Next Level Church - Charlotte: Recent Episodes
Next Level Church
The most dangerous place to be isn't far from God—it's close enough to go through the motions and feel nothing.
We don't drift from God all at once. We get busy, life gets chaotic, and somewhere along the way faith slips into the background. The people in Zephaniah aren't atheists—they're just living like God isn't watching. Most of us know exactly what that feels like.
In this opening message of our new series, Seen: You Are Not As Invisible As You Feel, a book study through Zephaniah, Pastor Bradley Medford turns to Zephaniah 1:1–13 to show that spiritual numbness is something that happens to everyone who stops paying attention. And the fact that God addresses it instead of ignoring it is the first sign he's moving toward you, not away.
Text: Zephaniah 1:1–13
This is Week 1 of Seen, a book study through Zephaniah for anyone who's wondered whether any of it matters and needs to hear that it does.
This week is a bit different, but well worth it! Join us as Pastor Clay talks about where Next Level has been as a church, where we're going, and how you can partner in what God is doing. The best is in front of us!
Nobody decides to walk away from God. We just drift. A skipped Sunday, a prayer life that went dormant, a Bible we keep meaning to open. There's no big moment—which is exactly what makes it dangerous. One day we look up, realize we're farther than we were, and can't point to when it happened.
In this fourth message of our series, Unshakable: Building a Faith That Stands, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles turns to Hebrews 2:1–4 and Hebrews 10:23–25 to show that faith drifts without attention, and staying unshakable requires intentional spiritual maintenance.
Text: Hebrews 2:1–4; Hebrews 10:23–25
The win this week: one intentional practice put back in place—not as a guilt-driven chore, but as the way we keep from drifting.
This is Week 4 of Unshakable, a five-week series building a faith that doesn't move—from the foundation up.
When life falls apart, the question underneath is always the same: is my faith even real? Hard seasons don't just hurt—they expose us, showing how thin our trust actually was. And it's tempting to read the struggle as proof that something's wrong with us, or with God.
In this third message of our series, Unshakable: Building a Faith That Stands, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles turns to Romans 5:3–5 and 1 Peter 1:6–7 to show that trials don't break our faith—they reveal and strengthen it, producing endurance and maturity.
Text: Romans 5:3–5; 1 Peter 1:6–7
The win this week: the courage to stop praying only for the trial to end, and start trusting what God is forging in it.
This is Week 3 of Unshakable, a five-week series building a faith that doesn't move—from the foundation up.
The ground under us won't hold still.
What was settled five years ago is up for debate now, and it's exhausting trying to figure out what to believe when the answers keep changing depending on who's talking. We start wondering if there's anything solid left to stand on, or if we're just supposed to keep adjusting forever.
In this second message of our series, Unshakable: Building a Faith That Stands, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus turns to 2 Timothy 3:14–17 to reframe how we see Scripture—not as one more inspiring voice competing for our attention, but as the anchor that keeps us steady when culture shifts.
Text: 2 Timothy 3:14–17
The win this week: renewed confidence to anchor your convictions in something outside yourself and the shifting moment.
This is Week 2 of Unshakable, a five-week series building a faith that doesn't move—from the foundation up.
Two houses look identical—until the storm comes.
Most of us don't lose our footing in one big, dramatic moment. We lose it slowly: when the ground keeps shifting beneath us, when a hard season makes us wonder if our faith was ever real, when devotion quietly fades without us noticing. We assume we're fine because we know the right things—we've heard the teaching, we agree with it, we could explain it to someone else. But hearing isn't building, and the gap between the two doesn't show up until pressure hits.
In this opening message of our new series, Unshakable: Building a Faith That Stands, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles walks through Jesus' words in Matthew 7:24–27 to show that a lasting faith isn't about knowing more—it's about doing what we already know. Agreeing with Jesus and building on Jesus are two different things.
Text: Matthew 7:24–27
Take one step from hearing to obeying this week, before a storm makes the choice for you.
This is Week 1 of Unshakable, a five-week series building a faith that doesn't move—from the foundation up.
The power of the Spirit isn't something we're waiting on. It's something we've been given and haven't learned to live from.
In this final message of the series, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus walks through Ephesians 1 and Paul's astonishing prayer — that we would grasp the power already at work in us. The same resurrection power that defeated death is alive in every person who follows Jesus.
If you've spent your life waiting to feel ready, this message is for you. You don't need more willpower, and you don't need to get your act together first. The Spirit of God has no limits, and neither do you. It's time to wake up to what you already carry.
Part of the series "Power for the Journey – Life in the Holy Spirit."
The Spirit doesn't make our lives safer. He makes us brave enough to do what we couldn't do before.
In this message, Pastor Bradley Medford walks through Acts 4, where the early church — facing real opposition — prayed not for safety but for boldness. The Spirit's power isn't for comfort. It's for courage.
If fear has been holding you back, this message is for you. The same Spirit that emboldened the first believers is alive and available to you right now. The question is simple, even if the answer isn't easy: What's the one thing you've been too afraid to do?
Part of the series "Power for the Journey – Life in the Holy Spirit."
The Spirit's power isn't primarily emotional. It's transformational.
In this message, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus walks through Galatians 5 and challenges the way we often measure God's presence — by how we feel in the moment. Real Spirit-power shows up somewhere less flashy but far more lasting: in the slow, stubborn growth of becoming a different kind of person.
