Podcast
Things Above
Hosted by Apprentice Institute · EN
A Community of Learning Centered on Discipleship
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta
Dec 300:51:49Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta about their book, “Slow Theology.” In our fast-paced world of outrageous headlines and knee-jerk reactions, we struggle to hear God’s voice amid the noise. Despite constant connectivity, our lives lack true spiritual connection and depth. A. J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta offer a practical theology guide for building resilient faith through Christian discipleship. Addressing spiritual deconstruction and doubt with honesty, they show how to fortify your faith against cultural challenges through eight transformative spiritual practices, including ● taking your time in prayer and Bible study, ● building patience for your spiritual journey and faith formation, ● slowing down your thinking and decision-making process, ● finding peace with unanswered questions rather than demanding easy solutions, and ● facing spiritual difficulties head-on instead of avoiding them. This Christian living book helps weary believers reconnect with God and neighbor through intentional spiritual growth. With a foreword by Glenn Packiam, it’s perfect for devotional reading, small group study, or anyone seeking authentic faith formation. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Love Has You 2. Deny 3. Conversation with Aundi Kolber 4. Integrate Like Jesus 5. Your Project The post Conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →Love Has You
Nov 1200:25:53Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “Love Has You.” Smith talks about the impact five authors have had on his spiritual life. These five authors are: Ian Morgan Cron, Michael Cusick, Aundi Kolber, Alison Cook, and Curt Thompson, M.D. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Aundi Kolber 2. Integrate Like Jesus 3. Your Project 4. Live By The Spirit 5. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb The post Love Has You appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →Deny
Nov 500:19:27Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is Christ is lower, still. In this episode, James talks about an acronym he uses called DENY. Depend on God. Embrace God. Nurture and Yield to God. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Deny 2. Integrate Like Jesus 3. Your Project 4. Live By The Spirit 5. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb The post Deny appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →Conversation with Aundi Kolber
Sep 300:54:59Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with Aundi Kolber about her book, “Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode–and into a Life of Connection and Joy.” Aundi Kolber believes that we don’t have to white-knuckle our way through life. In her debut book, Try Softer, she’ll show us how God specifically designed our bodies and minds to work together to process our stories and work through obstacles. Through the latest psychology, practical clinical exercises, and her own personal story, Aundi equips and empowers us to connect us to our truest self and truly live. This is the “try softer” life. In Try Softer, you’ll learn how to: Know and set emotional and relational boundaries Make sense of the difficult experiences you’ve had Identify your attachment style―and how that affects your relationships today Move through emotions rather than get stuck by them Grow in self-compassion and talk back to your inner critic Trying softer is sacred work. And while it won’t be perfect or easy, it will be worth it. Because this is what we were made for: a living, breathing, moving, feeling, connected, beautifully incarnational life. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Integrate Like Jesus 2. Your Project 3. Live By The Spirit 4. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb 5. False Frames The post Conversation with Aundi Kolber appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →Integrate Like Jesus
Aug 2700:24:45Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “Integrate Like Jesus.” This week, James follows up on his previous episode, discussing God’s deep longing for us. Smith explains the four modes of being we live in: family, work, play, and entertainment. He describes how Jesus engaged in each of these modes and why they are essential. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Your Project 2. Live By The Spirit 3. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb 4. False Frames 5. Everything Okay Forever The post Integrate Like Jesus appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →Your Project
Aug 6, 202500:21:47Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is “pay attention to your project.” In this episode, James addresses some big questions about the project of our life and why it’s so important we understand what a spiritually fulfilling life looks like. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Live By The Spirit 2. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb 3. False Frames 4. Everything Okay Forever 5. Awe Filled Appreciation The post Your Project appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →Live By The Spirit
