It is safe to say that no one likes pain. In fact, when we experience pain, most of us do all we can to remedy it. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith says that, while pain is not something anyone wants, pain is a necessary part of life. Pain alerts […]

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In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith talks about a time when he saw a bumper sticker that read, “Fishing is my life.” After giving this some thought, Jim surmised this man believed his source of existence is fishing itself. This was not hyperbole. It was a statement of being. The […]

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In this episode, James Bryan Smith sits down with speaker and author Chris Heuertz, for a Things Above Conversation. Chris and his wife Phileena served with the Word Made Flesh community for nearly 20 years, working for women and children victimized by human traffickers in the commercial sex industry. His vocation has taken him to over […]

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Why do bad things happen to good people? Does God cause Suffering? In this episode, James Bryan Smith unpacks the passage from Luke 13: 1-9 to help find an answer to these questions. During his time in seminary, James met a man named Ben who taught him a valuable story about the grace and mercy […]

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The thought from above for this episode is: we are wired for worship. In this episode James Bryan smith unpacks a sermon from his long time friend John Ortberg. Smith explains that we have become so jaded to the joys and wonders of our life that we have nearly lost the capacity to say wow. […]

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In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith offers this thought from above: God is the most joyous being in the universe. Unfortunately, this seldom enters our minds. Instead, we imagine that God is mad about everything. This false narrative is influenced by a gospel narrative that tells us Jesus took our […]

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Are you satisfied with your prayer life? In this episode James Bryan Smith explains this glorious thought: Jesus is praying for you. Smith references Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34, and 1st John 2:1 to help explain this glorious thought. He goes on to explain that Jesus is taking our prayers and sanctifying them. The pressure is […]

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How can we understand beauty through the lens of Jesus? In episode 30 of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith sits down for a conversation with pastor Brian Zahnd, who has authored books, such as ‘Water to Wine,’ ‘Beauty Will Save the World’ and his latest work, ‘Postcards from Babylon.’ Jim and Brian draw […]

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Our external behaviors, actions and accomplishments are what much of the world uses to judge us. In many cases, outsiders’ opinions shape our identity. In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith explores the unhealthy ways our identity is shaped and offers another way to understand our identity – a life that […]

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What does “blessed” mean and how do we know if a person is “blessed”? In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith unpacks Psalm 1 and the blessed life. It turns out, the blessed person is someone who is under God’s blessing, in which God affirms this condition. It also means happy […]

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