If you've ever chased the spiritual high only to crash back into the same old patterns, this message is for you. The fruit of the Spirit isn't manufactured through willpower or emotion. It grows as we learn to walk in step with the Spirit — and that quiet, steady transformation is more powerful, not less.
Part of the series "Power for the Journey – Life in the Holy Spirit."
Pentecost wasn't a one-time event. It was the beginning of a new way of being human.
In this message, Pastor Christian Nichles walks through Acts 2 and the moment everything changed — when the Holy Spirit arrived like fire and wind and transformed frightened followers into bold witnesses. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive and available to you right now.
If you've ever felt like you know what you believe but just can't seem to live it out, this message is for you. The answer isn't more effort or willpower. Pentecost is the opening chapter of a story we're still living in — and the power for your journey has already been given.
Part of the series "Power for the Journey – Life in the Holy Spirit."
Every series eventually has to reckon with the hardest question faith faces: what do you do when you believe all the right things, and it still doesn't get better?
In this final episode of More Than Sunday, Pastor Brad Medford brings the series home in the most pastoral and unflinching way possible. The text is Lamentations 3:21–24 — one of the rawer passages in all of Scripture — where a man crouched in the wreckage of his entire world makes a choice that has nothing to do with his circumstances improving. No rescue has arrived. No reason has been given. And yet he turns toward God and declares what is still, somehow, true.
What it offers is something more durable: the conviction that suffering is real but not final, that the resurrection didn't eliminate hardship but it did strip it of its power to have the last word, and that those two realities can be held together without one canceling out the other.
This is the pastoral week of the series — the one that speaks directly to the person who has been sitting in the back row, wondering if any of this holds up when life falls apart. It does. And this episode is the honest, careful, hopeful case for why.
More Than Sunday has been a six-week series exploring what changes when the resurrection stops being a once-a-year event and starts reshaping every part of how we live — our work, our identity, our money, our rest, and even our pain.*
Exhaustion has become so normal that most of us have stopped noticing it. We wear our busyness like a badge, push through the fatigue, and quietly assume that one day — when things settle down, when the project ends, when the kids are older — we'll finally rest. But the threshold keeps moving. And the pace never really lets up.
In this episode of More Than Sunday, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles opens Matthew 11:28–30 and refuses to treat that pattern as a scheduling problem. Jesus's invitation to the weary and overburdened isn't a tip for better work-life balance. It's a revelation of something we've gotten fundamentally wrong about rest — and about ourselves.
The reason most of us can't stop isn't that we're bad at time management. It's that we don't fully trust what happens when we do. Somewhere underneath the productivity is a belief that our worth is measured by our output, that the world needs us to keep pushing, that rest is something you earn rather than something you receive. That's not an efficiency problem. That's a faith problem.
This episode recasts the Sabbath not as a spiritual discipline for people with more margin than you, but as an act of resurrection-grounded defiance. A weekly declaration that you are not what you produce, that God is still working when you aren't, and that you were never meant to run this hard in the first place.
More Than Sunday is a six-week series exploring what changes when the resurrection stops being a once-a-year event and starts reshaping every part of how we live.
There are a lot of ways to measure what someone actually believes. But few are as reliable — or as uncomfortable — as money. The way we earn it, spend it, hold onto it, and give it away tells a story about our deepest convictions that our words rarely match.
In this episode of More Than Sunday, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus opens Luke 19:1–10 and sits with one of the most quietly radical moments in the Gospels. Zacchaeus doesn't get a stewardship sermon. He doesn't get a pledge card. He gets Jesus showing up at his house — and the first thing that changes is what he does with his money. Salvation and generosity happen in the same breath, without anyone asking.
That's the vision this message is after. Not a recalibrated budget. Not a guilt-fueled commitment to finally start tithing. A resurrection-grounded understanding of money where generosity isn't something you add to your spiritual to-do list — it's something that becomes natural when you actually believe a dead man walked out of a tomb and that nothing you're holding onto is ultimately yours anyway.
If your relationship with money and your stated beliefs have never quite lined up, this episode is an honest and generous place to start.
More Than Sunday is a six-week series exploring what changes when the resurrection stops being a once-a-year event and starts reshaping every part of how we live.
What happens when everything you’ve built your life around… is gone?
In this episode of the Cutting Room Floor Podcast, Clay and Christian have an honest conversation about identity and how easy it is to tie who we are to what we do, and what happens when that foundation starts to crack.
From ministry and career success to parenting, failure, and starting over, this conversation gets real about the subtle ways we build our identity on roles, titles, and performance—and why that never fully holds up.
Along the way, they talk about:
- Why success can quietly become a trap for your identity
- The difference between who you are and what you do
- What to do when you feel like you’ve lost your purpose
- How God defines you as a masterpiece—and what that actually means
- Why discovering why you were created changes everything
- The danger of believing you’re irreplaceable
- And how identity impacts everything from work to family to faith
You’ll also hear personal stories about:
- Ministry highs and identity crashes
- Parenting regrets and growth
- What it looks like to rebuild your life from the inside out
- And why being a “human being” matters more than being a “human doing”
This episode is for anyone who’s ever asked: “Who am I… really?”
Most of us are living inside an identity we didn't fully choose. It got built over years — out of what we achieved, what we failed at, what people expected, and what we learned to perform to stay accepted. And somewhere along the way, it started feeling like just... who we are.
