Things Above

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Dr. Keas Keasler about his book, Kingdom Apprenticeship – Dallas Willard’s Formational Theology and Missional Vision

A Groundbreaking Analysis of Dallas Willard’s Theology of Spiritual Formation

Dallas Willard’s formational theology begins with the claim that the aim of God in human history is the formation of a community of loving persons apprenticed to Jesus—and ends with the promise that such apprenticeship prepares us to share in God’s governance of the cosmos.

This apprenticeship to Jesus is the path to human flourishing...

James Bryan Smith and Emily P. Freeman announce the launch of the Formation Writers Guild. The guild is a year-long guided journey for writers who sense a vocational call within the field of Christian spiritual formation and want to deepen their faith, develop their craft, and expand their reach through publication. Listen to learn all about the vision and mission behind the Formation Writers Guild and apply today!

Learn more about the Formation Writers Guild here!

Click here to apply to the Formation Writers Guild!

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Liz Hall and Kelly Kapic about their book, “When the Journey Hurts.”

Transform Your Suffering with Tools from Theology, Psychology, and Spiritual Formation

We don’t like pain.

So, we find creative ways to go around it. We try to ignore, minimize, or deny our suffering, but we’re still left hurting. The twisting and defiling work of sin on this world is overwhelming and shatters our assumptions about ourselves and our place in the world. And yet, the path forward is through suffering. Our affl...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.” In this episode, James explains his thought from above, recalling a story about trust and how we can eliminate fear when we have trust.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Recent Episodes:
1. Spiritual World
2. Conversation with Dr. Kelly Flanagan
3. The Gospel Is Bigger
4. God Is Joyous
5. God is Looking for You

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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this episode is, “We are living in a spiritual world.” This week, James explains how we are all spiritual beings living in a spiritual world. He uses his mornings to practice consonance, which helps him live out his thought from above.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with Dr. Kelly Flanagan
2. The Gospel Is Bigger
3. God Is Joyous
4. God is Looking for You
5. Conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta

The post Spiritual World appeared f...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with author Dr. Kelly Flanagan. In this episode, James discusses Kelly’s book “The Road Less Triggered.” Learn more about Kelly’s book and order it here!

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Related Episodes:
1. The Gospel Is Bigger
2. God Is Joyous
3. God is Looking for You
4. Conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta
5. Love Has You

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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this episode is, “The Gospel Is Bigger.” In this episode, Smith discusses an article from Christianity Today that led him to the thought above. Smith cites Dallas Willard, John Mark Comer, and Scot McKnight to explain his thoughts above.

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “God is the most joyous being in the universe.” In this epiode Smith explains how and why God is joyous. He gives examples from the book of Job and The Divine Conspiracy.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Don...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “God is the most joyous being in the universe.” In this epiode Smith explains how and why God is joyous. He gives examples from the book of Job and The Divine Conspiracy.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Related Episodes:
1. God is Looking for You
2. Conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta
3. Love Has You
4. Deny
5. Conversation with Aundi Kolber

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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “God is looking for you.” In this Christmas-themed episode, James talks about how God invites us into a relationship with him through the Holy Spirit. Smith quotes a sermon from St. Augustine to help explain his thought from above.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta
2. Love Has You
3. Deny
4. Conversation with Aundi Kolber
5. Integrate...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with AJ Swoboda and Nijay Gupta about their book, “Slow Theology.”

In our fast-paced world of outrageous headlines and knee-jerk reactions, we struggle to hear God’s voice amid the noise. Despite constant connectivity, our lives lack true spiritual connection and depth.

A. J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta offer a practical theology guide for building resilient faith through Christian discipleship. Addressing spiritual deconstruction and doubt with honesty, they show how to fortify your faith against cultural challenges through eight transformative spiritual practices, including

● taking your time in...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “Love Has You.” Smith talks about the impact five authors have had on his spiritual life. These five authors are: Ian Morgan Cron, Michael Cusick, Aundi Kolber, Alison Cook, and Curt Thompson, M.D.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with Aundi Kolber
2. Integrate Like Jesus
3. Your Project
4. Live By The Spirit
5. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb

The post...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is Christ is lower, still. In this episode, James talks about an acronym he uses called DENY. Depend on God. Embrace God. Nurture and Yield to God.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Deny
2. Integrate Like Jesus
3. Your Project
4. Live By The Spirit
5. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb

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James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with Aundi Kolber about her book, “Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode–and into a Life of Connection and Joy.”

