<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><?xml-stylesheet href="https://feeds.captivate.fm/style.xsl" type="text/xsl"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"><channel><atom:link href="https://feeds.captivate.fm/psalms-explained/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><title><![CDATA[Psalms Explained: A Bible Study]]></title><podcast:guid>b4d97c0f-645e-5cf1-808e-7926735c8577</podcast:guid><lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 20:03:48 +0000</lastBuildDate><generator>Captivate.fm</generator><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><copyright><![CDATA[2026 T. Holt]]></copyright><managingEditor>Dr. Toby Holt | New Geneva Theological Seminary</managingEditor><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Who wrote the Psalms?

What is the Book of Psalms about?

The Book of Psalms is the prayer book of the Church, capturing the full range of human emotion—from the heights of glorious praise to the depths of desperate lament. In this expansive Bible study, we walk verse-by-verse through the songs of Israel to see how they point us to Christ, sustain us in suffering, and teach us how to speak to God. This exposition provides rigorous, biblical depth while remaining accessible for daily Christian living.

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt
Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary. Dr. Holt's sermons have reached over 1.9 million listeners on SermonAudio. He focuses on clear, verse-by-verse teaching that makes the Bible easy to understand.

Support New Geneva:
To support Dr. Holt's ministry at the seminary, please visit: newgeneva.org/give.]]></itunes:summary><image><url>https://artwork.captivate.fm/c2e6e716-409c-4e48-9c9d-833fd6306ec7/image.jpg</url><title>Psalms Explained: A Bible Study</title><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org]]></link></image><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/c2e6e716-409c-4e48-9c9d-833fd6306ec7/image.jpg"/><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Dr. Toby Holt | New Geneva Theological Seminary</itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author>Dr. Toby Holt | New Geneva Theological Seminary</itunes:author><description>Who wrote the Psalms?

What is the Book of Psalms about?

The Book of Psalms is the prayer book of the Church, capturing the full range of human emotion—from the heights of glorious praise to the depths of desperate lament. In this expansive Bible study, we walk verse-by-verse through the songs of Israel to see how they point us to Christ, sustain us in suffering, and teach us how to speak to God. This exposition provides rigorous, biblical depth while remaining accessible for daily Christian living.

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt
Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary. Dr. Holt&apos;s sermons have reached over 1.9 million listeners on SermonAudio. He focuses on clear, verse-by-verse teaching that makes the Bible easy to understand.

Support New Geneva:
To support Dr. Holt&apos;s ministry at the seminary, please visit: newgeneva.org/give.</description><link>https://www.newgeneva.org</link><atom:link href="https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com" rel="hub"/><itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Clear, verse-by-verse teaching through the Book of Psalms. Discover the beauty of biblical praise, lament, and worship.]]></itunes:subtitle><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Christianity"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Education"></itunes:category><itunes:new-feed-url>https://feeds.captivate.fm/psalms-explained/</itunes:new-feed-url><podcast:locked>no</podcast:locked><podcast:medium>podcast</podcast:medium><podcast:funding url="https://www.newgeneva.org/give">Support The Show</podcast:funding><item><title>Towering Yet Tender God</title><itunes:title>Towering Yet Tender God</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why would a God this great care about you?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 8, David looks at the night sky and asks, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows how God is both towering above all things and tender toward each of us.</p><p>David is overwhelmed by God’s majesty — the heavens, the moon and the stars, all the work of His fingers. Against that vastness, people seem tiny. Yet the wonder of the psalm is that this towering God stoops to care for us, crowning humanity with honor and dignity. Dr. Holt explains that God exceeds us not only in size but in substance, and that we bear His image. The God who set the stars in place is also the God who is mindful of you.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What is so striking about Psalm 8?</strong> That the God who made the vast heavens also cares about small, sinful people. His greatness and His tenderness meet in this psalm.</p><p><strong>2. Why does David focus on the “name” of God?</strong> Because God’s name carries His nature and majesty. To praise His name is to praise who He truly is.</p><p><strong>3. What proof do you have that God loves you?</strong> That the towering Creator stoops to be mindful of you and crowns you with dignity. His care for the small is the wonder of Psalm 8.</p><p><em>“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” — Psalm 8:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why would a God this great care about you?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 8, David looks at the night sky and asks, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows how God is both towering above all things and tender toward each of us.</p><p>David is overwhelmed by God’s majesty — the heavens, the moon and the stars, all the work of His fingers. Against that vastness, people seem tiny. Yet the wonder of the psalm is that this towering God stoops to care for us, crowning humanity with honor and dignity. Dr. Holt explains that God exceeds us not only in size but in substance, and that we bear His image. The God who set the stars in place is also the God who is mindful of you.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What is so striking about Psalm 8?</strong> That the God who made the vast heavens also cares about small, sinful people. His greatness and His tenderness meet in this psalm.</p><p><strong>2. Why does David focus on the “name” of God?</strong> Because God’s name carries His nature and majesty. To praise His name is to praise who He truly is.</p><p><strong>3. What proof do you have that God loves you?</strong> That the towering Creator stoops to be mindful of you and crowns you with dignity. His care for the small is the wonder of Psalm 8.</p><p><em>“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” — Psalm 8:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/towering-yet-tender-god]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">7ec7ee4c-1b71-42e0-8e00-8df42a3cc87f</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/12082c6e-5728-4018-81a3-6bfd1c2d6606/Tender-Cover.png"/><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 08:15:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7ec7ee4c-1b71-42e0-8e00-8df42a3cc87f.mp3" length="23115912" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>23:47</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/7d3bf3a0-e356-419e-8973-2b430b38330f/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/7d3bf3a0-e356-419e-8973-2b430b38330f/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>The Lord Is My Shepherd</title><itunes:title>The Lord Is My Shepherd</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>What does it mean that the Lord is your shepherd?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 23, the most beloved psalm in the Bible, David calls the Lord “my shepherd.” In this study, Dr. Toby Holt unpacks why this short psalm has comforted God’s people for three thousand years.