Things Above

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.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Cindy Bunch about her book “Be Kind to Yourself.” During their discussion they talk about the importance of spiritual direction and the impact of social media in our lives. Do you have a favorite spiritual practice? Cindy and James give their top three spiritual practices and […] The post Conversation with Cindy Bunch appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith is very excited to announce the republished and expanded edition of his book “Room of Marvels.” In this episode James tells us the story of how “Room of Marvels” came to be and how it helped him deal with the death and grief in his life. He also offers this thought from […] The post Inside Our Room of Marvels appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above this week is, “you are destined for glory.” James Bryan Smith opens the episode with a quote from the movie “Jerry Maguire” where Jerry yells, “show me the money!” Smith explains the meaning behind the quote and how it is actually a cry for authenticity and connection and not for money. […] The post Destined for Glory appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author and priest, Tish Harrison Warren. James and Tish discuss a multitude of topics around their books including, liturgy, spiritual formation, and more! Tish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She has worked in ministry settings for […] The post Conversation with Tish Harrison Warren appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

“In difficult times you should always carry something beautiful in your mind.” – Blaise Pascal At some point in our life we ask ourselves the question, Who am I? We can spend our whole lives trying to solve this question and still never feel satisfied with the answer. In this episode, James Bryan Smith gives […] The post Who Am I appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith opens this episode with a story about the first church he served in as a youth pastor to help explain this thought from above. We are all different but we are one. The church had just gone through a split due to a disagreement among the members. Smith asked his mentor, Dallas […] The post Different but One appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this Things Above episode, James Bryan Smith has a conversation with Carolyn Arends. Carolyn has released 12 albums and is the author of 3 critically-acclaimed books. 15 of Arends’ songs have become top 10 radio singles on the Canadian pop and US Christian charts. Arends has earned 2 Dove Awards, 3 Juno Nominations, and was […] The post Conversation with Carolyn Arends appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

“The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart – this you will build your life by, and this you will become.” – James Allen The thought from above for this episode is, “you are designed for a divine destiny.”  James opens up the episode talking about the […] The post Divine Destiny appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Our thought from above in this episode is, “faith shines best in darkness.”  James Bryan Smith tells us the story about one of his students who was struggling with her faith, just before heading off to Seminary. This student was experiencing, what Smith would call, a dark night of the soul. James goes on to […] The post Faith shines best in Darkness appeared first on Apprentice Institute.