The Nexus Podcast

Brad Watson
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  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly podcast from Nexus Church in downtown Kitchener, Ontario.

  1. FEB 18

    The Conflicted Self (S16 Episode23)

    Have you ever had a day, or week, where you sincerely wanted the good, and then things still unfolded opposite of all your good intentions? The invitation this Sunday is to take that strange, universal experience seriously, not as a quirky personality glitch, but as a window into what it means to be human. We’re exploring The Conflicted Self this Sunday. We’ll hear one of the most uncomfortably honest passages in the Bible where Paul admits, in essence, “I know what’s right . . . and then I don’t do it.” And we’ll talk about why “just try harder” so often backfires and why internal laws have a funny way of creating rebellions within us. If you’ve ever felt frustrated with yourself, or oddly harsh toward other people, this is a sermon that aims to make room for honesty and compassion. Not to excuse our mess, but to understand it, and to discover why grace meets us right in the middle of our dividedness, instead of waiting for us to get ourselves together first.

    26 min

  2. FEB 13

    Judge not (S16 Episode22)

    For today's sermon, we’re going to have fun with metaphors - we’ll return to the garden image, connecting that to Paul’s biblical image of the body. All of this is to explore the lens we use to look at the world. Consider - how much do you notice your thoughts…and how critical would you say they are? Do you have a strong inner critic? Or would you be more of a finger-pointer? Maybe like me, you’re good at both! (We don’t want to brag, I know.) If you’d like to get a sense of your self-compassion (or lack thereof), there’s a handy little test you can take - the work of Kristin Neff. I found it quite sobering and eye-opening to see how committed I’ve been to this strategy of criticism. I wonder if it’s time to put down this tool, and reach for something much stronger. In times like this, we can’t be wasting our time trying to be something we’re not. Trying to force our loved ones to be something they are not. Let’s assume we’ve had a good reason for using our old tools, but let’s also consider that there might be a better way. Looking forward to seeing you for “Judge Not!”

    28 min

  3. FEB 13

    Trees Walking (S16 Episode21)

    Friends, what do FBI hostage negotiators have in common with Instagram, Netflix, and Spotify/Apple algorithms? Well, uncomfortably, they may know us better than we know ourselves. Which tells us something important about human nature. This Sunday, we’re continuing our Anthropology series by poking at a story many of us are quietly living inside: the idea that with the right hacks, tools, and techniques, we should be able to optimize our way out of our weaknesses and limitations. So, we’ll talk about predictability, partial sight, regret, exhaustion, and why some of the most ordinary moments of modern life can be surprisingly revealing. Along the way, we’ll explore why Jesus seems remarkably unbothered by blurry vision, why limitation isn’t a moral failure, and why faith might have less to do with clarity and more to do with humility, community, and grace. If you’ve ever felt pressure to be more, know more, or see more clearly than you actually do (and I am assuming that is all of us), this Sunday is for you.

    30 min

  4. FEB 2

    A Consolation You Could Believe In (S16 Episode20)

    Who are the people in your life that you can actually relax around? You know, the ones you don’t have to rehearse for, impress, or hold yourself together in front of? Hold that thought, and now, consider the moral, intellectual, or spiritual giants in your life that you look up to? Would you describe their company as relaxing? This Sunday I want to linger over a strange but persistent pattern in the Gospels, but particularly in Luke. The people most aware of their mess and flaws in life seem oddly comfortable around Jesus, while those most confident in their goodness felt threatened by him. That should unsettle us a little and have asking why that was? So, this week we will explore how some of our most admirable assumptions about human potential may quietly be costing us more than we realize, like fuelling exhaustion, perfectionism, and division. Moreover, I want to examine why Jesus seems stubbornly unimpressed with our optimism about ourselves. In the end, my hope is that if you’ve ever felt tired of pretending, suspicious of easy answers, or feel quietly burned out by the pressure to have it together, this Sunday will feel like a big relief.

    25 min

  5. FEB 2

    A Tribute to Murray (S16 Episode19)

    Today we pay tribute to Murray and the role he has played in our community over the past 15 years. We hope you will join us then as we remember one of the pillars of our community.

    35 min

  6. FEB 2

    Anthropology (S16 Episode18)

    Nexus, we are on our way into a new series that will occupy much of our winter and spring, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. In a season where we are exploring the ways we are shaped and formed, the question behind this series is this: what if the way we talk about being human is quietly shaping everything? How does our understanding of what it means to be a homo sapien shape our relationships, our expectations, our politics, and even our faith, without us ever really noticing? So, starting this Sunday at Nexus, we’re beginning a new conversation by asking a deceptively simple question: what do we actually believe about human nature? Along the way, we’ll look at familiar cultural voices, surprising moments of honesty, and the way Jesus seems to locate people before he ever tries to fix them. The goal this Sunday isn’t to make anything tidy or come to any quick conclusions. Rather, it is just an invitation to notice the assumptions we’re living with about who we are and to ask ourselves if those assumptions are helping us flourish, or are they quietly setting us up for disappointment? As always at Nexus, the goal isn’t agreement. It’s curiousity.

    34 min

  7. FEB 2

    The Criminality of Despair (S16 Episode17)

    Happy New Year Nexus! I hope you had a meaningful Christmas and rang in 2026 in the best possible way (even if that was sleeping). Our new years arrive, for many of us, with equal parts hope and heaviness. We know that life doesn’t magically reset when the clock strikes midnight and what we carried from last year still comes with us. This Sunday, we’ll sit with that reality together as we begin our year at Nexus with a sermon I am calling The Criminality of Despair.   My hope is to remind us that while success is never guaranteed, giving up on ourselves and the world isn’t the path we’re called to. We’ll reflect on Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and the quiet turning point for the prodigal son, as a gentle encouragement for us all to keep moving, even if all we have is the next honest step. I hope to see you all on Sunday!

    26 min

  8. 12/28/2025

    The Magnificat (S16 Episode16)

    Christmas is just around the corner now friends, and for this final of Sunday of Advent, we are inviting everyone to bring some kind of “sweet” finger food for after the service. It should be a fun and meaningful morning. Also, don’t forget about our Christmas Eve service at 4pm at St. Andrew's. We would love to see you all as we welcome in Christmas together. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself though as we are still in the season of Advent. Advent is often described as a season of waiting, but what if the real question isn’t whether we’re waiting, but where we’re waiting? This week, I want to listen closely to Mary’s song and her unsettling claim that God looks with favour on the lowly. Not the impressive. Not the powerful. The lowly. As we trace Mary’s story and song, we’ll explore why God so often seems to meet people not at their strongest, but at their most exposed, and why that truth is both comforting and deeply disrupts the stories we tell about ourselves.

    28 min
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About

A weekly podcast from Nexus Church in downtown Kitchener, Ontario.

Information

  • Creator
    Brad Watson
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2013 . All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Nexus Podcast