Upstream with Jim and Jon

Everyone has two lives: one that is observable from the outside, and one that exists primarily in your head; an ongoing conversation you have with yourself for your entire life. For many people, the inner life can be a place of constant frustration, where the ongoing monologue is a cycle of hurt, pride, and shame. But what if this inner life could not only be relieved of its pain, but become the s...

Culture, whether healthy or unhealthy, always seems invisible. This makes any attempts to purposefully alter, or recreate culture frustratingly difficult. But what if you could directly affect the culture around you in very tangible ways? Or even create culture? Well in this episode, we break down a way for you to do just that!

There seems to be a huge gap between the abundant, peaceful, overcoming life that Jesus promised and described in the New Testament and the life that most of us are living. What gives? In this episode Jim discusses the journey he is on to close that gap between the life the New Testament describes and the life he is actually living. Hopefully you can join the journey with him to the abundant life!

In a moment of cohesion between ancient and modern wisdom, this week we discuss the shared theme of Romans 1 and Occam’s Razor: that almost always, the truth is right in front of our faces. As we navigate a world that seems to grow more complicated every day, how can we cut through the noise and seek real, powerful truth? We’ve got some ideas. Thanks for tuning in – let us know what your takeaway...

This week's conversation is about majority and minority cultures. Statistically, the majority of Americans still consider themselves Christians - so why is it that in regards to all other lifestyle statistics (marriage, finances, etc.) true Christ followers seem to be a small minority? And if they are a minority, how does that change their relationship to not only the larger secular public, but al...

Jim and Jon have some tough love for the western Church this week. While the majority of Americans still identify as Christians, a cursory glance around the country will tell you that this is not entirely accurate - and the high profile Christians and churches you do see often have the aroma of anything but Christ. But we believe in the God of hope and this is far from a lost cause! What, then, ca...

Inspired by 'In the Name of Jesus' by Henri Nouwen, this week's conversation takes another look at the temptations of Christ in the wilderness and reveals what those temptations truly meant - and how they are temptations we as disciples face every day whether we know it or not. We are huge fans of this concept and highly encourage you to listen 'till the end!

Generally, you can trust the words of a dying man. Or at least you know he chose the words he is saying to you very carefully. So, when we get to the Last Supper in John 17, and Jesus prays with His disciples for the last time before His resurrection, what He prays for must be extraordinarily important – and He decided to pray for you! And we believe the American church is entirely missing out on...

As the public sphere grows both more crowded and more contentious, is it still possible for a Christ follower, being fully committed to a life of servitude and humility, to be a social media "influencer"? We discuss this question this week in light of some recent clarity Jon has had on his personal life calling, and further convictions on the posture that disciples should take when communicating -...

Ouch! In this conversation, we each share three recent "whacks on the side of the head" we have had - meaning a sudden realization that provided a fresh way of viewing things. Each one has given us recent clarity on ways we can reach out to, serve, and empathize with those around us. Did one of these reach out and smack you, too? Let us know!

If you asked a dozen Christ-followers you know to describe themselves in single words, chances are the word 'holy' would not come up once. And yet Scripture tells us not just to try to be holy, but that holy is already what we are! So what does this mean? Is holiness a way of living, or a state of being? And what does holiness look like in 2021? Let us know if you had a takeaway from this week's c...

Responding to a listener question this week, we address the few passages in scripture that, in English translations, refer to God hating certain people. In the context of Jesus' character and teachings, the thought of Father God hating any human is alarming! So what does scripture mean in these instances? And how do we reconcile these, or any other, conflicting Bible passages? We give our two cent...

Experienced missionary Tim Southerland joins us this week for a conversation on his experiences with faith in other countries and cultures around the world. What surprised him about Christians in these countries? What are some idiosyncrasies of American church culture that we don't even notice? Tim answers these question and more in this episode - thanks for listening!

Thanks for tuning in! We go deep this week with a multi-faceted conversation on those who believe different than us, and explore how these relatively small differences lead us to dehumanize, consciously or otherwise, our fellow man. We are called to love past the petty barriers between us, and when we do beautiful things happen! All feedback is welcome, we love hearing from you.

Continuing a conversation from episodes 115 and 116, this week we look at the lives of three amazing Christ-followers as case studies for what God can do in people with vastly different personalities, stories, and abilities. These practical examples showcase the variety of the Body of Christ, and how every one of us has a purpose we have been specifically designed for, with all our strengths and w...

This week we look at three different examples from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus interacted with those who were either socially outcast, physically crippled, or were caught in their sin. We discuss the lessons we can learn from Him here, and how these lessons often go against our individualist American values. Jim also shares a very powerful thought exercise that has enhanced his scripture readin...

With Jim out this week, Jon takes the mic for another round of Jon Thoughts! This episode he talks about time, its impact on our relationships with God, and how it affects our worldviews and values. Jim will be back next week for another father-and-son conversation - as always, thanks for listening!

This week we dig deep in the three parables Jesus presents in Mathew 25, about His great return, to see how we can know we are ready for it. These include the parables of the ten virgins, the bags of gold, and the sheep and the goats. What is Jesus trying to teach us with these metaphors? How can we use them to enrich our own lives, and honor Him? Listen to find out! Talk to you next week.

We welcome guest Jon Corcoran back to the studio this week to finish the story of his conversion to Catholicism, and ask some of the questions we had last time but didn't have time for. What appealed to him about the Catholic church that other Christian denominations didn't have? What was that process like? How does he feel about those other denominations now? Jon answers these questions and more!...

After our last conversation about the Gift Passion Story assessment tool, Jon took the test and has brought back his results! This week we go over what the assessment told him, what the results may or may not mean, and how he can use them going forward. We hope this is helpful for you and your own results, after taking the free assessment at giftpassionstory.com. As always, thank you so much for l...

For episode 115, we talk over the challenges everyone faces with finding their purpose, the difference between purpose and meaning, and review yet another great assessment tool to help those who my be struggling in this arena. We would love to hear from our listeners, all feedback is welcome!

Following our discussion on letting Jesus lead your life in a practical way, this week we talk about what the word "disciple" even means, and what it looks like to be one today. We also unpack a framework for self examination that can help you further your discipleship under Jesus. That model, and a link to the Examen prayer mentioned last week, can be found on our Instagram! We are so grateful fo...

There is a big difference between considering Jesus to be, in a symbolic sort of way, your figurative leader, and placing him firmly, purposefully, as the leader of your life in a very real way. How do we go from the former, a way of frustration and disappointment, to the later, a way of adventure and fulfillment? Tune in this week to find out!

Back in the studio this week, Jim and Jon discuss the famously contentious passages found in the book of James concerning our faith and our works, or deeds. They both have a bit of a breakthrough in this conversation and are excited to share it. Jim also shares a great story from the recent Ladd family reunion, and Jon raves some more on one of his new favorite novels for Show and Tell. We are so...

Jim and Jon come to you this week from vacation in Estes Park, Colorado! They are joined by the third Ladd man, brother and son Tim Ladd, to talk about the ways their spread out family has stayed connected and healthy despite some hefty geographical distances between them, and ways they could still improve. Story time is at the end of this episode, thank you to all of our listeners!