Things Above

Latest Episodes:

Jesus Holds Everything Together Aug 21, 2019

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Anger and worry are two emotions we deal with on a daily basis. We worry because we feel like it will help us to fix whatever problem we are dealing with. We use anger to make others behave as we want but in the long haul, it is destructive. In this episode, James Bryan Smith explains this glorious thought: relax, Jesus runs the universe. When we face problems, when we feel ourselves becoming angry or anxious, we do well to turn to Jesus, to invite him into our situation, to see our situation in light of Jesus and his resources and his power and his provision and his wisdom. Smith explains that we are not to act as if don’t care about these moments in our life but rather we should turn to Jesus in these moments. James closes the episode by quoting the chorus to the gospel song “Because He Lives”

Conversation with William Paul Young Aug 14, 2019

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In this Things Above conversation, James Bryan Smith interviews William Paul Young. Paul is best known for his book “The Shack” which has sold over a million copies. Young is a native of Alberta, Canada and now lives in Washington with his wife Kim. He is also the author of “The Crossroads” “Eve” and “Lies We Believe About God” In this episode, Paul and James discuss the struggles that came with publishing “The Shack” as well as how it became such a huge success. Paul explains that he only intended to write “The Shack” for his kids and how he never expected it to become as big as it did. James asks Paul to give us a deeper explanation about his writing process and how it impacts his faith life. Later on in the conversation, Paul gives us a few examples from his life where he struggled with his faith and how he was able to find God during those difficult moments. Paul and James both give explanations about how we can experience trinitarian reality in our daily lives. If you are interested in seeing Paul in person he will be speaking and leading a workshop at The Apprentice Gathering 2019. Register here!

Your Identity is in the Invitation Aug 07, 2019

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Discovering our identity can be a lifelong journey. We all want to know who we are. In this episode, James Bryan Smith explains how our journey towards self-discovery is found in the invitation to be with Jesus. If we are to discover who we truly are, we must do so through discovering Jesus’ call to us. Smith goes on to explain that we are God’s beloved - that is our true identity. Jesus knows each of us individually, and sets each of us on a unique mission. By responding to Jesus’ invitation, we are called into Christ’s company. We know who we are when we discover we have been written into His story. He - and His story - are beautiful, good, and true. And in Him, so are we.

Conversation with Emily P. Freeman Part 2 Jun 19, 2019

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In this Things Above Conversation, James Bryan Smith interviews author Emily P. Freeman about her latest book, The Next Right Thing. People average 35,000 daily decisions. Some of those decisions can really wear us down, which leads to the problem of chronic hesitation and decision fatigue. Emily’s book helps the reader make decisions with clarity, with confidence and with God. If you have trouble making decisions, because of either chronic hesitation you've always lived with or a more recent onset of decision fatigue, Emily offers a fresh way of practicing familiar but often forgotten advice: simply do the next right thing. With this simple, soulful practice, it is possible to clear the decision-making chaos, quiet the fear of choosing wrong, and find the courage to finally decide without regret or second-guessing. Whether you're in the midst of a major life transition or are weary of the low-grade anxiety that daily life can bring, Emily helps create space for your soul to breathe so you can live life with God at a gentle pace and discern your next right thing in love.

Already Present Jun 12, 2019

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It’s not abnormal for people to wonder, where is God? Maybe life isn’t turning out the way you hoped. You’ve lost a job or a loved one or your sense of purpose. And this causes us to feel alone, or at least very distant from God. If you feel distant from God, it begs the question, who moved? It turns out, God is already present. In Psalm 139, the psalmist says: 7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. So whether or not we feel or experience God’s presence with us is not determined by God, but determined by us. Why is it important for us to recognize God’s presence? For starters, it leads to a richer, fuller life. Conversely, failure to recognize God’s presence leaves us restless, distracted and dull. Here are five practices to increase awareness of God’s presence: 1. Take time each hour to give God some thought. Offer Him your consciousness for just a few minutes throughout the day. 2. Reserve an empty chair in your room for Jesus. Imagine him sitting with you as you work or read or visit with someone. 3. Memorize Scripture. By holding God’s word close to your heart, you will feel His presence. 4. Imaginative prayer. Pick a passage from the gospels and place yourself in the story. What do your senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, and feel) detect? 5. Practice “beauty-spotting.” Pay attention to the beauty the surrounds you. Key verses include Psalm 139, Psalm 16:8.

