In The Trenches with Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen

What's the difference between trying harder to be a better Christian and actually being transformed by the Holy Spirit?

In Episode 7 of In the Trenches, Pastors Chris Zahner and Casey Olsen tackle an important question about Christian discipleship, spiritual growth, and what it really means to become more like Jesus.

Is spiritual transformation something we accomplish through discipline, effort, and intentional habits? Or is it something only the Holy Spirit can accomplish in us?

The answer might be both.

Join Chris and Casey as they explore the relationship between personal responsibility and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Through Scripture, personal experiences, and practical examples, they unpack how spiritual disciplines, surrender, and daily partnership with God work together to produce lasting transformation.

In this episode, we discuss:

Trying harder vs. spiritual transformation: Why growing in Christ requires both intentional effort and dependence on the Holy Spirit.

The power of Colossians 1:29: What Paul teaches us about working diligently through the strength Christ provides.

The fruit of the Spirit: Why love, joy, peace, patience, and other spiritual fruit grow through a life surrendered to God rather than through sheer willpower.

Religion vs. relationship: The difference between checking off Christian responsibilities and genuinely pursuing a relationship with Jesus.

Spiritual disciplines that lead to growth: How prayer, Bible reading, worship, fasting, and intentional time with God create opportunities for transformation.

Experiencing God's presence in everyday life: How ordinary moments like driving, exercising, parenting, or simply listening to worship music can become opportunities to connect with Jesus.

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that the goal isn't simply to become a better Christian. The goal is to become more like Christ.

Following Jesus isn't about earning God's approval through religious performance, nor is it about passively waiting for spiritual growth to happen. It's about actively pursuing God while trusting the Holy Spirit to accomplish the transformation we cannot produce on our own.

Whether you're new to following Jesus or have been walking with Him for years, this conversation will encourage you to rethink spiritual growth, embrace God's grace, and discover what it looks like to partner with the Holy Spirit in everyday Christian living.

📩 HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE PODCAST?

Send your questions about discipleship, following Jesus, faith, spiritual growth, or everyday Christian living to:

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Your question might be featured in an upcoming episode of In the Trenches!

🎙️ ABOUT IN THE TRENCHES

In the Trenches with Chris Zahner and Casey Olsen is a Christian podcast dedicated to honest conversations about discipleship, faith, and following Jesus in the realities of everyday life.

Each episode explores meaningful questions about Christian living, biblical truth, spiritual formation, and what it looks like to represent Jesus well in the world around us.

Whether you're wrestling with questions about faith, looking to deepen your relationship with God, or simply wanting to grow as a disciple of Jesus, this podcast is for you.

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What does it look like to follow Jesus when faith has been part of your life for as long as you can remember?

In Episode 06 of In the Trenches, Chris Zauner turns the questions on Casey Olsen as Casey shares his testimony—from growing up surrounded by Christianity to taking ownership of his faith, wrestling with performance-based religion, experiencing God as Father through a broken family, and eventually surrendering more fully to the lordship of Jesus.

Unlike testimonies with a dramatic before-and-after moment, Casey describes his journey with Jesus as more like a sunrise: God was always at work, but over time His grace, calling, and presence became clearer and brighter.

Casey shares about growing up in Corvallis, Oregon, his parents’ divorce and the loneliness that followed, the importance of godly mentors during his formative years, and the early sense that God might be calling him into ministry. He also opens up about the tension of growing up in Christian environments where it was easy for faith to become connected to performance, achievement, and the approval of others.

As Casey grew older, Jesus began teaching him that spiritual maturity wasn’t about hiding the broken parts of his life. Real freedom came through bringing those things into the light, receiving grace, and allowing Christ to transform them.

Chris and Casey also have an important conversation for parents navigating marital struggles, separation, or divorce. Casey reflects on what he needed as a kid during those years—the power of presence, consistent relationships, godly mentorship, and having safe places to honestly process what he was experiencing.

Through family changes, loneliness, ministry opportunities, closed doors, marriage, fatherhood, and pastoral ministry, one theme continues throughout Casey’s story: the faithfulness of God.

Whether you grew up in church, are learning how to make your faith your own, have struggled with performance-based Christianity, or come from a complicated family story, we hope Casey’s testimony encourages you to keep following Jesus in the trenches of everyday life.

In the Trenches with Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen is a podcast about discipleship, Christian living, and what it actually looks like to follow Jesus in everyday life—from ordinary seasons and difficult circumstances to moments of joy, growth, and breakthrough.

Have a question you’d like Chris and Casey to discuss in a future episode?

📩 [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you, subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who might benefit from Casey’s story.

#ChristianTestimony #FollowingJesus #ChristianPodcast #Discipleship #ChristianLiving #Faith #Jesus #InTheTrenches

What is spiritual warfare, and how should Christians respond to it? In episode 05 of In the Trenches, Pastors Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen talk about the reality of spiritual opposition and the confidence believers can have in Jesus Christ.

Drawing from Ephesians 6, James 4, and the life of Jesus, they discuss how to recognize the enemy’s lies, stand firm in faith, and resist fear. They also share practical ways to engage in spiritual warfare: abide in Christ, stay rooted in Scripture, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and respond to God with repentance and obedience.

Whether spiritual warfare feels unfamiliar or close to home, this conversation offers a biblical starting point for facing it with clarity and confidence.

Have a question for a future episode? Email [email protected] or send us a message on Instagram.

In Episode 4 of In the Trenches, Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen tackle a tension many Christians face every week: How do you boldly live out your faith in the workplace without being pushy, awkward, or unnecessarily offensive?

