The Bible Study Hour

Joshua 11:1-12:24 Jabin, a king of the north, had heard of the defeat of the southern kingdoms and gathered a great army to go against Israel, bringing with him a secret weapon—the chariot. And so, the final battle for control of the Promised Land begins. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he details the battle that would determine control of the land God had promised His people.

Joshua 10:16-43 The Israelites had fought and won three major battles, but there would be many more to come. As Joshua surveyed the land yet to be conquered, he turned his army south to attack the fortified cities of that region and to deal with their kings in a way that would leave a lasting impression. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he explores the characteristics of a strong leader intent on obeying the Lord's commands.

Joshua 10:1-15 Did the waters of the sea part? Did iron really float? Did three men survive a fiery furnace, and did the sun and moon stand still? We serve a God who is able to do miraculous things, but did He really override the laws of nature at the request of a mere mortal? Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he investigates the circumstances that led to an incredible phenomenon.

Joshua 9:1-27 They destroyed Jericho, they annihilated Ai and the next city to fall was the stronghold of Gibeon. What would you do if you were a Gibeonite? The Gibeonites developed a plan of deception to save themselves, but that plan would play out in a way that no one could imagine. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he demonstrates how the Lord used a major error to introduce a people to Himself.

Joshua 8:30-35 The heart of the Book of Deuteronomy is the principle of the curses and the blessings. Moses gave instructions on how that principle was to be demonstrated when the people reached the Promised Land, and the time had now come for Joshua to enact that word picture for the Israelites. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he takes us through the significance of the staging of this drama and an even more important principle therein.

Joshua 8:1-29 With their first attempt to capture Ai thwarted by the Lord, the Israelite army is told to attack again. Discouraged and fearful after their first defeat, Joshua will have no miraculous intervention at Ai. The walls will not fall down, but—nevertheless--they must go up and fight a second time. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he shares the lessons learned at Ai.

Revelation 21:3-4 There was the old paradise, Eden…and one day there will be a new paradise, the New Jerusalem. But must we wait for that utopia?  We find ourselves caught between the two.  Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he answers the question, “What's a believer to do while he waits for Christ's return and the restoration of paradise lost?”

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 As our Savior hung on the cross, it looked as though His enemies had won, but in defeating Him, not only were His adversaries defeated, but death itself was crushed. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he takes us through the ploys of Christ's enemies and their elaborate plot that, from the beginning, was doomed to failure.

Joshua 7:1-8:29 There's only a short step between victory and defeat. One moment we can be on a spiritual high from great success and the next we're plunged into the valley of spiritual failure. Such was the experience of Joshua and the Israelites as they left the victory at Jericho and suffered the humiliating defeat at Ai. Dr. James Boice studies the repercussions of having “sin in the camp” when we walk with the Lord.

Joshua 6:24-27 Perhaps the most often-asked question concerning the Christian faith is why a loving God permits the tragedy we see around us. Or, even more to the point, why a loving God not only allowed, but ordered men, women and children to be put to the sword as the Israelites entered the Promised Land. Listen as Dr. James Boice redirects the question and approaches the issue from God's perspective.

Joshua 6:1-27 As the Israelites approached Jericho, they faced a walled city with proportions that could not be overcome by human means. A different approach was necessary and as Joshua pondered the situation, a divine messenger appeared with the solution to his problem. Dr. James Boice reveals the secret to tearing down strongholds.

Joshua 5:13-15 The Jordan had been crossed and the people consecrated. The conquest of Jericho and the Promised Land lay ahead, but before that, Joshua, the leader of God's people has a divine encounter with an armed commander of another army. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he explains the significance of that angelic encounter.

Joshua 5:1-12 Joshua's army was poised for the immediate invasion of Jericho. Their enemies were filled with terror and dread. But at the last moment, the invaders pause, not for military strategy or a call to arms, but to be circumcised and observe the Passover. On The Bible Study Hour, Dr. James Boice explains the sacraments - both old and new.

Joshua 4:1-24 Pyramids, obelisks, sculptures and gravestones all serve to focus our memories on a person or event from the past. We need memorials. They help us remember important things in our history. On The Bible Study Hour, Dr. James Boice talks about memorials to the power of God - memorials we can see right now.

Joshua 3:1-17 The Ark of the Covenant has always been an object of fascination, but this mysterious box is far more than a sought-after archeological relic. The Ark is symbolic of the presence, judgement, and mercy of the Living God. On The Bible Study Hour, Dr. James Boice discusses the Ark and the unchangeable nature of God.    

Joshua 2:1-24 Can a heroine emerge from a brothel in a vile, pagan city? Rahab the prostitute had absolutely nothing going for her... except enough faith in the True God to stand alone against her entire culture! On The Bible Study Hour, Dr. James Boice tells the story of "Rahab Contra Mundum," meaning "Rahab Against the World."

