Next Up with Grant Skeldon

There is a quiet shift happening right now. The next generation isn't looking to just check religious boxes or live out a lifeless, mechanical faith; they're hungry for real authenticity, a true fear of God, and a genuine return to biblical holiness. But with this openness to the Holy Spirit comes an undeniable reality: young leaders are up against a very intense, modern spiritual battle.

In this conversation, Grant sits down with Jennifer Barnett, author and ministry leader at Freedom Prayer, to talk about what it actually looks like to navigate spiritual warfare, anxiety, and identity distortion in today's culture. They break down why tightening personal boundaries isn't about rigid legalism, but about protecting our hard-won intimacy with God. From protecting the imagination to tracing negative scripts back to their original entry points, this discussion offers a refreshing, holistic look at finding real freedom and walking firmly in the light.
They get into:
The Shift in Gen Z: Why younger leaders are moving past a "conveyor belt" church experience and stepping into an authentic hunger for holiness and the unseen realm.

Holiness vs. Legalism: Legalism tries to publicly earn standing; true holiness sets strict boundaries behind the scenes simply to protect a close relationship with Jesus.

Rooting Out False Identities: How to help young people put their negative scripts into the light, uncover where those lies started, and let God speak the true script over their lives.

Mental Health & Spiritual Roots: Navigating the complex intersection of clinical mental health struggles and the spiritual warfare happening simultaneously beneath the surface.

Get a free print copy of Jennifer Barnett's book Next Generation Prayer: Helping Youth Overcome Their Struggles — just pay shipping!

Just click on https://oakspress.com/nextup/ to check out. If you want to buy in bulk (as few as two copies can be "bulk") to give this book away, click on https://oakspress.com/nextgenbulk to check out.

MORE RESOURCES:

➡︎ Watch Grant's THINQ talks here: https://thinqmedia.com/speakers/grant-skeldon

➡︎ Create a free THINQ Account and download the THINQ Media app on your smart TV to access more trusted content like this on topics from all channels of culture at: https://thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Take our assessment to see how you apply the THINQ Framework to your everyday life: https://thinqmedia.com/assessment/
➡︎ Attend THINQ events where you can gather with like-minded leaders, ask better questions and have conversations that lead to wisdom: https://events.thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Lead a THINQ-guided conversation with your family or small group: https://thinqmedia.com/engage/


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➡︎ Join us at THINQ Summit 2026 in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee: https://events.thinqmedia.com/summit26


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More from the THINQ Podcast Network:
➡︎ Rhythms for Life with Rebekah and Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@rebekah_lyons/
➡︎ The InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/@InFormedParent/
➡︎ UnderCurrent with Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@gabe_lyons/
➡︎ NeuroFaith with Curt Thompson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neurofaith-with-curt-thompson-md/id1613240148/

Grant sits down with authors, teachers, and great friends Chichi and Tracy Onyekanne to tackle a topic that many next gen leaders and pastors completely avoid: end-times prophecy and eschatology. For a generation that has seen end-times teaching either overhyped with timeline dates or totally ignored out of fear, Chichi and Tracy want to offer a refreshing, biblical approach.

They break down the biblical framework of Numbers 19, the mystery of the red heifer, and what it actually means to observe prophetic developments without losing our cultural sanity. If you're a young leader trying to figure out how to navigate the noise of the world and lead your people with urgency, discernment, and scriptural clarity, this conversation is a must-watch.

In this conversation, they explore:

✅ The Prophetic Domino: Why they believe the red heifer is a critical historical marker for the third temple and how it helps us understand the timeline of Scripture.

✅ Jesus as the Final Sacrifice: Unpacking the distinction between modern Jewish rituals and standing firm on the complete, finished work of Christ on the cross.

✅ Ditching the Fear of Revelation: How next gen leaders can move past the intimidation of end-times theology towards the urgency of personal repentance and mission.
✅ A Basic Roadmap for Big Topics: Why leadership requires us to stop ignoring the confusing parts of the Bible and instead start asking honest, foundational questions.

