I have an outside light that I want this timer to control. The switch box has a black and a white going out to the light and a black and white with the electricity. The instructions show to hook the red to one of the black wires-which one, the outside line or the electricity line? On the side of the timer itself it shows to hook the red line to a white line. We have tried every connection but the on off does not control it.

You posted under ST01C timer which has 3 wires: black blue and red (no white wire)
Your description seems to say your timer has 3 wires: black white and red

These are two different timers
I'm going to give you two different instructions that are dead-accurate for both types of timers above:

1) Instructions for ST01C and EJ500 Intermatic timers with black blue and red
Lets do the black and white with electricity:
The black Hot wire connects to Timer-black-wire
The white Neutral wire connects to white wire going to Load (to lights)

Now the black and white to the Load (lights)
The black to Load (to light) connects to Timer-blue-wire
The white wires are connected together with wire nut

The red wire is capped off, and used only if you have 3-way switching.
Green connects to bare ground

2) Instructions for all in-wall timers with black, red and white wires (except Aube series timers)
Lets do the black and white from electricity
The black Hot wire connects to Timer-black-wire
The white Neutral connects to Timer-white-wire and to white wire going to Load

Now the black and white to the Load
The black wire to Load connects to Timer-red-wire
all three white wires are connected and covered with wire nut
Green connects to bare ground

DO NOT CONNECT RED TO WHITE with any model in-wall timer and then turn on power or it can blow out the timer >>> I just did that while experimenting with the Utilitec 0192773.
Red wire goes to Load on all timers, except with Intermatic ST01C and EJ500