</p><p>To call the Lord “my shepherd” is a bold, personal claim — and it also admits that we are sheep: prone to wander and in need of care. Dr. Holt walks through the psalm’s two pictures: God as the Shepherd who guards, provides, and leads, and God as the gracious Host who anoints our head and fills our cup to overflowing. Jesus took up this very image when He called Himself the Good Shepherd, whose sheep hear His voice. It is the most requested passage at funerals — because its hope reaches all the way to “the house of the LORD forever.”</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why is Psalm 23 the most beloved psalm?</strong> Because it speaks of God’s personal care in life and in death. Its comfort meets people in their deepest needs.</p><p><strong>2. What does it mean to call the Lord “my shepherd”?</strong> It is a claim of trust — and an admission that we are sheep who need leading, providing, and protecting.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to be one of God’s sheep?</strong> It means knowing the Shepherd’s voice and following Him. His sheep are kept safe by the One who laid down His life for them.</p><p><em>“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” — Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>What does it mean that the Lord is your shepherd?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 23, the most beloved psalm in the Bible, David calls the Lord “my shepherd.” In this study, Dr. Toby Holt unpacks why this short psalm has comforted God’s people for three thousand years.</p><p>To call the Lord “my shepherd” is a bold, personal claim — and it also admits that we are sheep: prone to wander and in need of care. Dr. Holt walks through the psalm’s two pictures: God as the Shepherd who guards, provides, and leads, and God as the gracious Host who anoints our head and fills our cup to overflowing. Jesus took up this very image when He called Himself the Good Shepherd, whose sheep hear His voice. It is the most requested passage at funerals — because its hope reaches all the way to “the house of the LORD forever.”</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why is Psalm 23 the most beloved psalm?</strong> Because it speaks of God’s personal care in life and in death. Its comfort meets people in their deepest needs.</p><p><strong>2. What does it mean to call the Lord “my shepherd”?</strong> It is a claim of trust — and an admission that we are sheep who need leading, providing, and protecting.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to be one of God’s sheep?</strong> It means knowing the Shepherd’s voice and following Him. His sheep are kept safe by the One who laid down His life for them.</p><p><em>“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” — Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/the-lord-is-my-shepherd]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">61eec33f-864c-4356-8a17-b32e0180574d</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/64b51985-81be-429f-89d4-ebb0d0ba2486/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/cd2f9345-eae5-4745-8556-074f6c224743.mp3" length="26873280" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>27:49</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/85a6f0e7-09fc-4751-a3f8-54a1f35716df/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/85a6f0e7-09fc-4751-a3f8-54a1f35716df/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>How Long O Lord (The Cry Of God&apos;s People)</title><itunes:title>How Long O Lord (The Cry Of God&apos;s People)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Is it okay to ask God “how long”?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 13, David cries out “How long, O LORD?” four times in just six verses — and then ends in worship. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that honest lament and real faith can go together.</p><p>David feels forgotten and overwhelmed, and he tells God so plainly. Dr. Holt notes that our struggle is often the duration of hardship, not only its severity. Yet David does not stay in despair: he remembers God’s past faithfulness — rescue from the lion, the bear, and Goliath — and chooses to trust again. The psalm moves from frustration to faith, ending, “I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why did David, “a man after God’s own heart,” feel abandoned?</strong> Because faith does not erase real pain. David honestly voiced his anguish even while continuing to trust God.</p><p><strong>2. What does this psalm teach about honest prayer?</strong> That God welcomes our raw, honest cries. Lament is not the opposite of faith; it can be an act of it.</p><p><strong>3. How can worship rise even from pain?</strong> By remembering God’s past faithfulness and trusting His mercy. David sang again because he recalled how God had dealt bountifully with him.</p><p><em>“But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” — Psalm 13:5-6 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Is it okay to ask God “how long”?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 13, David cries out “How long, O LORD?” four times in just six verses — and then ends in worship. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that honest lament and real faith can go together.</p><p>David feels forgotten and overwhelmed, and he tells God so plainly. Dr. Holt notes that our struggle is often the duration of hardship, not only its severity. Yet David does not stay in despair: he remembers God’s past faithfulness — rescue from the lion, the bear, and Goliath — and chooses to trust again. The psalm moves from frustration to faith, ending, “I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why did David, “a man after God’s own heart,” feel abandoned?</strong> Because faith does not erase real pain. David honestly voiced his anguish even while continuing to trust God.</p><p><strong>2. What does this psalm teach about honest prayer?</strong> That God welcomes our raw, honest cries. Lament is not the opposite of faith; it can be an act of it.</p><p><strong>3. How can worship rise even from pain?</strong> By remembering God’s past faithfulness and trusting His mercy. David sang again because he recalled how God had dealt bountifully with him.</p><p><em>“But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” — Psalm 13:5-6 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/how-long-o-lord-(the-cry-of-gods-people)]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">95016598-035e-4232-80a5-b32e017f449f</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/b98a3371-f6c9-4aef-bab0-83aeeb22252f/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/8b8497e2-d3fe-45c7-977d-03855bf19a1e.mp3" length="27388170" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>28:19</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/8cfb8bf0-63ba-45f3-b454-cca09a9797e2/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/8cfb8bf0-63ba-45f3-b454-cca09a9797e2/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Why Do The Nations Rage</title><itunes:title>Why Do The Nations Rage</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why do people rage against God?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 2, the nations and their rulers conspire against the Lord — a rebellion as old as the human heart. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt unpacks this psalm’s picture of human defiance and God’s enthroned King.</p><p>The kings of the earth plot to throw off God’s rule, but God in heaven is unmoved. Dr. Holt explains that Psalm 2 is a Messianic psalm pointing to Christ, God’s appointed King, who will one day rule the nations. For now, God shows patience toward rebels, calling them to “kiss the Son” — to submit to Christ — before judgment comes. The psalm ends with a promise: “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does God “laugh” at earthly rulers?</strong> Because their rebellion against the Almighty is futile. Nothing they plot can shake His throne.