Upstream with Jim and Jon

Jim and Jon have some tough love for the western Church this week. While the majority of Americans still identify as Christians, a cursory glance around the country will tell you that this is not entirely accurate - and the high profile Christians and churches you do see often have the aroma of anything but Christ. But we believe in the God of hope and this is far from a lost cause! What, then, can we do to reverse the damage, and contribute to the resurrection of the American Church? Tune in to find out!

Inspired by 'In the Name of Jesus' by Henri Nouwen, this week's conversation takes another look at the temptations of Christ in the wilderness and reveals what those temptations truly meant - and how they are temptations we as disciples face every day whether we know it or not. We are huge fans of this concept and highly encourage you to listen 'till the end!

Generally, you can trust the words of a dying man. Or at least you know he chose the words he is saying to you very carefully. So, when we get to the Last Supper in John 17, and Jesus prays with His disciples for the last time before His resurrection, what He prays for must be extraordinarily important – and He decided to pray for you! And we believe the American church is entirely missing out on the gift that He prayed for us to have that day.

As the public sphere grows both more crowded and more contentious, is it still possible for a Christ follower, being fully committed to a life of servitude and humility, to be a social media "influencer"? We discuss this question this week in light of some recent clarity Jon has had on his personal life calling, and further convictions on the posture that disciples should take when communicating - especially to the masses. Have opinions on this week's conversation? Let us know!

Ouch! In this conversation, we each share three recent "whacks on the side of the head" we have had - meaning a sudden realization that provided a fresh way of viewing things. Each one has given us recent clarity on ways we can reach out to, serve, and empathize with those around us. Did one of these reach out and smack you, too? Let us know!

If you asked a dozen Christ-followers you know to describe themselves in single words, chances are the word 'holy' would not come up once. And yet Scripture tells us not just to try to be holy, but that holy is already what we are! So what does this mean? Is holiness a way of living, or a state of being? And what does holiness look like in 2021? Let us know if you had a takeaway from this week's conversation!

Responding to a listener question this week, we address the few passages in scripture that, in English translations, refer to God hating certain people. In the context of Jesus' character and teachings, the thought of Father God hating any human is alarming! So what does scripture mean in these instances? And how do we reconcile these, or any other, conflicting Bible passages? We give our two cents on these questions in this episode. Thanks for listening.

Experienced missionary Tim Southerland joins us this week for a conversation on his experiences with faith in other countries and cultures around the world. What surprised him about Christians in these countries? What are some idiosyncrasies of American church culture that we don't even notice? Tim answers these question and more in this episode - thanks for listening!

Thanks for tuning in! We go deep this week with a multi-faceted conversation on those who believe different than us, and explore how these relatively small differences lead us to dehumanize, consciously or otherwise, our fellow man. We are called to love past the petty barriers between us, and when we do beautiful things happen! All feedback is welcome, we love hearing from you.

Continuing a conversation from episodes 115 and 116, this week we look at the lives of three amazing Christ-followers as case studies for what God can do in people with vastly different personalities, stories, and abilities. These practical examples showcase the variety of the Body of Christ, and how every one of us has a purpose we have been specifically designed for, with all our strengths and weaknesses. Our listeners mean the world to us, thanks so much for your time!