Aundi Kolber believes that we don’t have to white-knuckle our way through life. In her debut book, Try Softer, she’ll show us how God specifically designed our bodies and minds to work together to process our stories and work through obstacles. Through the latest psychology, practical clinical exercises, and her own personal story, Aundi equips and empowers us to connect...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “Integrate Like Jesus.” This week, James follows up on his previous episode, discussing God’s deep longing for us. Smith explains the four modes of being we live in: family, work, play, and entertainment. He describes how Jesus engaged in each of these modes and why they are essential.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Your Project
2. Live By The Spirit
3. Conversati...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is “pay attention to your project.” In this episode, James addresses some big questions about the project of our life and why it’s so important we understand what a spiritually fulfilling life looks like.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Live By The Spirit
2. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb
3. False Frames
4. Everything Okay Forever
5. Awe Filled Appreciation

The post Your Pr...

James Bryan Smith’s thought for this week is, “Live By The Spirit.” In this episode, James quotes several passages from C.S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity to help explain his thought.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with Michael Stewart Robb
2. False Frames
3. Everything Okay Forever
4. Awe Filled Appreciation
5. Conversation with Ian Morgan Cron

The post Live By The Spirit appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author Michael Stewart Robb about his book, “The Kingdom Among Us: The Gospel According to Dallas Willard.”

Despite perennial attraction to his teachings, Dallas Willard’s theology has not been easy for his readers and colleagues to figure out or piece together. His approach to theology was an odd one. His five bestselling books on the Christian life were a “side job” to his quiet career as a professional philosopher.

To what, if not to his profession, can one attribute the lasting attraction of his books? On one han...

In this episode, James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “Find freedom from the false frames.” This week, James talks about three false narratives that he had to change in his life. Smith uses the image of a frame to help explain his thought from above.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Everything Okay Forever
2. Awe Filled Appreciation
3. Conversation with Ian Morgan Cron
4. Solitude
5. Trusting and Training

The post F...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “Jesus makes everything okay forever.” In this episode, James discusses a recently-read book titled “The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever: Transcendence, Psychedelics, and Jesus Christ.” The author, Ashley Lande, wrote this to describe her book:

For years, psychedelics were my religion.

All I ever wanted was The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever, the panacea, the cure for what plagued me. From those first moments when I tasted the earthy pulp of a psilocybin mushroom, it was love. Psychedelics were my sacrament. They shot...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above today is, “Practice Awe-Filled Appreciation.” In this episode, James teaches us the spiritual practice of Awe-Filled Appreciation. James gives five examples of why this practice is helpful and how to do it independently.

Related Episodes:
1. Solitude
2. Solitude
3. Trusting and Training
4. Conversation with Alison Cook
5. Two Kinds of Faith

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James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with Ian Morgan Cron about his latest book, “The Fix.”

We all suffer from a sense of spiritual homelessness–a feeling that we’re not fully at home in the world. To cope with our painful feelings and life traumas, we search for quick “fixes” that eventually become habitual, self-destructive behaviors that ultimately create more problems than they solve.

As a person in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, Ian Cron is no stranger to these destructive habits. It wasn’t until he embraced the Twelve Steps that he found...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “Solitude is the furnace of the soul.” In this episode, James talks about temptation and how we can deal with it through the practice of solitude.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Trusting and Training
2. Conversation with Alison Cook
3. Two Kinds of Faith
4. Michael Cusick Sacred Attachment
5. All Things New

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In this episode, James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “quit trying, start trusting, and begin training.” Smith explains why we need to quit relying on our efforts to live a Christian life and start trusting in the grace of Jesus to help us live out our faith. Once we move from trying to trusting, we can begin training.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with Alison Cook
2. Two Kinds of Faith

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author, Alison Cook on her latest book, Boundaries for Your Soul: How to Turn Your Overwhelming Thoughts and Feelings into Your Greatest Allies.

Boundaries for Your Soul includes relatable anecdotes, helpful exercises, an engaging quiz, and opportunities for personal reflection. Gathering the wisdom from the authors’ twenty-five years of combined advanced education, biblical studies, and clinical practice, this book will set you on a journey to become the loving, authentic, joyful person you were created to be.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate he...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “We need two kinds of faith.” In this episode, Smith talks about the two kinds of faith we need to have as defined by the author C.S. Lewis.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Michael Cusick Sacred Attachment
2. All Things New
3. Know Your Name
4. Conversation with Matt Johnson Part Two
5. Conversation with Matt Johnson

The post Two Kinds of F...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above Conversation with author Michael J. Cusick about his book, Sacred Attachment. Michael will be a plenary speaker at The Apprentice Gathering 2025, register here!

