Curiously Kaitlyn

We think the after life will be perfect in every way, but that is not the picture that Scripture paints.  From Eden to new creation, Kaitlyn and Mike explore why scripture calls creation "good" instead of "perfect," why only God has perfection, and why eternal life won't be static, boring, or frozen in place. Instead, it's a future of growth, learning, and flourishing—far better than the perfection we imagine now.   0:00 - Theme Song   0:55 - Should the Word Be Used to Describe Something on Earth?   3:35 - Was Eden perfect?   12:48 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330   14:00 -Perfectionism   22:02 - Orienting Toward Heaven   25:28 - End Credits

Why do Christians bow their heads when they pray? Is it just tradition, a way to avoid distraction, or does our posture actually shape our faith? Kaitlyn and Producer Mike explore where bowing came from, how the Bible depicts it, what the early church thought about prayer posture, and how our bodies help form our hearts. Also in the episode: feudal hand gestures, sugar glider onesies, and why distracted prayers might not be something to feel guilty about after all. 0:00 - Theme Song   2:25 - Why Do We Bow Our Heads?   5:32 - Bowing in the Bible   12:32 - World Relief - Join The Path to help vulnerable people   14:15 - Is God in front of us?   22:10 - Trusting God's Love   29:42 - Summing it Up   31:14 - End Credits

It's mailbag time! Kaitlyn and Mike field your questions about faith and works, why churches sometimes prioritize nursery duty over community outreach, and how to move beyond the "Bible in a Year" grind. They talk salvation as allegiance, children as the church's shared responsibility, and creative ways to stay rooted in Scripture without treating it like a daily vitamin.   0:00 - Theme Song   1:25 - Is Salvation a Gift?   6:33 - What Did Paul Mean by "Work Out Your Salvation?"   12:02 - Sponsor - Blueland - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY   13:27 - Should churches focus on outreach or inreach?   22:20 - How to Read the Bible Beyond Daily Reading   31:32 - End Credits

How can we have a personal relationship with God, when we do all the talking? How can Christians talk honestly about heaven and the afterlife without oversimplifying or confusing people? And why does Scripture sometimes show God responding with judgment and other times with surprising mercy? Kaitlyn lets the grown ups have a turn asking their questions, and they don't disappoint! She tackle these questions and explores grief, repentance, mystery, and what it looks like to trust God's character when easy answers fall short.   0:00 - Theme Song   3:35 - Wanting to Hear From God   14:21 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order   16:31 - The Afterlife   21:50 - How Does God Respond to Evil?   34:22 - End Credits

Jesus cries out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" How can the Father forsake the Son if they're the same person in the Trinity? Was the Trinity severed? Kaitlyn has thoughts on this important theological debate—and reveals how this debate is part of why she became a theologian!   0:00 - Intro   0:37 - Theme Song   1:20 - Show Starts   2:40 - Kaitlyn's Origin Story   12:50 - Penal Substitutionary Atonement   18:42 - Sponsor - Dwell - Listen to scripture throughout your day. Go to https://www.dwellbible.com/CK for 25% off!   19:42 - Sponsor - Word Relief - World Relief has a $415,000 challenge gift that ends December 31. Your gift can go three times as far! Give now at https://www.worldrelief.org/kaitlyn   21:18 - Relational, Trinitarian God   32:10 - The Father Grieving the Son   39:37 - Outro Song   Resources: Forsaken: The Trinity on the Cross, and Why it Matters by Thomas H. McCall: https://a.co/d/1PvcWvZ Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Michael Reeves: https://a.co/d/ikSTCLB The Crucified God by Jürgen Moltmann: https://a.co/d/9LVdAw3

