Kickstart With Kayla

Maybe you want God to be part of your everyday life—but you’re not sure what that practically looks like.
Spending time with God doesn’t have to be complicated. It can begin with reading a few Bible verses, writing down what stands out, praying, or simply talking to Him while you drive, walk, or get ready for the day.
In this episode, Kayla shares practical ways to keep God at the center of your day. She discusses turning Bible reading and prayer into a relationship rather than another task, becoming more intentional about what you consume, choosing community that strengthens your faith, and bringing your struggles to God instead of handling them alone.
Whether you already have a consistent faith routine or don’t know where to begin, this episode will help you recognize God’s presence in the ordinary moments of your life.

Charlie Wolschon grew up attending church and believed Jesus existed—but he didn’t understand what it meant to personally know or love Him.
After years of questions, feeling isolated in Sweden, and placing his worth in a relationship, an unexpected conversation on his college campus led Charlie to begin exploring faith for himself.
In this episode, Charlie shares how Christianity became personal, how God met him in his anxiety and uncertainty, and why following Jesus required him to release control. Kayla and Charlie also discuss navigating doubt, finding Christian community, and why you are not “behind” if you are still figuring out your faith.
Whether you grew up in church or are only beginning to explore what you believe, this conversation will challenge you to consider the difference between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him.

One year ago, Kayla was sitting at her internship desk when she sensed God say, “I want you to start a podcast”—with zero blueprint, zero guarantees, and a whole lot of reasons to say no.
In this anniversary episode of Kickstart with Kayla, Kayla looks back on what God has done over the past twelve months: reaching listeners on six continents, connecting with people in states she's never even been to, and showing His faithfulness through every step of a journey that began with one simple "yes" to something that felt far too big.
Kayla shares three big lessons from year one: how God can turn your hesitation into obedience, why small moments of boldness (like blurting out your favorite Romans 8 verse) can change your trajectory, and how speaking tiny messages in high school with almost no notes prepared her for the weekly rhythm she has now.
If you’ve been sitting on an idea, doubting your voice, or wondering whether your obedience actually matters, this episode will remind you that God is far more creative with your “yes” than you could ever be with your “plan.”

What happens when God uses a brand‑new friendship to deepen your faith?
In this episode, Kayla sits down with her friend AnnaGrace Reynolds, who was adopted at six months old and has seen God’s faithfulness woven through her story ever since—from medical records that mysteriously cleared to giving her life to Jesus as a child and walking with Him through trials and sanctification.
Together they talk about expectations vs. reality in college, the pressure to stay busy, and what it’s looked like for AnnaGrace to learn real stillness with God instead of just saying “trust the Lord” as a cliché. You’ll hear about balcony quiet times, praying over the places God sends them, and the kind of friendship that pushes you closer to Jesus instead of just closer to burnout.
They also dream out loud about going back to campus with a fresh fire to disciple others—especially wide‑eyed freshmen—and how simple, intentional investment in just a few people can ripple out into generations of faith, just like Paul and Timothy.
If you’ve been craving deeper community, wanting to hear a real adoption testimony, or needing a reminder that time with God is a privilege not a chore, Episode 51 will feel like a long, honest walk with two friends who love Him.

“You learn what you prioritize.”
In this episode, Kayla shares a phrase she overheard that wouldn’t leave her alone—and how it exposes the gap between what we say matters and what our lives actually revolve around. From her mom helping her sort out nightly priorities when she was stressed to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6, she unpacks why most of us don’t become what we intend; we become what we consistently give our attention and emotional energy to.
Walking through the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10, Kayla shows how a man who looked spiritually serious still walked away sad when following Jesus touched the one thing that really sat first in his heart. She then gets honest about our own lives—checking the phone before talking to God, choosing convenience over obedience, and expecting to feel “spiritually grounded” while protecting everything that keeps us comfortable.
This isn’t a habits masterclass; it’s a heart check. You’ll hear practical questions to expose what’s truly first in your life, encouragement for seasons of burnout, and a reminder from Luke 9 that following Jesus is a daily decision, not a once‑a‑year emotional high. If Episode 49 helped you stop settling in dating, Episode 50 will help you stop settling for a spiritual life that doesn’t match the one you say you want.

