later? Questions That We'll Answer...

In Ezekiel 1, the prophet had an amazing vision. Specifically, the prophet saw a fiery whirlwind approach, and within the whirlwind was a CHARIOT OF FIRE - a chariot that was carried by angels, who flew amidst the chariot's fiery wheels. What was this vision all about? Click for Part 1 of our new 10 Part series in the Book of Ezekiel. Questions That We'll Answer: A) What was Ezekiel doing in Babyl...

Can fulfilled prophecy prove the Bible is God's Word? In Daniel 8, Daniel records a vision of a ram and a goat — symbols of empires that would rise centuries later. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt shows how the angel's own interpretation lines up with the historical record, and what that means for our confidence in Scripture. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What did Daniel see? A ram with two horn...

In Daniel 7, the prophet watched as four beasts climbed out of the water - four violent, hideous creatures. But what were they? And what did they come to do? In today's sermon, we will consider the four beasts of Daniel's dream, and we'll try to identify who (or what) they represent. Questions That We'll Answer: A) What was the purpose of Daniel's vision? B) What were the identities of the creatur...

"The Devil is like a prowling lion, seeking who he can devour." This statement from 1 Peter 5 makes for an interesting contrast with the prophet's experience in the lion's den in Daniel 6 . In both cases, God's people are exposed to a creature that desires to eat them alive. And in both cases, God intervenes to prevent this from happening. Click on this sermon link to hear more. Question...

What does it mean to be "weighed and found wanting"? In Daniel 5, a mysterious hand writes words of doom on the palace wall during King Belshazzar's feast. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt unpacks this dramatic scene and its sobering warning about pride and accountability before God. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What did the writing say? "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN" — a mess...

Is anyone too far gone for God's grace? In Daniel 4, the proud and brutal King Nebuchadnezzar is humbled by God — and then lifts his eyes to heaven and praises Him. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt considers the apparent conversion of one of history's great villains, and the reach of God's grace. Questions this sermon answers: 1. How did God humble the king? He brought low his pride, driving him from...

Who really decides the rise and fall of nations? In Daniel 4, the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar learns a hard lesson: no empire, however glorious, outranks the Most High. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt shows that God alone rules over the nations and the course of history. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What was Nebuchadnezzar's error? Pride — he believed his greatness was his own achievement, forge...

Do you have integrity? Do you have principles? Will you stand for what you believe in? Sometimes in life, our principles are put to the test. How do we respond in those moments? In today's study of Daniel 3, we'll see how Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego responded to King Nebuchadnezzar's decree - and how they would not deny their God, even when thrown into a fiery furnace. And then we'll see how t...

Have you ever had a "bad dream?" In Chapter 2 of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had a bad dream - a nightmare that he didn't like and couldn't understand. And so he sought someone to interpret this dream for him (and began killing the 'wise men' who couldn't). Fortunately, God had given the interpretation to one man, the prophet that we know as Daniel. Click to hear more, as we continue our...

How do you stay faithful in a hostile culture? In Daniel 1, a young exile in pagan Babylon resolves not to defile himself, even under pressure to conform. In this sermon, Dr. Toby Holt shows how Daniel lived as a faithful "stranger in a strange land" — and how we can too. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What pressure did Daniel face? To assimilate fully into Babylon's culture, includin...