In this conversation, Matt Van Noesel offers a raw and thoughtful exploration of spiritual maturity marked by hiddenness, honesty, and surrender. He speaks candidly about the cost of following Jesus when recognition fades and identity must be rebuilt apart from performance. The dialogue centers around themes of spiritual sensitivity, pastoral wounds, and the slow, faithful work of rebuilding trust with God and people. Van Noesel reflects on the tension between gifting and formation, how true authority often comes through seasons of breaking, not platforms. There is a strong invitation here to embrace obscurity as holy and to believe that presence with others is more powerful than polish.

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Matt Van Noesel is a seasoned pastor and respected voice in the areas of spiritual formation, leadership, and pastoral care. With over a decade of experience in local church ministry, Matt is known for his depth of wisdom, emotional intelligence, and ability to guide others through seasons of hiddenness, grief, and transformation. His teaching emphasizes intimacy with God, integrity in leadership, and the beauty of a surrendered life.

Matt frequently works with churches and ministry teams seeking to cultivate emotionally healthy discipleship and sustainable leadership rhythms. His approach blends theological depth with a grounded, accessible style, rooted in his own journey through loss, recovery, and spiritual renewal. Whether speaking from the stage or mentoring behind the scenes, Matt is passionate about helping leaders rediscover their identity apart from performance and learn to walk closely with Jesus in every season.

This conversation with Matt is all about obedience, how to keep following Jesus when it’s costly, misunderstood, and deeply inconvenient. Matt opens up about his story of saying “yes” to God when it meant leaving behind comfort, clarity, and even the approval of people who love him. We talk about the call to ministry as something both sacred and disorienting, especially when it doesn’t come with a 5-year plan or a salary. There’s a strong theme here of learning to trust God more than your own sense of timing. Matt also gets real about identity, how easy it is to confuse platform with purpose, and how Jesus is constantly inviting us back to quiet, rooted faithfulness. We discuss church hurt, risk, and why spiritual formation is less about hype and more about hidden obedience.

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Matt Reagan is a pastor and leader at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where he serves on the Lead Team and Vision Team. He’s known for his passion for helping people fall in love with Jesus, not just follow rules. Matt speaks often about spiritual formation, prayer, and the joy of truly knowing God. He helps shape the church’s direction, both locally and globally, and brings energy and clarity to everything he does. Whether he’s teaching, leading trips to Israel, or mentoring younger leaders, Matt’s heart is always to point people back to Jesus.

In this episode, we sit down with Nate to talk about how personal loss reshapes your theology, especially when it comes to grief, suffering, and the presence of God. Nate shares about losing his father and how that experience tore apart some of the neat theological boxes he used to live in, especially the ones that promised protection instead of presence. We talk about how easy it is to develop a version of Christianity that subtly demands control or reward, and how true faith means letting go of both. Nate walks through how his perspective on Scripture changed, how lament became central, and how he now views spiritual formation as something deeper than behavior modification. We tackle the dangers of Christian nationalism, the subtle idolatries of American faith, and why deconstruction, done in a healthy way, is often just honesty with God. There’s a strong emphasis here on building a faith that can survive real life, not just church life. And by the end, what you get is a picture of someone who’s still trusting Jesus, but with fewer assumptions and more intimacy.

Nathan Finochio is the founder of TheosU and Theos Seminary, platforms delivering accessible, high-quality theological education for today’s church. A former teaching pastor, Nate is also the author of Hearing God and Killer Church, and speaks internationally on faith, culture, and spiritual formation. Known for blending deep biblical insight with humor and modern relevance, he’s passionate about equipping believers to think theologically and live faithfully. Nathan lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife, Jasmine, and their son, Leo.

This whole conversation is basically two theology nerds with lightsabers, vibing hard on hearing God’s voice, spiritual gifts, weird Old Testament stuff, and that one time a Catholic exorcist made demons shut up just by holding communion in his pocket. We just sat down to talk like we do anyway, except this time there were cameras, microphones, and, you know, Portillo’s waiting afterward. We tackle everything from “can you actually hear God?” (spoiler: yes, but also like, shut up and listen) to “why isn’t Jesus still in hell if he took the punishment for sin?” which is literally the most WILD but also brilliant question. We make fun of demon deliverance videos on YouTube, get real about spiritual trauma from bad theology, and nerd out about the minor prophets especially Zechariah, which is basically biblical horror-core. If you want real talk on mystery, mercy, and God’s ability to feel stuff without being moody, this is it.

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Elijah Lamb is a respected speaker, digital communicator, and thought leader in contemporary Christian theology. Known for his ability to translate complex theological concepts into accessible, relatable language, Elijah has built a strong following among younger audiences seeking authenticity and clarity in their spiritual journey. He frequently addresses topics such as hearing the voice of God, biblical literacy, spiritual formation, and the integration of charismatic and traditional Christian practices.

Elijah collaborates with churches, ministries, and organizations nationwide, engaging audiences through live events, social media, and long-form video conversations. He brings a balance of reverence for Scripture and openness to the Holy Spirit, often drawing from both historical and modern theological streams. His approach is marked by humility, curiosity, and a genuine desire to build unity across denominational lines.

Elijah currently resides in the United States and continues to create content aimed at deepening the faith and understanding of his rapidly growing audience.