In this episode of More Than Sunday, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus brings the resurrection into one of the most personal places it can go: your sense of self. Drawing from Ephesians 2:10 — written to people who had constructed their entire identity around a former life — Clay makes the case that a resurrection faith isn't just a new set of behaviors. It's a completely new foundation for who you are.
Not built on performance. Not built on approval. Not built on how productive you've been or how well you've kept it together. Built on this: you are God's handiwork, created with intention, for good works that were prepared specifically for you before you ever showed up.
This episode is for anyone who suspects they've been living someone else's definition of themselves for too long — and is ready to hear a different answer to the question of who they actually are.
More Than Sunday is a six-week series exploring what changes when the resurrection stops being a once-a-year event and starts reshaping every part of how we live.
For most people, faith and work exist in completely separate compartments. Church on Sunday, grind on Monday, and never much overlap between the two. It feels normal. It might even feel responsible. But according to Paul, it's not how any of this was supposed to work.
In this episode of More Than Sunday, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles opens up Colossians 3:23–24 — a passage written to ordinary workers with no great reason to care about their jobs — and reframes what it actually means to bring your whole self to work. Not as a strategy for workplace evangelism. Not as a performance. But as a genuine expression of faith in a risen Jesus who is Lord of all of life, including the 40-plus hours a week most of us spend earning a living.
If the resurrection is true, it belongs in your workplace just as much as it belongs in a Sunday service. This episode is about what it looks like when you stop leaving it at the door.
More Than Sunday is a six-week series exploring what changes when the resurrection stops being a Sunday category and starts reshaping every part of how we live.
What if the most world-altering event in history has been hiding in plain sight — tucked into one morning a week, dressed up for Easter, and mostly left out of everything else?
In the first episode of More Than Sunday, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus opens a six-week journey with a message called "This Changes Everything." Drawing from Romans 6:4, Clay unpacks what Paul meant when he wrote that we were buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life — with the emphasis firmly on the word walk. Not sit. Not show up occasionally. Walk.
This episode is meant to unsettle you a little — in the best way. Because if the resurrection is true, it isn't just the headline of Easter Sunday. It's the foundation everything else gets built on.
More Than Sunday is a six-week series exploring what it looks like to stop sorting faith into a Sunday category and start letting the resurrection loose in the rest of your life.
n this Easter sermon, Pastor Clay gets unusually personal — sharing the story of resigning his church in 2007, stepping back from faith entirely, and spending two years asking the hardest questions he'd ever faced. At the center of it all was one question he'd been avoiding: Did Jesus actually rise from the dead?
Using the analogy of a load-bearing wall, Clay makes the case from 1 Corinthians 15 and Luke 24 that the resurrection isn't just one belief among many — it's the belief that holds everything else up. He walks through the historical evidence, the eyewitness accounts, and why the disciples' own confusion and skepticism actually strengthen the case.
Wherever you are — skeptic, longtime churchgoer, or somewhere in the middle — this episode invites you to stop treating the resurrection as an idea and consider it as a reality.
📖 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 | Luke 24
Unmet expectations might be one of the quietest and most painful sources of pressure we carry. We expected God to show up a certain way—and He didn't. Or so it seemed. In the final week of Under Pressure, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles brings us to the triumphal entry in Matthew 21, where crowds welcomed Jesus with enormous hopes—and He deliberately chose a different path than the one they had mapped out for Him. Not because He failed them, but because He was after something far greater. This Palm Sunday message is the perfect bridge into Easter—a reminder that when God doesn't meet our expectations, He's often exceeding them in ways we can't yet see.
Under Pressure is a five-week series exploring what Scripture says about anxiety, burnout, comparison, disappointment, and expectations—leading up to Easter.
Comparison is sneaky. It rarely announces itself, but it quietly drives more of our decisions—and more of our exhaustion—than most of us realize. In week four of Under Pressure, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus opens Galatians 1:10, where Paul flatly refuses to live for human approval. It's a short verse with enormous implications. When your identity is rooted in Christ rather than in how others see you, the pressure to measure up begins to lose its grip. This episode exposes comparison as a hidden source of chronic stress and points toward a more grounded, freer way to live.
Under Pressure is a five-week series exploring what Scripture says about anxiety, burnout, comparison, disappointment, and expectations—leading up to Easter.
Burnout doesn't always look like a breakdown. Sometimes it looks like a person who has given everything they have and simply has nothing left. In week three of Under Pressure, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus looks at the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19—a man fresh off a mountaintop moment who collapses in total exhaustion and despair. God's response isn't disappointment or correction. It's compassion, presence, and quiet restoration. If you've been running on fumes and wondering whether God notices, this episode speaks directly to that place.
Under Pressure is a five-week series exploring what Scripture says about anxiety, burnout, comparison, disappointment, and expectations—leading up to Easter.
Trials are easy to resent and hard to make sense of—until someone reframes them entirely. In week two of Under Pressure, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus opens James 1:2–4, where James writes to scattered and persecuted believers not with an escape plan, but with a perspective shift. Pressure, James says, is the pathway to perseverance and spiritual completeness. The hard season isn't a detour from your growth—it might be the whole point of it.
If you've been asking why, this episode is worth your time.
