“Hold on just a little bit longer” is the appeal Katy Nichole says God gives us in her song “Hold On.” Does God entreat us to hold on in Scripture? And if so, what are we to hold on to? And what does it look like when we let go? Believe it or not, I got answers to all of these questions and more in my study of God’s Word inspired by this song.
Join me as we settle into Paul’s first letter to Timothy to discover what we should and should not hold on to.
In this episode, I discuss the following:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week’s Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
- Consider the opposite
- Mark up the text
- Read in context
- Repetition
- Compare and contrast
- Make a list
- Episode Guide Download
- Various places in Scripture where we are instructed to “hold on”
- Proverbs 4:13 (NIV)
- 2 Timothy 1:13 (NLT)
- Revelation 3:11 (NIV)
- 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 (NIV)
- Hebrews 3:6 (CSB)
- 1 Timothy 1:19 (ESV)
- Making a list of what we are to hold on to
- Considering the opposite by taking our list and turning it into “let go” statements
- An example from Jesus where the Pharisees let go of God’s ways to hold on to human tradition – Mark 7:8-13
- Choosing 1 Timothy to spend more interaction time
- The history of illuminated manuscripts – 1-minute video from the Museum of the Bible
- The Illuminated Scripture Journal as a resource for Bible interaction – Amazon Paid Link
- Marking repeated words or phrases
- faith and conscience – 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Timothy 1:18-20
- The doctrine Paul wants Timothy (and us) to hold on to
- 1 Timothy 6:2-4
- Galatians 1:6-7
- 1 Timothy 1:6-7
- Making a list of things contrary to sound doctrine – 1 Timothy 1:8-10
- Remembering that when you don’t hold on to truth, it is not a neutral decision – you will cling to something else – 1 Timothy 4:1-3
But the principle is that we are to hold on to what Scripture says we should hold on to. Because when you let go of that, you’ll cling to something else.
Enjoy the official lyric video of the song below.
More Than a Song Playlist
Additional Resources
- The story behind the song “Hold On” by Katy Nichole plus lyrics – 95thefish.com
- The history of illuminated manuscripts – 1-minute video from the Museum of the Bible
- The Illuminated Scripture Journal as a resource for Bible interaction – Amazon Paid Link
- My favorite Bible Study Software – Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link
This Week’s Challenge
Read and reread Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Use this episode as a springboard to interact with the text for yourself. There’s so much more to explore. Mark up the text, make lists, and compare and contrast.
