Upstream with Jim and Jon

Are the commands that Jesus gave to the Apostles exactly the same He would give to every Christian, or are there different levels of expectations for those who are not in vocational ministry? We talk about that this week in our first remotely-recorded episode! Thanks for listening.

We review a study and advice from a professional with credentials for above our own this week on what exactly happens to our minds, both chemically and otherwise, during a time of mass crisis like we all find ourselves in. As well as breaking down why exactly we react the ways we do to pressure, we go over ways to use that information, and this extra time on your hands, to your advantage. As always, thanks so much for listening! Appreciate you guys.

This week, Jon had a sort of "aha" during Jim's sermon on Sunday. You don't have to attend church for very long before you hear about God's plan and the ways it may run contrary to your own, but often we talk about this in regard to aspirations, career goals or life purpose. But the realization was that this extends to really all manner of things, including prayers during life or death scenarios. When God does not spare a loved one, what would it take to accept that with grace knowing that He did what was best for the Kingdom? And what does submitting that fully to the will of God look like in the real world? It's a thick one, but thank you so much for listening and all feedback is invited!

While many Washingtonians have already been staying home for the good of themselves and their countrymen, there may be a long road of self-isolation still ahead of us. To help you stay sane and healthy, we both wrote a list of ways you can stave off boredom, and even use this time as an opportunity to help people! We had a lot of fun, thank you all for listening.

We bring you this early episode of Upstream to encourage peace during a week of panic that shows no signs of slowing down. The figures and public opinion surrounding this novel coronavirus change so rapidly that we are delivering this to you very soon after we recorded, and if you listen to it next week please give us grace in regard to information that may be out of date by then. Between those who believe the world is overreacting, and those who believe death is imminent, we believe this is a serious issue that need not encourage fear in the hearts of the followers of Jesus. We love you guys, thank you very much for listening!

Some hot, fresh statistics have recently been released, showing again the decline of Church attendance in America. This time, however, it has shown an increase in personal faith engagement (prayer, Bible reading), which complicates things. So again we look at the future of the American Church, why these stats are the way they are, and what other forms Church-going may take in the coming years. Thanks, as always, for listening!

Jon has a question this week on Philippians 2:12 where Paul tell us to "work out (our) salvation with fear and trembling." Salvation is normally associated with joy and grace, so this wordage caught him off guard. We talk through it this week, and through the general concepts of what it is to fear God, and what responsibility you have in regards to your own salvation. Thanks for listening!

The New Testament seems to acknowledge only one kind of Christian, one who is totally bought in and on fire for God. This seems contrary to how ministry seems today, where there can be many kids of Christ followers (i.e. the new convert, the cooled-off Christian, the stuck one, etc.). So we break down a list this week of the differences between a casual, cultural Christian, and a bonafide New Testament disciple. Thanks for listening, all feedback is appreciated!

We break down another list this week, this time on lies people believe about work and their careers. Jim provides an employer perspective, focused on how to provide the healthiest and most productive environment for your team, and Jon the employee, focused on how to enjoy your time at work the most and the realities of a work-life balance (or if that is one of the lies)!

This week's topic is an especially squirrely one. We talk about research that indicates that a person is basically already who they are going to be from a very young age, with many predispositions set before birth, and what this says about us and our interactions with God. How free-will enters into the equation, and what being 'born again' really means in a practical sense. We had a great time recording it and we think you'll have a great time listening to it. Thanks for tuning in!