Curiously Kaitlyn

Did God choose you or did you choose God? Kaitlyn tackles one of Christianity's most debated questions, predestination vs. free will, exploring what the Bible says about God's sovereignty, human choice, and how believers have wrestled with holding both together for centuries. She also addresses the deeper motivations behind this debate, including fear about salvation, questions about responsibility, and the temptation...

Isn't it weird that the Bible has all these little verse and chapter markers? And the original writers of the books of the Bible didn't write them. So, where did they come from? Kaitlyn explains why we have verse and chapter markers and how it sometimes changes how we read the Bible.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:52 - What's With All the Numbers in the Bible?

We all know the story of Lot's wife being turned into a pillar of salt, but have you ever stopped to look at it from her perspective? Kaitlyn unpacks this strange story to talk about God's mercy, our tendency to return to things that harmed us, and how to read the Bible when we come across stories we do not fully understand.

0:00 - Theme Song

2:07 - Why Was L...

What does it mean to fear an all-loving God? Is it just reverence and awe, or are we actually supposed to be afraid? Kaitlyn and Mike wrestle with biblical stories, common misconceptions about Greek and Hebrew word studies, and the difference between fear that drives us away from God and fear that draws us closer. They also explore how a healthy fear of God can free us from fear of people, power, and politics and why ...

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.

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 pr...

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.

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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 explore...

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

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 sma...

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 fai...

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 understa...

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 ...

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.

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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 n...

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 re...

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 val...

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, ...

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.

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