The 12 Steps are famous as the curriculum for Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and aim to help those in the grip of substance abuse to find their way out via submitting to Christ. But what if the truths found in the 12 Steps could actually be useful for every Christ-follower in their individual, personal battles with their sin nature? We explore that idea in this, our one-hundredth episode! We are so grateful for your time, see you next week.
Mar 29, 2021•59 min•Ep. 100
Even before the COVID pandemic, the church's role in modern America has been in flux. This episode we break down the four ways that the church can interact with the greater national culture, what motivates each of those expressions of the church, the pro's and con's of each method, and the one we believe is the way Jesus intends for us and the people we are meant to reach. We are so grateful for our listeners, tune in next week for episode 100!
Mar 22, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 99
This week, we talk to guest Jon Corcoran about his faith walk, and discuss the winding roads and persistent questions that lead us to God. How do we continue to pursue God through dark times and nagging unknowns, some of which can last for years? Listen in for Jon's experience facing these problems, and the lessons he learned along the way.
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 98
This week, Jim and Jon both share ways they have used a powerful phrase to help them sort through confusion and contradictions in their worldviews: two things can be true at once. Called 'the power of and,' this phrase has helped to assess an often gray world while still holding to scripture that is very much black and white. We hope this concept can be as helpful for you as it has been for us. Join us next week for Episode 98!
Mar 08, 2021•43 min•Ep. 97
If there's been a theme for the podcast over the last few months, it has been the importance of mindfulness; of taking some time out of your day to really think through what you are doing and who you are. This week we have a list of questions to help you walk through the latter. These questions will not only help you discern who are currently, but also who you'd like to be. Thanks a ton for listening, have a great week!
Mar 01, 2021•49 min•Ep. 96
We have some differing opinions this week on the topic of cancel culture, which Jim has grown increasingly frustrated with, and wary of. It seems every day someone new is getting publicly disowned for something they have said or done, but is this really such a big deal? And is it anything new, or especially dangerous? Tune in for our conversation this week as we reconcile our differing opinions!
Feb 22, 2021•49 min•Ep. 95
It is a common notion among American Christians that our country was once intended to be one that shares our faith, in legislation and in culture, and that only in the last century has that begun to fade. But is this historically true? And is it an idea that is supported by scripture? We try to cut through our own culture and revisionist history to answer these questions as best we can, and we invite you to share your opinions with us!
Feb 15, 2021•53 min•Ep. 94
Since Jim is away visiting his newest beautiful granddaughter, Jon sat down for another cozy episode of Jon Thoughts! This week he talks about what it is Christ-followers are expected to do during their time on earth, how much freedom that does or does not entail, and how easy it can be to feel pressure, or to pressure others, on how you should live your life. Thanks for listening, and be sure to join us next week for another father-and-son conversation!
Feb 08, 2021•23 min•Ep. 93
Recently, Jon made a slight change in his daily routine that had a huge affect on his life. This taught him a lesson that he thinks can be applied to other areas of his life, and for other people. We've talked before about how difficult it can be to implement change in our lives, and this has been somewhat of a breakthrough! Thank you for listening, have a great week.
Feb 01, 2021•49 min•Ep. 92
During His ministry on earth, Jesus talked about money more than almost any other topic. While he also addressed myriad ethical questions, why would God in the flesh speak on possessions and wealth so much? And what does that say about the very nature of money itself? Especially in a culture as stuff-focused as ours, this is an incredibly important conversation to have and we had a fun time having it. See you in episode 92!
Jan 25, 2021•55 min•Ep. 91
This week, Jon has a bone to pick with brilliant Christian author Dallas Willard, and his assertion in his book The Divine Conspiracy that the world is an inherently joyous place that God is very pleased with. There are many biblical passages to support this worldview, and there are many others that suggest otherwise. How are we as Christ followers to view the world? As a strictly beautiful place that God is thrilled with? Or a bloody battlefield awaiting His final wrath? We hope you enjoy these...
Jan 18, 2021•52 min•Ep. 90
Few things are more disturbing than the public moral failing of a spiritual leader. And when that moral failing is especially predatory, and that spiritual leader was one of the leading apologists of our time, it is even worse. This week we walk through the Ravi Zacharias scandal, and discuss the challenges of implementing change in our own lives. Thanks, as always for listening!
Jan 11, 2021•50 min•Ep. 89
Jim had a breakthrough over the holidays regarding the human condition, and how exactly the curse of original sin still affects us to this day. This episode, Jon interviews him on a model he developed from this breakthrough that he believes has some real power to allow us to understand ourselves better; what is really motivating us and what we are really afraid of. We think there's great potential to use this tool, working alongside Jesus, to transform your life. Thanks so much for listening, an...
Jan 04, 2021•56 min•Ep. 88
While the coming of a new year is often met with excitement and anticipation, this one in particular has many nervous. In a year as chaotic and unpredictable as this one, how can we approach the next one with confidence? This week we set out to answer that question with a series of prioritization techniques, so you can organize your goals for the next year and take control of your time! Thanks as always for listening, see you next week.
Dec 28, 2020•51 min•Ep. 87
It's time for another Jon Thoughts! Alone this week, Jon talks about his recent reading of Ecclesiastes, the challenges of that particular book, and some epiphanies he had there. Jim is in Arizona this week to be closer to his son, Jon's brother, Tim, who has been hospitalized due to COVID. Tim is on the up and up but your prayers are very appreciated. Thanks for listening!
