Curiously Kaitlyn

Latest Episodes:

Freewill, predestination, or both? Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

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 to settle for overly simple answers to complex mysteries.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:10 - Free Will or Predestination?

5:18 - Bible Verse

15:00 - 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

15:50 - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

16:52 - The Center for Christianity and Public Life - Know a young person who would benefit from a Christian summer civics program? Point them toward https://www.ccpubliclife.org/HOLYPOST to sign up today

18:11 - Mystery and Theology

23:48 - Is Life "Choose Your Own Adventure?"

30:52- What to Read About Predestination/Free Will?

33:45 - End Credits

Where did the chapters and verses come from in the Bible? Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

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?

4:00 - Why Read Whole Books of the Bible?

8:18 - Dividing the Bible Into Verses

13:35 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

14:37 - Sponsor - Toups and Co Organics - Simplify your routine and feel good about what you put on your skin. Get 25% off your first order with code KAITLYN at https://www.toupsandco.com/KAITLYN

16:00 - Sponsor - World Relief - Join The Path, a monthly giving community for refugees. Through June 30th, your first donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar: https://www.worldrelief.org/KAITLYN

17:12 - Daily Vitamin

21:58 - How Divisions Change Interpretation

28:35 - Not Being Intimidated by Scripture

33:28 - End Credits

Why is it so hard to let go of harmful things? Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

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 Lot's Wife Turned Into Salt?

9:00 - Why Salt?

14:20 - 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

15:33 - Sponsor - Blueland - For 15% off first order of Blueland cleaning products, go to this link: https://www.blueland.com/CURIOUSLY

16:36 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

17:33 - Why's the Bible Written Like That?

34:30 - End Credits

What does it mean to fear God? Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

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 that paradox might actually be good news.

0:00 - Theme Song

3:11 - Fear as Respect?

8:23 - Power is Frightening

16:15 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

17:17 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

19:22 - Fire and Brimstone

27:21 - Fear is Powerful

31:53 - End Credits

Why Heaven won't be perfect Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

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 we bow our heads when we pray? Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

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. Go to https://www.worldrelief.org/KAITLYN to learn more

14:15 - Is God in front of us?

22:10 - Trusting God's Love

29:42 - Summing it Up

31:14 - End Credits

Mailbag! Works vs faith, church volunteers, and better Bible habits Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

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

Mailbag! When God is silent, Heaven gets confusing, and mercy feels inconsistent Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

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

Did the Father Forsake the Son on the Cross? (HP+ Vault) Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

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

Where was Jesus born? Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected