Are you trusting God to see to the nitty-gritty details of your life, or are you letting fear keep you from stepping into what He's calling you to do?

This week on Off Script, guest teacher Ben Foot joins Neil to wrap up our series on Abraham and dive into the challenging story of Genesis 22. From computer crashes and wedding mishaps to the literal Hebrew translation of "The Lord will provide," Ben and Neil unpack what it really means to cultivate an unwavering trust in God. They discuss why we so easily freak out over life's "ant hills" despite God's past faithfulness, practical ways to study Scripture by slowing down, and why true faithfulness always costs something—including Ben's personal journey of bringing hidden struggles like depression into the light to find freedom.

The Challenge This week, identify one area where you know God is calling you to act, confess, or surrender, but fear or pride has held you back. Stop carrying the weight alone - rip the band-aid off, share it with a trusted friend or church community member, and take that terrifying yet freeing step of obedience.

Hosts: Neil Gregory and Ben Foot

What We Discuss

• Ben's chaotic week: A crashed computer, lost sermon notes, and his 17-year history with Scott Nickell

• Unpacking the Hebrew behind Genesis 22: Why "The Lord will provide" literally means "The Lord sees to it"

• Grappling with the sacrifice of Isaac and understanding Abraham's radical faith in resurrection

• The Jamaica ant hill story: Why we panic over small obstacles even after seeing God move mountains in our past

• A practical framework for reading Scripture: Small Picture, Big Picture, and Ultimate Picture

• Why reading the Bible slowly and intentionally yields deeper transformation than rushing through chapters

• The difference between simple belief and active faithfulness, which always requires sacrifice and dying to self

• Ben's personal story of struggling with depression and the freedom found in bringing hidden battles into the light

• Ripping off the band-aid: Taking steps of obedience without trying to walk through them alone

⸻ 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.

Weekend Scripture: Genesis 22

Do you have unwavering trust in God's character and promises?

Ben Foote joins us to wrap up our series on Faith. In Genesis 22, we see God test Abraham's faith by stretching it to its absolute limits. Yet, Abraham demonstrates faith, an unwavering trust that God would remain faithful to His character and to His promises. May we make the sacrifices our God is commanding us to make, and trust His promise that life waits for us on the other side.

What does true, long-term obedience look like over decades of ministry, and how do you stay open when God asks you to pivot?

This week on Off Script, Neil sits down with long-time Southland team member Mike "Vandee" Vandemark to reflect on 70 years of Southland's ministry. Vandee shares his 28-year personal journey from playing drums at college ministry to overseeing multiple departments across the church, offering a front-row seat to how Southland has evolved while staying anchored to its core mission. Together, they discuss the danger of taking spiritual shortcuts, the power of trusting leaders who see potential in you, and how an attitude of availability can transform a simple life decision into a lasting legacy.

The ChallengeThis week, reflect on your own level of availability to God and the trusted leaders in your life. Is there an open door or a new responsibility you've been resisting because it stretches you outside of your comfort zone? Choose to step out in faith, trust where God is leading, and say "yes" to being used wherever you are needed.

Hosts: Neil Gregory and Mike "Vandee" Vandemark

What We Discuss

• Vandee's origin story at Southland: playing drums for the "Encounter" college service to leading music, production, and facilities
• Reflecting on Southland's 70-year history and the constant flexibility of methods while keeping the Gospel mission unchanged
• Conversations with former senior minister Wayne Smith about reaching central Kentucky
• Why avoiding shortcuts in ministry means choosing long-term obedience and flexibility over "the way we've always done it"
• How Gary Black's perspective on video tools shaped Neil's heart for ministry 15 years ago
• A life-changing conversation with Vandy's dad about stepping into leadership and trusting trusted mentors
• Overcoming the fear of stepping outside your comfort zone to step into unexpected "God moments"
• Reencountering a man in Richmond whose life was impacted by a simple parking lot prayer two decades ago

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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

Weekend Scripture: Genesis 16

Where do you turn when you feel like God is not operating on your timetable?

This week, Scott dives into Genesis 16 to look at what happens when we try to outrun God's timetable. Weary of waiting a decade for the heir God promised, Abram and Sarai chose a shortcut, introducing bitterness and chaos that rippled across generations. Taking shortcuts around God's clear plan always brings pain, but true faith requires trusting His timeline and remaining obedient in the waiting room. The waiting may be difficult, but God has not abandoned us.

Are you tired of trying to control every detail of your own life, or are you ready to hand over the pen and let God write your story?

This week on Off Script, Neil and Scott Hatfield dive deep into the messy reality of faith, what it means to drop our self-made plans, and how we can learn to trust in God's relentless covenant. The guys discuss the grueling seasons of questioning God through life's deep valleys, why frustration expressed in prayer is still an act of faith, and how to cultivate eyes to see the quiet "God moments" hidden in our daily routines and surrounding community.

The Challenge

This week, create intentional space to look back and audit your life for "God moments." Take a long drive, open a journal, or sit down with a friend and write out 2–3 specific times where God showed His faithfulness to you in the past, choosing to actively remember His track record instead of getting paralyzed by the what-ifs of your current season.

