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...

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 Guil...

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 w...

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...

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....

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 wi...

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 t...

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...

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 S...

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 guid...

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 Sc...

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...

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 b...

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...

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...

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...

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 bo...

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 Sc...

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 wante...

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...

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 ultimate...

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. Tru...

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? Don...

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...

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 C...