Jul 16, 202500:18:33Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith’s thought for this week is, “Live By The Spirit.” In this episode, James quotes several passages from C.S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity to help explain his thought. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb 2. False Frames 3. Everything Okay Forever 4. Awe Filled Appreciation 5. Conversation with Ian Morgan Cron The post Live By The Spirit appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb
Jun 19, 202500:47:56Tap to summarizeJames Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author Michael Stewart Robb about his book, “The Kingdom Among Us: The Gospel According to Dallas Willard.” Despite perennial attraction to his teachings, Dallas Willard’s theology has not been easy for his readers and colleagues to figure out or piece together. His approach to theology was an odd one. His five bestselling books on the Christian life were a “side job” to his quiet career as a professional philosopher. To what, if not to his profession, can one attribute the lasting attraction of his books? On one hand, it is Willard’s rhetorical skill and his cross-disciplinary knowledge–philosophical, psychological, biblical–regarding the central issues of human life. But more importantly, his books all proclaim a gospel which in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries can be especially hard to hear. Willard spoke of this gospel in biblical terms, “the gospel of the kingdom,” a gospel of spiritual living. The Kingdom Among Us presents a comprehensive account of that gospel.But it is much more than mere interpretation. By examining both Willard’s writings and hundreds of hours of audio recordings, Michael Stewart Robb both recovers and expands Willard’s theological vision. The book will help long time readers of Willard’s books make sense of his position in professional theology and philosophy. Robb’s reconstruction of a gospel of spiritual living will help scholars, theologians, and philosophers make sense of Willard’s “side job.” But all readers will encounter in these pages the most complete picture available of one of the giants of modern Christian spirituality. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. False Frames 2. Everything Okay Forever 3. Awe Filled Appreciation 4. Conversation with Ian Morgan Cron 5. Solitude The post Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →The Good Life
Aug 2, 2023Tap to summarizeIn this episode, James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “The good life is the obedient life.” Smith begins the episode by discussing a class he teaches at Friends University called The Good Life. In the class, he asked his students about the age-old question, what is the good life? In this episode, Smith explains how the good life is the obedient life. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Ruth Haley Barton 2. Abba Experience 3. We Need The Church 4. Conversation with Trevor Hudson 5. Perfect Peace The post The Good Life appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
Transcribe →The Last Word
Dec 18, 2018Tap to summarizeThe events of our world can be troubling – leading to fear, anxiety and panic. In this episode of the Things above podcast, James Bryan Smith asks, “Is our world governed by fear? Is our fate decided by a roll of the dice?” The short answer is no – because we live in the strong and unshakable kingdom of God. Jesuit priest Luis Espinal wrote a mediation that helps us grapple with the events of our world and the hope we have through Jesus. Meditation by Luis Espinal There are Christians Who have hysterical reactions As if the world had slipped out of God’s hands. They are violent As if they were risking everything. But we believe in history. The world is not a roll of the dice On its way toward chaos. A new world has begun to happen Since Christ has risen? Jesus Christ, We rejoice in your definitive triumph With our bodies still in the breach, Our souls in tension; We cry our first “Hurrah!” Till eternity unfolds itself. Your sorrow now has passed. Your enemies have failed. You are the definitive smile for humankind. What matter the wait now for us? We accept the struggle and the death, Because you, our love, will not die! We march behind you on the road to the future. You are with us. You are our immortality! Take away the sadness from our faces; We are not in a game of chance? You have the last word! Beyond the crushing of our bones, Now has begun the eternal “Alleluia!” From the thousands of openings In our wounded bodies and souls, There now arises a triumphal song! So teach us to give voice To your new life throughout the world, Because you dry the tears of the oppressed forever? And death will disappear. What troubles are you facing? Can you hear the alleluia beyond the wounds of this life? This world is not a roll of the dice. A new world has begun since Christ is risen. And God has the last word. Related episodes: 1. Conversation with Josh Larsen 2. Seeing Beauty 3. Forgiveness: The Way to Freedom 4. Christ is All Around Us 5. Desiring God The post The Last Word appeared first on Apprentice Institute.
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