Hosts: Neil Gregory and Scott Hatfield

What We Discuss

• Unpacking the true depth of a biblical "covenant" as a waiverless, relentless, dogged faithfulness

• Navigating the exhausting emotional, physical, and relational toll of infertility, and playing "mind games" with God during the waiting

• Why Abraham's raw frustration with God is still an expression of faith, and why gut-wrenching prayers are still prayers

• The power of Christian community and why stepping "off the island" of isolation into group life is vital for gritty discipleship

• A sneak peek into the upcoming launch of Fight Club Online, shifting the men's ministry curriculum into a high-impact, 10-week format

• Details for the upcoming Fight Club group leader interest meeting on August 10th at the Nicholasville campus

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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

Weekend Scripture: Genesis 15

Faith is not polished and pristine. Faith is messy, gritty, and raw.

Scott Hatfield walks us through Genesis 15 as we continue our series on Faith. Coming out of warfare, Abraham gets radically honest with God about his deep disappointments, grief, and unmet expectations. Instead of shaming him, God meets Abraham with grace, steps in as his personal shield, and provides an undeniable reminder of His covenant promise. Hard, gut-wrenching prayers are still prayers, and our frustrations do not disqualify our faith. You were never meant to take the pen and write your own story. God, the Author, is personal, and He is inviting you to a life of faith. Let Him write your story.

When everything in life becomes chaotic and disorienting, where do you place your daily trust? Are you anchoring your faith in your own gifts and credentials, or are you ready to completely rely on the faithfulness of Jesus?

This week on Off Script, Neil is back from Ireland to dive into the life of Abraham and explore what it truly means to walk by faith. Neil and Matt break down how easily good things can become destructive when we turn them into ultimate things , and they look at the profound challenges of maintaining a persistent faith when traveling through the valley of tragedy. This conversation serves as a powerful reminder that the true strength of our faith is determined by its object, Jesus, rather than its size.

The Challenge this week, look closely at where you are placing your daily confidence. When you face an unexpected circumstance or tragedy, actively resist the natural urge to look inward or fixate on the "why". Instead, look for Jesus in both your circumstances and in Scripture, and focus on what you can learn about His character in the midst of the struggle.

Hosts: Neil Gregory and Matt Williams

What We Discuss

• Unpacking Abraham's relationship with Lot and the spiritual implications that text has further down the road in Genesis

• The hidden spiritual testing that comes with abundance and how it can easily breed apathy or lethargy in our faith

• Matt's reflection on writing this specific sermon twice to look at faith through two completely distinct angles

• Moving from a mountaintop baptism celebration directly into a heavy season of officiating a celebration of life service

• Distinguishing between Paul's instruction to be thankful in all circumstances versus being thankful for all circumstances

• The danger of letting good things become ultimate things, transforming them into destructive things in our lives

• Why the object of our faith is vastly more important than the actual size of our faith

• A powerful generational legacy of faith summed up by a grandmother's simple advice to always "look for Jesus"

• Embracing the compound interest of faith by intentionally looking back to recognize God's past history of faithfulness

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

Weekend Scripture: Genesis 13

Sometimes we have to trust when our eyes can't see.

Matt walks us through Genesis 13 as we continue our series on Faith. When faith essentially comes down to whether or not we believe God is telling the truth, do we trust His intentions towards us? Walking by faith means that we trust in God's mercy, we trust in God's grace, we trust in God's provision, and we trust in God's promises. We may not be able to see the outcome ahead, but we can look for Jesus and trust Him. So walk by faith. All it takes is one step.

This week on Off Script, with Neil Gregory still overseas enjoying himself in Ireland, Connor Hall is back for another week of hosting and sits down with Lydia Florence to unpack the deeper elements of her sermon.

Lydia takes us behind the scenes of preaching under some unexpected conditions at the Nicholasville campus, where the air conditioning went out, leaving everyone to brave the blazing stage lights and heat together. Connor and Lydia dive deep into Genesis 12 and the roadmap of Abram's journey. They examine the immediate trial Abram faced upon entering the Promised Land - a famine - and challenge the modern "prosperity gospel" narrative. This conversation explores why suffering is a guaranteed reality of the Christian walk, how fear can cause us to make destructive trades in our marriages and careers, and what it practically looks like to rest in God's unchanging promises.

The ChallengeThis week, take a break from chasing "mountaintop" feelings and ground yourself in the reality of God's Word. Pick exactly one specific promise of God from Scripture to meditate on and memorize. When you encounter a crossroad of fear and faith, or find yourself in a pit of adversity, use that promise as your anchor instead of turning inward or trying to take control.

Hosts: Connor Hall and Lydia Florence

What We Discuss

• Surviving the heat: Preaching on stage under blazing lights when the air conditioning failed at the Nicholasville campus
• Tracing Abram's roadmap in Genesis 12 and why a famine immediately following a promise can feel so unexpected
• Deconstructing the "prosperity gospel" lie that connects a lack of health or wealth to small faith
• Recognizing that while Jesus lived entirely without sin, God has never had a child who lived without suffering
• Why floating through life completely happy and free, without ever realizing your need for God, is far worse than suffering
• A reminder from Tim Keller on how we move from abstract knowledge to personal understanding through the furnace of affliction
• Navigating the downward slope after a "mountaintop" experience like a conference or baptism
• Facing the crossroads of fear and faith by picking just one scriptural promise to constantly meditate on

⸻ 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

Weekend Scripture: Genesis 12

Where do you turn when life throws a wrench in your plans?

This week, Lydia dives into Genesis 12:10-20 as we continued our series: Faith. When a severe famine tested his faith, Abram chose a path of fear and detoured to Egypt, falling into a pit of failure by lying to save himself. Yet, the story reminds us that our rescue never depends on our own perfection, but entirely on God's unwavering faithfulness. When you face a crossroads, choose to follow Him in obedience and leave the outcomes in His hands.