In this episode of NextUp, Grant sits down with world-renowned psychologist and author Dr. Henry Cloud to dismantle the confusion surrounding modern Christian dating. For a generation that grew up in the shadow of the "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" movement, many young leaders find themselves stuck in a cycle of waiting on God, ditching faith in Him in the process.

Dr. Cloud shares why he moved from being a psychologist to a dating coach for a season, uncovering the specific reasons why healthy, mission-minded singles aren't finding each other. They discuss the Dating for Growth framework—the idea that dating isn't just a search for "the one," but a laboratory where God uncovers the internal barriers and anxieties that might be holding you back from your full calling.

If you're a young leader navigating the tension between your personal life and your mission, this conversation offers a much-needed roadmap to move from passive waiting to intentional action.

In this conversation, Grant and Dr. Cloud discuss:

✅ The Waiting Trap: Why sitting at home waiting for God to bring someone to your door might be keeping you from the very growth you need.

✅ The 5-People-a-Week Challenge: The radical advice Dr. Cloud gave to a woman who hadn't dated in years, and the internal healing that followed.

✅ Dating as a Growth Path: How to use the dating process to look under the hood of your own character and spiritual maturity.

✅ The Exclusivity Problem: Why we often rush into serious labels too quickly and how to protect your heart while staying open.

✅ The Six-Month Guarantee: How a shift in perspective can lead to a healthy relationship faster than you think.

Check out Dr. Cloud's book: How to Get a Date Worth Keeping

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/

Are we just talking about the next generation, or are we actually giving them the keys? In this episode, Grant sits down with his longtime friend and the founder of Pulse, Nick Hall, for a high-stakes conversation about what it looks like to be a missionary maker in today's culture.

Nick is known for his unique ability to spot young leaders in their teens and put them on the world's biggest stages—from Viking Stadium to local mission fields. Together, they pull back the curtain on why the fire and passion of Gen Z is exactly what the global Church needs right now and why we have to stop policing where young people can go and start accelerating where God is calling them.

If you're a young leader wondering if you're ready or an older leader looking to multiply your impact, this conversation is your roadmap for moving from personal platform to kingdom legacy.

In this conversation, they dive into:

✅ The Kingmaker vs. Missionary Maker: Why Nick chooses to platform teenagers for major initiatives and how that shifts the trajectory of their leadership.

✅ Leading from Scars, Not Wounds: The vital importance of emotional health and why the most effective leaders lead from a place of healed-over scars rather than open, unaddressed wounds.

✅ The Normal Evangelist: Breaking the awkwardness of sharing your faith and why Nick believes the Bible doesn't actually support a private faith.

✅ Invitation Over Condemnation: Understanding that God's voice is always an invitation to change, never a tool for shame.

✅ Gen Z Fire: Why this generation's hunger for the Gospel is different and how to steward that passion without burning out.

Check out Nick's Website: https://www.nickhall.com/

Nick's Instagram: ​​https://www.instagram.com/nickhallpulse/

Nick's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NickHallpulse/

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/

Are you building a platform, or are you being formed by the Presence? In this episode of NextUp, Grant sits down with Pastor Derwin Gray for a raw, high-stakes conversation about the Platform Gospel and the subtle idolatry that often creeps into next gen leadership.

Derwin—who walked away from the fame of the NFL to follow Jesus—shares how many young leaders today are inadvertently using Jesus to heal their own internal traumas or bolster their self worth. If you've ever felt the pressure to perform, the pull of the spotlight, or the spiritual insanity of using ministry to fix a broken identity, this conversation is for you.

Grant and Derwin dive into:

✅ The Trap of Celebrity Christianity: Why a platform can't heal the parts of you that only the Father's love can.

✅ Identifying the Drift: How to tell when your ministry has shifted from an overflow of intimacy to a machine of self promotion.

✅ Practical Stewardship: What it looks like to honor God with the roses of success without letting the praise go to your head.

✅ The "Why" Behind the Work: Moving from being seen by people to being known by God.

The stakes are too high for us to get this wrong. We don't need more celebrities; we need more disciples who find Jesus beautiful enough even if no one ever knows their name.

Check out Derwin's Website: https://www.derwinlgray.com/
Transformation Church: https://transformationchurch.tc/

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/