What if there was no angry innkeeper in the nativity story? Despite what Christmas pageants might suggest, Jesus was likely not born in a stable, and Mary and Joseph were probably not rejected by an innkeeper. Kaitlyn takes a closer look at Luke's nativity account, exploring what Scripture actually says about mangers, guest rooms, animals, and family—and why those details matter. What may seem like a small detail about Jesus' birth location reveals something much bigger about power, empire, and the surprising way God enters the world through humility, vulnerability, and nearness.   0:00 - Theme Song   2:01 - Was Jesus Born in a Barn?   6:03 - No Guest Room Translation   13:45 - Sponsor - World Relief - Giving will be tripled up to $415,000 til December 31! So start giving monthly now at https://www.worldrelief.com/kaitlyn   15:30 - Beautiful Chaos   22:10 - Why Bethlehem?   33:52 - End Credits

Why would God choose such a young woman to be the mother of Jesus? Kaitlyn Schiess reflects on Mary's age, vulnerability, and social position, and why those details matter so much in the Advent story. Drawing from Luke 1, they explore how God consistently works through surprising people, why Mary's response is so different from Zechariah's, and what this teaches us about faith, doubt, and trust. Mary shows us that faithful waiting isn't about doubting whether God can do this, but about asking how we are meant to participate.   0:00 - Theme Song   1:42 - Why Did God Choose Someone So Young?   6:33 - Cultural Marriage Norms   12:21 - Sponsor - Aura Frames - Need a holiday gift to share memories? Get 35% off the Aura Carver Mat Frame with promo code KAITLYN at https://www.auraframes.com   13:36 - Mary Compared to Zachariah   21:42 - When is Doubt Good?   29:37 - End Credits

What's the point of Advent in a world that's already been playing Christmas music since October? Kaitlyn digs into the ancient roots of Advent, why the church calendar begins with longing instead of celebration, and how this season teaches us to live in the tension between God's promises and our present reality. When we feel the quiet ache from the Christmas season never quite living up to our expectations, Advent helps us understand the true meaning of Christmas better than Charlie Brown ever could. 0:00 - Theme Song   1:20 - Why Do We Do Advent?   3:32 - Christmas Starts December 25?   7:20 - Advent is Somber?   14:07 - Sponsor - Aura Frames - Need a holiday gift to share memories? Get 35% off the Aura Carver Mat Frame with promo code KAITLYN at https://www.auraframes.com   15:08 - Sponsor - SelectQuote - Go to https://www.selectquote.com/kaitlyn to get started on your new life insurance policy   16:16 - Living Differently from the World   20:04 - A Thrill of Hope   26:48 - The Second Coming   30:21 - End Credits

We all know the wise men from our nativity sets, but what's actually going on in this story? Who were the wise men, and why did Matthew include them in his accounting of the birth of Christ? This well-known but undeniably odd part of the nativity story is loaded with meaning that can reorient how we enter Advent. Kaitlyn and Producer Mike follow kids' simple questions about stars, gifts, and travel timelines into the deeper layers of Matthew's Gospel, where foreign astrologers, of all people, become some of the first to recognize Jesus as king. 0:00 - Theme Song   2:05 - What's Up With the Star?   9:00 - How Many Wise Men?   12:50 - Sponsor - Blueland - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY   14:03 - Sponsor - Aura Frames - Need a holiday gift to share memories? Get 35% off the Aura Carver Mat Frame with promo code KAITLYN at https://www.auraframes.com   15:04 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order   17:00 - Why's this in the Bible?   27:00 - Balaam and the Magi   37:37 - End Credits

Does prayer make a difference? After all, if God knows everything about us, then why should we bother praying? Kaitlyn helps us understand how prayer is more than listing our requests, but an opportunity to experience relationship with a Father who delights to hear from His kids, reshaping our desires, and drawing us into dependence on Him.   0:00 - Theme Song   0:23 - Sponsor - Dwell - Listen to scripture throughout your day. Go to https://www.dwellbible.com/CK for 25% off!   2:50 - What's the Point of Prayer If God Knows Everything?   7:00 - God and Relationship   13:52 - Sponsor - World Relief - Partner with World Relief in creating safety, stability and belonging for refugees and immigrants. A $200,000 Challenge Gift is multiplying every donation—give today at https://www.worldrelief.org/KAITLYN   14:37 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order   16:33 - God Likes Us   21:25 - Prayers Aren't Magic   26:00 - Wanting the Right Things   29:05 - Being With God Daily   34:37 - End Credits