Joshua 1:10-18 No time is wasted from the time of Joshua's commissioning to the time he assumes command and prepares for the invasion of the Promised Land. From a human standpoint he had much to fear, yet the Lord warned against such fear with the command to not be terrified but to be strong and courageous. Dr. James Boice reveals the secret to Joshua's complete trust in the face of overwhelming odds in a strange and hostile land.

Joshua 1:1-9 Can you name the president who followed Lincoln or the Prime Minister who followed Churchill?  Remembering those names may take some thought but not the name of the man who followed Moses. Join Dr. James Boice as he traces the life of an extraordinary leader whose badge of honor was his obedience to the Lord.

3 John 1-15 The book of 3rd John is a study of personalities—about three men with very different personalities, Diotrephes, Demetrius and Gaius.  And in these men we see a picture of the church, both then and now.  Dr. James Boice contrasts these three men and directs us in the characteristics of the ones that we should follow.

2 John 1-13 While 2nd and 3rd John are the shortest books in the New Testament, these two letters introduce us to such distinctively Christian ideas that the letters themselves become transformed and elevated so that they have great significance.  Dr. James Boice discusses those elements and how they relate to the body of modern believers.

2 John & 3 John Second and Third John comprise the two shortest books in the New Testament, but we shouldn't assume that the brevity of these letters renders them insignificant! Dr. James Boice examines some very practical issues of the early church and John's direction on how to address them.

1 John 5:18-21 There are things in the Christian faith on which we can and must be dogmatic, despite the world's constant pressure to maintain an open mind. Two of those things are the recognition of Who it is that we follow and the signs that accompany our faith. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he reiterates John's affirmations of what it looks like to be a follower of Christ.

1 John 5:14-17 The Apostle John concludes his first letter with what seems to be a mere postscript, but his parting thoughts may be the most significant part of his epistle. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he concludes our study of I John with John's instructions on prayer.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Have you ever received such a wonderful gift that you found it hard to describe? In truth, all human gifts are describable and just because we lack the words to describe them doesn't make them “indescribable.” Dr. James Boice compares human gifts with the indescribable gift we received from our Heavenly Father at Christmas on The Bible Study Hour.

Matthew 1:18 One of the great principles of the Christian faith is that God chooses simple things and little people to do great works and confound the strong, and the Christmas story exemplifies that principle in a dynamic way. Dr. James Boice portrays the lives of the characters of Christ's birth and the Babe Himself, the weakest of the weak and the most inconspicuous of the inconspicuous on The Bible Study Hour.

1 John 5:6-13 There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. As believers, we know the Spirit testifies of Christ, but what about the water and the blood? What water and whose blood? Join Dr. James Boice on the Bible Study Hour as he looks deeper into these sometimes-misunderstood terms and the historical testimony for Christ by the Lord Himself.  

1 John 5:1-5 If you want to measure both the reality and the intensity of your love for God, measure it by your love for your brother. But “who is my brother?” “Who are these people I'm required to love?” Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as confronts John's answer to a question so often asked—and an answer that is, so often, not what we want to hear.

1 John 4:13-21 God is Love, and God's love was manifested in His sending His Son to die for our sins. Because of this we can know God's love, and a sign that we have accepted it and become children of God is our love for one another. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he discusses the union of love, doctrine, and a moral life from I John, chapter 4.

1 John 4:7-12 Have you ever thought about which attribute stands out among all others when it comes to identifying you as a follower of Christ? The Apostle John focuses our attention on one of the most important tests for the Christian life. Find out what that is and why he believed it to be so crucial on The Bible Study Hour with Dr. James Boice… preparing you to think and act biblically.

1 John 4:1-6 How may I discern the Spirit of God? It's a question that has challenged believers through the ages. How do we know if someone who claims to speak for God is really speaking for Him, or merely voicing that which promotes his own interests? Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he presents the Apostle John's two methods of testing the spirits.

1 John 3:19-24 For many of us, doubt is a constant companion and the antithesis of our faith. The Apostle John was keenly aware of this in his day and addressed both its cause and its remedy. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he seeks to reassure modern doubters with John's words of wisdom and assurance from I John chapter 3.

1 John 3:11-18 It's only when you can say what something is not, that you can say anything meaningful about what it really is…and if love is to mean anything, we have to contrast it with its opposite: hate. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he takes us through the Apostle John's reasoning on the true meaning of love as a test for true Christianity.

1 John 3:4-10 It is always the work of the devil to confuse the minds of men, and that's especially true in the matter of the assurance of their salvation. As we progress in the study of John's first letter, he seeks to debunk the devil and to clarify once again who indeed is truly saved. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he presents the Apostle John's contrast of righteousness and sin in such a way that no one in his day or ours can escape its meaning.

