Our daily activity sometimes causes us to miss the best moments in life. We get lost in our thoughts and fail to see God who is in our midst. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith shares a heavenly thought: Be mindful that God is with you in all you do. […] The post Be Mindful appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Have you discovered that worrying is a healthy way to deal with the future? Yah, me neither. Jesus has something better in mind. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith tells us that worrying does nothing positive for us. However, it does come with several negative consequences. Jesus teaches us that […] The post Worry appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In this episode of the Things above podcast, James Bryan Smith chats with author and pastor J.R. Briggs about a glorious thought that changed the trajectory of his life. Briggs offers a two-fold answer. First, it was the present availability of the kingdom of God and eternal living. The second thought centers on what it […] The post Things Above Conversation 4 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

What is the true meaning of Christmas? In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith shares about growing up in the Methodist Church and the influence John Wesley had on his life. Interestingly enough, Richard Foster was the one who pointed Jim to Wesley’s writings and sermons. If he were alive today, […] The post Second Birth appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The events of our world can be troubling – leading to fear, anxiety and panic. In this episode of the Things above podcast, James Bryan Smith asks, “Is our world governed by fear? Is our fate decided by a roll of the dice?” The short answer is no – because we live in the strong […] The post The Last Word appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Is it possible for God to overcome our shame? In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith tells the story of how the great Christian writer, Simone Weil, came to faith simply by reading a poem written by George Herbert, entitled “Love III.” This is what Herbert wrote: Love bade me welcome. […] The post Shame appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Many Christians are living into a shrunken, incomplete gospel that leads to sin management. To be sure, our relationship with God was severed by sin. But our sin problem is only a part of the issue. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith looks at our sin problem and offers, perhaps […] The post Desiring God appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

As humans, we all experience problems and trials. Not just the small things, like spilling our coffee or forgetting to reply to our mom’s text message. We experience big problems, such as prolonged illness and career struggles. What trials are you facing right now? Are you in need of protection? In this episode of the […] The post Christ is All Around Us appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

How do you understand the kingdom of God, Jesus’ gospel and salvation? In episode 15 of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith sits down for a conversation with pastor and author Brian Zahnd who, many years ago, experienced a growing discontent with the version of Christianity he knew and was living. Then he stumbled […] The post Things Above Conversation 3 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

What can a Martin guitar, autographed by music legend Eric Clapton, teach us about God? In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith continues his story about one of the greatest gifts ever given to him and the epiphanies that came through it. So what can an expensive guitar teach us about […] The post Epiphanies From a Guitar Part 2 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.