Things Above

James 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 […] The post Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith's thought from above is, “Find freedom from the false frames.” This week, James talks about three false narratives that he had to change in his life. Smith uses the image of a frame to help explain his thought from above. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate […] The post False Frames appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Jesus makes everything okay forever.” In this episode, James discusses a recently-read book titled “The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever: Transcendence, Psychedelics, and Jesus Christ.” The author, Ashley Lande, wrote this to describe her book: For years, psychedelics were my religion. All I ever […] The post Everything Okay Forever appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above today is, “Practice Awe-Filled Appreciation.” In this episode, James teaches us the spiritual practice of Awe-Filled Appreciation. James gives five examples of why this practice is helpful and how to do it independently. Related Episodes: 1. Solitude 2. Solitude 3. Trusting and Training 4. Conversation with Alison Cook 5. […] The post Awe Filled Appreciation appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with Ian Morgan Cron about his latest book, “The Fix.” We all suffer from a sense of spiritual homelessness–a feeling that we're not fully at home in the world. To cope with our painful feelings and life traumas, we search for quick “fixes” that eventually become habitual, […] The post Conversation with Ian Morgan Cron appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Solitude is the furnace of the soul.” In this episode, James talks about temptation and how we can deal with it through the practice of solitude. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at […] The post Solitude appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith's thought from above is, “quit trying, start trusting, and begin training.” Smith explains why we need to quit relying on our efforts to live a Christian life and start trusting in the grace of Jesus to help us live out our faith. Once we move from trying to trusting, […] The post Trusting and Training appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author, Alison Cook on her latest book, Boundaries for Your Soul: How to Turn Your Overwhelming Thoughts and Feelings into Your Greatest Allies. Boundaries for Your Soul includes relatable anecdotes, helpful exercises, an engaging quiz, and opportunities for personal reflection. Gathering the wisdom from the authors' […] The post Conversation with Alison Cook appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “We need two kinds of faith.” In this episode, Smith talks about the two kinds of faith we need to have as defined by the author C.S. Lewis. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree […] The post Two Kinds of Faith appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with author Michael J. Cusick about his book, Sacred Attachment. Michael will be a plenary speaker at The Apprentice Gathering 2025, register here! Michael John Cusick voices the questions and contradictions that are inherently part of living an authentic spiritual faith. With raw honesty and vulnerability, he […] The post Michael Cusick Sacred Attachment appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith's thought from above is, “Jesus makes all things new.” To help explain his thought from above, James references the book “On the Incarnation” by Athanasius of Alexandria. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University! […] The post All Things New appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith's thought from above is, “Do you know your name?” James's thought from above comes from one of the unspoken sermons by George MacDonald. 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 […] The post Know Your Name appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Matt Johnson returns for part two of the conversation with James Bryan Smith. In this episode, Smith and Johnson continue their conversation about the research on spiritual growth. 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 […] The post Conversation with Matt Johnson Part Two appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with spiritual director and friend Matt Johnson. James and Matt have a conversation about the research they are conducting together about what happens to people who experience significant spiritual growth. In this episode, they talk about James' triangle of transformation from The Good and Beautiful series. Interested […] The post Conversation with Matt Johnson appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Take your gratitude to the next level.” In this episode, James gives us two practices we can do to give thanks to God. Smith explains both practices in detail and gives examples of how we can do them. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? […] The post Gratitude appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Let nothing disturb you.” In this episode, Smith recites a prayer from St. Teresa of Avila. James goes through the prayer and explains what we can learn from the prayer in order to help us not be disturbed by difficult times in our lives. Interested in […] The post Let Nothing Disturb You appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above in this episode is, “God wants to talk with you.” Following up from his previous episode, Smith talks about how we can talk with God when we pray. Smith gives some examples from the Lord's prayer and Psalm twenty-three to help explain his thought from above. Interested in donating […] The post Talk With God appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “God wants you to talk to him.” In this episode, James discusses the Lord's Prayer. Smith explains how he uses the prayer, goes through each verse, and discusses the importance of each verse. Listen here