1 John 2:28-3:3 The great English reformer Lord Shaftsbury once said that not an hour goes by in his life that he doesn't think about the Second Coming. If we really believe Christ is coming back, it should have a similar, profound effect on our lives as well. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he presents the Apostle John's musings on the second coming of Christ and what it means to the Christian.

1 John 2:18-27 It's a characteristic of our time that people no longer believe in truth. When they say a thing is true, they don't mean that it's true absolutely but only that it's true for some. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he reveals the consequences of modern man's distorted view of the truth and in what—or in whom—the truth really lies.

1 John 2:12-17 Have you ever made a comment to an individual and have another individual for whom the comment was not directed, hear it and take it personally? As John continues his letter to believers, he pauses in his tests for being a Christian to assure those who ARE Christians that they should not be in doubt of their own salvation. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he studies John's encouragement and directions to the believers.

1 John 2:7-11 In Jesus, love became “new” as it reached others. To the Orthodox Jew, the sinner was not to be loved but despised…and the Gentile, rejected. Jesus, on the other hand, turned the world of His day upside down when He declared that the love of God extends to everyone. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he explains John's new commandment that we love one another as a sign of our love for Christ.

1 John 2:3-6 The initial experience of a new believer is joy. He's been lost in the darkness but has come to the light. As the new Christian goes on in his faith, doubts are likely to come. The same temptations and habits plague him again and he asks, “Is it possible to be certain that I'm saved?” Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he explores this question and John's answer in I John chapter two.

1 John 2:1, 2 If sin is inevitable, why struggle against it? If sin is forgiven, why worry about committing it? Have you heard John's words taken out of context? Maybe you've been guilty of such misinterpretations yourself! Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he reveals the real meaning of John's discourse on the subjects of sin and holiness from I John chapter 2.

1 John 1:5-10 Who or what is God? It's the fourth question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism and a question that has puzzled man for centuries. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he explores this age-old question and points us to a rather simple answer from the first epistle of John.

1 John 1:1-4 In a survey taken in Philadelphia on the questions of “What is Christianity?” and “Who is Jesus?” the answers people gave were startling: an ethic, an organization, a good man and “I just don't know” were among them. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he compares the confusion of today with the confusion common among the believers in John's time and how it all impacts the church.

1 John 5:13 In studying an article or a book, it's imperative to know the author's purpose in writing it. In the case of John's first epistle, it's also very profitable, because the problems which people faced in John's time are remarkably similar to the problems we face today. Listen as Dr. Boice introduces his study on the Epistle of 1 John on The Bible Study Hour. 

Genesis 44:1-17 After having been in ministry for several years, Chuck Colson came to the realization that God never used Colson's many successes in life to help the prisoners Chuck reached. God used his failures! Listen to Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he shares of the purge of self-confidence. 

Genesis 43:15-34 What is it that turns a man's heart to Jesus? Is it the Law, an awareness of sin, or is it something else? Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he shows us the power of the love of Joseph for his brothers and the parallel to Jesus' love for sinners.

Genesis 43:1-14 The desire to be in control lies deep within us. But not too deep. There are many things we will endure as long as we believe that we are in control. It's when we lose that sway that we're most aware of our need for God. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he takes us through God's workings in Joseph's family in one of their darkest hours.

Genesis 42:36-38 No one loves me, no one cares, no one gives me anything. Self-pity is one of the least attractive qualities of the human condition. It blinds us to our blessings and causes others to give us a wide berth. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he exposes and analyses Jacob's self-pity over his unfounded notion that everything was going against him.

Genesis 42:24-35 Because of our sin, it's often necessary for God to deal with us quite harshly. In those times we see God's hard edges, but what we fail to realize is that it's the tender-hearted love of God that delivers that treatment. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he takes us through Joseph's two seemingly contradictory actions against his brothers—measures that God has to take at times in our own lives…

Genesis 42:17-23 When the Spirit of God begins to blow on the sin-hardened conscience, the conscience begins to thaw. First as only a trickle but eventually as a torrent of confession, and the Spirit uses a variety of means to accomplish this. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he shows us how the Lord uses solitude as one of His tools for that purpose.

Genesis 42:6-16 When God sends physical want into our lives, it should drive us to acknowledge and confess our sin when sent for that purpose. But physical want doesn't always bring that effect and God must turn to stronger measures. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he examines Joseph's dealings with his brothers and how they parallel God's dealings with us.

Genesis 42:1-5 God has given a conscience to every human being in order to be able to determine right and wrong, but the problem with the conscience is that it can be manipulated and subdued by the wants and the will of man. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he examines the conscience both apart from, and in the light of, God's Word.

Romans 12:21 John Perkins, a black pastor in 1960's Mississippi, was unjustly arrested and beaten unmercifully. He saw what hate can do to men, and--in response--Perkins chose to do the seemingly impossible. Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as we hear the pastor's story and learn how--like him--we can fulfill the Apostle Paul's directive to “overcome evil with good.”