This week we use one of the smaller miracles of Jesus as a case study to understand the relationship between what we believe and how we view the world, and how challenging it can be to believe against our unbelief that God is still working in supernatural ways all the time. Thanks for listening, we made it to 40!
This week we talk about the idea that happiness is a choice, and how one might go about choosing it. We break down a famous list of qualities of happy Christ followers, and the possibility that happiness isn't a goal, so much as it is a byproduct of a healthy and God-honoring lifestyle.
This week we are graced with our second guest ever (and the first non-Ladd) Alex Cloninger! Jim interviews him and Jon about their predictions and aspirations for their careers, and those of other Gen. Z's, and offers his own life experience and advice. Alex hosts his own podcast, which you can find on Instagram @chatthepodcast. Thanks for listening!
Oh boy. What can be said about this one. This week we finally talk about Trump in regards to the recent drama surrounding a Christianity Today article on him, which was probably inevitable, and for how much we dreaded it we think it turned out very well. Thank you for listening to one drop of in sea of editorials about the current political state of the U.S. Also, Jim was wrong and this is the 37th episode, not the 38th.
This week we talk about the romantic, pensive, and often disappointing time of New Years, and the marked decrease in people practicing resolutions. We share our thoughts on the holiday, on the passage of time, and on the right way to do resolutions without burning out or failing yourself. Overall, we have a good time. Thanks for listening!
This week, Jim and Jon are joined by daughter/sister Bethany to talk about what work, faith, family, and friendships are like for millennial women!
It's the Christmas episode! This week Jim and Jon spend a good amount of time sharing their favorite Christmas memories and traditions, and talk about ways to make the holiday easier to those for whom Christmas is complicated or painful. Merry Christmas!
The Christian faith has been in steady decline for a long time. If you follow that trajectory, America seems like it will end up in a similar scenario as many western nations: where followers of Jesus seem to be fewer and far between. Is this inevitable? What is causing this? And could this actually be a good thing? Find out this week, on Upstream!
Jesus shook many religious trees during his time on earth, but his treatment of the commandment of Sabbath stands out. Why don't we treat the Sabbath the way the Jews did? Does Jesus say this commandment doesn't matter? This week Jim and Jon answer these questions, and highlight why exactly the Sabbath is still so important.
It's not a jolly topic, but it's certainly an important one. The bible teaches, and we believe, that the hope of Jesus sets us free from all manner of things, one of which being despair/hopelessness. However this is, tragically, not always the case. This week Jim and Jon talk about the factors at play when a Christ follower feels hopelessness, and open up a bit about their own struggles with it.
In this episode Jim and Jon break down "sin management," a hot phrase in modern Christianity. When Jesus and the New Testament writers say that He has set us free, why do we still have sin urges? And will we ever be rid of them?
Jim and Jon believe that a lack of conversation on issues such as this one is a contributing factor to why they happen in the first place. This week they talk about the systems at play in this public moral failing, and how the body of Christ moves forward.
This week Jim and Jon talk about absolute morality, what the Bible says about that, and how complicated morality can be in our complex, sticky world. Thanks for listening!
Kanye West says he has committed his life to Christ, and has released what many are calling a worship album, Jesus is King. Already a controversial figure, many Christians doubt his authenticity, many hip-hop fans are disappointed in him, and many others think this is just another chapter in his descent into mental illness. Jim and Jon give their take on the situation, and try and make a case for why every Christ-follower's first reaction should be joy.
This week, Jim and Jon use the question, "should Christians go to bars," as a catalyst for the discussion on whether or not you need to mind the convictions of other people of faith. If you feel free to drink, and other believers don't believe you are, do you abstain as a means to cohesion, or do you enjoy your blood-bought freedom. Their discussion comes mainly out of the writings of Paul, and is vitally important in the age of a divided church. Thanks for listening!
Our God promises to provide for us, and bless us even further in our obedience. Is there a limit, then, for how abundantly Christians should live? A limit to how much money one should have? That is what Jim and Jon talk about this week.
This week Jim and Jon share what they believe are God's top three priorities for their lives in this season. They are all personal and specific to them, but hopefully this conversation inspires you to think this way about your life as well.
This week's episode is a response to a teaching by Francis Chan (who we hold in high regard) with the message that not all people who claim Christ as their savior will end up in Heaven. It is an incredibly sensitive and heavy topic and Jim and Jon navigate it as best they can, giving their take on the issue. To watch Chan's message, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FmtVuHxzUA&t=1s
We are called to confront our spouses and to help them grow, and conflict is incredibly important than this. The challenge then becomes making sure your spouse feels respected, heard, and that you two are on the same team. How does one do this? Find out in the episode!
The quarter life crisis is a generational phenomenon affecting the millennial generation, and the older members of generation z. It has seen its share of mockery, but the quarter life crisis is being taken more and more seriously as more people go through one. This week, Jim and Jon wade neck deep in crises and see if they can help.
It can feel especially hopeless when you have adult family (children, parents, siblings) who are far from God. Oftentimes the situation is out of your hands, but this week Jim and Jon talk about ways you can show them Jesus without preaching to them every day.
Building a bit on last weeks conversation on friendship, this week Jim and Jon walk through how you can go about witnessing to your friends, telling them about Jesus while not putting barriers between you. Have an awesome week!
Adults by and large don't have friendships to the quality they would like. This is no different within the Church, and yet it should be. As the body of Christ, why aren't Christians the most unified people on earth? This is what picked Jim and Jon's interest this week. Enjoy!
A conversation between Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper about grief went viral recently and it sparked a conversation about suffering, and how God walks with us in, and even redeems, our suffering.
This episode is in response to a streak of high-profile Christians walking away from the faith. It's a somber one, but Jim and Jon explore how doubt plays in the lives of Christ followers, and how any person of strong faith has plenty of doubts.
Just another easy-breezy conversation with Jim and Jon. Jokes aside this conversation puts the experience of life in perspective, and will be helpful for anyone struggling to see the meaning in their day to day work. Thanks for listening.
Jim and Jon have a much needed chat about the Holy Spirit this week, and why He is a point of so much debate within the church. They also talk about why it is that western Christians specifically have a hard time with the Spirit.
Jim and Jon, being both qualified by their anatomy and facial hair, begin a conversation on modern masculinity and the many snares that come with "being a man."
This week Jim and Jon talk about the roles entertainment and art play in the lives of Christians, through the lens of fantasy phenomenon Game of Thrones.
Jim and Jon talk about generational diversity, the tensions that exist between our generations, and the value of that diversity to the future of the church.