Following Jesus was never meant to be confined to Sunday mornings. Our faith shapes how we work, how we treat people, how we respond to difficult situations, and how willing we are to talk about the hope we have in Jesus. But what does that actually look like when your coworkers may not share your beliefs?

Chris and Casey unpack the difference between being unnecessarily offensive and recognizing that the Gospel itself can be challenging. They discuss why there really isn't a "neutral" approach to faith, how fear of making someone uncomfortable can lead to silence, and why Christians are called to pair truth with love, boldness with humility, and conviction with gentleness and respect.

Drawing from passages like 1 Peter 3:15–16 and Romans 10:14–15, this conversation gets practical about what it means to represent Jesus in everyday conversations. Sometimes living out your faith can begin with something as simple as honestly telling a coworker why you're going to church, why you're part of a small group, or how Jesus has changed your marriage, parenting, priorities, or perspective.

You don't have to know every answer. You don't have to force conversations. But you can be ready to share the reason for the hope that is in you.

In this episode, Chris and Casey discuss:

• Living out your Christian faith at work

• Sharing your faith without being pushy

• Why the Gospel can make people uncomfortable

• Speaking truth with gentleness and respect

• Overcoming fear when talking about Jesus

• The danger of a "neutral" faith

• Using both your actions and your words to represent Christ

• Sharing your testimony naturally with coworkers

• Being honest about your Christian commitments

• Making disciples in everyday life

• What 1 Peter 3 and Romans 10 teach about sharing the Gospel

“Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do this with gentleness and respect.” — 1 Peter 3:15

Whether you're working in an office, classroom, jobsite, hospital, business, or anywhere else, the workplace is one of the places where everyday discipleship becomes real. The question isn't simply whether people know you're a Christian—it's whether your words, actions, priorities, and relationships faithfully point toward Jesus.

In the Trenches is about honest conversations on discipleship and Christian living—not giving you another religious checklist, but helping bring biblical perspective to what it looks like to faithfully follow Jesus in everyday life.

If this conversation encouraged or challenged you, like the video, subscribe, and share it with someone who's trying to navigate their faith in the workplace.

And let us know in the comments: What has been the hardest part of living out your faith at work?

#InTheTrenches #ChristianLiving #FaithAtWork #ChristianPodcast #FollowingJesus #Discipleship #SharingYourFaith #WorkplaceFaith #ChristianFaith #Jesus

This week, we’re stepping away from listener questions to hear more of Pastor Chris Zauner’s story.

Chris shares about growing up around a performative version of faith, building his identity on athletic success, and reaching a moment when everything he relied upon began to fall apart. From encountering the grace of Jesus in Romans 5 to learning what it truly means to follow Him as Lord, Chris reflects on the people, hardships, and unexpected opportunities God used to transform his life.

It’s a conversation about grace, surrender, leadership, relationships, and the God who wastes nothing.

Episode 4 of In the Trenches is available now on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.

How do I know if I’m hearing God’s voice or just my own thoughts?

In Episode 3 of In The Trenches, Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen talk about how Christians can discern God’s voice, test what they believe God may be saying, and grow in sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We explore why Scripture is the primary filter for hearing God, how wise Christian community and mentorship can help us discern well, and why knowing the character and words of Jesus matters so much. We also talk about the danger of assuming every thought is from God—or becoming so cautious that we never step out in faith at all.

Along the way, we discuss practical ways to grow in hearing God, including reading Scripture, creating space for silence and solitude, seeking godly counsel, and learning to recognize the difference between God’s leading and our own desires.

If you’ve ever asked, “Was that God speaking to me, or was that just me?” this conversation is for you.

Have a question you want us to wrestle with? Email [email protected] or DM us on Instagram.

Christian living. Discipleship. Real life. We’ll see you in the trenches.

In Episode 2 of In The Trenches, Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen wrestle with one of the most honest questions a follower of Jesus can ask. What do we do with anger, disappointment, confusion, and frustration toward God when life doesn’t make sense?

We look at the way Scripture makes room for honest emotion without letting anger become the final word. From the Psalms to Job, we talk about lament, humility, wise counsel, and the difference between bringing our anger to God and allowing anger to distort our view of Him.

We also revisit last week’s conversation about keeping Jesus at the center of life and talk about how priorities shift during busy seasons.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your frustration with God means your faith is failing, this conversation is for you.

Have a question you want us to wrestle with? Email [email protected] or DM us on Instagram.

Christian living. Discipleship. Real life. We’ll see you in the trenches.

Welcome to the first episode of In The Trenches!

Following Jesus happens in the realities of everyday life, and that’s what this podcast is all about. Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen introduce In The Trenches, share a little of the story behind the name, and talk about why they want to create a space for honest conversations about Christian living, discipleship, and real life.

Then we get into our first listener question:

What are some practical ways we can “do everything unto the Lord”? What kind of mindset does that require?

Using Colossians 3:23–24 as our starting point, we talk about what it means to honor Jesus in every area of life, resisting the temptation to compartmentalize our faith, recognizing the difference between good things and the things God has actually called us to, and learning to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit as we try to live faithfully.

Have a question you want us to wrestle with? Send it to [email protected] or DM us on Instagram.

Welcome to the trenches.

Welcome to In The Trenches. 🎙️

Following Jesus happens in real life. In our marriages, families, friendships, workplaces, struggles, questions, doubts, and everyday decisions.

In The Trenches is a Christian living and discipleship podcast where pastors Chris Zauner and Casey Olsen have honest conversations about what it looks like to faithfully follow Jesus right where life happens.

Each week, we’ll wrestle with real questions from listeners, open the Scriptures, and work through how our faith actually gets lived out in the trenches of everyday life.

Our first episode drops tomorrow.

Follow the show and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Then send us the questions you want to hear us tackle.

We’ll see you in the trenches.