</p><p><strong>2. How is this psalm both political and prophetic?</strong> It speaks to real rulers who oppose God, and it points ahead to Christ, the King God has installed over all nations.</p><p><strong>3. How should we respond to God’s King?</strong> By trusting and submitting to the Son rather than resisting Him. Those who take refuge in Him are blessed, not condemned.</p><p><em>“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?” — Psalm 2:1 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why do people rage against God?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 2, the nations and their rulers conspire against the Lord — a rebellion as old as the human heart. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt unpacks this psalm’s picture of human defiance and God’s enthroned King.</p><p>The kings of the earth plot to throw off God’s rule, but God in heaven is unmoved. Dr. Holt explains that Psalm 2 is a Messianic psalm pointing to Christ, God’s appointed King, who will one day rule the nations. For now, God shows patience toward rebels, calling them to “kiss the Son” — to submit to Christ — before judgment comes. The psalm ends with a promise: “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does God “laugh” at earthly rulers?</strong> Because their rebellion against the Almighty is futile. Nothing they plot can shake His throne.</p><p><strong>2. How is this psalm both political and prophetic?</strong> It speaks to real rulers who oppose God, and it points ahead to Christ, the King God has installed over all nations.</p><p><strong>3. How should we respond to God’s King?</strong> By trusting and submitting to the Son rather than resisting Him. Those who take refuge in Him are blessed, not condemned.</p><p><em>“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?” — Psalm 2:1 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/why-do-the-nations-rage]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">40bd7d4b-3345-41fe-9169-b32e017f4493</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/dbc4bc1b-e920-4e22-afb2-cd846c063522/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/bdeaf17f-5fe4-4137-b14a-403d6fb7312f.mp3" length="26586717" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>27:29</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/24d21758-6968-4552-bd90-cca15b949d8a/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/24d21758-6968-4552-bd90-cca15b949d8a/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>The Omniscience (Knowledge) Of God</title><itunes:title>The Omniscience (Knowledge) Of God</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>How well does God know you?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 139:1-6, David says God has “searched” and “known” him completely. In this study, part of a series on God’s attributes, Dr. Toby Holt explores the omniscience, or all-knowing, of God.</p><p>God knows our sitting down and our rising up, our thoughts, even our words before we speak them. Dr. Holt explains that God’s knowledge is not gained over time, the way we get to know a friend — He knows all things instantly and perfectly, and is never surprised. Such knowledge, David admits, is “too wonderful” to grasp. The comfort is that the God who knows us fully — sin and all — loves us still, and can be trusted even when we do not understand what He does.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. How does God’s omniscience bring both conviction and comfort?</strong> It convicts us, because He sees everything; it comforts us, because He knows us fully and loves us anyway.</p><p><strong>2. Is God ever surprised or learning?</strong> No. God knows all things at once and perfectly. He never grows in knowledge or discovers anything new.</p><p><strong>3. How should God’s all-knowing reshape how we live?</strong> It moves us to honesty before Him and trust in Him. The God who knows everything also knows what is best.</p><p><em>“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” — Psalm 139:6 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>How well does God know you?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 139:1-6, David says God has “searched” and “known” him completely. In this study, part of a series on God’s attributes, Dr. Toby Holt explores the omniscience, or all-knowing, of God.</p><p>God knows our sitting down and our rising up, our thoughts, even our words before we speak them. Dr. Holt explains that God’s knowledge is not gained over time, the way we get to know a friend — He knows all things instantly and perfectly, and is never surprised. Such knowledge, David admits, is “too wonderful” to grasp. The comfort is that the God who knows us fully — sin and all — loves us still, and can be trusted even when we do not understand what He does.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. How does God’s omniscience bring both conviction and comfort?</strong> It convicts us, because He sees everything; it comforts us, because He knows us fully and loves us anyway.</p><p><strong>2. Is God ever surprised or learning?</strong> No. God knows all things at once and perfectly. He never grows in knowledge or discovers anything new.</p><p><strong>3. How should God’s all-knowing reshape how we live?</strong> It moves us to honesty before Him and trust in Him. The God who knows everything also knows what is best.</p><p><em>“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” — Psalm 139:6 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/the-omniscience-(knowledge)-of-god]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">e13c2a53-71d9-4f9c-a110-b32e017f444d</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/ea7dd623-2b0d-4156-b198-0dacfa191c6a/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/bf384673-28c8-4a18-b0a5-da3758a07e48.mp3" length="27500708" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>28:25</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/ef78f128-c249-4d35-80a7-e72be3c5f73c/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/ef78f128-c249-4d35-80a7-e72be3c5f73c/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>The Omnipotence (Power) Of God</title><itunes:title>The Omnipotence (Power) Of God</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Just how powerful is God?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 2, the nations rage against God — and He simply laughs. In this study, the first in a short series on God’s attributes, Dr. Toby Holt explores the omnipotence, or all-power, of God.</p><p>Earthly rulers conspire against the Lord and His Anointed, but God, enthroned in heaven, is utterly unthreatened. Dr. Holt explains what “omnipotent” really means: God can do anything He wills, though He cannot act against His own nature. He has set His King — His Son — on His holy hill, and that King will rule over all. The wise response is not to rage but to trust the Son. No human power can frustrate the will of the Almighty.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What does God’s power look like in the face of rebellion?</strong> Unshaken. While rulers plot, God remains enthroned and in complete control. Their defiance changes nothing.</p><p><strong>2. Why does the psalm say God laughs at earthly rulers?</strong> Because their rebellion is futile against the Almighty. Their threats are nothing before His infinite power.</p><p><strong>3. How should we live in light of God’s omnipotence?</strong> By trusting Him rather than fearing the powers of this world. The all-powerful God invites us to take refuge in His Son.</p><p><em>“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.” — Psalm 2:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Just how powerful is God?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 2, the nations rage against God — and He simply laughs. In this study, the first in a short series on God’s attributes, Dr. Toby Holt explores the omnipotence, or all-power, of God.