Is giving truly better than receiving? Most of the time, the answer is yes. But sometimes receiving can be a life-changing experience too. In this episode, James Bryan Smith tells of how the gift of a valuable, limited-edition guitar helped him understand that we are people of sacred worth. When receiving something of great value, […] The post Epiphanies From a Guitar Part 1 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In Episode 12 of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith offers a glorious thought on the power of forgiveness. The reason we should forgive is to be healed and the means of understanding that is that we are forgiven in Christ. The Apostle Paul instructed the church in Colossae to forgive one another as […] The post Forgiveness: The Way to Freedom appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

God’s love is revealed in beauty. Because of that, beauty is a large part of our spiritual journey. In episode 11 of Things Above, James Bryan Smith invites you to rethink how you understand beauty. Drawing from the wisdom of people like Thomas Aquinas, Hans Urs von Balthasar, John O’Donohue and Simone Weil, we discover […] The post Seeing Beauty appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In episode 10 of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith interviews pastor and author John Ortberg about his latest book, “Eternity is Now in Session.” In addition to recalling a humorous story of their first speaking engagement together in 1988, Jim and John discuss the impact that Dallas Willard’s writings and personal friendship had […] The post Things Above Conversation 2 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

God is real. And God’s love for us is also real. But how do we really know God loves us? In Episode 09 of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith tells us the only thing that is credible is love. Our faith is not built on an argument or logic, but by what God, […] The post God’s Love appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

The incarnation of God is both a mysterious and wondrous event to ponder. In Episode 08 of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith gives thought to Jesus Christ, who was fully divine and fully human. Have you ever noticed how little was written about Jesus’s childhood in Scripture? What was normal life like for […] The post The Mystery of the Incarnation appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

By setting our minds on things above, we can live a Godward life and, as the Apostle Paul says, walk in the Spirit. This is a powerful way of living. If someone were to ask you about a passage in Scripture that offers the best depiction of life in the kingdom, what would you say? […] The post Living Godward appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Every one of us has experienced “hope” of some kind. We hope to marry the right person, we hope our kids live long and healthy lives, we hope our favorite baseball team wins the World Series. Yet there is a big difference between worldly hope and Christian hope. Hope is not wishful thinking about the […] The post Hope appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In our very first Things Above Conversation, James Bryan Smith interviews Emily P. Freeman about finding God in our everyday lives and the nearness of the kingdom. They discuss the impact of the her book “Simply Tuesday” and her recent experience at Friends University. If you are interested in learning more about Emily check out […] The post Things Above Conversation 1 appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

In our fourth episode, James Bryan Smith explains how eternal life does not begin after you die. It begins in this life and it includes an interactive relationship with God. Related episodes: 1. Source of Life 2. The Gift of Pain 3. Moved to Pray 4. Practicing Patience 5. Overcoming Temptation The post Eternal Life Now appeared first on Apprentice Institute.