In this episode James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, Jesus is God exactly. Smith opens this 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 […] The post Jesus is God Exactly appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

How do we increase grace? As we learned in episode 98, grace is God’s action in our lives. James Bryan Smith explains how we can increase the grace of God in our lives through spiritual disciplines. Richard Foster was the first person to explain to James about the spiritual disciplines. The spiritual disciplines (prayer, solitude, […] The post Increase Grace appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Our guest for this episode is, Fr. Richard Rohr. Richard is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province. He is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation and academic dean of the CAC’s Living School. An internationally recognized author and spiritual leader, Fr. Richard teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, nondual consciousness, and […] The post Conversation with Richard Rohr appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above in this episode is: “Create Space for Grace.” James Bryan Smith continues with his key ideas that are essential to Christian spiritual formation. These last five episodes are foundational for what this podcast is all about, setting our mind on things above. Smith begins the episode by explaining the importance of […] The post Create Space for Grace appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above for this episode is: “say no to say yes.” James learned this thought from above while under the tutelage of Richard Foster. Richard explained to James that whenever we say yes to something, we are also saying no to other things. Foster continued to explain to Jim that typically […] The post Say No to Say Yes appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

John Mark Comer, pastor at Bridgetown Church and author of "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry," joins James Bryan Smith for a deep dive into spiritual growth. They discuss the impact of secular culture on faith, emphasizing the importance of community and a neo-monastic approach. Comer shares insights on overcoming modern distractions and nurturing spiritual practices in daily life. They also explore the transformative power of grace and the ancient concept of a 'rule of life' as a framework for deepening one’s relationship with Jesus.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is: “Keep it simple, saint.” We are a few weeks into the new year and many of us have a new year’s resolution. Smith points out that 95% of all new year’s resolutions are broken by the end of January. This is an alarming fact but […] The post Keep it Simple appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above in this episode is: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Following up on his last episode, James Bryan Smith takes a deeper dive into appreciative thinking vs depreciative thinking. He begins with a quote from Adrian van Kaam to help explain his thought from above. “The way we look at our lives […] The post Give Thanks appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above for this episode is: “Rejoice always.” James Bryan Smith takes a deep dive into the works of theologian and priest Adrian von Kaam, to help explain his thought from above. In this episode, James explains the difference between appreciative thinking and depreciative thinking and how we can avoid the latter to […] The post Rejoice Always appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Emily P. Freeman is back for her third Things Above Conversation! In this episode, James and Emily have a series of questions they ask each other about podcasting, spiritual formation, and life during the pandemic. Emily was able to be in the studio for this conversation because of her new teaching position at Friends University. […] The post Conversation with Emily P. Freeman Part 3 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.