</p><p>Earthly rulers conspire against the Lord and His Anointed, but God, enthroned in heaven, is utterly unthreatened. Dr. Holt explains what “omnipotent” really means: God can do anything He wills, though He cannot act against His own nature. He has set His King — His Son — on His holy hill, and that King will rule over all. The wise response is not to rage but to trust the Son. No human power can frustrate the will of the Almighty.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What does God’s power look like in the face of rebellion?</strong> Unshaken. While rulers plot, God remains enthroned and in complete control. Their defiance changes nothing.</p><p><strong>2. Why does the psalm say God laughs at earthly rulers?</strong> Because their rebellion is futile against the Almighty. Their threats are nothing before His infinite power.</p><p><strong>3. How should we live in light of God’s omnipotence?</strong> By trusting Him rather than fearing the powers of this world. The all-powerful God invites us to take refuge in His Son.</p><p><em>“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.” — Psalm 2:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/the-omnipotence-(power)-of-god]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">d2c10e43-4536-44bd-88e5-b32e01804b42</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/e7fc367b-0670-47e8-aeb7-50e78e762bf6/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7682bfa1-588e-4483-a55a-d7934071fb61.mp3" length="28402808" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>29:26</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/9738711b-5a63-4b63-97e0-9f01e0ee35e1/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/9738711b-5a63-4b63-97e0-9f01e0ee35e1/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Growing Up (Take Your Faith Seriously)</title><itunes:title>Growing Up (Take Your Faith Seriously)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>How does a Christian grow up in the faith?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 119:9-16, the psalmist asks, “How can a young man cleanse his way?” and answers: by God’s Word. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows what it means to take your faith seriously and grow up spiritually.</p><p>Spiritual maturity, Dr. Holt explains, means taking personal ownership of your faith through steady time in God’s Word — not growing godly “by osmosis.” The psalmist hides God’s Word in his heart so he will not sin, treasures it above riches, and resolves to meditate on it and delight in it. Dr. Holt compares ignoring Scripture to assembling a complex set without the instructions, or sailing without a map. Real growth comes from intentional, daily attention to what God has said.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why is God’s Word essential for spiritual growth?</strong> Because it is how God cleanses, guides, and matures His people. There is no growing up in the faith apart from it.</p><p><strong>2. What does it take to develop lasting convictions?</strong> Hiding God’s Word in the heart and valuing it above everything else. Convictions are built by treasuring Scripture, not skimming it.</p><p><strong>3. How do we move from shallow to serious faith?</strong> By intentional, regular time in God’s Word — meditating on it and delighting in it. Maturity comes by ownership, not osmosis.</p><p><em>“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” — Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>How does a Christian grow up in the faith?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 119:9-16, the psalmist asks, “How can a young man cleanse his way?” and answers: by God’s Word. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows what it means to take your faith seriously and grow up spiritually.</p><p>Spiritual maturity, Dr. Holt explains, means taking personal ownership of your faith through steady time in God’s Word — not growing godly “by osmosis.” The psalmist hides God’s Word in his heart so he will not sin, treasures it above riches, and resolves to meditate on it and delight in it. Dr. Holt compares ignoring Scripture to assembling a complex set without the instructions, or sailing without a map. Real growth comes from intentional, daily attention to what God has said.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why is God’s Word essential for spiritual growth?</strong> Because it is how God cleanses, guides, and matures His people. There is no growing up in the faith apart from it.</p><p><strong>2. What does it take to develop lasting convictions?</strong> Hiding God’s Word in the heart and valuing it above everything else. Convictions are built by treasuring Scripture, not skimming it.</p><p><strong>3. How do we move from shallow to serious faith?</strong> By intentional, regular time in God’s Word — meditating on it and delighting in it. Maturity comes by ownership, not osmosis.</p><p><em>“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” — Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/growing-up-(take-your-faith-seriously)]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">8b4ac11a-a6c3-4ef7-beb3-b32e01804ab9</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/72f2965d-d9d9-40b2-ae5e-7b7f5f6e87dd/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/ac1d2e40-41fb-4636-bd37-dc36c5dd343b.mp3" length="28746932" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>29:47</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/3b5ffc2f-59db-457d-a10d-a1c0c2f3db71/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/3b5ffc2f-59db-457d-a10d-a1c0c2f3db71/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>A New Start And An Old Promise</title><itunes:title>A New Start And An Old Promise</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>How far does God remove our sins?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 103:8-18, David celebrates a God who is merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in love. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt points to the unchanging promises that anchor a new start.</p><p>David says God does not treat us as our sins deserve, and that He removes our transgressions “as far as the east is from the west.” Dr. Holt explains that two things never change: God’s character and His love for His people. God knows we are weak, “but dust,” and He pities us like a tender father. His mercy is “from everlasting to everlasting.” Preached as a New Year’s message, this psalm grounds any fresh start on God’s old, unbreakable promise.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What promises does David recall in this psalm?</strong> That God forgives, heals, redeems, and crowns us with love — and removes our sin completely. These are anchors that do not change.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s compassion shape how we see Him?</strong> It shows Him as a tender Father who knows our weakness and pities us. He deals with us in mercy, not merely in justice.</p><p><strong>3. Why is remembering God’s faithfulness vital?</strong> Because our hope rests on His unchanging character, not our performance. Remembering steadies us when we are weak.</p><p><em>“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>How far does God remove our sins?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 103:8-18, David celebrates a God who is merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in love. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt points to the unchanging promises that anchor a new start.</p><p>David says God does not treat us as our sins deserve, and that He removes our transgressions “as far as the east is from the west.” Dr. Holt explains that two things never change: God’s character and His love for His people. God knows we are weak, “but dust,” and He pities us like a tender father. His mercy is “from everlasting to everlasting.” Preached as a New Year’s message, this psalm grounds any fresh start on God’s old, unbreakable promise.