Under Pressure is a five-week series exploring what Scripture says about anxiety, burnout, comparison, disappointment, and expectations—leading up to Easter.
We live in a time when the pressure never really turns off—and most of us are carrying more than we admit. In the first message of our new series Under Pressure, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus opens Philippians 4:6–9 to show us that peace isn't something that just happens to us. It's practiced. It's cultivated. And according to Paul—who wrote these words from inside a Roman prison—it's available to anyone willing to pursue it.
If anxiety has felt like your default setting lately, this episode is a good place to start.
Under Pressure is a five-week series exploring what Scripture says about anxiety, burnout, comparison, disappointment, and expectations—leading up to Easter.
We've reached the finale of our Meant for More series, and Lead Pastor Clay Monkus brings a message that ties it all together: the Church is at its best when everyone is engaged in their God-given role.
Using Romans 12:4–8, Clay unpacks Paul's powerful metaphor of the body. Just like a physical body needs every part functioning to be healthy, the Church needs every member using their gifts with diligence and humility. No role is insignificant. No gift is unimportant. When we all play our part, the body of Christ becomes fully alive and effective in God's mission.
Over this series, we've discovered that faith isn't passive, that we're each uniquely gifted, that showing up matters, and now—it's time to act. Clay calls us to step into a serving role, both in the church and in the community.
You weren't meant to just observe God's mission. You were meant to be part of it. So the question is: will you play your part?
Continuing our Meant for More series, Digital Ministries Pastor Bradley Medford tackles a common misconception: that serving God's mission is about having the right title, position, or platform.
Using Mark 10:42–45, Bradley takes us to the moment when Jesus' disciples argue about status and greatness. Jesus responds by completely redefining what greatness looks like—not authority over others, but humble service to others. He points to His own example: He came not to be served, but to serve and give His life for many.
Serving isn't about credentials or recognition. It's about availability and humility. It's about saying "yes" in the small, everyday moments where God places opportunities right in front of you.
This week's message will inspire you to see that showing up matters more than standing out—and that God uses ordinary availability to accomplish extraordinary things in His mission.
Jesus isn't just part of life; He's the One who holds life together.
Most of us treat Jesus like a helpful add-on—someone to invite into the hard moments, the Sunday mornings, the moral decisions. But the rest of the week? We're on our own. In this message, Digital Ministries Pastor Bradley Medford unpacks Colossians 1:15-17 and shows us what happens when we stop compartmentalizing our faith and start letting Jesus hold everything together.
A true reset doesn't come from asking God to bless the life we've already built. It comes from centering every part of life—work, relationships, schedules, goals—around Him. Join us as we learn how to move from fragmentation to integration, and discover the peace that comes when Jesus is at the center of it all.
Rest isn't earned; it's received.
Most of us are exhausted—not just physically, but spiritually. We're constantly chasing relief through distraction, entertainment, or just powering through. But relief is not the same as rest. In this message, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus explores Jesus' countercultural invitation in Matthew 11:28–30 and shows us what it looks like to trade temporary fixes for lasting refuge.
The soul doesn't find peace when life finally calms down. It finds peace when it returns to Jesus. Join us as we learn how to stop running from our weariness and start resting in the One who offers true refuge—no matter how loud life gets.
In this episode, Clay and Christian talk about what it means to experience Jesus — not just know about Him.
They explore why our culture is starving for peace, why outrage and speed are spiritually corrosive, and why stillness and presence are essential to real faith. The conversation touches on peacemaking, prayer, shared spiritual experience, and how slowing down helps us hear God more clearly.
If you feel tired, distracted, or disconnected from God, this episode is an invitation to slow down and rediscover what it means to truly be with Him.
You can't rest in a God you never notice.
In a world that runs on hurry, noise, and notifications, most of us have forgotten what it feels like to be truly still. We believe in Jesus, but do we actually experience Him? In this opening message of our new series, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus explores Psalm 46:10 and invites us into a different kind of reset—one that begins not with doing more, but with waking up to God's presence right where we are.
Spiritual transformation doesn't start with a better plan. It starts with awareness. Join us as we rediscover how to quiet the chaos, tune out the distractions, and encounter the Jesus who's been waiting for us to simply be still.
Join us for our Christmas Eve message given by Lead Pastor Clay Monkus. In this one, Pastor Clay discusses the wonder of Christmas, why many adults have lost sight of that wonder, and how we might regain it again.
The waiting is over. The promise has arrived.
In this final message of our Christmas series "The Promise Kept," Lead Pastor Clay Monkus brings us to the moment that changed everything: the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1–20. After centuries of prophecies, generations of waiting, and 400 years of silence—God spoke. And He didn't just speak with words. He spoke with a baby.
The arrival of Jesus in that humble manger was the fulfillment of every promise God had ever made. From Genesis 3 to the prophets to that starlit night in Bethlehem—God proved that He always keeps His word.
If you've been waiting on God for something—healing, restoration, breakthrough, hope—this message is your reminder: God finishes what He starts. He kept His promise then. He will keep His promise to you.
Celebrate with us as we close out this series by discovering why Jesus is the ultimate proof that you can trust God with your future.
What do you do when God's promise feels delayed? When the waiting stretches on so long that you start to wonder if He's forgotten?
In this second message of "The Promise Kept" series, Bradley Medford tackles one of the hardest parts of faith: waiting. For 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, God's people heard nothing from heaven. No prophets, no signs—just silence. And yet, Galatians 4:4–5 reveals the truth: God was right on time.
