This We Believe: Exploring the Essential Texts of the Christian Faith
47 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsThis We Believe explains the essentials of the Christian faith and its impact on our lives. Each season will use key texts as springboards for exploring the core tenets of Christianity, beginning with the Apostles' Creed and continuing with texts such as the 10 Commandments and the Our Father. While each season will progress through these documents, each episode will be centered around a specific topic, such as the Cross, or the Holy Spirit, or a specific question, such as What happens when I die? or Why is there suffering the world? The goal is to provide an insightful and exciting theological education whether you have been following Christ for 8 days or 8 decades.
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Episodes
Salt of the Earth
March 04, 2024 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.29 MBWhat does it mean for Christians to be the salt of the earth? How do Christians impact the world without being overcome by it? This episode unpacks Jesus' first statement after the Beatitudes: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software ...
Blessed are the Peacemakers
November 21, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 8 MBWhat does it mean to be a peacemaker, and how do actively make peace with others in the world? How does are ability to be at peace with God effect our ability to be peacemakers with our friends? This episode discusses the seventh Beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuo...
Blessed are the Persecuted
November 21, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.71 MBWhy is it that Christians who exhibit mercy and meekness should expect to be treated poorly by the world? If Jesus is the true way to all that is good, true, and beautiful, then why will Christians be reviled for believing in him? This episode addresses the final two beatitudes: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake," and "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you." This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with ...
Blessed are the Pure in Heart
October 05, 2023 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.76 MBWhat does it mean to be pure in heart? Is holiness something that we achieve, or something God does for us? What is the relationship between purity of heart and a vision of the face of God? This episode discusses the sixth Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theol...
Blessed are the Merciful
September 12, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.93 MBWhy do Christians proclaim “Lord have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy” each Sunday at Church? How can God be merciful and justice, and what is the relationship between justice and mercy? What does it mean for us to show mercy on our enemies? This episode discusses the beatitude “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Nieba...
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
August 17, 2023 17:00 - 10 minutes - 7.41 MBWhat does it mean to be righteous, and how do we become righteous? How can we hunger and thirst for something other than food? This episode discusses the fourth Beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission, as wel...
Blessed are the Meek
June 27, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.02 MBWhat does it mean to be meek? Why should we not retaliate when someone harms us? How do we endure harm without having it effect our identity? This episode discusses the third Beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission, as well as get a list...
Blessed are those who Mourn
June 06, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.63 MBWhy do we mourn, and what do we mourn for? Is the comfort that Jesus promises to mourners a present comfort, or something that only comes in the future? This episode discussed the second Beatitude: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission, as well ...
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
May 16, 2023 08:00 - 9 minutes - 6.89 MBWhat does it mean to be poor in spirit? How is humility the opposite of pride? How do we grow in humility, and what should we expect to receive when we do? This episode examines the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mis...
The Beatitudes
April 25, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.43 MBWhy does Jesus begin the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes? Are the beatitudes works we should try to perform, or something different? How do the blessings that Jesus offers in the Beatitudes differ from the blessings of the world? This episode continues our series on the Sermon on the Mount with an introduction to the Beatitudes. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find...
Introduction - The Sermon on the Mountain
April 04, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.44 MBWhy did Jesus scale a mountain in order to give this sermon, and what is the significance of mountains in the Bible? This episode introduces the Sermon on the Mount by placing it within the context of God's teaching upon the various mountains in scripture. It also discusses how we should approach this teaching as students drawing near to the very author of human life. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you stud...
Coming Soon - Season 4: The Sermon on the Mount
March 15, 2023 18:00 - 2 minutes - 1.55 MBSeason 4 will begin in late March and will go line by line through The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ great teaching in Matthew Chapters 5-7. The season will begin with an examination of the sermon on the mount in the context of the rest of Biblical teachings, focusing specifically on the symbol of the mountain. From there, we will do a deep dive through the beatitudes, and unpack the significance of Jesus as the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament. We will also examine Jesus’ challenging t...
For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory
September 15, 2022 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.78 MBWhat does it mean to believe in God’s Kingdom and Power, as opposed to the kingdoms and powers of the world? What is God’s Glory, and how do we partake of it? What will it look like to be in God’s glory forever and ever? This episode examines the last line of the Our Father: “For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever and Ever, Amen.” This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deep...
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
August 23, 2022 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.92 MBWhat is the difference between trials and temptations? How do we resist temptation, and how do we pray for protection from temptation? This episode examines the eighth line of the Lord's Prayer: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission, as well as ge...
