Unpolished but Called

Kathrin Shaffer
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Unpolished but Called is a raw, honest Christian podcast for believers who love Jesus but don't have it all together. Hosted by author Kathrin Shaffer. Each episode explores faith in real life - the doubts, the obedience, the quiet growth, and the grace that meets us there. No hype. No perfection. Just truth, Scripture, and hope for the everyday walk. Books, resources and other information can be found https://linktr.ee/unpolishedbutcalled

  1. 2d ago

    S2 E187: When Encouragement Becomes Flattery

    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 biblical encouragement and simply telling people what they want to hear. Can we be supportive without agreeing with everything? Can honesty and kindness exist in the same conversation? And how do we recognize when our encouragement is actually helping someone? Because building someone up and making them feel better aren't always the same thing. Scripture referenced: 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Proverbs 29:5; Proverbs 18:13; Ephesians 4:15; Romans 12:15; Jeremiah 17:9–10; Proverbs 27:6; Colossians 1:28; Philippians 1:3–6; Proverbs 15:31–32; 1 Thessalonians 5:14. 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

  2. 4d ago

    S2 E186: When the People You Love Don't Follow Jesus With You

    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 Unpolished but Called, we're talking about loving the people closest to us when faith isn't something we share. How do we remain faithful to Christ while navigating relationships with people who don't believe what we believe? And where does our responsibility begin and end? Because loving someone and wanting them to know Jesus can sometimes leave us carrying more than we realize. Scripture referenced: Matthew 10:34–36; Romans 12:18; 2 Timothy 2:24–25; John 16:8; 1 Corinthians 7:12–13; 1 Peter 3:1–2; Proverbs 22:6; 1 Timothy 2:1; 1 Peter 3:15; 1 Corinthians 3:6–7; Colossians 4:5–6. 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

  3. Oct 16

    S2 E185: Are You Reading the Bible—or Looking for What You Want to Find?

    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 answers are already in the room. Because sometimes the hardest part of studying Scripture isn't finding an answer. It's being willing to discover that the answer might not be ours. Scripture referenced: 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Acts 17:10–11; Proverbs 18:17; James 1:22; Proverbs 12:15; Mark 7:8; Philippians 4:11–13; Jeremiah 17:9; 1 Peter 3:15; John 17:17. 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

  4. Oct 14

    S2 E184: Are You Waiting for Life to Finally Begin?

    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? In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're talking about the seasons we would rather hurry through, what it means to live faithfully while we're still waiting, and a question that may change how we look at the middle. Scripture referenced: Ecclesiastes 11:4; Jeremiah 29:5–7; Mark 6:31; Philippians 1:12–13; Matthew 6:34; 2 Corinthians 6:10; James 4:14; Psalm 27:14; Philippians 4:11–12; Hebrews 11:8; Psalm 90:12. 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

  5. Oct 12

    S2 E183: Saved Doesn’t Mean Finished

    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 than we are. But Scripture gives us a picture of believers who are saved by grace and still being taught, corrected, convicted, and changed. New doesn't mean finished. And maybe some of the growth God is doing in us is easier to miss than we realize. Scripture referenced: Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 5:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 3:18; Psalm 119:33–34; Philippians 2:13; Romans 6:1–2; Colossians 3:12–13; 2 Corinthians 10:12; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 3:12. 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

  6. Oct 9

    S2 E182: When the Past Follows You Into a New Life

    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 anything like where we came from. What did we learn along the way without realizing we were learning it? How much of what we call personality is simply familiar? And what happens when God begins showing us that something which once felt necessary may not belong where He's taking us now? Leaving can be an important step. But sometimes there's still work to be done after we get out. Scripture referenced: Romans 12:2; Exodus 16:2–3; Psalm 139:23–24; Ephesians 4:20–24; Proverbs 18:13; Galatians 1:10; James 1:19; John 17:17; Philippians 2:12–13; 2 Corinthians 5:17. 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

  7. Oct 7

    S2 E181: Where Is God When Life Isn’t Where You Wanted It to Be?

    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 leaves us wondering where God is? In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're looking at Jacob's realization in Genesis 28: “Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.” Jacob discovered that God was present before Jacob ever recognized Him. We'll also look at Hagar being seen by God in the wilderness, David's Shepherd remaining with him in the valley, and Jesus entering directly into Mary and Martha's grief. God's presence doesn't mean everything happening around us is good, nor does finding God somewhere mean we're required to stay there forever. Sometimes the faithful step is to wait; sometimes it's to move. Either way, we aren't beyond God's reach while we discern what comes next. Maybe the prayer isn't, “Lord, make me love where I am.” Maybe it's simply: “Lord, don't let me become so focused on leaving this place that I fail to recognize You in it.” Scripture referenced: Genesis 28:11, 16 Psalm 34:18 Psalm 23:4 Genesis 16:7, 13 Deuteronomy 31:8 Philippians 4:11 John 11:35 Psalm 77:11–12 Ecclesiastes 3:1 Psalm 139:7–10 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

  8. Oct 5

    S2 E180: What Does It Really Mean That God Is Sovereign?

    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 down and look at what Scripture actually shows us about the sovereignty of God. We’ll talk about God’s authority, human responsibility, the difference between God causing something and permitting it, why prayer still matters, and why trusting God doesn’t require us to pretend we understand everything He allows. We’ll also look at Job, Joseph, Paul, Romans 8:28, and why biblical sovereignty is not fatalism. Trusting God doesn’t mean becoming passive—it means faithfully doing what He has called us to do without carrying the weight of believing the entire outcome rests on us. Sometimes sovereignty answers our questions. Other times, it reminds us who we can trust when the question remains unanswered. Scripture referenced: Psalm 103:19 Daniel 4:35 Isaiah 46:9–10 Genesis 50:20 Acts 2:23 James 1:13–15 Job 38:2–4 Philippians 4:6 Matthew 6:8 Luke 22:42 Proverbs 16:9 2 Corinthians 12:8–9 Romans 8:28 Isaiah 55:8–9 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer 📚 Books, Bible studies, courses & more: kathrinshaffer.com 🔗 Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

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About

Unpolished but Called is a raw, honest Christian podcast for believers who love Jesus but don't have it all together. Hosted by author Kathrin Shaffer. Each episode explores faith in real life - the doubts, the obedience, the quiet growth, and the grace that meets us there. No hype. No perfection. Just truth, Scripture, and hope for the everyday walk. Books, resources and other information can be found https://linktr.ee/unpolishedbutcalled

Information

  • Creator
    Kathrin Shaffer
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    187
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kathrin Shaffer
  • Show Website
    Unpolished but Called