"At the right time, God sent His Son, born of a woman, to redeem us." The waiting wasn't wasted. God's timing was perfect, even when it felt painfully slow.
If you're in an "in-between" season right now—waiting for answers, healing, breakthrough, or clarity—this message will encourage you to trust God's unseen work and keep your faith alive. The promise is still coming.
The story of Christmas didn't begin in a manger—it began in a garden. In this opening message of our Christmas series "The Promise Kept," Lead Pastor Clay Monkus explores Genesis 3:15 and the first promise God made about sending a Savior.
After humanity's fall, in what seemed like our darkest hour, God spoke a promise that would echo through centuries: one day, the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent's head. This wasn't a backup plan or a quick fix—it was proof that God had always been writing a story of rescue.
Discover how this ancient promise in Genesis connects directly to that silent night in Bethlehem, and why you can trust God with the promises you're still waiting on today.
In Episode 7 of The Cutting Room Floor, Clay Monkus sits down with “resident scholar” Christian Nichles for a real, unfiltered conversation about gratitude when life absolutely does not go the way you planned.
Fresh off our “Grateful Anyway” message series at Next Level Church, they talk honestly about brain injuries, job rejection, losing stability, church hurt, financial struggle, and how easy it is to let bitterness take over instead of thankfulness. Christian shares more of his story from the Sunday message, and Clay opens up about his own season of losing everything he thought made him “successful.”
Along the way they dig into:
- Why gratitude is rebellion in a culture of outrage
- The difference between knowing God’s grace and experiencing His graciousness
- Christian’s G.R.A.C.E. framework for practicing gratitude in hard seasons
- How struggle can actually be good and form something deeper in us
- Why your identity can’t be built on titles, money, or success
- A sneak peek at our new Christmas series on “The Promise” starting all the way back in Genesis 3
If you’re in a season where life just kind of… sucks, but you want to trust God anyway, this conversation is for you.
👉 Watch the full “Grateful Anyway” series and our Sunday messages on our YouTube channel. @nextlevelclt
👉 Join us in person at Next Level Church (Matthews, NC).
We've reached the final week of our "Grateful Anyway" series, and Lead Pastor Clay Monkus brings us to the foundation that makes lasting gratitude possible.
In Psalm 100:4–5, we encounter a worship song sung by God's people as they entered the temple courts. This wasn't just a feel-good moment—it was a declaration rooted in deep theology. The psalmist calls us to give thanks and praise, but notice where the focus lands: on God's goodness, His enduring love, and His faithfulness that spans every generation.
Here's the truth: gratitude anchored in circumstances will always be fragile. When life is good, we're thankful. When life gets hard, our gratitude wavers. But when we transfer our gratitude from the gifts to the Giver—from what God does to who God is—everything changes. That kind of gratitude grows deep roots that can withstand any storm.
This message will challenge you to build your thankfulness on the only foundation that never shifts: the unchanging character of God. His love doesn't fluctuate with your circumstances. His faithfulness doesn't depend on your performance. And His goodness endures forever.
Series Theme: This series explores how to find and express thankfulness even when circumstances are far from perfect. True gratitude isn't based on circumstances—it's rooted in the character of God, which never changes.
Scripture: Psalm 100:4–5
As we close this series, our prayer is that you'll discover a gratitude that goes deeper than your circumstances—a gratitude anchored in the God who never changes.
Welcome to the launch of our new series, "Grateful Anyway: A Choice That Can Transform Your Life."
In this opening message, Bradley Medford takes us to one of the most challenging settings imaginable—a Roman prison—where the Apostle Paul penned some of the most hope-filled words in Scripture. In Philippians 4:6–7, Paul connects prayer with thanksgiving and reveals how this combination unlocks a peace that defies logic.
What does it look like to be thankful when life feels like a storm? How can we experience God's peace when our circumstances haven't changed? And what if gratitude isn't about what's happening around us, but about who God is in the midst of it all?
This message will challenge you to replace worry with prayer and discover how thankfulness—even in the hardest seasons—can transform your perspective and bring supernatural peace.
Series Theme: This series explores how to find and express thankfulness even when circumstances are far from perfect. True gratitude isn't based on circumstances—it's rooted in the character of God, which never changes.
Scripture: Philippians 4:6–7
Whether you're in a season of blessing, uncertainty, or somewhere in between, we pray this message encourages you to choose gratitude anyway.
Episode 6 of the Cutting Room Floor podcast takes a deeper dive into Part 1 of our Grateful Anyway sermon series. Clay, Christian, and Brad sit down — in full “this is what it’s like when we hang out” mode — and talk about why gratitude isn’t something that magically shows up just because life is good.
We get real about emotions, frustration, discouragement, and how easy it is to believe the lie that “I’ll always feel this way.” Instead, the guys unpack what happens when we slow down long enough to process what we’re feeling, tell God the truth, and look for gratitude even when life doesn’t give us anything to feel grateful for.
This episode is funny, honest, and way too relatable — and it’ll help anyone who’s trying to figure out how to be grateful even when life isn’t going to plan.
For five weeks, we've been pulling back the curtain on the supernatural realm—exploring what the Bible reveals about angels, demons, spiritual warfare, and heaven's response to our prayers. But if all of that knowledge doesn't change the way you actually live, what's the point?