Michael John Cusick voices the questions and contradictions that are inherently part of living an authentic spiritual faith. With raw honesty and vulnerability, he shares his own zigzagging path to God and reveals how brokenness and pain can become the gateway to experiencing joyful divine attachment. Because God’s love has you, you can put aside fear and loneliness—and you can rest seen, soothed, safe, and secur...

In this episode, James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “Jesus makes all things new.” To help explain his thought from above, James references the book “On the Incarnation” by Athanasius of Alexandria.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Know Your Name
2. Conversation with Matt Johnson Part Two
3. Conversation with Matt Johnson
4. Gratitude
5. Let Nothing Disturb You

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In this episode, James Bryan Smith’s thought from above is, “Do you know your name?” James’s thought from above comes from one of the unspoken sermons by George MacDonald.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with Matt Johnson Part Two
2. Conversation with Matt Johnson
3. Gratitude
4. Let Nothing Disturb You
5. Talk With God

The post Know Your Name appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

Matt Johnson returns for part two of the conversation with James Bryan Smith. In this episode, Smith and Johnson continue their conversation about the research on spiritual growth.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with Matt Johnson
2. Gratitude
3. Let Nothing Disturb You
4. Talk With God
5. Talk to God

The post Conversation with Matt Johnson Part Two appeared first on Apprentice Institute.

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with spiritual director and friend Matt Johnson. James and Matt have a conversation about the research they are conducting together about what happens to people who experience significant spiritual growth. In this episode, they talk about James’ triangle of transformation from The Good and Beautiful series.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Gratitude
2. Let Nothing Disturb You
3. Talk With God
4. Talk to God
...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “Take your gratitude to the next level.” In this episode, James gives us two practices we can do to give thanks to God. Smith explains both practices in detail and gives examples of how we can do them.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Let Nothing Disturb You
2. Talk With God
3. Talk to God
4. Gentle and Mighty
5. Different with Jesus

The...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “Let nothing disturb you.” In this episode, Smith recites a prayer from St. Teresa of Avila. James goes through the prayer and explains what we can learn from the prayer in order to help us not be disturbed by difficult times in our lives.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
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2. Talk to God
3. Gentle and Mighty
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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “God wants to talk with you.” Following up from his previous episode, Smith talks about how we can talk with God when we pray. Smith gives some examples from the Lord’s prayer and Psalm twenty-three to help explain his thought from above.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Talk to God
2. Gentle and Mighty
3. Different with Jesus
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...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “God wants you to talk to him.” In this episode, James discusses the Lord’s Prayer. Smith explains how he uses the prayer, goes through each verse, and discusses the importance of each verse. Listen here or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Gentle and Mighty
2. Different with Jesus
3. Walking with Jesus
4. Weight of Glory
5. Conversation...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “Jesus is gentle and he is mighty, he is good, but he isn’t safe.” In this episode, Smith talks about how Jesus is the lamb of God and also the lion of Judah. James explains how Jesus is gentle and mighty, how he has seen it in his own life and in the scriptures.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Different with Jesus
2...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “There will be suffering in life, but it is different with Jesus.” In this episode, James talks about how we all experience suffering in our lives, but we experience it differently when we are apprentices of Jesus. Smith talks about how his walk with Jesus has helped him through times of suffering and gives a few examples of those trying times.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Rela...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, “Walking with Jesus is the greatest of all adventures.” Smith starts the episode by talking about the day he chose to give his life to Jesus. He then talks about how we all can join in on the greatest of all adventures by choosing to walk with Jesus.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Weight of Glory
2. Conversation with Ken Shigematsu
3. Glorious...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “Are you preparing for your weight of glory?” In this episode, James discusses the essay by C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory.” Smith uses verses 16 through 18 from 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 to help explain his thought from above.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with Ken Shigematsu
2. Glorious Morning and Evening Part Two
3. Glorious Morning and Evening Part One
4. Two Minute Mornin...

James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author Ken Shigematsu about his book, “Now I Become Myself.” Drawing on a rich variety of personal experience, Scripture, spiritual formation classics, psychology, and relational neuroscience; award-winning author and pastor Ken Shigematsu shows how a deep, experiential encounter with the love of God can heal us of our shame, make us whole again, and inspire us to fulfill our purpose by making a faithful contribution to the world.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scho...

James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “Have a glorious morning and evening.” This is the second part of the two-part episode. Smith discusses the spiritual practice of examen. He expands on this practice and talks about a time in his life when it came into play.

Interested in donating to the Things Above Podcast? Donate here!

Learn more about the Christian Spiritual Formation degree Scholarship at Friends University!

Related Episodes:
1. Glorious Morning and Evening Part One
2. Two Minute Morning
3. The End In Mind
4. Open Hand
5...