Unpolished but Called

Have you ever been made to feel like you're doing something wrong simply because another Christian wouldn't do it? We all have personal convictions. Some come from studying Scripture, others from experience, upbringing, or the traditions we've grown accustomed to. But somewhere along the way, a personal decision can become an expectation we place on everyone else. In this episode of Unpolished but...

We've all heard someone say they're standing on God's promises. Maybe we've said it ourselves. But have we ever stopped to ask whether the promise we're claiming was actually made to us? Scripture is filled with incredible promises, but not every verse means what we've been taught it means. And sometimes the difference between what God said and what we believe He said can have a significant impact...

There's something satisfying about being the person everyone depends on. The one with the answers, the one who gets things done, the one people know they can count on. But what happens when they don't need us anymore? In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're exploring something that can quietly become part of how we see ourselves. When does being dependable become something more? Why can it...

We all appreciate encouragement. It's nice to have someone in our corner, supporting us, reassuring us, and telling us we're doing well. But what happens when being supportive becomes more important than being truthful? Sometimes the words that make us feel good aren't necessarily the words that help us grow. In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're exploring the difference between genuine...

What happens when the people you love most don't share the most important part of your life? You want them to know Jesus. You want them to experience the same grace, hope, and relationship with Christ that you've come to know. But sometimes, no matter how much you love someone, their journey looks very different from yours. And navigating that difference isn't always easy. In this episode of Unpol...

It's surprisingly easy to open the Bible already knowing what answer we hope to find. A verse here. A sermon there. A teacher who agrees with us. Before long, we can have a pretty convincing case—but did we actually discover what Scripture says? In this episode of Unpolished but Called , we're talking about how we approach God's Word when our own opinions, traditions, experiences, and preferred an...

How much of life do we spend waiting for something to change? We tell ourselves we'll breathe easier when this season ends, when the answer comes, when circumstances settle down, or when life finally looks a little more like we thought it would. Without realizing it, “when this is over” can become the place where we've decided life will begin again. But what about the days we're living right now?...

Getting saved doesn't mean we suddenly know everything, understand every doctrine, recognize every sin, or instantly become spiritually mature. So what happens after salvation? In this episode of Unpolished but Called , we're talking about the growth that happens as we continue walking with Christ. There can be a lot of pressure—both from ourselves and from other Christians—to be further along tha...

Sometimes we leave something behind and assume that means we're finished with it. The environment changed. The relationship ended. The circumstances are different. We've moved forward. Then something happens and an old reaction shows up in a brand-new place. In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're talking about what can happen when the past follows us into a life that no longer looks anyth...

What if the place you're desperately trying to get out of is also a place where God is meeting you? Sometimes we expect to recognize God in the answered prayer, the open door, the healing or the season where everything finally makes sense. But what about the places we never would have chosen—the grief, uncertainty, loneliness, financial struggle, difficult relationship or wilderness season that le...

Christians say “God is sovereign” all the time—but what are we actually saying? Does God’s sovereignty mean He causes everything that happens? If God is sovereign, do our choices still matter? Why pray if He already knows what we need? And how do we talk about God’s sovereignty when something genuinely painful or evil happens? In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we slow that familiar phrase...

When life is falling apart, prayer can become constant. We search Scripture differently. We become painfully aware of how much we need God. But what happens when everything settles down? In Episode 179 of Unpolished but Called, Kathrin looks at a side of faith we don't talk about nearly as often: our relationship with God after the crisis is over. The prayer was answered. The fear eased. Life beca...

Have you ever prayed for direction and suddenly everything around you started looking like confirmation? An open door. A perfectly timed conversation. A strong feeling. A coincidence that seems too specific to ignore. Maybe God really is working through circumstances—but how do we know when we're recognizing His providence and when we're simply finding the answer we already hoped to find? In Episo...

Can something good—even something we genuinely believe God called us to do—begin occupying a place in our hearts that belongs to Him? In this episode of Unpolished but Called , we’re examining the uncomfortable line between faithfully using what God has given us and becoming more attached to the work than we are to the One we’re doing it for. We can care about the calling, work hard, pray for grow...

What if one of the hardest spiritual problems to recognize is the one everybody keeps complimenting you for? Some struggles are obvious. Others can look remarkably like Christian maturity. Dependability can hide a need to be needed. Busyness can look like faithfulness while leaving little room for God. Careful planning can quietly become control. Keeping the peace can actually be fear of confronta...

What happens when the hardest part of your past isn't what somebody did to you—but what you did? There are things in our lives we wish we could go back and rewrite. Decisions we made. People we hurt. Trust we destroyed. Sin we can no longer defend. And even after we've confessed, repented, apologized, and begun walking differently, sometimes we keep carrying what happened as though it has become o...

What if something God once asked you to do isn’t what He’s asking you to do forever? We often talk about calling as though God gives us one assignment and faithfulness means holding onto it for the rest of our lives. But life changes. Responsibilities change. Doors open and close. Sometimes the place where God once used us simply doesn't look like the place He's entrusted to us today. In this epis...

What if evangelism isn't about becoming a different kind of person? Some Christians can strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and somehow arrive at eternity approximately twelve seconds later. 😂 Others of us would rather have a little more warning. But Jesus didn't say that only the outgoing, naturally bold, or particularly gifted were the salt of the earth. He said, “Ye are the salt...

Have you ever looked at your Christian walk and thought, “I should be further along by now”? There is absolutely a biblical call to holiness, obedience, repentance, and growth. But somewhere along the way, we can begin confusing the pursuit of holiness with an expectation that we should have everything figured out—and every time we stumble, we wonder whether we've actually changed at all. In this...

What if being afraid doesn’t actually mean you’re supposed to stop? In this episode of Unpolished but Called, I’m talking about something I’m learning in real time: courage doesn’t always arrive after fear disappears. Sometimes obedience looks like being nervous, unsure, and still taking the next faithful step. We’ll look at Moses, Joshua, Gideon, and other places in Scripture where fear and obedi...

Why do we need to hear what God has done in someone else’s life? We talk a lot about sharing our testimony—but what about the importance of listening to someone else’s? Since beginning Walking It Out with Kathrin , I’ve already had the privilege of sitting across from people and hearing their stories of faith. I started these conversations wanting to give others a place to share what God has done...

Grace. Forgiveness. Loyalty. Privacy. Keeping the peace. Protecting someone's reputation. All of those can be biblical—but what happens when we use a biblical principle to protect an unbiblical pattern? In this episode, Kathrin looks at a form of enabling that doesn't always look like rescuing someone. Sometimes it looks like making excuses, staying silent, minimizing harmful behavior, absorbing c...

When you say no, how much explanation do you actually owe someone? Sometimes loving communication requires an explanation. Sometimes responsibility means having an uncomfortable conversation. But explaining a decision isn't the same as defending it indefinitely—and someone disagreeing with your boundary doesn't automatically make it negotiable. In this episode, Kathrin walks through boundaries, pe...

Can someone practice witchcraft and still call it Christian—as long as they're using it for good? That question sent me straight to Scripture. The Bible is undeniably supernatural. We see prophecy, healing, miracles, spiritual gifts, and even people raised from the dead. But does the existence of supernatural works in Scripture mean every supernatural practice can be incorporated into Christianity...

One year ago, Unpolished but Called began with one yes. I didn't know what the podcast would become, how many episodes there would be, who would listen, or how much God would change me along the way. Now, one year later, I'm looking back—not simply at what was built, but at what God taught me while I kept showing up. In this special anniversary episode, we're talking about the ordinary side of fai...