It was 2014. The Christian music scene was shifting, moving away from the high-octane pop-rock of the early 2000s and toward something more liturgical, yet accessible. When the Newsboys released Restart, nobody quite expected a mid-tempo anthem based on ancient creeds to become their defining moment of the decade. But that's exactly what happened. The We Believe Newsboys lyrics didn't just climb the Billboard charts; they became a literal confession of faith for millions of people sitting in pews every Sunday morning.
Honestly, it's a bit of an anomaly.
Most radio hits have a shelf life of about six months. You hear them, you hum them, you forget them when the next synth-heavy track drops. Yet, "We Believe" stuck. It stuck because it wasn't trying to be "cool." It was trying to be true. It took the heavy, sometimes clunky theological weight of the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed and distilled them into a four-minute pop song that somehow didn't feel like a history lesson.
The Story Behind the Song
You might think the Newsboys sat down and penned this themselves, but the song actually has a fascinating pedigree. It was written by Richie Fike, Matt Hooper, and Travis Ryan. These guys weren't just looking for a hit; they were looking for a way to anchor a wandering culture. Travis Ryan once mentioned in interviews that the song was born out of a desire to give the church a unified voice again. In an era where everyone has an opinion on everything, there’s something grounding about saying, "Actually, here is what we collectively hold as truth."
When Michael Tait—who took over as lead singer for the Newsboys after Peter Furler’s departure—first heard the demo, he knew it was a game-changer. Tait’s soulful, powerful delivery gave the We Believe Newsboys lyrics a sense of gravity. He wasn't just singing lyrics; he was making a declaration. The band had transitioned through several iterations by this point, but this song solidified the "Tait era" as a period of deep, worship-focused resonance.
It’s powerful.
The song starts quietly. Just a few piano chords. Then the lyrics kick in, addressing the "lost and the hurting" and the "cynic and the saint." It’s an inclusive start. It says, "Hey, wherever you are, this is for you." It doesn't start with a lecture; it starts with an invitation.
Breaking Down the Theology of the Lyrics
If you look closely at the verses, you'll see they are structured to lead the listener toward the chorus. The first verse acknowledges the brokenness of the world—the "desperate for a sign" crowd. Then, the chorus hits like a freight train of conviction.
We believe in God the Father / We believe in Jesus Christ / We believe in the Holy Spirit / And He's given us new life.
It’s simple. It’s direct. It mirrors the Trinitarian structure that has defined Christian orthodoxy for nearly two thousand years.
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The Nicene Connection
While the song doesn't use the archaic language of "begotten, not made," it hits the same beats. The lyrics mention the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the second coming. For a three-minute radio edit, that’s a lot of ground to cover.
Think about the line: We believe in the crucifixion / We believe that He conquered death / We believe in the resurrection / And He's coming back again. There’s no fluff there. No metaphors about butterflies or mountain peaks. Just raw, historical claims. This is why the We Believe Newsboys lyrics resonated so deeply with worship leaders. It’s "preachable." You don't have to explain what the song is about because the song explains itself.
Why the Bridge Matters
Most bridges in pop songs are just fillers to get back to the final chorus. In "We Believe," the bridge is the emotional climax.
Let the lost be found / Let the dead awake / We believe, we believe.
It shifts from a statement of belief to a prayer for action. It’s a call for revival. When the Newsboys perform this live, this is usually the moment where the house lights go up and the crowd takes over. It’s that "stadium anthem" feel that the band has mastered over their thirty-year career.
The "God's Not Dead" Effect
We can't talk about these lyrics without talking about the movie God's Not Dead. While the song "God's Not Dead (Like a Lion)" was the titular track, "We Believe" benefited immensely from the momentum of that entire movement. The Newsboys became the face of a certain kind of unapologetic, bold Christianity in the mid-2010s.
People were tired of feeling like they had to whisper their faith.
The We Believe Newsboys lyrics gave them permission to shout it. It’s a "flag in the ground" song. Whether you’re a fan of the film or not, the cultural impact was undeniable. The song spent weeks at Number 1 on the Christian Airplay charts. It earned a K-LOVE Fan Award. It was nominated for a Grammy. But more importantly, it ended up in the digital songbooks of thousands of local churches.