Let's dive into the surprising story behind God revealing Himself as Yahweh. Why does the Bible sometimes say God, sometimes LORD, and why do we almost never see "Yahweh" printed in English translations? Kaitlyn and Mike explore how this ancient name points to God's character, His promise of presence, and why the "philosophical God" and the "personal God" are actually the same God. They also unpack how knowing God's name shapes the way we read Scripture, pray, and understand Jesus. And with Advent coming soon, Kaitlyn and Mike invite you to send in your kids' Christmas and Advent questions at holypost.com/curiously. The weirder the better.   0:00 - Theme Song   2:33 - Why Did God Name Himself God?   4:47 - How the Bible Introduces God   9:45 - God's Name and His People   15:54 - Sponsor - Check out the Gracebased Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or learn more at https://gracebased.com/podcasts/   16:54 - Sponsor - SelectQuote - Go to https://www.selectquote.com/kaitlyn to get started on your new life insurance policy   23:00 - Should We Say the Divine Name?   33:00 - God's Name   36:33 - End Credits

What do we do when God feels silent, distant, or forgetful? Kaitlyn and Producer Mike explore how the Bible talks about God "remembering," why Scripture also says He "forgets" our sins, and why it can sometimes feel like God has overlooked us. They walk through stories from Noah to Zachariah, reflect on waiting, disappointment, and hope, and offer a reminder that God's presence—not quick fixes—is the promise we can rely on.   0:00 - Theme Song   0:48 - Does God Forget Stuff?   3:55 - God Remembering   9:00 - Sponsor - Blueland - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY   10:02 - Sponsor - Check out the Gracebased Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or learn more at https://gracebased.com/podcasts/   12:28 - Does God Forget Me?   26:24 - End Credits

If Jesus tells us to love our enemies, does that extend all the way to Satan? This week, Kaitlyn and Mike take a surprisingly thoughtful kids' question and use it to explore what Christians mean when we talk about the devil, and what Scripture is actually asking of us when it commands enemy-love. They also revisit the much-maligned phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin,"  and ask whether it still has value, and consider why the hardest "enemies" to love usually aren't cosmic villains, but the people who cut us off in traffic, frustrate us in the checkout line, or vote differently than we do.   0:00 - Theme Song   2:23 - Does God Love Satan?   6:00 - Who/what is Satan   10:14 - Satan and Evil   14:00 - Sponsor - SelectQuote - Go to https://www.selectquote.com/kaitlyn to get started on your new life insurance policy   15:02 - Sponsor - World Relief - Let's Talk About It! World Relief has conversation cards about displacement and immigration, downloadable at https://worldrelief.com/KAITLYN   18:05 - What is Love?   31:42 - Enemy Love and God's Love   34:23 - End Credits

Why don't Christians talk about the Holy Spirit more often? Have we quietly replaced dependence on God's Spirit with confidence in our own smarts and systems? What starts as a kid's Halloween question about the "Holy Ghost" quickly turns into a bigger conversation about why the church is so divided, whether we'd even notice if the Spirit disappeared from our theology, and how we might learn to let God surprise us again. After all, the Holy Ghost isn't here to haunt us, but to make us alive. 0:00 - Theme Song 0:19 - Sponsor - Dwell - Listen to scripture throughout your day. Go to https://www.dwellbible.com/CK for 25% off! 3:03 - Is the Holy Ghost Real? 6:33 - What Even is the Holy Ghost? 11:18 - How the Holy Ghost Helps Us 16:30 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order 18:18 - Sponsor - Hello! My Name is Emmanuel - A Heartwarming children's book about a Haitian child learning to trust God by Emmanuel Jean Russell  https://a.co/d/8fPoRCL 19:15 - But why a "ghost?" 26:30 - What's the Takeaway? 33:21 - End Credits

