Upstream with Jim and Jon

This week we discuss Practicing the Presence of God, a collection of writings from 17th century monk Brother Lawrence on how to consistently remain in God's presence throughout your day. What are the 8 principles he shares to help you "practice the presence"? Is Lawrence's experience in a secluded priory even relevant to our modern, crazy lives? These are the questions we wrestle with this week, a...

This week we dive in head-first on everybody's favorite topic: healthy sexuality. With a ton of help from our special guest Rodney Wright of Pure Desire Ministries, we discuss topics such as the pandemic of pornography, sexual shame, and recovery from compulsive, unwanted sexual behavior. This is an incredibly important topic and we are so grateful for Rodney's ministry work, and his time with us....

After a previous episode on guidelines for mental health, Jon had some follow-up questions on one of those guidelines: maintaining boundaries. In a committed relationship, or in relationships where there is shared responsibility, how are we supposed to protect our boundaries? And when, if ever, is it appropriate to flex those boundaries? We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and appreciate you...

Happy Thanksgiving! For a shorter holiday episode, this week we decided to share some of the philosophies that we individually have learned and benefited from, five from Jim and five from Jon. All of these philosophies are either scripture-inspired, or at the least scripture-aligned. Thanks so much for listening, enjoy your Turkey Day!

The changes of dogma from the Old Testament to the New is challenging and, if you're anything like us, reading the two can bring up a lot of questions. Why don't we practice all of the old Jewish laws? Why did Jesus change some laws and not others? Did God change his mind? We break down a series of chapters from Following Jesus the Servant King by Jonathan Lunde to get some answers. Thanks as alwa...

It's been a big week for America. We are sure you've heard enough about the election, so this week we instead talk about a number of reasons we love our country! This conversation was inspired by the documentary "Safeguard: An Electoral College Story," which you've probably already heard us mention and can watch on Amazon Prime. We also tried some new audio stuff in this episode and we would love...

It's another list episode! In this conversation, we go over 5 pieces of Biblical bad news for us and how, in actuality, they are great news. In the upside-down Kingdom of God it is the last who is first, the weak who are strong, and the selfless who is King. Why is it good news that we as human beings are incapable of perfection? Listen in and find out!

Happy Monday! On this episode of Upstream, we ask if an intellectual belief in God and His son Jesus is enough to be saved. If I have that belief but my life doesn't show it, what does that mean? What is the difference between the legalism of the old covenant and the righteous expectations of the new one? Is this whole conversation a waste of time? We are so grateful for all of our listeners, talk...

The Netflix docudrama "The Social Dilemma" has exploded in popularity and this week we decided to watch it and share our thoughts! We discuss the documentary, which explores the often-nefarious practices of big tech companies in designing social media, and the effect of that media on us and on the world. It was an interesting piece of media and it made for interesting conversation. Thanks for list...

Welcome back! We do a deep dive this week into 2 Timothy, where Paul makes three unique metaphors: that Christ followers should be like soldiers, like farmers, and like athletes. What message can we find in these metaphors for us today, and how do we apply them to our lives in a practical way? You've got to listen to find out! We are so grateful for your time, have an awesome week.

Jon had a series of questions this week brought on by a Francis Chan message on why he was leaving the states to enter the mission field. With scripture as a guide we discuss: Is every follower of Jesus meant to leave their home to spread the Gospel? Why not? What does it look like, in a tangible way, for a "normal" Christian to seek first the kingdom of God in their lives? This week is a doozy bu...

Another week, another episode of Upstream! This time we read through a bit of Hebrews chapter 12 to talk about hardship and pain, and how followers of Jesus are called to view difficult times as discipleship opportunities for us to grow closer to, and stronger in, our God. We give some practical examples of what this might look like for those in hard circumstances, and advice for listeners hoping...

Jim was smitten this week with a list of four essential skills/priorities that are foundational to our mental and spiritual health. We talk over this list, how the specific items apply individually and in tandem in our lives, and discuss a definition of pain that Jim believes works well with this list of essentials. Jon learned a lot this week and we hope you will too! Thank you for listening.

Guest Ryan Betz joins us this week for a discussion on how to not only survive, but flourish during times of chaos unprecedented in our lifetimes. Ranging from our professional, to spiritual, to home lives, how do we organize with enough purpose to grow when things are as unpredictable as they are? Using examples from Ryan's own experience, we talk about this and more this week on Upstream. Thanks...

A pastor in Kentucky has had a series of dreams that he says may be prophetic for our country in the coming months. As they have gained attention, we figured we should talk about the validity of his specific dreams, their content, and our own predictions for the end of this year and the start of the next. We hope that this episode, more than anything, reminds you that God is in control of it all a...

Jesus speaks with severity on a number of topics, yet few as severely as the topic of forgiveness. Throughout the gospels we see him laying out multiple parables on both the power of forgiveness, and the dire consequences for us if we refuse to forgive. Why is forgiveness such an important topic to Jesus? What if I feel like I can't forgive someone who has wronged me? We talk about these questions...

While Jon is on vacation, Jim discusses the three questions we must answer correctly to have all the power, influence and fruitfulness God has in mind for us during this crazy year. The opportunity before us is incredible, but the pathway will be different than we are used to. Thanks for listening as always, we will see you next week.

We read through two lists of passages of scripture this week that emphasize both the eternal forgiving power of the blood of Jesus, and the importance of faith-inspired works. Are passages that warn believers not to return to sin a sign that we can lose our Christ-given salvation? We wrestle with that question and more in this episode of Upstream. Thanks for listening!

Jesus makes very clear in the gospels that it is not free to follow him. This week we analyze the language Jesus used to describe what it is like to be a disciple, why many in the western church have not really wrestled with what following him could, and might still, cost them, and how in the end it is still very worth it. See you all next week!

We had the opportunity to host some guests in the studio again for a panel on the challenges and opportunities facing millennial men, specifically during the COVID pandemic. Both Michael and Jordan work in production at Evergreen and we're so grateful they were able to join us. Thanks for listening, see you next time!

We're back in the studio this week for a talk about faith and doubt, diving deep into Hebrews 11 for the definition of faith, and for the idea that faith is what made the great men and women of God great. Is faith the absence of doubt? Or are Christ followers meant to overcome their doubts with faith? We're especially proud of this episode and are very grateful for our listeners. See you next week...

How do I stay sane and focused in a crazy world? This week, Jim flies solo as Jon is on a short vacation. Jim will unpack how he is learning to stay positive, focused, and optimistic in a world of chaos. If you battle anxiety, frustration, or trials, this episode is for you! Tune in next week for some good, old fashioned Upstream and thanks for listening!

Public discourse has gone from a sense that you can't please everybody, to a sense that you can't please anybody at all. If you have any differences in belief from those on either end of a spectrum of extremes, you are seen as an absolute enemy to all they believe. How can we navigate a society like this while maintaining our gospel and showing love to those around us? Do we just shut down and min...

This is Jon Thoughts! With Jim out of town for a few weeks, Jon took to the mic for a very impromptu rambling sesh on what's been occupying his thoughts for the last little while, namely on meaning, and on looking at the history of man and God in a narrative sense. Its a shorter episode with some chill vibes, but if that's not for you we will be back next week with some regularly scheduled Upstrea...

The Bible describes the Gospel as having the power to change people to the extent that the only appropriate way to phrase it is that they were entirely born again; the old has gone and the new has come. But when we look at ourselves and at others, do we really see change on this level? And is this change meant to be all at once in a miracle moment, or gradually over time? How much of our personal...