As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us
July 20, 2022 09:00 - 13 minutes - 9.01 MBHow do we forgive others who have harmed us, and what gives us the strength to forgive? What is the relationship between forgiveness and reconciliation? What must happen for broken relationships to be truly restored in Christ? This episode examines the seventh line of the Lord's Prayer: As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. N...
Forgive Us Our Trespasses
May 05, 2022 08:00 - 12 minutes - 8.83 MBWhat are the specific actions that constitute trespasses? Are they simply the bad things we have done, or are they broader, encompassing our thoughts, words, and deeds? When we ask God to forgive our trespasses, how can we be certain that He will indeed forgive them? This episode examines the sixth line of the Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply...
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
April 07, 2022 08:00 - 11 minutes - 8.12 MBWhat is the bread that we are asking for when we recite the Our Father? Is it simply the food on our table, or does it also include the other necessities of life? If spiritual things are so important, why does God also want us to pray for the material things in life as well? This episode examines the fifth line of the Lord's Prayer: Give us this day our daily bread. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study t...
Thy Will Be Done
March 24, 2022 08:00 - 9 minutes - 6.66 MBWhat does it mean for heaven to intersect with earth? Is this something that happens only in the future, or in the present as well? What would it look like if our lives here on earth became more like heaven? Why do we ask for God’s will to be done, and how do we enable God’s will to be done here on earth? This episode examines the fourth line of the Lord's Prayer: Thy Will Be Done This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to h...
Thy Kingdom Come
March 10, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.94 MBWhat does it mean for God’s Kingdom to come—is it something that is already here, or something that comes only in the distant future? If God is going to bring about His Kingdom, why should we also pray that this occurs? How does our understanding of God's Kingdom change the way we pray? This episode examines the third line of the Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the B...
Hallowed Be Thy Name
February 24, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.78 MBWhat does it mean to hallow God’s name, and what does it mean to be a person who honors God’s name? What does it mean for God’s name to be hallowed by the church, and what would it look like for those who are far away from God to become persons who praise his name? This episode examines the second line of the Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You ...
Our Father Who Art in Heaven
February 10, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.05 MBWhen we sit down to pray, who exactly are we speaking to? Who is this God that we address in the Lord’s Prayer? What does it mean that God is in heaven? Is he limited to some place far up in the skies? This episode covers the first line of the Lord's Prayer: Our Father Who Art in Heaven. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theolo...
Christian Prayer and the Our Father
January 27, 2022 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.58 MBWhat is prayer? Is it simply the time where we ask God to do things for us, like asking a Genie to grant a wish? Or is it something much deeper and personal? How do we know how to pray, and what to pray for? This episode begins season 3 of This We Believe by giving an overview of the Our Father and a discussion of the meaning and purpose of Christian prayer. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible...
Coming This Fall--Season 3: The Our Father
June 24, 2021 22:00 - 33 seconds - 423 KBWe will be taking a break for the Summer, but will be returning this Fall for Season 3 of This We Believe, which will go line by line through the Our Father, as well as discuss the purpose of Christian prayer and the cultivation of Christian hope. Connect with us at: Facebook: @ThisWeBelievepodcast Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod E-mail: [email protected]
Coming January 2022--Season 3: The Our Father
June 24, 2021 22:00 - 1 minute - 798 KBWe will be returning at the end of January 2022 for Season 3 of This We Believe, which will go line by line through the Our Father, as well as discuss the purpose of Christian prayer and the cultivation of Christian hope. Connect with us at: Facebook: @ThisWeBelievepodcast Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod E-mail: [email protected] This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can fi...
X. You Shall Not Covet
May 12, 2021 08:00 - 10 minutes - 7.58 MBWhat does it mean to covet, and how does this apply to the ways we view wealth and possessions? Why does the Bible state that the love of money is the root of all evil? How does this commandment speak to our hearts, rather than our actions? This episode examines the final commandment, as well as addresses how we should go about reading and praying through the 10 Commandments regularly. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software...
IX. You Shall Not Bear False Witness
April 28, 2021 08:00 - 11 minutes - 7.94 MBThis episode addresses the 9th Commandment, which prohibits the bearing of false witness. What makes the spreading of falsehoods so damaging to ourselves and to our communities, and how do we learn to practice truth telling instead? This commandment refers not only to the lies that we tell others, but includes the entirety of the words we speak with our mouths and think in our minds. It refers to the damaging and false words we say to others, to ourselves, and to God. This We Believe is br...