Do you have weird dreams? Could they be from God? In the Bible, God sometimes talks to people through dreams. Why did he do that? Does he still do that today? Kaitlyn and Mike talk about prophetic dreams and what they tell us about our relationship to God and to our own minds.   12:10 - Sponsor - Check out the Gracebased Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or learn more at https://gracebased.com/podcasts/ 13:10 - Sponsor - Get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, and save more than fifty percent at www.selectquote.com/kaitlyn        

It's a miracle! Kaitlyn's here to talk about miracles. They seem to be all over the Bible, so Christians obviously believe they happened—but do miracles still happen? What does that say about God?   0:00 - Theme Song   4:00 - Do Miracles Still Happen?   12:15 - Sponsor - Blueland - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY   13:35 - Why Don't We See Miracles?   18:00 - Are We Ready for Miracles?   29:20 - How Would you Explain it to a Kid?   30:20 - End Credits

Will we have ferocious sports rivalries in heaven? Will we have tantrums over lost card games? Will we play? This week, Kaitlyn and Producer Mike answer the question - Will we have competition in heaven? Along the way, they discuss questions about how we categorize effects of the fall v. natural human limitations, what we can and cannot know about life in eternity, and how our work in this world can become our source of identity and value.   0:00 - Theme Song   1:10 - Not Sinful, but Limited   4:37 - Will We Have Perfect Bodies in Heaven?   6:50 - Different Talents   12:33 - It's Good to Play!   17:40 - The Bad Side of Competition   20:58 - Do We Need Competition?   25:13 - Quick Kid Answers   27:19 - End Credits

This week, Kaitlyn tackle a kid's big question: "I know there's one true God, but are there little gods beneath him?" From Psalm 82 to Job and Paul, the Bible's language about gods, angels, demons, and spiritual powers is stranger than most of us realize. Kaitlyn unpacks what these passages mean, why scripture sometimes blurs the line between human rulers and spiritual beings, and how it all points back to the hope that the one true God reigns above every power.   Holy Post Plus: My Hill to Die On: Red Letter Bibles: https://www.patreon.com/posts/my-hill-to-die-138522925   0:00 - Theme Song   0:58 - Are There Little gods in the Bible?   3:26 - Psalm 82 mentions "gods?"   10:28 - Are these gods extensions of rulers?   12:13 - Sponsor - Dwell - Listen to scripture throughout your day. Go to https://www.dwellbible.com/CK for 25% off!   13:25 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238   14:28 - Book of Job   22:50 - Why Isn't This All Clearer?   27:01 - Evil's Real, but God's Stronger   31:45 - End Credits

Most of us imagine heaven as somewhere "up there." We look to the sky when we pray, talk about loved ones "looking down" on us, and even build churches to lift our eyes heavenward. Yet, Scripture's vision is far richer. In this episode, Kaitlyn explains why heaven isn't simply a place above the clouds, but wherever God's reign is made real. Both in the world to come, and even in our lives today.   0:00 - Theme Song   7:25 - Ancient Languages   12:30 - God's Rule   14:17 - Sponsor - Zocdoc - Stop putting off those doctor's appointments! Go to https://www.zocdoc.com/KAITLYN   15:32 - Sponsor - SelectQuote - Go to https://www.selectquote.com/kaitlyn to get started on your new life insurance policy   16:41 - Is Heaven here now?   21:13 - Bringing the Kingdom of God   27:45 - Where Are Passed Away Loved Ones?   28:47 - Jesus Ascended—Into Space?   31:45 - Answer for a Kid!   33:18 - End Credits  

Producer Mike joins Kaitlyn again to discuss a seemingly easy but surprisingly tricky question: did Jesus get sick? Mike and Kaitlyn talk about the meaning of the incarnation: What does it mean that Jesus was (and is!) really, truly human, but did not sin? If Jeus was without sin, does that mean he was without illness? Did Jesus get especially tempted when he got a cold? What does it mean for us if Jesus did allow himself to get sick?   0:00 - Theme Song   00:28 - Did Jesus Ever Get Sick?   6:47 - Does Sin Make Us Sick?   11:20 - Would Jesus choose to be sick?   14:40 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238   15:40 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order   19:20 - How Would You Explain it to a Kid?   20:34 - End Credits