Weekend Scripture: Luke 1:39-45

What if the wonder you lost somewhere between wrapping paper, deadlines, and traffic could actually come back and lead you straight to Jesus?

This week on The Cutting Room Floor, Neil sits down with Scott to talk Christmas nostalgia, and Mary's fierce childlike faith. In a season that can feel rushed and noisy, the conversation invites us to look through the eyes of a teenager from Nazareth, one who didn't just hope God could move, but trusted He would.

Mary's response wasn't sentimental; it was courageous. Saturated in Scripture, rooted in promise, she embraced a calling far beyond her understanding with a simple, steady "Let it be." That's the invitation of Christmas: not to do more, perform better, or polish ourselves into worthiness, but to stand in awe at the God who came near.

Your Challenge:

This week, act like a kid on purpose. Slow down. Notice beauty. Drink cocoa. Look at lights. Let wonder lead you back to worship, not worry.

Hosts: Neil Gregory & Scott Nickell

⸻

What We Discuss

• Scott's unapologetic love for Christmas
• Why Die Hard is (apparently) a Christmas movie
• The return of Christmas According to Kids and why the team ran it back
• Mary's Magnificat and her surprising theological grit
• Humble obedience vs. trying to "do better"
• Scripture memory
• Recovering dangerous wonder in a grown-up world
• When faith feels like microscope vs. telescope living
• How worship, lights, music, and tradition awaken childlike joy
• Christmas and Easter: morning and night of the same story

⸻

About Southland Christian Church

Southland is one church meeting in multiple locations across central Kentucky. We believe Jesus came for the lost and the broken, which means there's a place for everyone here. Around here, that means we worship defiantly, speak truth unashamedly, and extend grace generously.

To support this ministry and help us continue to reach across Central Kentucky and all around the world, visit: https://southland.church/give

What if the love you're giving, and the love you're expecting, aren't the same thing?

In this week's episode of The Cutting Room Floor, Neil and Scott wrap up an 11-week journey through men, women, and marriage. They explore what didn't make it into Sunday's sermon, from C.S. Lewis insights, to Greek word studies on love, to the work that needs to be done in every relationship. Together they unpack why fixing our eyes on Jesus is the only way marriage makes sense at all.

Challenge:

This week, choose one action that demonstrates love or respect, and practice it without expecting anything in return.

Hosts: Neil Gregory & Scott Nickell

⸻

What We Discuss

• The divine drama of marriage and why it can't simply end with "try harder"
• What "love and respect" actually mean, and how they're misused
• The four Greek words for love and why agape changes everything
• Why biblical love feels impossible without Jesus
• Tough and tender: the two postures every husband must hold
• Emotional homework for men (and why anger is rarely the real emotion)
• Niceness vs. kindness and why only one is a fruit of the Spirit
• How to recognize the Shepherd's voice in a world full of noise
• What couples should starve and what they should feed in their marriage

⸻

About Southland Christian Church

Southland is one church meeting in multiple locations across central Kentucky. We believe Jesus came for the lost and the broken, which means there's a place for everyone here. Around here, that means we worship defiantly, speak truth unashamedly, and extend grace generously.

To support this ministry and help us continue to reach across Central Kentucky and all around the world, visit: https://southland.church/give

Ephesians 5:21-33 | Join us as Scott unpacks God's intention for marriage in a sermon on love and respect versus bitterness and resentment.

What if the very things that feel like obstacles are actually the places God wants to deepen unity, honesty, and love?

This week on The Cutting Room Floor, Neil and Jon dive into the real and raw process of becoming "one." From the emotional and spiritual oneness that takes decades to form, to the hidden dangers of emotional attachments, this conversation goes far beyond Sunday's teaching. Whether you're dating, newly married, deep in the "Kansas" part of the journey, or decades in, this episode offers a hopeful reminder: you're not alone, and God is shaping something good.

Your challenge:

Take time this week to ask, with humility, How have I hurt you recently? Then listen without defending.

