This We Believe: Exploring the Essential Texts of the Christian Faith

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Order Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion 

Why does our experience reading the Old Testament seem so different than our experience reading the New Testament? Do you long to have those kind of life changing encounters with God not just in the Gospels, but also in books like Number and Exodus? Today we are going to discuss why we can’t seem to vividly encounter God in so much of the Old Testament. We'll chronicle the massive changes that occurred in how Christians read the Bible over the past 300 years, changes that ultimately disconnected Scripture from the life of the church.

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

Now on video. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeBelieve

This special season of This We Believe teaches Christians how to read the Bible like the early Church. It will examine the problems with modern approaches to readings scripture, how the wisdom of the early church can help Christians encounter the Glory of Jesus Christ in every book of the Bible, and practical steps we can all take to read the Bible along the same trajectory. 
This series can be viewed on its own, and as a companion to the book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion https://a.co/d/0gUFUdn

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

In these special episodes, Dr Niebauer discusses how the early Christians read scripture, and how his new book, Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion can help both new and mature Christians read the Bible in a similar manner. Available here: https://a.co/d/9F3FjzC If your church wants to use Four Mountains for a Bible study, visit http://michaelniebauer.com for discussion guides and to set up a zoom discussion with the author.

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

What are the vows that we make before God, and how are they different from the promises and pledges we make in the world? What do the promises we make to others tell us about promises we make to God? This episode discusses the teaching of Jesus regarding speech in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33-37).

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

What is the relationship between adultery and the ways in which we gaze upon the images of other human beings? Why does Jesus only permit divorce in the case of sexual immorality? When, if ever, is remarriage allowed after divorce? This episode continues our series on the sermon on the mount by discussing Jesus' teaching on adultery and divorce in Matthew 5: 27-32.

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

What are the ways that anger manifests itself in the human heart, and what can we do to control it? Why is it important to deal with conflict before we come to the altar at church, and before we resort to the legal system? This episode continues our series on the Sermon on the Mount with Matthew 5: 21-26.

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

What are the moral laws in the Old Testament, and how do we discern which laws are moral and which are not? How can such laws teach us about the love of God?
This episode continues our three episode series on Matthew 5: 17-20 in the Sermon on the Mount, addressing how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament laws known as the Moral Law.

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

What does it mean to follow the Old Testament laws that pertain to temples and animal sacrifices, if we do not have these things today? What do these laws tell us about how Christians today ought to approach worship?
This episode continues our three episode series on Matthew 5: 17-20 in the Sermon on the Mount, addressing how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament laws known as the Ceremonial, or Liturgical Law.

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

What does it mean for Jesus to fulfill the law? Does this mean we no longer have to follow the Old Testament laws? How can we tell which laws we still have to follow and which ones we don’t?
This episode begins a three episode series on Matthew 5: 17-20: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
This episode addresses the fulfillment of the Old Testament laws known as the Civil Law.

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*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]

What does it mean to be the light of the world, and what, if anything, does the church have to do in order to become the light of the world? Do Christians have to worry about the impact and influence that their actions have on the world?

This episode discusses Matthew 5: 14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Support the show

*New Book* From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament https://a.co/d/02dKL9Ub

https://michaelniebauer.substack.com/
Twitter: @We_Believe_Pod
E-mail: [email protected]