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What promises does David recall in this psalm?</strong> That God forgives, heals, redeems, and crowns us with love — and removes our sin completely. These are anchors that do not change.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s compassion shape how we see Him?</strong> It shows Him as a tender Father who knows our weakness and pities us. He deals with us in mercy, not merely in justice.</p><p><strong>3. Why is remembering God’s faithfulness vital?</strong> Because our hope rests on His unchanging character, not our performance. Remembering steadies us when we are weak.</p><p><em>“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/a-new-start-and-an-old-promise]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">39fcee6b-d0fa-4314-ae82-b32e01804b59</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/56850bf7-91a1-4cd3-abd9-209134f26a2c/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/ef248d21-2117-4697-9696-024984b5d967.mp3" length="22580048" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>23:19</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/ab839c5c-aa6a-434a-aaba-9dafe5716c67/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/ab839c5c-aa6a-434a-aaba-9dafe5716c67/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>How Majestic Is Your Name</title><itunes:title>How Majestic Is Your Name</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why is God’s name so majestic?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 8, David looks up at the heavens and bursts out, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explores the greatness of God and the surprising dignity He gives to people.</p><p>David marvels at the vastness of creation — and then at an even greater wonder: that the God who made it all would care for small, sinful human beings. He notes that we are made “a little lower than the angels,” yet crowned with honor and given a place in God’s world. Dr. Holt draws out how God’s majesty should move us to worship, and how it reframes who we are: not cosmic accidents, but creatures made and valued by a majestic God.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does David marvel at creation and humanity’s place in it?</strong> Because the same God who flung the stars into place also cares for people. The contrast fills David with awe.</p><p><strong>2. How should God’s majesty inspire us?</strong> It calls us to worship and humility. Seeing how great God is puts our lives in proper perspective.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to be made “a little lower than the angels”?</strong> It speaks of the high dignity God gives people — crowned with honor and given responsibility in His creation, despite our smallness.</p><p><em>“O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!” — Psalm 8:1 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why is God’s name so majestic?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 8, David looks up at the heavens and bursts out, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explores the greatness of God and the surprising dignity He gives to people.</p><p>David marvels at the vastness of creation — and then at an even greater wonder: that the God who made it all would care for small, sinful human beings. He notes that we are made “a little lower than the angels,” yet crowned with honor and given a place in God’s world. Dr. Holt draws out how God’s majesty should move us to worship, and how it reframes who we are: not cosmic accidents, but creatures made and valued by a majestic God.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does David marvel at creation and humanity’s place in it?</strong> Because the same God who flung the stars into place also cares for people. The contrast fills David with awe.</p><p><strong>2. How should God’s majesty inspire us?</strong> It calls us to worship and humility. Seeing how great God is puts our lives in proper perspective.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to be made “a little lower than the angels”?</strong> It speaks of the high dignity God gives people — crowned with honor and given responsibility in His creation, despite our smallness.</p><p><em>“O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!” — Psalm 8:1 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/how-majestic-is-your-name]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">1386b615-760d-4b32-b576-b32e01804bd0</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/76216f8d-528b-4679-a34c-97337f7148f9/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2025 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/75ebf91a-590a-4905-9aa8-192028e9099d.mp3" length="23758048" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>24:32</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/372cc49b-2694-4000-8896-df223bedecf7/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/></item><item><title>Remember Your History</title><itunes:title>Remember Your History</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why does remembering matter so much?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 78, Israel is called to remember and pass on what God has done. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that forgetting our spiritual history dooms us to repeat its failures.</p><p>The psalm retells Israel’s story — God’s mighty rescue at the Exodus, and the people’s repeated forgetting and rebellion. Dr. Holt explains that when we forget what God has said and done, we drift into the same mistakes as past generations. So Scripture calls us to teach the next generation God’s works, and to remember His faithfulness in our own lives. Even Israel’s failures set the stage for God to raise up David — and ultimately Christ, the Good Shepherd.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What lessons does Israel’s history teach us?</strong> That God is faithful even when His people are not, and that forgetting Him leads to repeated failure. History is both a warning and an encouragement.</p><p><strong>2. How did God’s works shape His people’s identity?</strong> His rescue at the Exodus and His care in the wilderness made them His people. Remembering those acts kept their faith anchored.</p><p><strong>3. Why should we pass these stories to the next generation?</strong> So they will know and trust the God who acted before. Faith is handed down when we tell of God’s faithfulness.</p><p><em>“We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” — Psalm 78:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why does remembering matter so much?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 78, Israel is called to remember and pass on what God has done. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that forgetting our spiritual history dooms us to repeat its failures.</p><p>The psalm retells Israel’s story — God’s mighty rescue at the Exodus, and the people’s repeated forgetting and rebellion. Dr. Holt explains that when we forget what God has said and done, we drift into the same mistakes as past generations. So Scripture calls us to teach the next generation God’s works, and to remember His faithfulness in our own lives. Even Israel’s failures set the stage for God to raise up David — and ultimately Christ, the Good Shepherd.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What lessons does Israel’s history teach us?</strong> That God is faithful even when His people are not, and that forgetting Him leads to repeated failure. History is both a warning and an encouragement.</p><p><strong>2. How did God’s works shape His people’s identity?</strong> His rescue at the Exodus and His care in the wilderness made them His people. Remembering those acts kept their faith anchored.</p><p><strong>3. Why should we pass these stories to the next generation?</strong> So they will know and trust the God who acted before. Faith is handed down when we tell of God’s faithfulness.