In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith gives this thought from above: “God is happy about you.” When Jim’s son Jacob was around 7 years old he asked him a question that brought tears to Jim’s eyes. Jacob walked up to his dad and asked, “Are you happy about me?” While […] The post Brighter Than the Sun appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a conversation with Derwin Gray about our identity in Christ and how we can learn to love and see ourselves the same way God does. Labels you have internalized and apply to yourself every day. Labels like Afraid. Or Addict. Orphan. Damaged Goods. Failure. Maybe even Religious. These labels might be […] The post Conversation with Derwin Gray appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above in this episode is: “You don’t have to make it happen.” In the summer of his junior year, James attended an elite basketball camp where he learned a very valuable lesson about the grace of God. At the end of the camp was an all-star game that you had to be […] The post Grace of God appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

What will the future be like? Will it be good? What will happen to us at the end of lives? These are questions we all want an answer to. Deep down we desire a future for ourselves and others that is good. But how do we know that in the end it will be good? […] The post Roots in the Future appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this “Things Above Conversation” James Bryan Smith chats with Casey Tygrett. Casey is the host of the “otherWISE” podcast, a place for gathering wise conversations about living well on the journey with Jesus. He holds both a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation degree from Lincoln Christian Seminary. He […] The post Conversation with Casey Tygrett appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The “Thought from Above” for this episode is: “No more silly superstitions.” In a previous podcast James spoke about how worry is essentially superstition. We think by worrying we will actually have an effect on a situation we are concerned about. For example, when we worry about something and then that something does not happen, […] The post Superstition appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The “Thought from Above” in this episode is: Include Jesus in all of your relationships. The relationships we have in our lives are amazing but also challenging. There are times where we want the other person in the relationship to make a change in their life. Even if we are well meaning in our advice, […] The post Brother’s Keeper appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

A.J. Swoboda, author of 'Subversive Sabbath,' discusses the restorative connection to Eden through Sabbath practices, the gift of Sabbath rest as a declaration of Jesus' lordship, exploration of Sabbath amnesia, and the deep longing for rest innate in humans. The podcast delves into personal experiences with Sabbath, Pentecostalism, and book recommendations in a lively and insightful conversation.

The thought from above for this episode is: Remember the Door. In this episode, James Bryan Smith recites a poem by Samuel M. Shoemaker titled, “So I Stand By The Door” Smith uses the poem to help explain his thought from above and how we too can, stand by the door for others. The poem […] The post Remember the Door appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The thought from above for this episode is: Faith is acting on what you believe. James uses a story about the Prussian missionary George Mueller to help explain this week’s thought from above. George was crossing the Atlantic in August 1877 when his ship ran into thick fog. He explained to the captain that he […] The post Act of Faith appeared first on Apprentice Institute.