Buy, Holy Cow: End Times Prophecy Just Got Real Here: https://a.co/d/0ckwyNen/

Subscribe to Faith & Friction: https://www.youtube.com/@FaithandFriction

Check out Chichi's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/chichionyekanne/

And his website: https://www.worshipwithchichi.com/

Check out Tracy's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tracyonyekanne/

MORE RESOURCES:

➡︎ Watch Grant's THINQ talks here: https://thinqmedia.com/speakers/grant-skeldon

➡︎ Create a free THINQ Account and download the THINQ Media app on your smart TV to access more trusted content like this on topics from all channels of culture at: https://thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Take our assessment to see how you apply the THINQ Framework to your everyday life: https://thinqmedia.com/assessment/
➡︎ Attend THINQ events where you can gather with like-minded leaders, ask better questions and have conversations that lead to wisdom: https://events.thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Lead a THINQ-guided conversation with your family or small group: https://thinqmedia.com/engage/


=================================================================================

➡︎ Join us at THINQ Summit 2026 in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee: https://events.thinqmedia.com/summit26


=================================================================================

More from the THINQ Podcast Network:
➡︎ Rhythms for Life with Rebekah and Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@rebekah_lyons/
➡︎ The InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/@InFormedParent/
➡︎ UnderCurrent with Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@gabe_lyons/
➡︎ NeuroFaith with Curt Thompson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neurofaith-with-curt-thompson-md/id1613240148/

In this episode of Next Up, Grant sits down with pastor Jonny Ardavanis to break down a massive shift happening in ministry: the next generation isn't looking for entertainment they are hungry for truth. Jonny shares his personal journey from wanting to avoid ministry entirely to embracing a rigorous, 10-chapter-a-day Scripture reading plan that radically transformed his life, his walk, and his preaching.

If you are trying to reach, lead, or disciple young adults today, this is a necessary reality check on why topical, seeker-sensitive methods are losing their grip on Gen Z, and why letting the text speak for itself is where the real power lies.
They Discuss:
The Hunger for Depth: Why young adults are moving away from surface-level topical talks and craving real biblical substance.
Scripture Interprets Scripture: How to move past hobby-horse preaching to understand the Bible as one cohesive story pointing directly to Jesus.
Ditching the Performance: Dropping the pressure to compete with the world for "cool" and stepping into true, conviction-led biblical authority.
The Intelligence Gap: Why modern ministry needs to stop underestimating the intelligence of the next generation.
Subscribe to Dial In Ministries: https://www.youtube.com/@dialinministries/

Buy Jonny's new book, Get To Work, here: https://a.co/d/0biyb0jW/


MORE RESOURCES:

➡︎ Watch Grant's THINQ talks here: https://thinqmedia.com/speakers/grant-skeldon

➡︎ Create a free THINQ Account and download the THINQ Media app on your smart TV to access more trusted content like this on topics from all channels of culture at: https://thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Take our assessment to see how you apply the THINQ Framework to your everyday life: https://thinqmedia.com/assessment/
➡︎ Attend THINQ events where you can gather with like-minded leaders, ask better questions and have conversations that lead to wisdom: https://events.thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Lead a THINQ-guided conversation with your family or small group: https://thinqmedia.com/engage/


=================================================================================

➡︎ Join us at THINQ Summit 2026 in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee: https://events.thinqmedia.com/summit26


=================================================================================

More from the THINQ Podcast Network:
➡︎ Rhythms for Life with Rebekah and Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@rebekah_lyons/
➡︎ The InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/@InFormedParent/
➡︎ UnderCurrent with Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@gabe_lyons/
➡︎ NeuroFaith with Curt Thompson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neurofaith-with-curt-thompson-md/id1613240148/

Why are so many young leaders burning out, exhausted, and frankly, a little miserable? In this episode, Grant sits down with pastor, mentor, and author Ray Ortlund to uncover why next-gen Christians so easily fall into the trap of a grim, transactional "pay-as-you-go" faith.

Ray breaks down why living with gusto and having a saintly blast isn't a compromise on holiness, but biblical wisdom from Ecclesiastes designed for longevity and resilience. If you've been slogging through ministry under the heavy weight of performance, this conversation is the perspective shift you need to find true rest in the finished work of Christ.