</p><p><em>“We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” — Psalm 78:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/remember-your-history]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">9fdb5dc2-8c3c-4f55-a6c7-b32e01804ba0</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/32b95874-baa4-4628-9d86-0d31fb7717af/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/005c6b1c-0176-48d9-aa52-b874183d0303.mp3" length="29034699" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>30:01</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/c190c37e-64f3-4f21-8c0d-6bfd36be5b78/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/c190c37e-64f3-4f21-8c0d-6bfd36be5b78/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Depression (Words Of Hope)</title><itunes:title>Depression (Words Of Hope)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Where is God when you feel hopeless?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 139, David finds comfort in two truths: God knows him completely, and God is always near. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt offers words of hope from this psalm for the discouraged and depressed.</p><p>David marvels that God knows his every thought and word, and that there is nowhere he can flee from God’s presence — even in the darkest places, “You are there.” Dr. Holt explains that God’s complete knowledge of us is good news: He knows us fully, sin and all, and loves us still. That love does not change with our moods or circumstances. For anyone in despair, the message of Psalm 139 is that you are never beyond God’s sight or reach.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. How does God’s knowledge of us bring comfort and healing?</strong> Because He knows us fully and loves us anyway. We are never misunderstood or forgotten by God.</p><p><strong>2. What does it mean that God is always present, even in despair?</strong> It means there is no pit so deep that God is not there. Even in our lowest moments, He is with us.</p><p><strong>3. How can this psalm help someone who feels hopeless?</strong> It reminds us that our value rests in God’s eyes, not our feelings. He made us, knows us, and will not let us go.</p><p><em>“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” — Psalm 139:7-8 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Where is God when you feel hopeless?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 139, David finds comfort in two truths: God knows him completely, and God is always near. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt offers words of hope from this psalm for the discouraged and depressed.</p><p>David marvels that God knows his every thought and word, and that there is nowhere he can flee from God’s presence — even in the darkest places, “You are there.” Dr. Holt explains that God’s complete knowledge of us is good news: He knows us fully, sin and all, and loves us still. That love does not change with our moods or circumstances. For anyone in despair, the message of Psalm 139 is that you are never beyond God’s sight or reach.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. How does God’s knowledge of us bring comfort and healing?</strong> Because He knows us fully and loves us anyway. We are never misunderstood or forgotten by God.</p><p><strong>2. What does it mean that God is always present, even in despair?</strong> It means there is no pit so deep that God is not there. Even in our lowest moments, He is with us.</p><p><strong>3. How can this psalm help someone who feels hopeless?</strong> It reminds us that our value rests in God’s eyes, not our feelings. He made us, knows us, and will not let us go.</p><p><em>“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” — Psalm 139:7-8 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/depression-(words-of-hope)]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">2925e913-de9d-4af1-8279-b32e01804b62</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/53f7a86b-c4ae-4c45-b9a4-56c3e5661c39/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 30 May 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/f57e6153-2b8a-4ae3-90c4-526201b0e737.mp3" length="25744887" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>26:32</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/bcd22a7d-2a2b-4358-96b0-13cf2abdf2e2/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/bcd22a7d-2a2b-4358-96b0-13cf2abdf2e2/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Finding Forgiveness (Let Go Of Guilt)</title><itunes:title>Finding Forgiveness (Let Go Of Guilt)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>How do you let go of guilt?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 32, David describes the heavy weight of hidden sin — and the relief of full forgiveness. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows how God forgives completely the moment we confess.</p><p>David says that while he stayed silent about his sin, it wore him down, even affecting his body. But when he confessed, God forgave him at once. Dr. Holt explains that this forgiveness rests not on our worthiness or good deeds but on the work of Christ, who bore our sin in our place. There is no need to keep carrying guilt God has already lifted. The blessed person is the one whose sin is covered and forgiven.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why is confession essential to experiencing forgiveness?</strong> Because hidden sin festers and weighs us down. Bringing it honestly to God is the path to relief and restoration.</p><p><strong>2. How does forgiveness restore joy and peace?</strong> It removes the crushing burden of guilt and renews our fellowship with God. The forgiven person is truly blessed.</p><p><strong>3. How can we let go of guilt?</strong> By confessing our sin and trusting Christ’s finished work. God forgives fully, so we need not keep carrying what He has taken away.</p><p><em>“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” — Psalm 32:5 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>How do you let go of guilt?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 32, David describes the heavy weight of hidden sin — and the relief of full forgiveness. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows how God forgives completely the moment we confess.</p><p>David says that while he stayed silent about his sin, it wore him down, even affecting his body. But when he confessed, God forgave him at once. Dr. Holt explains that this forgiveness rests not on our worthiness or good deeds but on the work of Christ, who bore our sin in our place. There is no need to keep carrying guilt God has already lifted. The blessed person is the one whose sin is covered and forgiven.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why is confession essential to experiencing forgiveness?</strong> Because hidden sin festers and weighs us down. Bringing it honestly to God is the path to relief and restoration.</p><p><strong>2. How does forgiveness restore joy and peace?</strong> It removes the crushing burden of guilt and renews our fellowship with God. The forgiven person is truly blessed.</p><p><strong>3. How can we let go of guilt?</strong> By confessing our sin and trusting Christ’s finished work. God forgives fully, so we need not keep carrying what He has taken away.</p><p><em>“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” — Psalm 32:5 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/finding-forgiveness-(let-go-of-guilt)]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">3028555f-1e7c-4961-aad5-b32e018057f9</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/fbb5ca41-c25c-4c69-b439-99041df1ccb7/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/3b6e5f86-1515-441e-9c42-0930400bb2cb.mp3" length="27133208" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>28:06</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/4b60f77b-9cb7-4265-b7dd-55f16d096ee7/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/4b60f77b-9cb7-4265-b7dd-55f16d096ee7/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Make A Joyful Noise (Even When Life Is Hard)</title><itunes:title>Make A Joyful Noise (Even When Life Is Hard)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Can you praise God even when life is hard?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 100, God’s people are called to “make a joyful noise” and serve Him with gladness. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that real joy rests not on our circumstances but on who God is.</p><p>The psalm calls for loud, glad worship — Dr. Holt notes that true praise is not the same as silence. Its center is verse 3: “It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.” We are His people and the sheep of His pasture, so we come to Him through relationship, not self-effort. And because the Lord is good, His mercy everlasting and His truth unchanging, His people can praise Him even in hardship. He opens with the true story of a prisoner who kept singing to God rather than stop praising Him.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does the psalm call us to worship with gladness?</strong> Because God is good and worthy. Joyful worship is the fitting response to who He is, not to how easy life is.</p><p><strong>2. How can gratitude change our perspective in trials?</strong> It lifts our eyes from our circumstances to God’s unchanging goodness. Thanksgiving steadies the heart when life is hard.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to “enter His gates with thanksgiving”?</strong> It means coming to God through a real relationship with Him, with hearts full of gratitude. He is the one door to His presence.</p><p><em>“Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” — Psalm 100:3 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Can you praise God even when life is hard?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 100, God’s people are called to “make a joyful noise” and serve Him with gladness. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that real joy rests not on our circumstances but on who God is.</p><p>The psalm calls for loud, glad worship — Dr. Holt notes that true praise is not the same as silence. Its center is verse 3: “It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.” We are His people and the sheep of His pasture, so we come to Him through relationship, not self-effort. And because the Lord is good, His mercy everlasting and His truth unchanging, His people can praise Him even in hardship. He opens with the true story of a prisoner who kept singing to God rather than stop praising Him.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does the psalm call us to worship with gladness?</strong> Because God is good and worthy. Joyful worship is the fitting response to who He is, not to how easy life is.</p><p><strong>2. How can gratitude change our perspective in trials?</strong> It lifts our eyes from our circumstances to God’s unchanging goodness. Thanksgiving steadies the heart when life is hard.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to “enter His gates with thanksgiving”?</strong> It means coming to God through a real relationship with Him, with hearts full of gratitude. He is the one door to His presence.</p><p><em>“Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” — Psalm 100:3 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/make-a-joyful-noise-(even-when-life-is-hard)]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">82103cc4-1534-4f16-bbd6-b32e01805769</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/fbecdde7-d919-4cb4-a240-de2c17c38615/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2025 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/bb94259d-e64b-4e6c-9389-1a70d432ea3f.mp3" length="27075213" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>28:00</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/406f3e59-076c-46c9-a1d9-0123f6b7067c/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/406f3e59-076c-46c9-a1d9-0123f6b7067c/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Hope (Your Story Ends Well)</title><itunes:title>Hope (Your Story Ends Well)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Does God still pay attention to your life?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 113, the God who reigns high above the heavens stoops down to lift up the lowly. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that God is never an absentee — and that, for His people, the story ends well.</p><p>The psalm calls God’s people to praise Him “from the rising of the sun to its going down.” God is exalted far above all nations, yet He humbles Himself to behold us, raising the poor from the dust and seating them with princes. Dr. Holt contrasts this with the distant “clockmaker” god of deism — our God walks with His people and finishes what He starts. This psalm opened the songs Jesus and His disciples likely sang the night He was betrayed.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does the psalm celebrate God’s faithfulness all day long?</strong> Because His care never clocks out. From sunrise to sunset, God is attentive to His people.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s care for the lowly give hope?</strong> It shows He delights to lift up the humble and broken. No one is too low for God to reach and raise.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean that our story ends well?</strong> It means the God who began a good work in us will finish it. Because He is faithful, our future in Him is secure.</p><p><em>“He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes—with the princes of His people.” — Psalm 113:7-8 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Does God still pay attention to your life?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 113, the God who reigns high above the heavens stoops down to lift up the lowly. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows that God is never an absentee — and that, for His people, the story ends well.</p><p>The psalm calls God’s people to praise Him “from the rising of the sun to its going down.” God is exalted far above all nations, yet He humbles Himself to behold us, raising the poor from the dust and seating them with princes. Dr. Holt contrasts this with the distant “clockmaker” god of deism — our God walks with His people and finishes what He starts. This psalm opened the songs Jesus and His disciples likely sang the night He was betrayed.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why does the psalm celebrate God’s faithfulness all day long?</strong> Because His care never clocks out. From sunrise to sunset, God is attentive to His people.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s care for the lowly give hope?</strong> It shows He delights to lift up the humble and broken. No one is too low for God to reach and raise.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean that our story ends well?</strong> It means the God who began a good work in us will finish it. Because He is faithful, our future in Him is secure.</p><p><em>“He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes—with the princes of His people.” — Psalm 113:7-8 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/hope-(your-story-ends-well)]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">d8873608-5575-4a72-a6df-b32e0180fbe8</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/5f1e6ca8-5270-4689-977c-bf835ceff657/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/045631e7-30ca-411d-a0c0-3025ce91bc0c.mp3" length="25712859" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>26:35</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/dfcba589-91ce-4123-ac69-1c60d71777e8/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/dfcba589-91ce-4123-ac69-1c60d71777e8/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Why Did God Make Me This Way</title><itunes:title>Why Did God Make Me This Way</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why did God make you the way you are?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 139:13-16, David marvels that God personally formed him in the womb. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains why your design, identity, and purpose come from God — and why that is good news.</p><p>David says he was “fearfully and wonderfully made,” knit together by God Himself. Dr. Holt explains that because a personal Creator made us on purpose, our identity and even the number of our days are set by His will, not by chance. He addresses why some are born with hardships or disabilities — we live in a fallen world, and we are unfinished works whose full restoration awaits heaven. A God who designed you can be trusted with your story.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What does it mean to be “fearfully and wonderfully made”?</strong> It means God formed you deliberately and with care, not by accident. You are the work of a personal Creator.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s knowledge of us shape our identity?</strong> Our worth and purpose come from the God who made us, not from our achievements or others’ opinions. He defines who we are.</p><p><strong>3. Why can we trust God’s plan for our lives?</strong> Because the One who designed us also ordained our days. A Maker that careful can be trusted with our future.</p><p><em>“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” — Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Why did God make you the way you are?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 139:13-16, David marvels that God personally formed him in the womb. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains why your design, identity, and purpose come from God — and why that is good news.</p><p>David says he was “fearfully and wonderfully made,” knit together by God Himself. Dr. Holt explains that because a personal Creator made us on purpose, our identity and even the number of our days are set by His will, not by chance. He addresses why some are born with hardships or disabilities — we live in a fallen world, and we are unfinished works whose full restoration awaits heaven. A God who designed you can be trusted with your story.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. What does it mean to be “fearfully and wonderfully made”?</strong> It means God formed you deliberately and with care, not by accident. You are the work of a personal Creator.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s knowledge of us shape our identity?</strong> Our worth and purpose come from the God who made us, not from our achievements or others’ opinions. He defines who we are.</p><p><strong>3. Why can we trust God’s plan for our lives?</strong> Because the One who designed us also ordained our days. A Maker that careful can be trusted with our future.</p><p><em>“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” — Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/why-did-god-make-me-this-way]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">2e7ef7c4-123e-4b0e-9cd2-b32e0180fca8</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/2765cec3-f852-4c46-8514-3d5ce05521a9/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/5ae3b4b2-980d-4a1b-873f-edc6bdfcacc3.mp3" length="31692186" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>32:48</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/3eee1dc8-8cd3-4608-8833-69beda2dc37c/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/3eee1dc8-8cd3-4608-8833-69beda2dc37c/index.html" type="text/html"/></item><item><title>Hope In A Dark Valley</title><itunes:title>Hope In A Dark Valley</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>How can you fear no evil in life’s darkest valley?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 23, David walks through “the valley of the shadow of death” — yet fears no evil. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows where real comfort is found when life turns dark.</p><p>David pictures God first as a shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects His sheep, and then as a gracious host who prepares a table and overflows the cup. Dr. Holt points out that the psalm’s comfort does not come from a trouble-free life — David was a realist about a fallen world. It comes from the presence of the Shepherd Himself: “You are with me.” Like sheep who know their shepherd’s voice, God’s people are safe not because the valley is safe, but because He walks through it with them.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why can David say he will “fear no evil”?</strong> Not because the valley is safe, but because God is with him. His confidence rests on the Shepherd’s presence, not on his own strength.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s presence comfort us in trouble?</strong> It assures us we are never alone. The same God who leads and provides also walks beside us through our darkest moments.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to be led beside still waters?</strong> It pictures the rest and provision God gives His people. He tends to our deepest needs the way a good shepherd cares for his sheep.</p><p><em>“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>How can you fear no evil in life’s darkest valley?</strong></p><p>In Psalm 23, David walks through “the valley of the shadow of death” — yet fears no evil. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows where real comfort is found when life turns dark.</p><p>David pictures God first as a shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects His sheep, and then as a gracious host who prepares a table and overflows the cup. Dr. Holt points out that the psalm’s comfort does not come from a trouble-free life — David was a realist about a fallen world. It comes from the presence of the Shepherd Himself: “You are with me.” Like sheep who know their shepherd’s voice, God’s people are safe not because the valley is safe, but because He walks through it with them.</p><p><strong>Questions this study answers:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Why can David say he will “fear no evil”?</strong> Not because the valley is safe, but because God is with him. His confidence rests on the Shepherd’s presence, not on his own strength.</p><p><strong>2. How does God’s presence comfort us in trouble?</strong> It assures us we are never alone. The same God who leads and provides also walks beside us through our darkest moments.</p><p><strong>3. What does it mean to be led beside still waters?</strong> It pictures the rest and provision God gives His people. He tends to our deepest needs the way a good shepherd cares for his sheep.</p><p><em>“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)</em></p><p><strong>Speaker:</strong> Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.</p><p><strong>Listen and go deeper:</strong> This sermon is part of the Psalms Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://www.newgeneva.org/sermon/hope-in-a-dark-valley]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">e04c346a-a3a2-4682-b9ef-b32e018112c2</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/e9401dbd-6f85-452a-8e08-49b24aa30acf/image.jpg"/><pubDate>Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate><enclosure url="https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/f8e1b0fa-c0be-4210-8fc8-c034dabde90f.mp3" length="28778683" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>29:49</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/e2b881aa-1ec9-4e13-ab82-0f077126f594/transcript.srt" type="application/srt" rel="captions"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcripts.captivate.fm/transcript/e2b881aa-1ec9-4e13-ab82-0f077126f594/index.html" type="text/html"/></item></channel></rss>