Episodes

In this episode, James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “You must live the exchanged life.” Smith opens the episode by telling us that we are all saints. He goes on to explain how we are saints and how we can live into that identity each day. James closes the episode with a story about a prince in Benin, Africa. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. Dedicated 2. Doubt 3. Conversation with Angela Gorrell 4. Conversation with Amy Bragg Carey...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Angela Gorrell about her latest book, “The Gravity of Joy.” Dr. Angela Williams Gorrell joined Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Fall 2019 as Assistant Professor of Practical Theology. Prior to joining the faculty at Baylor University, she was an Associate Research Scholar at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, working on the Theology of Joy and the Good Life Project, and a lecturer in Divinity and Humanities at Yale Univers...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “You are dedicated.” In this episode, James recounts a story in which he was fasting to help explain his thought from above. Smith closes the episode by telling us we are saints and we have been made holy. We are dedicated by God and dedicated to God. Are you interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. Doubt 2. Conversation with Amy Bragg Carey 3. Gift Love 4. Jesus Is Lord 5. Conversation with M...

In this episode, James Bryan Smith thought from above is, “there are benefits to doubt.” Smith gives us three reasons to explain why there are benefits to doubt in our faith. The first reason is doubt allows you to make your faith truly yours. The second benefit is doubt helps faith take root. His third reason is that doubt is a gift to make our faith deeper. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Amy Bragg Carey 2. Jesus Is Lor...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, Jesus is Lord. Smith opens the episode with a reading of Colossians chapter three to help illustrate his thought from above. To close the episode, James reads a passage from Dr. Scot McKnights commentary on Colossians. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. Gift Love 2. Conversation with Michael Wise 3. Kronstadt 4. Trifle 5. Both And The post Jesus Is Lord appeared first on Apprentice Insti...

James Bryan Smith talks about two kinds of love, “gift love” and “need love.” In this episode Smith’s thought from above is, to love one another just as Jesus has loved us. “Need Love”, is a kind of longing love much like romantic love. “Gift Love” is God’s love, it doesn’t need anything in return. Smith helps explain each of these “loves” in more detail and closes the episode with a passage from John 13:34. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. ...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Dr. Michael Wise. Michael Wise is an internationally recognized expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls. He frequently lectures on the Dead Sea Scrolls from coast to coast. Dr. Wise is ordained as a minister in the Evangelical Free Church and regularly teaches adult Sunday School classes. He recently completed a second Ph.D., in the field of Classics (ancient Greek and Latin literature), at the University of Minnesota. In this episode, James asks Mi...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above comes from Saint John of Kronstadt. In this episode, James reads an excerpt from the writings of Saint John of Kronstadt. Smith uses this passage to help us look for traces of mercy. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. Trifle 2. Conversation with Marlena Graves 3. Both And 4. Authentic Change 5. Conversation with Brian Zahnd Part 2 The post Kronstadt appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, don’t trifle with our God. Smith recounts a story where Dallas Willard asked him a question that he could not answer. The question was, does God ever let us get away with anything? James goes on to explain why we want a God who is both just and merciful. He closes the episode with a story about legendary basketball coach John Wooden to help explain his thought from above. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate Today...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author and speaker Marlena Graves. James asks Marlena about her latest book, “The Way Up Is Down” and why she wrote the book. Marlena is a writer, deep thinker, and speaker who is passionate about the eternal implications of our life in God. She is a lover of beauty – especially the beauty of her family, others, and creation. She received her M.Div. from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York, and is pursuing her PhD in American Cultu...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is; The way of Jesus is Both And.” In this episode, James tells a story about his one message, the grace of God. To help explain his thought from above, Jim states that grace is God’s action in our lives. Smith gives two stories to help further explain his thought from above. Interested in donating to the Things Above podcast? Donate here! Related episodes: 1. Authentic Change 2. Conversation with Brian Zahnd Part 2 3. Everything is a Gift 4....

