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