VIII. You Shall Not Steal
April 14, 2021 08:00 - 11 minutes - 7.86 MBThe 8th Commandment prohibits theft. How does this commandment speak to our overall desires for material goods? Are we people who seek the incessant acquisition of stuff we don’t need, or are we people that have hearts set on the things that are eternal and imperishable? This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mi...
VII. You Shall Not Commit Adultery
April 01, 2021 08:00 - 11 minutes - 7.7 MBWhat is the purpose of marriage, and what is the place of sex within the marriage commitment? How exactly does adultery violate the marriage commitment, and why does Jesus equate lust with adultery? This episode discusses the Seventh Commandment: You Shall Not Commit Adultery. It examines the Christian commitment of marriage, the role of sex within marriage, and the relationship between lust, adultery, and idolatry. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital ...
VI. You Shall Not Commit Murder
March 23, 2021 08:00 - 10 minutes - 7.26 MBIs there a difference between committing murder, fighting in a war, or harming someone in self-defense? Why does Jesus equate hatred with murder? How do I love my enemies when I don’t seem to have any enemies? This episode addresses the 6th Commandment: You shall not commit murder. It covers issues such as war, self-defense, and the relationship between hatred and murder. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you s...
V. Honor Your Father and Mother
March 11, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.27 MBAre we dependent people, or independent people? How do we honor our parents even when we don’t fully agree with them? How do we learn to honor our aging parents in a society that marginalizes the elderly? This episode discusses the 5th Commandment: Honor Your Father and Mother. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you study the Bible deeply. You can find Dr. Niebauer’s Book Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Chris...
IV. Remember the Sabbath and Keep it Holy
March 02, 2021 09:00 - 12 minutes - 8.62 MBWhat does it mean to remember the Sabbath? If it is supposed to be a day of rest, what exactly should we do on that day? In an increasingly busy world, can Christians really afford to take 24 hours off from our labors each week? This episode discusses the 4th Commandment. to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. It explores the biblical foundations for the Sabbath, and what it looks like for Christians to rest and worship on the Sabbath. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. ...
III. Using God's Name in Vain
February 19, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.35 MBWhat does it mean to use the Lord’s name in vain? Does this refer simply to using God’s name as a swear word, or does it apply more broadly to our speech? How does our own vanity lead us to use God’s name in vain? Do our words and actions cohere with our affirmations of God’s name? This episode discusses the third commandment, "Thou shall not take the Lord’s name in vain. " This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help you...
II. Thou Shall Not Make Graven Images
February 11, 2021 05:00 - 11 minutes - 7.88 MBIf the images, the pictures, that we view with our eyes each day were food, what would our diet consist of? Would it make us healthy and strong or weak and sickly? We consume thousands of images each day—are these images drawing us closer to, or further away from, God? This episode discusses the 2nd Commandment, where God prohibits the making and worshiping of graven images. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent software to help y...
I. You Shall Have No Other Gods
February 04, 2021 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.63 MBThe first commandment, to worship God alone, seems on the surface to be easy. Most of us probably don’t have wooden statues of Zeus that we bow down to in the morning. But what does it mean to have other gods? What are the things that occupy center stage in our hearts? This episode discusses the preamble and first commandment: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." This We Believe is brought to...
The Ten Commandments - Introduction
January 27, 2021 09:00 - 11 minutes - 8.06 MBThe 10 Commandments have long been associated with the virtue of Love in Christianity. Now, for some of us this might seem odd: Isn’t the Ten Commandments after all a list of negative statements—thou shall not do this or thou shall not do that? Are the 10 Commandments really about love, or are they divine impositions on human freedom? This episode begins season 2 of This We Believe, where we'll go line by line through the 10 Commandments. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos....
The Bible, The Creed, and The Church
January 19, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.13 MBWhy doesn’t the creed say anything about the Bible? Why does it not mention love, or mercy, or justice? What is the relationship between the church, the bible, and the Apostles’ Creed? This episode answers listener questions that were submitted in response to the completion of season 1 and our examination of the Apostles’ Creed. We can summarize these submissions in one question: What has left out of the Apostles’ Creed, and why was it left out? This We Believe is brought to you in part by ...
The Trinity
January 11, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutes - 8.01 MBWhat do Christians mean when we say that we worship one God in three persons, and how are these three persons related? Is a belief in the Trinity a mere academic curiosity, something too difficult for most to grasp, or is it an essential belief that can impact the way we personally relate to God? This episode concludes our examination of the Apostles’ Creed by discussing the revelation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines...
Heaven, Hell, and The Last Things
December 28, 2020 08:00 - 12 minutes - 8.5 MBWho gets to heaven and who gets to hell, and who gets to decide? What does an eternity with God look like? How does our eternal life not get old or boring? This episode addresses the final statements of the Apostles’ Creed: the final judgment, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. We'll discuss the relationship between justice and judgment, the qualifications of salvation, and the final goal and hope for Christians: to see Jesus face to face. This We Believe is brought to...
The Church
December 17, 2020 09:00 - 12 minutes - 8.39 MBIf belief in Jesus as Lord and God enables us to enter into a relationship with God, why do Christian’s still insist on gathering together as a community? Why must one go to church if they are saved? What is the purpose of the church? The Apostles’ Creed asserts a belief in the holy catholic church and the communion of saints. In order to understand the significance of the church, it’s important to understand these three key adjectives. What does it mean for the church to be a communion, and...
The Holy Spirit
December 10, 2020 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.81 MBOne of the most challenging notions for Christians to grasp is an understanding of God the Holy Spirit. It’s easy for us to picture God the Son, Jesus. It is also easy for many of us to think of God as Father. But what comes to mind when we think of the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit, and how does the Holy Spirit work in the lives of Christians? This episode addresses these questions by examining the Apostles' Creed's statement of belief in the Holy Spirit. This We Believe is brought t...
The Ascension
December 02, 2020 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.78 MBOne of the most perplexing questions that few Christians ever ask themselves is this: Why didn’t Jesus stay on earth, travel the world, and reveal his resurrected body to all peoples? Wouldn’t it have been better if he stuck around, so that we could visit him right now? This episode addresses these questions by examining the Apostles' Creed's statement that Jesus "ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos c...
The Resurrection
November 25, 2020 08:00 - 11 minutes - 7.65 MBWhat do you picture when you picture Easter and Heaven? Is Easter a light-hearted affair, with pastels, rainbows, and bunnies, or is it a startling and terrifying event? Is heaven a place in the clouds where our spirits wander around, meeting historical figures, or is it a physical place saturated with the glory of God? This episode examines both Jesus' descent to the dead and his resurrection from the dead. This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books w...
The Cross
November 19, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.28 MBChristians believe that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. But a question remains--why did Jesus have to die for our forgiveness? Why couldn't God just wave a magic wand of forgiveness? This episode delves into an understanding of sin and forgiveness in order to understand the significance of the Apostles' Creed's assertion that Jesus was "crucified, died, and was buried." This We Believe is brought to you in part by Logos. Logos combines digital books with intelligent soft...
Jesus Christ the Son of God
November 12, 2020 12:00 - 11 minutes - 7.87 MBAt the heart of Christianity is a belief in Jesus. Who is Jesus, and why is he important? Was he just a human being who was a good teacher? Was he an angel? What do we believe about Jesus when we say that we believe in Jesus? This episode discusses the second stanza of The Apostles’ Creed, which asserts a belief in “Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, our Lord.” It assesses the significance of the Incarnation—that Jesus is fully God and fully man, as well as the meaning of Jesus being the ima...
God the Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth
November 12, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.02 MBChristians believe that God created the world. This raises an important question: why did God decide to do this? Was God lonely, did he need something to do, or is there some other reason that prompted the creation of the world? The Apostles’ Creed begins by describing God as the “The Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth,” so in this episode we are going to unpack this statement, discussing what it means to call God Father, as well us delving deeper into the creation of the world in ...
I Believe in God
November 12, 2020 10:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBWhat do we mean when we say those two words “I believe?” What is the difference between believing in a scientific fact and believing in the God of the universe? The Apostles’ Creed begins with two words: “I believe,” and so this podcast will begin by talking about what it means when Christians say that they believe in God, or, to put it another way, we are going to address what it means to say that we have faith in God. The episode ends with a discussion of the concept of attunement: how Ch...
Introduction: Welcome to This We Believe
November 05, 2020 18:00 - 3 minutes - 2.56 MBThis We Believe explains the essentials of the Christian faith and its impact on our lives. Each season will use key texts as springboards for exploring the core tenets of Christianity, beginning with the Apostles' Creed and continuing with texts such as the 10 Commandments and the Our Father. While each season will progress through these documents, each episode will be centered around a specific topic, such as the Cross, or the Holy Spirit, or a specific question, such as What happens when ...