Hosts: Neil Gregory & Jon Weece

⸻

What We Discuss

• Why emotional and spiritual oneness takes years, not days, to develop
• How cultural expectations warp our view of "instant" connection
• Why older couples can become one of the greatest resources for younger marriages
• The hidden dangers of emotional attachments and comparison through social media
• How past sexual experiences create lingering soul ties, and how God heals them
• Why honesty breaks the lie that "you're the only one struggling"
• The power of intentional conversations that rebuild trust and closeness
• How to keep stress from pulling you apart
• The value of pre-marriage counseling, community, and seeking wisdom before you're in crisis
• Why selflessness and not fairness, is the engine of a healthy marriage

⸻

About Southland Christian Church

Southland is one church meeting in multiple locations across central Kentucky. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and we follow Him into that work. Around here, that means we worship defiantly, speak truth unashamedly, and extend grace generously.

To support this ministry and help us continue to reach across Central Kentucky and all around the world, visit: https://southland.church/give

Ephesians 5:21-33 | Join us as Jon unpacks God's intention for marriage in a sermon on beauty and mystery versus boring and monotonous.

What if the most intimidating parts of marriage are actually invitations from God to build something stronger, not scarier? And what if submission, sacrifice, and responsibility look far different than what culture assumes?

This week on The Cutting Room Floor, the conversation gets honest and unavoidably practical as we dive into the marriage portion of the Toy Stories mega-series. Scott unpacks the beauty and weight of Ephesians 5, why this familiar passage deserves fresh eyes, and how men and women can step into their God designed roles with humility instead of fear. From the responsibility of headship to the strength behind the word "helper," from covenant relationships to the call for purity, this episode gives shape to what biblical marriage is meant to be and why it matters for everyone, married or not.

Your challenge:

Take an honest look at the posture of your heart this week. Where do you need to humble yourself, submit to Jesus, or take ownership in your home?

Hosts: Neil Gregory & Scott Nickell

⸻

What We Discuss

• Why familiar Bible passages can be the hardest to teach
• Headship as responsibility, not dominance, and why it should drive men to their knees
• The strength and dignity behind the biblical word helper (ezer kenegdo)
• What submission actually means (and doesn't) in light of Jesus
• Covenant vs. contract and why culture keeps confusing the two
• The three paths back to honoring Jesus in relationships
• Why gathering for worship matters more than we admit, and why men especially should lift holy hands
• The importance of community when you're trying to grow, heal, or rebuild
• Friendship as the often overlooked foundation of a lasting marriage

⸻

About Southland Christian Church

Southland is one church meeting in multiple locations across central Kentucky. We believe Jesus came for the lost and the broken, which means there's a place for everyone here. Around here, that means we worship defiantly, speak truth unashamedly, and extend grace generously.

To support this ministry and help us continue to reach across Central Kentucky and all around the world, visit: https://southland.church/give

Ephesians 5:21-33 | Join us as Scott unpacks God's intention for marriage in a sermon on real roles versus interchangeable parts.

What if the very thing you're trying to avoid is the thing God wants to redeem?

This week, Neil and Scott walk through the story of Ruth, a story filled with grief, loyalty, risk, and the surprising ways God works through ordinary obedience.

Scott unpacks how Ruth's story confronts the lies culture sells us, reframes what submission truly means, and invites us to trust God with our whole lives, even the painful parts.

The challenge:

Ask yourself honestly: Do I really believe Jesus is who He says He is? Because if so, it changes everything, how we love, how we sacrifice, and how we lay down our lives every day.

Hosts: Neil Gregory & Scott Nickell

What We Discuss:

• Why Ruth was chosen to close the Women series
• The surprising meaning behind the names in Ruth
• Why Naomi's bitterness resonates with so many of us
• The risky nature of Ruth's visit to the threshing floor
• Boaz as a picture of Jesus, the Kinsman Redeemer
• What "submission" actually means (and what it doesn't)
• How bitterness becomes an identity if left unchecked
• The reality of emotional vs. visual pornography
• Why repentance doesn't erase consequences
• The simple but costly call to die daily

⸻

About Southland Christian Church

Southland is one church meeting in multiple locations across central Kentucky. We believe Jesus came for the lost and the broken, which means there's a place for everyone here. We want what He wants: for heaven to be really crowded. Around here, that means we worship defiantly, speak truth unashamedly, and extend grace generously.

To support this ministry and help us continue to reach across Central Kentucky and all around the world, visit: https://southland.church/give