Hey you champions, so glad you’re here with us today. We’re back with David Campbell. We talked about how God doesn’t waste the wilderness, how pain can actually prepare you for purpose, and how David keeps turning back to God, even when everything falls apart. This reminds us that the presence of God is better than the position. It’s not about success, it’s about staying close to Him. We also hit on worship, repentance, and what it looks like to lead with humility, not hype. 

David H Campbell was born near Toronto and educated at the University of Toronto, Trinity Evangelical School (Chicago) and the University of Durham (England). He has planted churches in the UK and Canada.

David and his wife Elaine stepped down from pastoral ministry in 2017 to devote themselves to a wider ministry to leaders, Bible Colleges and churches around the world. He teaches regularly on the online teaching platform theosUniversity, along with its degree-granting arm theosSeminary.

He is co-author (with G.K. Beale) of ‘Revelation: A Shorter Commentary’ (2014), and sole author of a number of books published since.

David and Elaine were married in 1983 and have eight children and seven grandchildren. They are based in Stratford, Ontario.

Hey everybody, so glad you're here. In this session, I got to sit down with Layla. Layla is someone who has walked through real, deep pain, but she carries so much joy and wisdom because she’s stayed close to Jesus through all of it. We talked about growing up in the church, about feeling like you had to keep everything together, and what it’s like to meet Jesus not just as Savior but as friend. Layla shared about seasons of wrestling, of asking hard questions, and of learning to be honest with God instead of trying to impress Him. She talked about community, about letting people in, and how healing literally happens when you stop pretending and start being real.

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Layla Nahavandi is a globally recognized, next-generation Pentecostal preacher, Bible teacher, and PhD candidate in theology. She serves as Teaching Pastor at Lifepoint Church in Adelaide, Australia, and is the Founder and Director of The Burning Hearts Movement, a global missions initiative reaching Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Half-Persian and half-Irish by heritage, Layla was born in England, grew up in New Zealand, spent decades in Australia, and is now based in Germany. Known for her vibrant, joy-filled preaching and prophetic ministry, she frequently speaks at churches, conferences, universities, and large Christian gatherings worldwide . With a passion for revival and encountering the Holy Spirit, she emphasizes theological integrity alongside experiential worship. Beyond preaching, Layla engages audiences through social platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and X, and hosts a Bible-in-a-Year reading plan. Her multicultural background, academic depth, and dynamic delivery make her a compelling voice in global Christian leadership.

Today we sit down with Matt Reagan, and man, this conversation is just full of joy, truth, and deep encouragement. We talked about what it really looks like to live with Jesus at the center — not just as an idea, but as a person you actually enjoy. Matt shared about letting the Holy Spirit transform your desires, so it’s not about behavior management but about delight. He talked about being a dad, about raising kids who know Jesus is better, and about the joy that comes when you're not just checking spiritual boxes. We also got into some honest stuff, like how easy it is to drift, and why we need to be reminded daily that God is good and near.

Matt’s passion for prayer, worship, and intimacy with God is so contagious. This wasn’t just a conversation about theology, it was an invitation to taste and see.

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Matt Reagan is a pastor and leader at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where he serves on the Lead Team and Vision Team. He’s known for his passion for helping people fall in love with Jesus, not just follow rules. Matt speaks often about spiritual formation, prayer, and the joy of truly knowing God. He helps shape the church’s direction, both locally and globally, and brings energy and clarity to everything he does. Whether he’s teaching, leading trips to Israel, or mentoring younger leaders, Matt’s heart is always to point people back to Jesus.

In this episode, we sit down with our friend Craig Brown to tackle your toughest theology questions—raw, honest, and with a little humor. We talk fear of God vs. “don’t be afraid,” whether Catholics are Christians, why the Bible isn’t in chronological order, and how judgment actually works biblically.

Plus: should Christians make fun of each other? Should we be calling out false teachers online?

Let's go you champions!

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Craig Brown is a pastor, communicator, and digital missionary dedicated to helping people develop a reasonable and transformative response to the reality of God. As the founder and president of Logikos Ministries, Craig leads a global initiative that combines in-person preaching, theological training, and strategic digital outreach. His content reaches millions across platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and podcast networks. With a passion for clarity, biblical truth, and cultural relevance, Craig equips individuals and churches to engage deeply with their faith. He lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with his wife Jessica and their two children.

In this Theology AMA, we got to sit down with Dr. David Campbell—pastor, theologian, mentor, and one of our absolute favorite people to learn from. You sent in some incredible questions, and we did our best to dive deep with honesty, clarity, and a whole lot of Bible. We talked about what it really means that “God is love” (and why that doesn’t mean love is whatever we want it to be), how to think biblically about spiritual gifts like tongues, and how to wrestle well with fear, control, and superstition in our walk with Jesus. We also touched on big, beautiful things—like whether a nonverbal autistic child can be saved (yes), how to read Revelation without losing your mind, and why the rapture might not mean what you think it does.

~ David H Campbell was born near Toronto and educated at the University of Toronto, Trinity Evangelical School (Chicago) and the University of Durham (England). He has planted churches in the UK and Canada.

David and his wife Elaine stepped down from pastoral ministry in 2017 to devote themselves to a wider ministry to leaders, Bible Colleges and churches around the world. He teaches regularly on the online teaching platform theosUniversity, along with its degree-granting arm theosSeminary.

He is co-author (with G.K. Beale) of ‘Revelation: A Shorter Commentary’ (2014), and sole author of a number of books published since.

David and Elaine were married in 1983 and have eight children and seven grandchildren. They are based in Stratford, Ontario.