In this series finale of "Supernatural: Why What You Don't See Matters," Lead Pastor Clay Monkus answers the most important question: How does seeing the unseen reality transform your everyday life?
Through the magnificent vision of Colossians 1:15–20, you'll discover that Christ is not only the visible image of the invisible God—He's also the one through whom all things in heaven and on earth were created. He holds the entire cosmos together, seen and unseen. And when you begin to see life through the lens of His supernatural kingdom, everything changes.
Your prayers become more confident because you know heaven is listening and responding. Your hope deepens because you see that God's cosmic plan is unfolding even when circumstances seem chaotic. Your purpose becomes clearer because you realize you're part of a story far bigger than your own life. And your struggles take on new meaning when you understand the unseen forces at work—and the sovereign God who rules over them all.
This message isn't about becoming obsessed with the spiritual realm. It's about living fully awake to reality as God designed it—visible and invisible, earthly and heavenly, physical and spiritual. It's about walking through your days with eyes wide open, alert to God's presence, His purposes, and His supernatural kingdom breaking into your world.
If this series has expanded your understanding of Scripture and the unseen realm, this finale will show you how to live differently because of it. The goal has never been just to know more—it's to see clearly and live boldly in light of God's bigger story.
In this episode of The Cutting Room Floor, Clay Monkus and Christian Nichles talk through all the content that couldn’t fit into Sunday’s message, When Heaven Fights for You — part 4 of our Supernatural series.
We dive deeper into the armor of God from Ephesians 6 — not as a list of spiritual objects, but as something practical we can do.
We talk about:
- Why the armor is about identity, not equipment
- What it looks like to “suit up” when you’re anxious, parenting, or leading
- The ordinary battles of lies, discouragement, shame, distraction, and fear
- How we see the enemy’s fingerprints in our culture — outrage, isolation, confusion, deception
- And what really happens when we pray — how God uses prayer to form us, align us, and move through us
This is a deeper, more practical conversation about spiritual warfare, faith, and how to live steady when life feels like a battle. If you’ve ever felt like life is harder than it should be, or wondered what’s really happening when you pray — this one’s for you.
"We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
Welcome to the final episode of "Why Do I Keep Doing This?" In this powerful conclusion, Pastor Christian Nichles brings us a message that will forever change how you see yourself and your struggles: Nothing can separate us from the love of God—and nothing can overpower the Spirit in us.
Through Colossians 1:15-20, we'll lift our eyes to see the cosmic reality of who Christ is—the visible image of the invisible God, the One through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together. This isn't just theology; it's the foundation of your victory. If this Christ lives in you through His Spirit, then no cycle, no habit, no struggle is too powerful to overcome.
Over the past five weeks, we've journeyed from understanding sin's power to discovering the Spirit's greater power. Now we arrive at the triumphant truth: you are more than a conqueror. Not because of your strength, but because of whose you are and who lives in you.
This finale will anchor your soul in the unshakeable love of God and remind you that the Spirit within you is greater than anything working against you.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. May you walk forward in the freedom, power, and victory that are already yours in Christ.
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
This is the moment we've been building toward. In Week 4 of "Why Do I Keep Doing This," Lead Pastor Clay Monkus unveils the answer to breaking free from the cycles that have held us captive: Life in the Spirit.
Through Romans 8:1-17, we discover that the Spirit empowers us to walk free from sin's grip. After weeks of understanding the problem—sin as a power, our powerlessness through self-effort, and the futility of trying harder—we finally arrive at the solution. The Spirit doesn't just encourage us or give us good advice; He actually empowers us to live in the freedom Christ purchased for us.
This message explores what it practically looks like to live Spirit-empowered lives—free from condemnation, free from defeat, and walking in real victory. No more white-knuckling your way through struggles. No more shame when you fall short. Just the liberating power of God at work in you.
If you've been waiting for hope, here it is. The Spirit is ready to do what you could never do on your own.
Join us for this pivotal message as we discover how to actually live in the freedom Jesus won and the Spirit makes possible.
"I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Ever felt like Paul when he wrote those words?
In Week 3 of our series, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus tackles a hard truth: The real problem isn't lack of effort—it's that sin is stronger than self-effort. No matter how hard you try, willpower alone will never be enough.
Through Romans 7:14-25, we'll dive into Paul's honest struggle and discover why "trying harder" keeps leaving us frustrated and defeated. This isn't a message about giving up—it's about recognizing that the battle requires a power greater than our own.
If you've been exhausted by your own efforts to change, if you've wondered why good intentions keep falling short, this message will help you see why self-effort was never meant to be the solution. There's a better way forward, but it requires surrendering our need to be strong enough on our own.
Stop trying to muscle your way to freedom. It's time to discover the power that actually works.
WhyDoIKeepDoingThis #TryingHarder #Romans7 #SelfEffort #SpiritPower #Surrender #ChurchSeries
Feeling defeated by the same cycles? Here's a truth that changes everything: you're not powerless.
In Week 2 of "Why Do I Keep Doing This," Lead Pastor Clay Monkus tackles a crucial reality—at salvation, sin loses its legal claim on us, but it still tries to act like it's in charge. Through Romans 6:1-14, we'll explore what it means to live like you're truly free.
Sin may keep trying to boss you around, making you feel helpless and defeated, but the truth is it has no real authority over you anymore. The struggle isn't about gaining power you don't have—it's about learning to live in the freedom you already possess in Christ.
This message will help you understand your true identity and give you biblical insight into why you're not the powerless victim sin wants you to believe you are. Whether you're battling old habits, wrestling with guilt, or feeling stuck in familiar patterns, this episode offers hope and practical truth.
You have more power than you realize. It's time to start living like it.
Join us as we continue this journey toward understanding our struggles through Scripture and discovering how to walk in the victory Jesus has already secured.
"I don't really understand myself. I want to do what's right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate." Sound familiar?
Welcome to our new series, "Why Do I Keep Doing This: How to Stop the Cycle You Can't Seem to Quit." In this opening message, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus tackles the foundational question: How did we get stuck in these cycles in the first place?
Through Romans 5:12-21, we'll explore how sin isn't just about our individual choices—it's a power that invaded the world and now works against us. Understanding this truth changes everything about how we view our struggles and sets the stage for discovering real freedom.
If you've ever wondered why you keep falling into the same patterns despite knowing better, this message offers biblical insight and hope. Join us as we begin this journey toward understanding mental health through the lens of Scripture and discovering the Spirit's power to set us free.
Whether you're listening while commuting, working out, or just need encouragement in your daily walk, this series is designed to meet you where you are and point you toward the freedom Jesus has already won.
What do we do with the reality that even Jesus experienced crushing emotional pain? Christian Nichles concludes our series by exploring Matthew 26:36 and Jesus's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Son of God was "deeply grieved, even to death" and asked His friends to stay with Him in His darkest hour.
Jesus's experience in the garden shows us that emotional struggle isn't a sign of weak faith—it's part of the human experience that even God Himself entered into and understood.
In this final message, you'll discover:
- How Jesus models honest prayer in times of overwhelming distress
- Why community matters when we're struggling mentally and emotionally
- The hope we have because Jesus walked through anguish and emerged victorious
This series is for anyone wrestling with anxiety, depression, or fear—and for those who love someone who is hurting.
About the Series: This seriece explores mental health through Scripture, showing that God doesn't shame us for our weakness—He meets us in it.
If you're struggling, please reach out to a counselor or mental health professional.
What happens when God doesn't answer our prayers the way we want? Christian Nichles explores 2 Corinthians 12:9, where Paul begged God three times to remove his "thorn in the flesh," only to receive this response: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Paul's experience teaches us that sometimes God's answer isn't healing—it's sustaining grace. This doesn't mean we stop seeking help or give up hope, but that we can find strength even in our ongoing struggles.
In this message, you'll discover:
- How to find peace when prayers for healing seem unanswered
- What it means that God's power is perfected in our weakness
- The difference between cure and grace in our mental health journey
This series is for anyone wrestling with anxiety, depression, or fear—and for those who love someone who is hurting.
If you're struggling, please reach out to a counselor or mental health professional.
What do you do when everything you love is stripped away? Christian Nichles explores Job 1-2, where we encounter a man who lost his children, health, and wealth in a matter of days—yet continued to wrestle with faith in the midst of unthinkable suffering.
Job's story reveals that profound loss and mental anguish aren't signs of spiritual failure. Sometimes faithful people experience devastating circumstances beyond their control.
In this message, you'll discover:
- How to process grief and loss without losing faith
- Why suffering doesn't mean God has abandoned you
- The difference between toxic positivity and genuine hope
This series is for anyone wrestling with anxiety, depression, or fear—and for those who love someone who is hurting.
About the Series: "Life Under the Broom Tree" explores mental health through Scripture, showing that God doesn't shame us for our weakness—He meets us in it.
If you're struggling, please reach out to a counselor or mental health professional.
What do you do when you've reached your breaking point? In this inaugural episode of our "Life Under the Broom Tree" series, Christian Nichles opens 1 Kings 19 to reveal a side of the prophet Elijah we don't often talk about—the moment when this giant of faith completely fell apart.
Fresh from his dramatic victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah finds himself running for his life, collapsing under a broom tree, and begging God to let him die. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Mental health struggles have been part of the human story since the beginning, and God's response to Elijah reveals profound truths about how He meets us in our darkest moments.
In this honest and compassionate message, you'll discover:
- Why even spiritual victories can lead to emotional crashes
- How exhaustion affects our perspective and decision-making
- God's gentle, practical approach to caring for those who are struggling
- The difference between God's presence and the quick fixes the world offers
This series is for anyone who has wrestled with anxiety, depression, burnout, or overwhelming fear. It's also for those who love someone who is hurting and want to understand how to help.
Join us as we explore what it means to find hope and healing under life's broom trees, knowing that God doesn't shame us for our weakness—He meets us in it.
About the Series: "Life Under the Broom Tree" is a biblical exploration of mental health, examining how Scripture addresses anxiety, depression, and emotional struggle with honesty and hope. Through the stories of Elijah, Paul's teachings on renewing our minds, and Jesus' own wrestling in the Garden of Gethsemane, we'll discover that our mental health matters deeply to God.
If you're struggling with mental health, please reach out to a trusted friend, counselor, or mental health professional. You don't have to walk this journey alone.
What did the early church have that made people say "I want to be part of that"? What if we could experience the same kind of community that changed the world?
In this final week of our "Why Church?" series, Pastor Joseph McMurry takes us back to Acts 2 to discover why he loves the church through God's original blueprint. This isn't about nostalgia—it's about understanding what made the early church so compelling and how we can experience that same kind of transformative community today.
Church was never meant to be a service you watch; it's a people we become.
What if the church offered something you couldn't find anywhere else? The chance to be part of something bigger than yourself and relationships that are ready before the storms of life hit?
In Week 3 of our "Why Church?" series, Pastor Bradley Medford gets personal about why he loves the church. This isn't about obligation—it's about discovering the irreplaceable value of being connected to something greater and building relationships that matter when life gets hard.
Church was never meant to be a service you watch; it's a people we become.
If Jesus loves the church, shouldn't we? What if understanding Jesus' heart for the church could change everything about how we see our place in it?
In Week 2 of our "Why Church?" series, Christian Nichles explores why Jesus is so passionate about the church. This isn't about obligation—it's about discovering what Jesus sees in the church that makes it precious to Him.
Church was never meant to be a service you watch; it's a people we become.
In a world where everything feels optional, what if church wasn't just good for you—what if it was essential to becoming who God made you to be?
Christian Nichles launches our "Why Church?" series by exploring what the church truly is (and isn't) according to God's design. This isn't about guilt or attendance—it's about discovering why the church is irreplaceable in your spiritual transformation.
Church was never meant to be a service you watch; it's a people we become.
Church Planting: God's Heart for Expansion with Doug Irvin
Doug Irvin delivers a compelling message on the mission and vision of church planting. This episode explores how God calls ordinary people to extraordinary work—establishing new faith communities that reach people far from God. Learn about the biblical mandate for church multiplication, the heart behind planting new churches, and what it takes to answer this calling.
Perfect for anyone curious about church planting, missions, or wanting to understand God's heart for expanding His kingdom. This message will inspire you to see your role in God's greater mission, whether you're called to plant, support, or pray for new church communities.
Episode 4: "Rhythms: Practicing the Way of Jesus" - Community & Togetherness with Bradley Medford
Bradley Medford unpacks the transformative rhythm of community in this fourth episode of our series. Explore how Jesus lived in deep relationship with others and called us to the same. This message challenges our individualistic culture and reveals how genuine community becomes a pathway to experiencing God's love and growing in faith.
Ideal for anyone seeking deeper connections or wondering how to build authentic relationships, this episode offers both inspiration and practical guidance for embracing the rhythm of togetherness that Jesus modeled.
Episode 3: "Rhythms: Practicing the Way of Jesus" - Sabbath Rest with Christian Nichles
Christian Nichles guides us through the essential rhythm of Sabbath rest in this third installment of our series. In a culture that glorifies busyness, this episode reveals how Jesus practiced and calls us to embrace rest as a spiritual discipline. Learn how Sabbath isn't just about stopping work, but about creating space to encounter God and experience the renewal our souls desperately need.
Perfect for reflecting on your own pace of life, this message offers both challenge and invitation to discover the peace found in following Jesus' rhythm of rest.
Episode 2: "Rhythms: Practicing the Way of Jesus" - Week 2 with Lead Pastor Clay Monkus
Building on our series foundation, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus continues exploring how Scripture reveals Jesus in transformative ways. This episode deepens our understanding of developing spiritual rhythms that reshape how we see and live. Clay offers practical guidance for cultivating consistent engagement with God's Word that leads to genuine heart change.
Perfect for deepening your spiritual practice during daily routines, this message will challenge and encourage your walk with Jesus. Don't miss this continuation of our transformative series.
Episode 1: "Rhythms: Practicing the Way of Jesus" - New Series with Lead Pastor Clay Monkus
Jesus is revealed through Scripture, yet we often miss Him until we pause to truly reflect on God's Word. In this series opener, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus guides us into understanding how the Bible does more than inform—it transforms how we see Jesus and live our lives. Perfect for your daily commute or quiet reflection time, this message introduces life-changing rhythms for engaging with Scripture.
Join us as we explore how consistent time in the Word opens our eyes to recognize Jesus in ways we've never seen before. Subscribe to stay connected with this transformative journey.
Listen as Christian continues our thought-provoking series "Following the Way" in this fourth installment. Through clear teaching and compelling insights, this episode explores timeless principles that have the power to transform your daily walk. Perfect for your commute or quiet moments of reflection, this message offers practical wisdom you can apply immediately.
This series has resonated deeply with our listeners, providing a roadmap for authentic spiritual growth in a complex world. Subscribe now to ensure you never miss an episode in this impactful journey.
In this episode, Pastor Clay continues our impactful series, “Following the Way.” Though this message was shared on Mother’s Day, it’s not a holiday-specific sermon—it’s a powerful exploration of what it means to walk in the way of Jesus in our everyday lives.
Tune in for a meaningful word that will challenge, encourage, and guide you forward on your faith journey.
➡️ Don’t forget to follow the podcast and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!
In Part 1 of The Path, we explore how our direction, not our intentions, determines our destination in life. Using the biblical story from Proverbs 7, Clay Monkus illustrates how we often find ourselves in unwanted situations through small, seemingly inconsequential decisions. He identifies three warning signs of heading down the wrong path and challenges listeners to apply the “Direction Test” to our life by asking: “If I keep going in the direction I'm going, where will I end up?”