Common Misconceptions About the Lyrics
Some critics at the time felt the song was a bit "on the nose." They argued that it lacked the poetic nuance of bands like Jars of Clay or the indie-folk sensibilities of The Oh Hellos.
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That’s missing the point.
The point of "We Believe" isn't to be a poem; it’s to be a creed. You don't want your lawyer to be poetic when writing a contract; you want them to be clear. The Newsboys were acting as theological "lawyers" here, laying out the terms of the faith in a way that a seven-year-old and a seventy-year-old could both understand and sing at the same time.
Another misconception is that the song is purely American in its sentiment. Actually, because it’s based on the universal creeds of the church, it has been translated into dozens of languages. It’s sung in house churches in China and cathedrals in South America. The lyrics transcend the "CCM bubble" because the truths they point to are global.
Why Does It Still Rank?
If you're wondering why people are still searching for the We Believe Newsboys lyrics years after its release, it’s because the song has become a "standard." In jazz, a standard is a song that everyone knows and every artist covers. In the modern church, "We Believe" has reached that status.
It’s often used for:
- Baptism services (as a public declaration of faith).
- Confirmation ceremonies.
- Easter Sunday openers.
- Themed series on the Apostles' Creed.
The song hasn't aged like other 2014 hits because it’s tethered to something ancient. Trends change. Synthesizer sounds go out of style. But the core tenets of the faith don't.
The Lasting Legacy of the Tait Era
When Michael Tait joined the Newsboys, there was a lot of skepticism. How could the guy from DC Talk replace Peter Furler? "We Believe" was the definitive answer to that question. It showed that the band could evolve from "Entertaining Pop Act" to "Worship Leaders for the Masses."
The lyrics provided a bridge between the old Newsboys fans and a new generation of listeners who wanted songs they could sing in a corporate worship setting. It’s a rare feat for a band to reinvent itself so successfully this far into its career.
Putting the Lyrics Into Practice
If you're a worship leader or just someone who loves the song, there’s a way to engage with these lyrics that goes beyond just singing along in the car.
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First, look up the Nicene Creed. Read it side-by-side with the song. You'll see where the songwriters took creative liberties to make things rhyme and where they stayed strictly to the text. It’s a great exercise in seeing how theology turns into art.
Second, pay attention to the verbs.
- Believe
- Conquered
- Coming
- Awake
These are active words. The We Believe Newsboys lyrics aren't passive. They demand a response. They ask the listener to not just agree with a set of facts, but to live as if those facts are the most important things in the world.
Practical Ways to Use the Song Today
If you're looking to share or utilize this song in a meaningful way, don't just treat it as background noise.
- Study the Verses: Take the time to look at the first verse again. It mentions the "gates of hell" not prevailing. This is a direct reference to Matthew 16:18. Understanding the scriptural backbone makes the singing experience much richer.
- Use it for Teaching: If you’re a parent or a youth leader, use the chorus as a memory tool. It’s a lot easier to memorize a chorus than a dry theological textbook.
- Listen to Different Versions: While the Newsboys' version is the gold standard, there are many live acoustic versions that strip away the big production. Listening to it this way highlights the raw honesty of the lyrics.
The song isn't just a relic of mid-2010s Christian radio. It’s a functional tool for faith. It’s a reminder that even when the world feels like it’s falling apart—and let's be honest, it often does—there are certain pillars that remain standing. The We Believe Newsboys lyrics point to those pillars. They offer a sense of "home" in a world that feels increasingly foreign.
Next time you hear those opening piano notes, don't just listen. Declare. There's a difference between hearing a song and inhabiting it. This song was meant to be inhabited. It’s a house built on a rock, and the view from the inside is pretty spectacular.
For those looking to dive deeper into the band's discography, comparing "We Believe" to their earlier work like "Shine" or "Breakfast" shows a fascinating trajectory of a band growing up alongside its audience. They moved from the quirky and metaphorical to the profound and literal. And in doing so, they gave us an anthem that will likely be sung for decades to come.
The staying power of these lyrics isn't found in their complexity, but in their clarity. In a noise-filled world, clarity is the ultimate luxury. "We Believe" delivers that in spades, reminding us that at the end of the day, our faith isn't built on feelings or fleeting emotions, but on the solid ground of what we believe to be true.