James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, “You are dedicated.” In this episode, James recounts a story in which he was fasting to help explain his thought from above. Smith closes the episode by telling us we are saints and we have been made holy. We are dedicated by God and dedicated to God.

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In this episode, James Bryan Smith thought from above is, “there are benefits to doubt.” Smith gives us three reasons to explain why there are benefits to doubt in our faith. The first reason is doubt allows you to make your faith truly yours. The second benefit is doubt helps faith take root. His third reason is that doubt is a gift to make our faith deeper.

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James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Dr. Amy Bragg Carey. Amy is the fourteenth president of Friends University and is currently in her seventh year as president. She previously served as vice president for institutional advancement at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minn. She brings to Friends a strong background in development, marketing and communications, and enrollment management. Her doctoral study, completed at Azusa Pacific University, focused on the turnaround of small private universities and the factors that contribute to their success.

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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is, Jesus is Lord. Smith opens the episode with a reading of Colossians chapter three to help illustrate his thought from above. To close the episode, James reads a passage from Dr. Scot McKnights commentary on Colossians.

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James Bryan Smith talks about two kinds of love, “gift love” and “need love.” In this episode Smith’s thought from above is, to love one another just as Jesus has loved us. “Need Love”, is a kind of longing love much like romantic love. “Gift Love” is God’s love, it doesn’t need anything in return. Smith helps explain each of these “loves” in more detail and closes the episode with a passage from John 13:34.

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James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with Dr. Michael Wise. Michael Wise is an internationally recognized expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls. He frequently lectures on the Dead Sea Scrolls from coast to coast. Dr. Wise is ordained as a minister in the Evangelical Free Church and regularly teaches adult Sunday School classes. He recently completed a second Ph.D., in the field of Classics (ancient Greek and Latin literature), at the University of Minnesota.

In this episode, James asks Michael about three observations he has about the dead sea scrolls. Michael and James end the episode talking about our death to sin, and since we have been raised with Christ we are no longer held captive to sin.

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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above comes from Saint John of Kronstadt. In this episode, James reads an excerpt from the writings of Saint John of Kronstadt. Smith uses this passage to help us look for traces of mercy.

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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above in this episode is, don’t trifle with our God. Smith recounts a story where Dallas Willard asked him a question that he could not answer. The question was, does God ever let us get away with anything?

James goes on to explain why we want a God who is both just and merciful. He closes the episode with a story about legendary basketball coach John Wooden to help explain his thought from above.

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James Bryan Smith has a Things Above conversation with author and speaker Marlena Graves. James asks Marlena about her latest book, “The Way Up Is Down” and why she wrote the book.

Marlena is a writer, deep thinker, and speaker who is passionate about the eternal implications of our life in God. She is a lover of beauty – especially the beauty of her family, others, and creation. She received her M.Div. from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York, and is pursuing her PhD in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH where she is researching the influence that American culture has on Evangelicals’ view of immigration, race, and poverty.

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James Bryan Smith’s thought from above this week is; The way of Jesus is Both And.” In this episode, James tells a story about his one message, the grace of God. To help explain his thought from above, Jim states that grace is God’s action in our lives. Smith gives two stories to help further explain his thought from above.

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