Conversation with Jen Pollock Michel Jun 05, 2019

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In the latest Things Above conversation, James Bryan Smith talks with Jen Pollock Michel about her latest book, Surprised by Paradox. Among many things, they explore the depths of topics, such as paradox, awe, certainty, mystery, and calling. They even share a couple of jokes about a paradox that you won’t want to miss. Surprised by Paradox invites us to recognize that, in a world filled with ambiguity, many of us long for a belief system that provides straightforward answers to complex questions and clarity in the face of confusion. But while there are certainties in Christian faith, at the heart of the Christian story there is also a paradox. Jesus invites us to abandon the polarities of either and or in order to embrace the difficult, wondrous dissonance of and. Michel’s book helps us recover the paradoxes and mysteries that keep us sane. By them, we learn to trust in a God who is way bigger than our limited expectations. As Michel says, “God has set the world alight with his presence. We just need eyes to see.”

Christ Plus Nothing Equals Everything May 29, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, James Bryan Smith explains this glorious thought: "Christ plus nothing equals everything." Jim goes on to explain that when we allow other things in our life to take the place of "nothing" in the formula it will not equal everything. Key Verses include (1 Cor. 2:3-5) (1 Cor. 13: 1-3)

Overcoming Temptation May 22, 2019

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Temptation can lead to real problems. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith discusses the nature of temptation, then offers and unpacks six facts about temptation that can help you overcome it. 1. Everybody is tempted. 2. God is not the one tempting us. 3. Temptation itself is not sin. 4. Being tempted does not mean you are a bad person. 5. Temptation does not come from outside of us, but from our own desires. 6. There is always a way out of temptation. You can experiment with a soul-training exercise to help overcome temptation. It’s called “Play the Tape.” When you play the tape, what you’re doing is remembering your experience with giving in to temptation and how you felt afterward. You recall how it led to nothing good. You also recall your feelings of regret. When you play the tape, you also have the opportunity to remember your experience with NOT giving in to temptation. You felt good, didn’t you? You felt strong. That’s because you were walking in the light, as John said. And it felt right because you are a child of the light. C.S. Lewis put it like this: “A man who gives into temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.” Lewis is alluding to playing the tape. In those early moments of temptation, the sin may look enticing. But if you play the tape, you remember what happens in ten minutes, or an hour later, you can see it for what it is. And awareness is our best weapon in dealing with temptation. Key verses include Romans 7:15, 1 Corinthians 10:13, James 1:12-14, Ephesians 4:26

Conversation with Chris Heuertz Part 2 May 15, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith continues a conversation with Chris Huertz about the Enneagram by exploring the holy ideas and virtues of each type. These components offer a map to our soul. Holy ideas are the first truths we have to tell ourselves. Virtues are our unobstructed views of reality. In regards to the Enneagram, our basic fear tells us things will never be okay. We contend with fear in two ways: Our type’s passion and fixation. Our type’s passion is how our heart suffers and our type’s fixation is how our mind tells our heart, “This makes sense, keep doing that.” Understanding these aspects of the Enneagram provides helpful insights about yourself, as well as others. You can explore more on the Enneagram and its impact on our spiritual formation by reading Chris’s book, “The Sacred Enneagram.” Chris and his wife, Phileena, served with the Word Made Flesh community for nearly 20 years, working for women and children victimized by human traffickers in the commercial sex industry. His vocation has taken him to over 70 countries working among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor.

Practicing Patience May 08, 2019

Show notes

If patience is a virtue, why are we in such a hurry? When it comes to our faith, this can be really frustrating. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith discusses our frequently unmet expectations when it comes to spiritual growth and how we can understand God’s timing in our lives. Because the truth is, slow growth offers us eternal strength. Most of us are in a hurry when it comes to our spiritual growth. Miles Stanford wrote about this in his book, Principles of Spiritual Growth. He says, “It seems that most believers have difficulty in realizing and facing up to the inexorable fact that God does not hurry in his development of our Christian life. God is working for and from eternity! So many feel they are not making progress unless they are swiftly and constantly forging ahead.” If we were to grow rapidly, we might begin to believe it was due to our own strength. However, God wants us to know that, without Him, we have no strength. Some of the greatest characters from the Bible, such as Moses and Paul, waited years for God’s strength to be formed in them before they were able to accomplish great things. In other words, our souls take a great deal of time to mature. Dallas Willard said, “Our souls are massive, and they grow slowly.” When we understand and accept this, we receive the patience we need to trust the process of maturity and growth.

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