In this episode, James Bryan Smith tells us how we can experience an authentic change in our spiritual life. He begins the episode with a quote from 2nd Corinthians chapter three verse eighteen. Smith uses this verse to help explain how we are able to see the glory of God through Jesus. James closes the episode with a story from author and speaker Marlena Graves. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Brian Zahnd Part 2 2. Every...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Brian Zahnd. Jim and Brian talk about his latest book, “When Everything’s on Fire.” Jim asks Brian why he wrote this book and both discuss the impact of secularism in society today. James asks Brian a series of questions to help explain why we need this book today. Brian is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. Known for his theologically informed preaching and his embrace of the deep and long history o...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “everything is a gift.” To help illustrate his thought from above, Smith tells the story of Alexander Hamilton. James goes on to further explain his thought from above with a passage from Will Smith’s memoir. Smith closes the episode restating his thought from above and encouraging listeners to see all of life as a gift. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Related Episodes: 1. Witness 2. Conversation with...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “can I be a witness?” Smith gets his thought from above from a book he read by his friend Angela Gorrell. In the book, Angela explains two important ideas about helping others grieve the loss of a loved one. Smith closes the episode with a story about a friend who had been struggling with the loss of a loved one. He uses the story to show us how we can be with those who grieve and be a witness to God’s love for them. Interested in dona...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Curt Thompson about his latest book “The Soul of Desire.” Curt Thompson MD, is a psychiatrist, speaker, and author. Inspired by deep compassion for others and informed from a Christian perspective, Curt shares fresh insights and practical applications for developing more authentic relationships and fully experiencing our deepest longing: to be known. Learn more about Curt on his website here! Interested in donating to the Things Above podc...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “God can.” Smith learned this from his late great teacher, Ray Anderson while in seminary. In this episode, James explains his thought from above in greater detail. To help explain his thought from above he adds on a few more words. God has, God can, and God will. As Jim studied under Dallas Willard he asked him, “what essentially is the Bible all about?” Dallas told him, “God is with us.” When we put all these phrases together we get a clear picture ...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “God is on your side.” Smith starts off the episode with a story about Eugene Peterson and his son. James continues the episode with another story about his friend Trevor. Both of these stories help explain Smith’s “thought from above” and reinforce the idea that God is always on our side. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Click here to donate! Related Episodes: 1. The Soul Knows Best 2. Soul Wellness 3. Kingdom Abu...

The thought from above in this episode is, “the soul knows best.” James Bryan Smith opens this episode with Psalm 25 to help explain his thought from above. Throughout the episode, Smith gives us definitions of the soul versus the self. To conclude the episode, James recalls a story about John Wesley where he experiences the love of God and the importance of the soul. The post The Soul Knows Best appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above in this episode is, kingdom obedience brings kingdom abundance. James Bryan Smith explains how we can have kingdom abundance through kingdom obedience. Smith gives us his definition of grace, which is God’s action in our lives. James gives us examples of how we can experience kingdom obedience in order to have kingdom abundance. Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Dr. Jeff Bjorck 2. Be Happy for God 3. God is Greater Than Our Hearts 4. Already There 5. Beauty, Goo...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Dr. Jeff Bjorck. Dr. Bjorck is a pianist, composer, and arranger with six solo piano albums to his credit. In addition, he is also a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology. In this episode, James and Jeff talk about ways we can care for ourselves during the pandemic. The main focus of self-care in this episode is mental health. To learn more about Jeff Bjorck, visit his website: https://purepiano.com/ Donate to the Things Above ...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “create a vision for life.” Smith’s thought from above comes his mentor Dallas Willard. Dallas taught Jim about many things but one of the most important was his teaching on creating a vision for your life. Listen below or anywhere you subscribe to your podcasts. Donate to the Things Above Podcast! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Philip Yancey 2. Leaps with Faith 3. Be Happy for God 4. Look for the Glory 5. Conversation with...

In this episode James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “take leaps with faith.” In this episode James defines faith as “an extension of knowledge based on knowledge.” To help illustrate his thought from above, Smith tells the story of the beggar Bartimaeus. Related Episodes: 1. Be Happy for God 2. Look for the Glory 3. Know Your Enemy 4. Sin is Slop 5. Conversation with Philip Yancey Donate to the Things Above Podcast! The post Leaps with Faith appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Philip Yancey. Philip is one of the best-selling contemporary Christian authors. In this episode, Jim interviews Philip on his memoir “Where the Light Fell.” Jim and Philip discuss the book as well as the moments in Philips’s life that changed his faith forever. Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Sarah Clarkson 2. Conversation with Michael John Cusick 3. Conversation with Tish Harrison Warren 4. Conversation with Bruce McNicol and ...