Dec 21, 2020•25 min•Ep. 86
This week we discuss Practicing the Presence of God, a collection of writings from 17th century monk Brother Lawrence on how to consistently remain in God's presence throughout your day. What are the 8 principles he shares to help you "practice the presence"? Is Lawrence's experience in a secluded priory even relevant to our modern, crazy lives? These are the questions we wrestle with this week, and we had a great time! Thanks so much for listening, talk to you next week.
Dec 14, 2020•59 min•Ep. 85
This week we dive in head-first on everybody's favorite topic: healthy sexuality. With a ton of help from our special guest Rodney Wright of Pure Desire Ministries, we discuss topics such as the pandemic of pornography, sexual shame, and recovery from compulsive, unwanted sexual behavior. This is an incredibly important topic and we are so grateful for Rodney's ministry work, and his time with us. Thanks as always for listening, talk to you soon!
Dec 07, 2020•50 min•Ep. 84
After a previous episode on guidelines for mental health, Jon had some follow-up questions on one of those guidelines: maintaining boundaries. In a committed relationship, or in relationships where there is shared responsibility, how are we supposed to protect our boundaries? And when, if ever, is it appropriate to flex those boundaries? We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and appreciate you listening!
Nov 30, 2020•49 min•Ep. 83
Happy Thanksgiving! For a shorter holiday episode, this week we decided to share some of the philosophies that we individually have learned and benefited from, five from Jim and five from Jon. All of these philosophies are either scripture-inspired, or at the least scripture-aligned. Thanks so much for listening, enjoy your Turkey Day!
Nov 23, 2020•41 min•Ep. 82
The changes of dogma from the Old Testament to the New is challenging and, if you're anything like us, reading the two can bring up a lot of questions. Why don't we practice all of the old Jewish laws? Why did Jesus change some laws and not others? Did God change his mind? We break down a series of chapters from Following Jesus the Servant King by Jonathan Lunde to get some answers. Thanks as always to our listeners, have a great week!
Nov 16, 2020•55 min•Ep. 81
It's been a big week for America. We are sure you've heard enough about the election, so this week we instead talk about a number of reasons we love our country! This conversation was inspired by the documentary "Safeguard: An Electoral College Story," which you've probably already heard us mention and can watch on Amazon Prime. We also tried some new audio stuff in this episode and we would love any feedback you have!
Nov 09, 2020•56 min•Ep. 80
It's another list episode! In this conversation, we go over 5 pieces of Biblical bad news for us and how, in actuality, they are great news. In the upside-down Kingdom of God it is the last who is first, the weak who are strong, and the selfless who is King. Why is it good news that we as human beings are incapable of perfection? Listen in and find out!
Nov 02, 2020•48 min•Ep. 79
Happy Monday! On this episode of Upstream, we ask if an intellectual belief in God and His son Jesus is enough to be saved. If I have that belief but my life doesn't show it, what does that mean? What is the difference between the legalism of the old covenant and the righteous expectations of the new one? Is this whole conversation a waste of time? We are so grateful for all of our listeners, talk to you next week!
Oct 26, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 78
The Netflix docudrama "The Social Dilemma" has exploded in popularity and this week we decided to watch it and share our thoughts! We discuss the documentary, which explores the often-nefarious practices of big tech companies in designing social media, and the effect of that media on us and on the world. It was an interesting piece of media and it made for interesting conversation. Thanks for listening!
Oct 19, 2020•51 min•Ep. 77
Welcome back! We do a deep dive this week into 2 Timothy, where Paul makes three unique metaphors: that Christ followers should be like soldiers, like farmers, and like athletes. What message can we find in these metaphors for us today, and how do we apply them to our lives in a practical way? You've got to listen to find out! We are so grateful for your time, have an awesome week.
Oct 12, 2020•45 min•Ep. 76
Jon had a series of questions this week brought on by a Francis Chan message on why he was leaving the states to enter the mission field. With scripture as a guide we discuss: Is every follower of Jesus meant to leave their home to spread the Gospel? Why not? What does it look like, in a tangible way, for a "normal" Christian to seek first the kingdom of God in their lives? This week is a doozy but it was very helpful for Jon and we believe it will be for you too. Thanks, as always, for listenin...
Oct 05, 2020•51 min•Ep. 75
Another week, another episode of Upstream! This time we read through a bit of Hebrews chapter 12 to talk about hardship and pain, and how followers of Jesus are called to view difficult times as discipleship opportunities for us to grow closer to, and stronger in, our God. We give some practical examples of what this might look like for those in hard circumstances, and advice for listeners hoping to comfort others suffering as well. Thanks so much for listening, talk to you next week!
Sep 28, 2020•46 min•Ep. 74
Jim was smitten this week with a list of four essential skills/priorities that are foundational to our mental and spiritual health. We talk over this list, how the specific items apply individually and in tandem in our lives, and discuss a definition of pain that Jim believes works well with this list of essentials. Jon learned a lot this week and we hope you will too! Thank you for listening.
Sep 21, 2020•54 min•Ep. 73
Guest Ryan Betz joins us this week for a discussion on how to not only survive, but flourish during times of chaos unprecedented in our lifetimes. Ranging from our professional, to spiritual, to home lives, how do we organize with enough purpose to grow when things are as unpredictable as they are? Using examples from Ryan's own experience, we talk about this and more this week on Upstream. Thanks for listening!
Sep 14, 2020•52 min•Ep. 72
A pastor in Kentucky has had a series of dreams that he says may be prophetic for our country in the coming months. As they have gained attention, we figured we should talk about the validity of his specific dreams, their content, and our own predictions for the end of this year and the start of the next. We hope that this episode, more than anything, reminds you that God is in control of it all and we have nothing to fear. Thanks for listening!
Sep 07, 2020•52 min•Ep. 71
