I'm Emily P. Freeman and welcome to the next right thing.

You're listening to episode 228.

This is a podcast about making decisions but also about making a life.

If you struggle with decision fatigue, chronic hesitation, or if you just need a few minutes

away from the constant stream of information, and that's sometimes delightful but also distracting

hum of entertainment, you're in the right place for discerning your next right thing.

Today I'm thrilled to talk to my friend Dr. James Bryan Smith, who's been a theology professor

at Friends University for several decades and was recently named the inaugural Dallas

Willard chair in Christian's virtual formation.

He's an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church and a co-founding pastor of Chapel Hill

UMC in which talking ends us.

He's also a best-selling author of 12 books, most notably the apprentice series with University

Press, which includes the Good and Beautiful God, as well as his most recent release, The

Good and Beautiful You, that we'll talk about today.

One more thing about Jim, he's one of the original founders alongside Richard Foster and

Dallas Willard of the spiritual renewal ministry, Renovare.

Renovare is a Christian nonprofit that provides resources for spiritual formation and advocates

fullness of life with God experienced by grace through the spiritual practices of Jesus

and the historical church.

And so before we jump into my conversation with Jim, I want to tell you about today's

episode, Sponsor, which is a podcast I love from Renovare called Friends Information.

This podcast features three very different friends who take listener questions about life

...