In this episode, they talk about:
Breaking free from the grim moralistic trap that makes some Christians miserable.
Why Jesus' call to "Come to me and rest" is a radical, punk-rock declaration.
Handling over-scheduling and learning when to say no to protect your family and health.
What it means to budget for sin when you are physically and spiritually depleted.
Ray's personal life goals for maintaining deep, 50-year friendships.
Letting go of your own self-importance and letting God make your life count.
👉 Get Ray's Book, Eat Drink and Be Merry: https://www.crossway.org/books/eat-drink-and-be-merry-tpb/
👉 Check out Renewal Ministries: https://renewalministries.com/

👉 Follow Ray on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayortlund/

MORE RESOURCES:

➡︎ Watch Grant's THINQ talks here: https://thinqmedia.com/speakers/grant-skeldon

➡︎ Create a free THINQ Account and download the THINQ Media app on your smart TV to access more trusted content like this on topics from all channels of culture at: https://thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Take our assessment to see how you apply the THINQ Framework to your everyday life: https://thinqmedia.com/assessment/
➡︎ Attend THINQ events where you can gather with like-minded leaders, ask better questions and have conversations that lead to wisdom: https://events.thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Lead a THINQ-guided conversation with your family or small group: https://thinqmedia.com/engage/


=================================================================================

➡︎ Join us at THINQ Summit 2026 in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee: https://events.thinqmedia.com/summit26


=================================================================================

More from the THINQ Podcast Network:
➡︎ Rhythms for Life with Rebekah and Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@rebekah_lyons/
➡︎ The InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/@InFormedParent/
➡︎ UnderCurrent with Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@gabe_lyons/
➡︎ NeuroFaith with Curt Thompson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neurofaith-with-curt-thompson-md/id1613240148/

In this episode, Grant sits down with pastor and author Matt Chandler to unpack a massive shift happening in youth culture and what it really looks like to lead with prophetic clarity today.

Fresh off an incredible move of God at his church, Matt shares why Gen Z and Gen Alpha are craving raw confession and holy transcendence over more comfortable, "cool" churches. They dive into the reality of modern paganism rising in the suburbs, how to navigate the noise of online critics without losing your pastoral edge, and why true spiritual formation looks more like a slow-growing tree than a quick light switch.

If you're a young leader trying to figure out how to serve the church faithfully without burning out or compromising, this conversation is a must-watch.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✅ Expectation vs. Agenda: Why 5,000 hours of unbroken prayer set the stage for an authentic move of God led by the youngest generations.

✅ The Death of Secularism: How the failure of secular worldviews is driving people toward spiritual power—and why old-school paganism is growing right next door.

✅ Guarding Your Prophetic Edge: Why Matt refuses to let online labels like "woke" or "Christian nationalist" steal his focus from local pastoral ministry.

✅ The Tree and the Light Switch: A refreshing take on sanctification, the pitfalls of modern church metrics, and why we need to return to the wisdom of the church fathers.

👉 Get Matt's Book, Awake and Alive: https://a.co/d/0j3RPSwU/

👉 Matt's Website: https://www.pastormattchandler.com/

👉 Matt's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattchandler74/

👉 Subscribe to Matt on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PastorMattChandler/


MORE RESOURCES:

➡︎ Watch Grant's THINQ talks here: https://thinqmedia.com/speakers/grant-skeldon

➡︎ Create a free THINQ Account and download the THINQ Media app on your smart TV to access more trusted content like this on topics from all channels of culture at: https://thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Take our assessment to see how you apply the THINQ Framework to your everyday life: https://thinqmedia.com/assessment/
➡︎ Attend THINQ events where you can gather with like-minded leaders, ask better questions and have conversations that lead to wisdom: https://events.thinqmedia.com/
➡︎ Lead a THINQ-guided conversation with your family or small group: https://thinqmedia.com/engage/


=================================================================================

➡︎ Join us at THINQ Summit 2026 in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee: https://events.thinqmedia.com/summit26


=================================================================================

More from the THINQ Podcast Network:
➡︎ Rhythms for Life with Rebekah and Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@rebekah_lyons/
➡︎ The InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/@InFormedParent/
➡︎ UnderCurrent with Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@gabe_lyons/
➡︎ NeuroFaith with Curt Thompson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neurofaith-with-curt-thompson-md/id1613240148/