Ansen and Justin build off their previous discussion about the book of Daniel, pointing out that the New Testament calls Christ followers "exiles," comparing them to the Israelites in Babylon. So what does this status as exiles mean? Justin makes the case that a better understanding of what it means to be an exile can help us both look to the future with hope and live in the present with purpose.

There's some iconic Bible stories in the Book of Daniel. Maybe you've heard the one about the lion's den or the fiery furnace? But there's also some pretty obscure passages in this book about dreams, visions, disembodied hands, and even a king going mad and eating grass. Chaplain Justin and Ansen discuss how both the simple Sunday School stories and the confusing prophecies work together to drive home a larger point about the nature of God's kingdom.

Continuing the conversation from the past two episodes on Mark 9 and angelic beings, Justin and Ansen turn their attention to the broader topic of spiritual warfare. What battle is being fought, exactly? Who are the combatants, where are the battle lines, and what are they fighting over? And as Christians, what does it really mean to put on the armor of God?

In our last episode, Ansen and Justin discussed a story from the gospel of Mark involving demon possession. Some of the supernatural encounters with angels and demons described in Scripture can be... eyebrow raising. So what does the Bible actually say about angelic beings, and how do its descriptions differ from the way these beings are described in popular culture and art?

On this episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin take a fresh look at the story in Mark 9:14-29, which contains one of the more famous verses in the Bible: a distraught dad crying out, "I believe; help my unbelief!" But... what does that mean, exactly? And what else can we learn from the context surrounding this story to make sense of everything that happens?

Words like meditation, mindfulness, or contemplation are sometimes viewed with skepticism within certain Christian communities. And yet, Scripture is filled with examples of people encouraging and engaging in these practices ("meditate on God's law day and night!"). So Ansen and Justin take a fresh look... what is Christian meditation or contemplative spirituality, and how might it benefit our relationship with God?

After discussing Doubting Thomas in the previous episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin are ready to take on the subject of Thomas' doubt directly... the resurrection of Jesus. This central tenet of Christian belief is also one of the most miraculous and therefore hardest to believe, so what evidence is there to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was an actual, historical event?

Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss the "Patron Saint" of the Faith Refresh podcast... "Doubting Thomas." How would you feel if you were given a nickname based on a single instance of questioning? Ansen and Justin make the case that Thomas, and even the concept of doubt itself, have gotten a bad rap. After all, Jesus himself responds to Thomas with compassion rather than condemnation.