Unpolished but Called

Kathrin Shaffer
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Education
  • Updated Daily

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 E176: When Your Strength Is Hiding a Spiritual Problem

    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 confrontation. Strong biblical convictions can become tangled with pride and the need to be right. In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're looking beneath the behaviour people can see and asking a much harder question: What's happening in the heart underneath it? Scripture reminds us that while people see the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. Two people can do exactly the same thing for entirely different reasons—which means Christian self-examination can't stop at “Am I doing the right thing?” Sometimes we also need to ask, “Why am I doing it?” This isn't about becoming suspicious of every strength God has given us. Hard work, organization, dependability, sacrifice, strong convictions, and serving others can all be good things. But good behaviour doesn't make our motives exempt from examination. Maybe occasionally we need to pray what David prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart...” — Psalm 139:23 KJV Because sometimes our spiritual problems are obvious. And sometimes they're wearing our Sunday best. ❤️ Find my books, Bible studies, courses, podcasts, community, and more at kathrinshaffer.com Keep walking with Him. Keep getting into His Word. And remember: none of us are polished. We're just called.

  2. 4d ago

    S2 E175: Does Your Past Still Get to Define You?

    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 our permanent name. In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're talking about the difficult space between responsibility and self-condemnation. Grace doesn't require us to rewrite history or pretend our choices didn't have consequences. David's story shows us that forgiveness and consequences can exist at the same time. But Scripture also shows us through Paul that who we were does not have to remain who we are. We'll talk about repentance, restitution, rebuilding trust, living with consequences, and that familiar statement: “I know God forgives me, but I'll never forgive myself.” If God has forgiven what we've confessed, continuing to punish ourselves doesn't add anything to what Christ has already accomplished. Our past should humble us. It should teach us. It can warn us, make us wiser, and even become part of a testimony that points someone else toward the mercy of Christ. But it doesn't have to become our permanent identity. Our worst chapter is part of the story. It doesn't get to name the whole book. ❤️ Find my books, Bible studies, courses, podcasts, community, and more at kathrinshaffer.com Keep walking with Him. Keep getting into His Word. And remember: none of us are polished. We're just called.

  3. 6d ago

    S2 E174: When God Changes the Assignment

    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 episode of Unpolished but Called, we're talking about changing assignments without changing the truth—how to recognize the difference between faithfully releasing something and simply quitting because obedience became difficult. We'll also talk about grieving old assignments, separating our identity from what we do, and asking a better question than “What's my calling?” What has God entrusted to me now? Maybe faithfulness isn't doing forever what God asked you to do once. Maybe faithfulness is obeying God with what He's entrusted to you now. ❤️ Find my books, Bible studies, courses, podcasts, community, and more at kathrinshaffer.com Keep walking with Him. Keep getting into His Word. And remember: none of us are polished. We're just called.

  4. Sep 18

    S2 E173: Get Out of the Shaker

    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 of the earth.” In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we're talking about what ordinary biblical witness actually looks like—how our lives and words work together, why simply being a “good person” isn't the Gospel, and why sharing Christ doesn't require turning every human interaction into an evangelism project. Maybe the opportunity isn't somewhere out there waiting for you to become brave enough, outgoing enough, or qualified enough. Maybe God has already placed people around you—and it's time to get out of the shaker. ❤️ Find my books, Bible studies, courses, podcasts, community, and more at kathrinshaffer.com Keep walking with Him. Keep getting into His Word. And remember: none of us are polished. We're just called.

  5. Sep 16

    S2 E172: When Perfectionism Looks Like Holiness

    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 episode of Unpolished but Called, we're talking about the difference between biblical conviction and perfectionistic shame, what Scripture actually tells us to do when we fail, and why needing God's grace again isn't evidence that He's stopped working in us. We'll also talk about comparison, spiritual growth, and learning to recognize the work God has already done instead of measuring ourselves only against the places where we still fall short. Because maybe maturity isn't reaching the point where we never struggle again. Maybe part of maturity is learning what to do when we do. You don't have to be a perfect Christian to keep following a perfect Christ. ❤️ Find my books, Bible studies, courses, podcasts, community, and more at kathrinshaffer.com Keep walking with Him. Keep getting into His Word. And remember: none of us are polished. We're just called.

  6. Sep 14

    S2 E171: Scared Doesn’t Mean Stop

    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 obedience existed at the same time—and why biblical courage isn’t reckless or based on emotion. There’s still prayer, Scripture, wisdom, and discernment. But when we believe God is leading us forward, fear alone doesn’t get to make the decision. I also share what this has looked like for me as I’ve stepped into things I prayed for long before I felt ready for them. I’m still nervous. I still don’t know where all of this is going. And sometimes my prayer before taking the next step really is as simple as, “Lord, help me.” Maybe the question isn’t whether you’re afraid. Maybe it’s whether you’re waiting on God—or waiting until you stop feeling scared. ❤️ Find my books, Bible studies, courses, podcasts, community, and more at kathrinshaffer.com Keep walking with Him. Keep getting into His Word. And remember: none of us are polished. We’re just called.

  7. Sep 11

    S2 E170: Why Do We Need to Hear What God Has Done for Other People?

    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 in their lives, but I didn’t fully anticipate how much hearing those stories would encourage me. In this episode of Unpolished but Called, we’re looking at why testimony matters, why God repeatedly called His people to remember His faithfulness, and how another believer’s story can strengthen our faith without becoming a formula for what God must do in our own lives. Someone else’s testimony doesn’t promise me that God will write my story the same way. It reminds me that the God writing my story is still faithful. Scripture referenced (KJV): Psalm 105:1–5 Joshua 4:6–7 Psalm 66:16 Romans 15:4 1 Samuel 17:34–37 Mark 5:18–20 Acts 22:6–8 Hebrews 10:24–25 2 Corinthians 12:9 1 Thessalonians 5:11 James 1:19 ❤️ Keep Walking With Me Find my books, Bible studies, courses, podcasts, community, and more at: kathrinshaffer.com YouTube: youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer More links: linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer Different stories. One faithful God.

  8. Sep 9

    S2 E169: Are You Protecting the Person—or Protecting the Pattern?

    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 consequences, or allowing everyone around one person to adapt so that person never has to face what's actually happening. That's the question that drives the recorded episode from the opening. We'll look at the difference between covering someone with love and covering for them, privacy versus harmful secrecy, grace versus removing accountability, forgiveness versus pretending a pattern has changed, and why refusing to participate in harmful behavior doesn't necessarily mean rejecting the person. Because sometimes the question isn't simply: “Do I love this person?” It's: “What has my love taught me to protect?” Scripture referenced: Proverbs 28:13 1 Peter 4:8 Proverbs 10:12 Galatians 6:1 1 Corinthians 13:6 Proverbs 22:24–25 Romans 12:18 James 3:17 Proverbs 11:13 Ephesians 5:11 1 Timothy 5:22 Titus 2:11–12 Proverbs 27:5–6 Matthew 7:16 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15 James 1:5 🎙️ Unpolished but Called with Kathrin Shaffer YouTube: https://youtube.com/@kathrinshaffer Website: https://kathrinshaffer.com More links & resources: https://linktr.ee/kathrinshaffer

See All (176)

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
    176
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kathrin Shaffer
  • Show Website
    Unpolished but Called