Things Above

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with Casey Tygrett. Casey is back for his second appearance on the Things Above podcast. In this episode, Casey and James talk about the impact the pandemic has had on us now that we have been dealing with it for over a year. They discuss the importance of spiritual direction and the need for it in our daily lives. Casey is now working with Soulcare where he performs spiritual direction. Soulcare is a partner at The Apprentice Gathering 2021 and will be offering spiritual direction during the conference. Interested in The Apprentice Gathering? Learn more here! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Casey Tygrett 2. Conversation with John Mark Comer 3. Conversation with Scot McKnight 4. Conversation with Dorothy Greco 5. Conversation with Michael John Cusick If you would like to make a donation to the Things Above Podcast you can do so here! The post Conversation with Casey Tygrett Part 2 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with Dorothy Greco. In this episode James and Dorothy discuss her latest book, “Marriage in the Middle.” Dorothy is the author of Making Marriage Beautiful and Marriage in the Middle. Her work has appeared in Christianity Today, Missio Alliance, MOPs, Relevant Magazine, and many other publications. She also works as a professional photojournalist. Dorothy and her husband Christopher live near Boston, MA. Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Scot McKnight 2. Conversation with Emily P. Freeman Part 3 3. Conversation with Susie Larson 4. Conversation with John Mark Comer 5. Conversation with Tish Harrison Warren Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Click here! Click here to learn more about The Apprentice Gathering! The post Conversation with Dorothy Greco appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “You are wanted by the Trinity.” In this episode Smith explains the importance of understanding the Trinity. Understanding the Trinity informs us that God wants to be in relationship with us. To help explain his thought, James quotes Dallas Willard “The advantage of believing in the Trinity is not that we get an A from God for knowing the right answer. The advantage of believing in the Trinity is that we then live as if the Trinity is real, as if the cosmos around us is actually beyond all else a community of unspeakably magnificent personal beings of boundless love, knowledge and power.” Interested in donating to the The Things Above Podcast, click here! Related Episodes 1. God is Greater Than Our Hearts 2. Already There 3. Praying with Jesus 4. Perfect Forever 5. Jesus Upholds You The post Wanted by the Trinity appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Today’s thought from above is this: God is greater than our hearts. In this episode James Bryan Smith unpacks his thought from above with a story from his childhood.  Smith explains the importance of understanding our identity in order to get over our own shame.  When we realize that our identity is formed with Jesus we can begin to see how much God cares for us.  Jesus gave His life for you so that he could live His life through you.  Smith closes the episode by saying, “Jesus is the only one who gets to say who you are.” Related Episodes: 1. Greater Than Our Sins 2. Already There 3. Praying with Jesus 4. Perfect Forever 5. Jesus Upholds You Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Click this link to donate at any amount! The post God is Greater Than Our Hearts appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with Dr. Scot McKnight. In this episode James talks with Scot about his latest book “A Church Called Tov” which he co-authored with his daughter Laura Barringer. Scot will be speaking at The Apprentice Gathering 2021, learn more here. Scot McKnight Bio: McKnight, author or editor of some eighty-five books, is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, IL. Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly speaks at local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the USA and abroad. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986) and has been a professor for nearly four decades. Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with Susie Larson 2. Conversation with Tish Harrison Warren 3. Conversation with John Mark Comer 4. Conversation with Michael John Cusick 5. Already There The post Conversation with Scot McKnight appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is: “You are already there.” Over the last several episodes; 101, 103, 104, and 106, we have been been unpacking some of the key aspects of what it means that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. Smith goes on to explain that Jesus is what God is like—kind, loving, compassionate, holy and powerful. He then quotes Ephesians 2:6 to unpack his thought from above. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,” We are now seated with Christ and our life is now hidden in his (Col. 3). Smith closes the episode with a quote from Randy Alcorn. “In a metaphysical sense, we’ve already entered heaven’s community. Heaven, then, isn’t only our future home. It’s our home already, waiting over the next hill. If we really grasp this truth, it will have a profound effect on our holiness. No wonder the devil is so intent on keeping us from grasping our standing in Christ—for if we see ourselves in heaven with Christ, we’ll be drawn to worship and serve him here and now, creating ripples in heaven’s waters that will extend outward for all eternity.” Related Episodes: 1. Praying with Jesus 2. Perfect Forever 3. Jesus Upholds You 4. Jesus is God Exactly 5. Increase Grace The post Already There appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Over the last several episodes we have been examining the powerful truths that come from the fact that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. In episode 101 we talked about how God is exactly like Jesus. Episode 103 focused on the thought that Jesus is holding all things together. In episode 104 Jim explained how Jesus has forgiven all of our sins, for all time. This week, James adds another thought from above to go along with those last few episodes: “Jesus lives to pray for you.” Jesus is praying for you always! Throughout the episode, Smith explains how this thought from above can help us experience a deeper prayer life. Jim closes the episode with a quote from Thomas Torrence; “At the end of the day, when I kneel down and say my evening prayer. I know that no prayer of my own, that I can offer to the heavenly Father is worthy of Him. But all my prayer is made in the name of Jesus Christ alone as I rest in his vicarious prayer. It is then with utter peace and joy that I take into my mouth the Lords prayer which I am invited to prayer through Jesus Christ with him and in him to God the Father. For in that prayer, my poor faulting sinful prayer, is not allowed to fall to the ground, but is gathered up and presented to the Father in holy and eternally prevailing form.” If you are interested in donating to the Things Above podcast click here! Related Episodes: 1. Perfect Forever 2. Jesus Upholds You 3. Jesus is God Exactly 4. Increase Grace 5. Jesus is Praying for You The post Praying with Jesus appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Susie Larson. In this episode James talks with Susie about 3 of her 17 books, “Your Beautiful Purpose”, “Prevail”, and “Fully Alive.” Throughout the episode Susie and Jim both talk about the struggles we go through in our relationship with God. They talk about the importance of living into the kingdom of God each day, and how we can overcome rogue thoughts that take us away from God. Susie Larson Bio: Susie Larson is a talk radio host, national speaker, and bestselling author. In both 2016 and 2017 Susie was nominated and voted into the top ten groups for the National John Maxwell Leadership Award. Susie has been married to her dear husband Kevin since 1985 and together they have three wonderful sons, three beautiful daughters-in-law, two beautiful grandchildren, and one adorable pit bull named Memphis. Susie’s passion is to see women everywhere awakened to the value of their soul, the depth of God’s love, and the height of their calling in Christ Jesus. To learn more about Susie visit her website here. Susie will be speaking at The Apprentice Gathering 2021, learn more and register here! Related Episodes: 1. Conversation with John Mark Comer 2. Conversation with Michael John Cusick 3. Conversation with Emily P. Freeman Part 3 4. Conversation with William Paul Young 5. Conversation with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson The post Conversation with Susie Larson appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is: “Jesus perfected you forever.” Over the last few episodes James has been teaching about what it means that Jesus sat down at the right hand of God. James opens the episode by reading from Hebrews 10:12-14. In this passage we see that the priest has to continuously sacrifice animals to pay for the sins of the people. He goes on to say that the reason that these sacrifices “cannot take away sins” is because they could only atone for the sins, not take them away. Jesus, the author states is the ultimate priest, Jesus died for all of the sins of the world for all time – and he only had to offer his sacrifice once—not day after day like the other priests. In closing, Smith states: “You and I have, by the work of Jesus, been made perfect forever. And now, by the work of Jesus we are being made holy. We have been forgiven so that we can be filled by the spirit. Until you rest in the finality of the cross, you cannot live in the reality of the resurrection.” Related Episodes: 1. Jesus Upholds You 2. Jesus is God Exactly 3. Increase Grace 4. Create Space for Grace 5. Conversation with John Mark Comer The post Perfect Forever appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above in this episode is: “Jesus Upholds You.” James Bryan Smith opens the episode with a passage from Hebrews 1:3. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” James unpacks this passage to explain how we need Christ not only to make purification for our sins, but also to provide preservation to our souls and our bodies. He goes on to say that Jesus upholds us every single moment of our lives. He could choose not to at any moment but he continues to sustain and preserve us through love. G.K. Chesterton wrote, “It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” James compares this quote with a song written by Rich Mullins titled “Growing Young” to help further explain his thought from above. Related Episodes: 1. Jesus is God Exactly 2. Increase Grace 3. Create Space for Grace 4. Say No to Say Yes 5. Keep it Simple The post Jesus Upholds You appeared first on Apprentice Institute.