Upstream with Jim and Jon

It's been a wild few years for the United States. As the country continues to push on through times of almost unprecedented division, made worse by the lingering pandemic, Jim and Jon take a minute to discuss their individual concerns for their beloved home and native land. While we consider these serious threats to the nation, through everything we rejoice and trust in the sovereignty of our God....

This week Jim and Jon discuss the power of your moment-to-moment thoughts, how they are the building blocks of not only who you currently are, but also will be in the future, and how to change these thoughts and break destructive behavioral patterns. We wish you a restful Memorial Day, and ask that you take a moment today to pray for our servicemen and women, and their families. Thank you for list...

Often through the New Testament, Christ followers are called to submit to the authorities over them, and not to treat any human as our enemy. But if there is a point where a Christian ought to oppose their rulers or fellow man, to take a stand, when is that? And how should they go about it in a way that resembles Jesus and is pleasing to God? We are passionate about this conversation and are excit...

This week, Jim and Jon are reunited! Join us as we talk about the nature of sin and how God sees it, and how your view on this, and other frameworks of your beliefs, can end up shaping your entire faith. Jim shares a story from his recent anniversary and Jon shows off one of his coolest book finds. Thanks for tuning in!

Jon discusses how to find God's help when your life or faith become disrupted. Also a great book review and Jon offers Ulysses S. Grant a formal apology.

Jim was abroad this week, so join him for a Jim Thoughts from Dallas Texas! He shares a list of ongoing convictions he has had lately concerning such things as the future of the church, and the depth of the love of God. Thank you for listening as we enter our second year of Upstream!

It's officially been two years of Upstream episodes! We have had a great time sharing our conversations with you, and are so, so grateful for our listeners. If you didn't get a question in in time, still send it our way. If we don't make an episode out of it we will discuss it in another special like this one down the road. Here's to another year of Upstream!

It’s another episode on identity! We have devised a model that may help you sort out your identity, who exactly you are, without relying on shifting, dynamic factors such as your career, abilities, etc. But instead of forgetting those factors completely, this model recognizes the powerful ways that God uses that information and experience in redeeming your story. We think it’s a great episode, tun...

The Gospel (and Jesus Himself) is full of tension in what it calls Christ-followers to do. Are we to sell all we have and give to the poor, or to leave an inheritance to our children's children? Are promised a prosperous, blessed life, or a life of servitude and suffering? We observe these tensions and more this week, and discuss the ways they can actually prove very powerful in our lives. Have a...

It is news to no one that we are in the middle of a mental health epidemic even more severe and long-lasting than that of COVID. Especially for those in the Millennial and Gen-Z generations, anxiety and depression are brutally common. In this episode, we review some data and theories from professionals of the field as to why that is, and share some wisdom on how to navigate these challenges if you...

The 12 Steps are famous as the curriculum for Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and aim to help those in the grip of substance abuse to find their way out via submitting to Christ. But what if the truths found in the 12 Steps could actually be useful for every Christ-follower in their individual, personal battles with their sin nature? We explore that idea in this, our one-hundredth episode! We are so gr...

Even before the COVID pandemic, the church's role in modern America has been in flux. This episode we break down the four ways that the church can interact with the greater national culture, what motivates each of those expressions of the church, the pro's and con's of each method, and the one we believe is the way Jesus intends for us and the people we are meant to reach. We are so grateful for o...

This week, we talk to guest Jon Corcoran about his faith walk, and discuss the winding roads and persistent questions that lead us to God. How do we continue to pursue God through dark times and nagging unknowns, some of which can last for years? Listen in for Jon's experience facing these problems, and the lessons he learned along the way.

This week, Jim and Jon both share ways they have used a powerful phrase to help them sort through confusion and contradictions in their worldviews: two things can be true at once. Called 'the power of and,' this phrase has helped to assess an often gray world while still holding to scripture that is very much black and white. We hope this concept can be as helpful for you as it has been for us. Jo...

If there's been a theme for the podcast over the last few months, it has been the importance of mindfulness; of taking some time out of your day to really think through what you are doing and who you are. This week we have a list of questions to help you walk through the latter. These questions will not only help you discern who are currently, but also who you'd like to be. Thanks a ton for listen...

We have some differing opinions this week on the topic of cancel culture, which Jim has grown increasingly frustrated with, and wary of. It seems every day someone new is getting publicly disowned for something they have said or done, but is this really such a big deal? And is it anything new, or especially dangerous? Tune in for our conversation this week as we reconcile our differing opinions!

It is a common notion among American Christians that our country was once intended to be one that shares our faith, in legislation and in culture, and that only in the last century has that begun to fade. But is this historically true? And is it an idea that is supported by scripture? We try to cut through our own culture and revisionist history to answer these questions as best we can, and we inv...

Since Jim is away visiting his newest beautiful granddaughter, Jon sat down for another cozy episode of Jon Thoughts! This week he talks about what it is Christ-followers are expected to do during their time on earth, how much freedom that does or does not entail, and how easy it can be to feel pressure, or to pressure others, on how you should live your life. Thanks for listening, and be sure to...

Recently, Jon made a slight change in his daily routine that had a huge affect on his life. This taught him a lesson that he thinks can be applied to other areas of his life, and for other people. We've talked before about how difficult it can be to implement change in our lives, and this has been somewhat of a breakthrough! Thank you for listening, have a great week.

During His ministry on earth, Jesus talked about money more than almost any other topic. While he also addressed myriad ethical questions, why would God in the flesh speak on possessions and wealth so much? And what does that say about the very nature of money itself? Especially in a culture as stuff-focused as ours, this is an incredibly important conversation to have and we had a fun time having...

This week, Jon has a bone to pick with brilliant Christian author Dallas Willard, and his assertion in his book The Divine Conspiracy that the world is an inherently joyous place that God is very pleased with. There are many biblical passages to support this worldview, and there are many others that suggest otherwise. How are we as Christ followers to view the world? As a strictly beautiful place...

Few things are more disturbing than the public moral failing of a spiritual leader. And when that moral failing is especially predatory, and that spiritual leader was one of the leading apologists of our time, it is even worse. This week we walk through the Ravi Zacharias scandal, and discuss the challenges of implementing change in our own lives. Thanks, as always for listening!

Jim had a breakthrough over the holidays regarding the human condition, and how exactly the curse of original sin still affects us to this day. This episode, Jon interviews him on a model he developed from this breakthrough that he believes has some real power to allow us to understand ourselves better; what is really motivating us and what we are really afraid of. We think there's great potential...

While the coming of a new year is often met with excitement and anticipation, this one in particular has many nervous. In a year as chaotic and unpredictable as this one, how can we approach the next one with confidence? This week we set out to answer that question with a series of prioritization techniques, so you can organize your goals for the next year and take control of your time! Thanks as...

It's time for another Jon Thoughts! Alone this week, Jon talks about his recent reading of Ecclesiastes, the challenges of that particular book, and some epiphanies he had there. Jim is in Arizona this week to be closer to his son, Jon's brother, Tim, who has been hospitalized due to COVID. Tim is on the up and up but your prayers are very appreciated. Thanks for listening!