or anywhere you get your podcasts. Interested in donating to the […] The post Talk to God appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Jesus is gentle and he is mighty, he is good, but he isn't safe.” In this episode, Smith talks about how Jesus is the lamb of God and also the lion of Judah. James explains how Jesus is gentle and mighty, how he has seen it […] The post Gentle and Mighty appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above in this episode is, “There will be suffering in life, but it is different with Jesus.” In this episode, James talks about how we all experience suffering in our lives, but we experience it differently when we are apprentices of Jesus. Smith talks about how his walk with Jesus […] The post Different with Jesus appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above in this episode is, “Walking with Jesus is the greatest of all adventures.” Smith starts the episode by talking about the day he chose to give his life to Jesus. He then talks about how we all can join in on the greatest of all adventures by choosing to […] The post Walking with Jesus appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Are you preparing for your weight of glory?” In this episode, James discusses the essay by C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory.” Smith uses verses 16 through 18 from 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 to help explain his thought from above. Interested in donating to the Things […] The post Weight of Glory appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author Ken Shigematsu about his book, “Now I Become Myself.” Drawing on a rich variety of personal experience, Scripture, spiritual formation classics, psychology, and relational neuroscience; award-winning author and pastor Ken Shigematsu shows how a deep, experiential encounter with the love of God can heal us […] The post Conversation with Ken Shigematsu appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Have a glorious morning and evening.” This is the second part of the two-part episode. Smith discusses the spiritual practice of examen. He expands on this practice and talks about a time in his life when it came into play. Interested in donating to the Things […] The post Glorious Morning and Evening Part Two appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Have a glorious morning and evening.” In this two-part episode, Smith discusses his spiritual practice, “the two-minute morning.” He expands on this practice and gives more insight into how it can be helpful and why it is important. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? […] The post Glorious Morning and Evening Part One appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with author John Mark Comer about his book, “Practicing The Way.” We are constantly being formed by the world around us. To be formed by Jesus will require us to become his apprentice. To live by what the first Christian disciples called a Rule of Life—a set […] The post Conversation with John Mark Comer Part Two appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith's thought from above is, “Begin with the end in mind.” Smith explains his thought from above by talking about his two mentors John Wesley and Dallas Willard. James illustrates his thought from above with a story about a friend and his understanding of Christian spiritual formation. Interested in donating […] The post The End In Mind appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Live life with an open hand.” In this episode, Smith discusses one of his favorite prayers, “The Serenity Prayer.” James talks about the meaning behind prayer and how we can use it in our time with God. The Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity To […] The post Open Hand appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with author A.J. Swoboda about his book, The Gift of Thorns. Today's follower of Jesus exists at a moment in history when our desires, longings, and wants are being weaponized against us by cultural, spiritual, and relational forces. “Follow your heart” and “You do you” has become […] The post Conversation with AJ Swoboda Part Three appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith asks, what is the greatest opportunity you have ever been given? In this episode, James explores this question and explains that our greatest opportunity is to follow Jesus. Smith explains that we have been invited to a relationship with Jesus and how it is the greatest opportunity we have been offered. Interested […] The post Our Greatest Opportunity appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author Brian Zahnd about his book, “The Wood Between the Worlds.” Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross, and proceeds from the cross. In fact, within the narrative of Scripture, the crucifixion of Jesus is literally the crux of the story—the axis upon which […] The post Conversation with Brian Zahnd Part Three appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith gives his second spiritual practice for 2024, called the two-minute morning. In this episode, James explains how to do this practice and why he feels it helps him set his mind on Things Above. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree […] The post Two Minute Morning appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with author and friend Emily P. Freeman. James interviews Emily on her upcoming book, “How to Walk into a Room.” The book will be released in March 2024. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship […] The post Conversation With Emily P. Freeman Part Four appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith talks about how we can experience grieving with hope. James opens the episode by talking about what he considers to be his favorite book that he has written, Room of Marvels. Smith reads the foreword of Room of Marvels, written by Dallas Willard, to help further explain how we […] The post Grieving with Hope appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith starts the new year with an episode about a spiritual discipline he enjoys called breath prayer. In this episode, James explains what breath prayer is, and gives several examples of how to practice the soul training exercise yourself. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more about the […] The post Breath Prayer appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author Farrell Mason on her latest book, “Soulfull: A Weekly Devotional to Nourish the Mind, Body, and Spirit” Farrell Mason speaks to the universal human experience: navigating relationships, coping with change, rebounding from a setback or loss, finding peace, and prioritizing food, fellowship, faith, and regular […] The post Conversation with Farrell Mason appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Jesus is God's Glory, Grace and Truth.” This is the 4th episode of the series of episodes on the longings of our soul. In this episode, James explains the connection between beauty, goodness, and truth and how they relate to our soul. Interested in donating to […] The post Glory, Grace and Truth appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Our souls long for relationships.” Over the last three episodes, James has been discussing the longings of our souls. In this episode, Smith talks about five of the final ten longings of our soul. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! Learn more […] The post Our Soul & Relationships appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author and spiritual director Casey Tygrett. James and Casey discuss Casey's latest book, “The Gift of Restlessness.”  Casey emphasizes that restlessness is a sign that we must move up, move on, or move out. Working within the prayerful tradition of writers like Henri Nouwen and Barbara […] The post Conversation with Casey Tygrett Part Three appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith's thought from above is, “We all long to be loved.” Smith picks up where he left off the last episode, talking about the longings of our souls. In this episode, James talks about three more longings of our souls: the need to be wanted, the need to be loved […] The post Longing To Be Loved appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is “Your spirituality is what you do with your longings.” Smith is starting a four-part-episode series about spirituality and our souls. In this episode, James examines the relationship between our spirituality and the longings of our souls. Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here! […] The post Spirituality & Longings appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author and publisher Jeff Crosby. James and Jeff discuss Jeff's book, “The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts.” For over fifteen years, writer Jeff Crosby has been searching for a language of the soul–a way to articulate our deepest longings. […] The post Conversation with Jeff Crosby appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Everything turns on the turn.” In this episode, James explains the meaning behind this thought from above, which he learned from Ann Voskamp. He talks about the three ways we turn when faced with difficult situations in life. Smith closes the episode with a spiritual practice […] The post The Turn appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “Christ is your greatest treasure.” Following up on his first two episodes of season six, James continues to explain what it means to live a good life. In this episode, Smith talks about six areas of our life that he believes are essential to living a […] The post Greatest Treasure appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with author Ann Voskamp about her book, “Waymaker: Finding the Way to the Life You've Always Dreamed Of.” Ann Voskamp is a Canadian author, blogger, and memoirist on themes of Christian women's spirituality and the author of multiple books, including the New York Times bestseller, “One Thousand […] The post Conversation with Ann Voskamp appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith's thought from above is, “The good life is a deep, passionate, and emotional life.” Following up on the previous episode about the good life, Smith talks about the importance of our emotions concerning living the good life. James explains how our emotions are a crucial part of our life […] The post The Emotional Life appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In 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 […] The post The Good Life appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Ruth Haley Barton. In this episode, James and Ruth discuss her book, “Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again” In her book, Ruth offers hard-won wisdom and practical steps for developing rhythms of work and rest that bring life—to us […] The post Conversation with Ruth Haley Barton appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “You can have an Abba experience.” Smith opens the episode with the question, what is the one thing you think God most wants for you? He gives a few different answers to his question but ultimately says that what Jesus wants most for us is to […] The post Abba Experience appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith's thought from above this week is, “we need the church.” In this episode, James talks about the impact of attending church and why we need it. To help illustrate his thought from above, Smith references two songs written by Rich Mullins; “Sometimes by Step” and “Creed.” Interested in donating to the Things […] The post We Need The Church appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with long-time friend and author Trevor Hudson. In this episode, James asks Trevor questions about his upcoming book, “Seeking God-Finding Another Kind of Life with St Ignatius and Dallas Willard.” Trevor is the author of over 22 books and has worked with Renovaré International Institute for Christian […] The post Conversation with Trevor Hudson appeared first on Apprentice Institute.