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:

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.