You can love Jesus, crave marriage, and still quietly settle for “good enough” because you’re tired of starting over. In this car‑ride conversation, I sit down with my cousin Macy (fresh off her bachelorette trip) to talk honestly about dating, discernment, and how she went from Sunday‑only faith to a real walk with God in college.
Macy shares how finding community at college, trying different churches, and seeing God show up in her own story prepared her to recognize her fiancé as an answered prayer—not just another guy. They unpack what being “equally yoked” has actually looked like in real life, why past relationships that didn’t work out can still be a gift, and how to tell the difference between “this is my person” and “this is just someone I’m getting coffee with.”
If you’re tired of confusing talking stages, wondering if your standards are too high, or worried you’ll miss who God has for you, this episode will help you breathe, pay attention to the right things, and trust His timing more than your timeline.

What do people really remember about you—the worship songs you post, or how you made them feel when no one was watching?
In this episode, Kayla brings 16‑year‑old her to the mic, sharing the first message she ever gave on a stage about kindness, judgment, and feeling left out at church. From being the girl sitting alone on the floor at youth group to learning how powerful a simple “How are you?” can be, she traces how those early wounds shaped the way she sees Christians, community, and love today.
Then she fast‑forwards to now, calling out the subtle cattiness we often excuse—exclusion, inside jokes, “just kidding” comments, fake niceness—and walks through what Jesus actually meant when He said, “Go and do likewise.” This is a conversation about God’s kindness that leads to repentance, not humiliation, and the small, costly choices that make our presence feel safe instead of scary.
If you’ve ever been hurt by church people, caught yourself being a little sharper than you’d like to admit, or just want to love more like Jesus in everyday moments, this one’s for you.

Anxiety has a way of writing entire disaster movies in our heads before anything even happens. One small plan turns into a hundred “what ifs,” and suddenly we’re stuck, overwhelmed, and choosing comfort over calling.
In this episode, Maggie and Kayla get brutally honest about overthinking, worst-case scenario spirals, and how easy it is to let fear keep you sitting on the sidelines of the life God is actually inviting you into. They talk about saying yes when it would be easier to stay home, learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and how to recognize when the enemy is trying to keep you quiet and stuck.
You’ll hear real stories, practical examples, and faith-filled encouragement around:
- Naming the wild “what if” thoughts that keep you frozen
- Why comfort feels safe but slowly steals your confidence
- Simple ways to start saying yes to things that scare you (in a good way)
- How to lean on the Holy Spirit instead of your worst-case imagination
If you’ve ever talked yourself out of something you actually wanted to do because of fear, this conversation will feel like sitting down with two friends who get it.

Life is loud about what you don’t have yet: more money, more time, more progress, more certainty. It’s easy to start believing that you’re always one step behind, one step short, one step away from “enough.”
In this episode, we unpack what it really means to say “I lack nothing” — not as a cute Pinterest quote, but as a way of living. We walk through Psalm 23, the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, and the surprising neuroscience behind why your brain is wired to focus on scarcity and how that can actually be rewired.
You’ll hear honest stories, Bible truth, and psychology-backed insight on:
- Why your mind defaults to “not enough”
- How God meets you in seasons where your resources really are limited
- What it looks like to bring your “five loaves and two fish” and trust Him with the rest
- Practical ways to practice abundance and contentment right where you are
If you’ve been feeling behind, overlooked, or constantly anxious about the future, this conversation is an invitation to breathe, look up, and remember the Shepherd who makes it true to say: I lack nothing.

This week’s conversation is tender, powerful, and honestly hard to put into words. In 2017, Hunter was told by doctors that he shouldn’t be alive today. Yet in the middle of that crisis, he had an encounter that changed everything: he remembers walking through heaven’s gates, sitting with Jesus, and hearing the words, “It’s not your time yet.”
In this episode, Hunter shares how that experience reshaped his faith, what he remembers about the peace of heaven, and how it has changed the way he lives, loves, and shows up for people now. We talk about the way God can use what the enemy meant for evil and turn it into a story that draws others to Him, how Hunter’s family was impacted, and what it looks like to live like every day is a second chance.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to encounter Jesus, wrestled with fear about what comes next, or needed a reminder that God is still moving in impossible situations, this conversation will speak to you.