Advertise on podcast: Next Level Church - Charlotte

We know what obedience would cost us, so we run quietly instead of dramatically—just enough to slip out of alignment. Then when the chaos hits, we call it bad luck rather than what it actually is: the natural result of stepping outside the line God drew. In this second message of our series, Conquering Chaos, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles turns to the book of Jonah to show that running from God's authority is one of the fastest ways to walk straight into chaos. Jonah does exactly this, and God chases him into a storm to bring him back. Text: Jonah The win this week: admit one place you've opted out of a structure meant to protect you—a marriage, a job, a recovery process, a church commitment—and take one honest step back into it. This is Week 2 of Conquering Chaos, a four-week series tracing God's fight against chaos through some of Scripture's most surprising stories.

Your life probably doesn't feel like it's falling apart. It just feels like too much at once—a schedule with no breathing room, a relationship that keeps circling the same fight, a habit you can't seem to shake no matter how many times you've tried. That's chaos, and most of us have just learned to live inside it. In this opening message of our new series, Conquering Chaos, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus turns to Genesis 1:1–2:3 to show that God's first move was turning mess into order. That's still exactly how he works today—order comes first, and peace shows up after, as the result. Text: Genesis 1:1–2:3 The win this week: pick one area of disorder—a schedule or a habit—and put a real sequence back into it, before assuming you just need to relax more. This is Week 1 of Conquering Chaos, a four-week series tracing God's fight against chaos through some of Scripture's most surprising stories.

Because of your faithful response to our family meeting this past July, we're excited to welcome Christian Nichles to our staff full-time as Pastor of Spiritual Formation. In this special episode, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus interviews Christian to introduce him in his new role and celebrate what your generosity made possible.

Most people are carrying some version of this belief: that they're too much of a mess for God to actually be glad about them. That he tolerates them, maybe. That he forgives them, if they're lucky. In this final message of our series, Seen: You Are Not As Invisible As You Feel, a book study through Zephaniah, Digital Pastor Bradley Medford turns to Zephaniah 3:9–20 to show that God's final move isn't judgment—it's celebration over the very people who thought they were too far gone. Text: Zephaniah 3:9–20 The hope this week: Zephaniah 3:17 as a concrete promise, not just a nice sentiment, from a God who has been moving toward you the whole time. The series doesn't end where it started, in numbness and distance—it ends with a God who is not just present, but glad. This is Week 5, the final message of Seen, a book study through Zephaniah for anyone who's wondered whether any of it matters and needs to hear that it does.

A lot of people have been let down by a leader, an institution, or a church. The wound is real, and it's shaped how much they trust—God included. When the people who were supposed to help you are the ones who hurt you, it's hard to know who's safe. In this fourth message of our series, Seen: You Are Not As Invisible As You Feel, a book study through Zephaniah, Teaching Pastor Christian Nichles turns to Zephaniah 3:1–8 to show that God has a particular problem with leaders who use people instead of protecting them. He doesn't look the other way. Text: Zephaniah 3:1–8 The reassurance this week: God's indictment of bad leadership is evidence that he sees what happened to you, and it matters to him. He's not defending the people who failed you—he's stepping in on your behalf. This is Week 4 of Seen, a book study through Zephaniah for anyone who's wondered whether any of it matters and needs to hear that it does.

Most of us have quietly shrunk God down to a size we can manage—someone who cares about us and maybe our church, but probably isn't paying attention to the bigger mess out there. Which leaves us feeling alone in a world that seems out of control. In this third message of our series, Seen: You Are Not As Invisible As You Feel, a book study through Zephaniah, Pastor Bradley Medford turns to Zephaniah 2:4–15 to show that God's reach is bigger than we've made it. Nobody is outside his sight or beyond his concern. Text: Zephaniah 2:4–15 The goal this week: leave with a bigger God than you walked in with. The nations in Zephaniah aren't a geography lesson—they're the reminder that nothing happening in the world right now is outside his awareness or beyond his reach. This is Week 3 of Seen, a book study through Zephaniah for anyone who's wondered whether any of it matters and needs to hear that it does.

We live in a world where nothing seems to stick. Bad decisions don't have consequences, people who cause harm walk away clean, and it starts to feel like none of it matters. Which is its own kind of despair. In this second message of our series, Seen: You Are Not As Invisible As You Feel, a book study through Zephaniah, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus turns to Zephaniah 1:14–2:3 to show that God takes what happens in the world seriously. And instead of that being a threat, it's actually the best news you'll hear all week. Text: Zephaniah 1:14–2:3 The invitation this week: the sense that what we do and how we live actually matters—not because God is keeping score, but because he's too invested in us to let us sleepwalk through our own lives. This is Week 2 of Seen, a book study through Zephaniah for anyone who's wondered whether any of it matters and needs to hear that it does.

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."