Unpolished Faith

Madi is currently on sabbatical for personal and spiritual reasons. Unpolished Faith will return with new episodes this Fall.

What do you do when you feel like you’re the only one following Jesus at your job? This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt isolated in their faith at work. You are not alone, and your quiet faithfulness might be shining brighter than you think.

In this episode, writer and speaker Grace McCready joins us to talk about the real tension of being a Christian in a secular workplace. She shares her own experience navigating faith in environments where it’s not always welcome—and how she’s learned to stand firm, speak up with gentleness, and live faithfully even when she feels alone.

Together, we’ll dive into:

• What it feels like to be the only Christian in the room—and how to stay encouraged
• Practical ways to witness through presence, not pressure
• How to handle workplace conversations that conflict with your values
• Why your integrity, compassion, and consistency can speak louder than words
• The beauty of knowing Jesus is with you—even when it feels like no one else is

About Our Guest:

Grace McCready is an author, blogger, and speaker who is passionate about encouraging young women through sharing personal stories and scriptural truths. She’s the author of Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like and blogger at Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth. She’s also a full-time writer/editor for a Christian ministry.

Show Links:

Follow Unpolished Faith

Get Grace's Book Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like

Read Grace's Blog Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth

What does it look like to thrive in your calling when the conversation for women around faith and work feels one-dimensional? This episode is a must-listen for women longing to live out their faith in every corner of their calling.

While women now have more access than ever to meaningful work outside the home, many feel the Church hasn’t caught up. Joanna Meyer joins us to unpack the tension between home, career, and calling. She offers a deeply thoughtful framework for understanding women’s work through a biblical lens, while addressing the emotional, spiritual, and practical challenges women navigate daily—from workplace dynamics to the pressure of holding it all together.

Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, leading in ministry, or managing the chaos of home life, this conversation will help you:

• Reimagine your vocation with purpose and faith
• Strengthen your inner life to sustain your outer calling
• Face real workplace challenges with wisdom and grace
• Build purposeful, supportive relationships
• And learn from the lived wisdom of godly women who’ve gone before you

Show Links:

Connect with Joanna Meyer: https://www.joannameyer.co/ 

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannameyer/

Women Work and Calling: https://www.womenworkandcalling.com/

The Denver Institute: https://denverinstitute.org/

Book: Women, Work, & Calling: Step into Your Place in God's World

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannameyerco/

If you’ve ever sat at your desk or stood behind a counter and wondered, Does what I do really matter?—this episode is for you. Your job doesn’t have to be glamorous to be godly. Tune in to discover how showing up faithfully—even in the most routine tasks—can shape culture, transform hearts, and bring glory to God.

Dr. Dan Doriani joins us to help reframe the way we think about calling, purpose, and the everyday grind. Drawing on more than twenty years of pastoral insight and theological depth, he unpacks how even the most “ordinary” job can have sacred value.

Whether you're wrangling toddlers in a preschool classroom, scanning barcodes at the drive-thru, or performing emergency surgery, your work carries eternal significance. In God's economy, no task done unto Him is ever wasted.

In this conversation, we’ll explore:

• A biblical theology of work—its beauty, brokenness, and future redemption
• How to find meaning in even the most mundane or overlooked roles
• What it looks like to stay faithful when your job feels frustrating or unseen
• Real-life stories of everyday workers making an extraordinary impact
• How your work can participate in God’s redemptive work in the world

More About Our Guest:

Daniel M. Doriani (MDiv, PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary; STM, Yale Divinity School, Research Fellow, Yale University, 1981, 1995) is a Professor of theology at Covenant Theological Seminary. He has written seventeen books on exegesis and biblical ethics, is the founder and president of The Center for Faith and Work, St. Louis, a member of the Board of The Gospel Coalition, and a regular blogger. He was also a lead pastor of a very small church (5 years) and a very large church (eleven years. He has four children and three grandchildren (so far).

Show Links:

More About Dr. Dan

Get Dr. Dan's Book: Work: It's Purpose, It's Dignity, and It's Transformation

Another One of Dan's Books: Work That Makes A Difference

Listen to Dan Doriani's Podcast: Working with Dan Doriani

In this episode of Unpolished Faith, we're joined by Sebastian Traeger, co-author of The Gospel at Work, to explore the profound tension many Christians feel between two extremes when it comes to their jobs: idleness and idolatry. Whether you're feeling stuck in a “just-get-by” mentality or consumed by career ambition, this conversation will challenge your assumptions about work and offer a gospel-shaped perspective that brings both freedom and purpose.

We dive deep into questions that every working Christian eventually faces:

• How should faith shape our career decisions?
• Can ambition coexist with humility and service?
• Is "ministry" more meaningful than marketplace work?
• How do we deal with difficult bosses or unmotivated teams?
• Where does money fit into the equation?
• And how do we balance work with family and church life without burning out?

Rooted in biblical truth and real-life experience, Sebastian unpacks how the gospel liberates us from the pressures of performance and significance, and invites us instead to view work as a way to serve Christ, no matter what our job title is.

Whether you're in the boardroom, behind a register, or somewhere in between—this episode will help you rethink why and for Whom you work.

Show Links:

Buy Sebastian's Book: The Gospel at Work: How the Gospel Gives New Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs

What sets great leaders apart in the boardroom, on the field, and in everyday life? According to former MLB pitcher, business leader, and author Pat Combs, it's not just strategy or skill—it’s a deep alignment with Kingdom values.

In this episode, Madi sits down with Pat to talk about what the best leaders know that most Christians tend to forget: that leadership is less about control and more about character. Drawing from his experiences in professional sports, business, and mentoring young adults, Pat unpacks how faithfulness, humility, and integrity shape lasting influence.

You’ll hear stories that challenge hustle culture, confront ego-driven success, and remind us that God's scoreboard looks a whole lot different than ours. If you're leading in any capacity—whether it’s a team, your family, or just yourself—this episode will recalibrate your definition of success and encourage you to lead like Jesus.

Show Links:

Connect with Madi Franquiz

Follow Unpolished Faith on Instagram

Connect with Pat Combs

In this episode, Madi returns to the mic after graduating with her master’s degree (woohoo!), wrapping up one of the busiest seasons of her life—school deadlines, job transitions, and all the things in between. As we move into the next room of our series Our Dwelling Place, we're stepping into the office... and asking: Does our work really matter to God?

Whether you’re in a 9-to-5, managing a home, between jobs, or wondering what you’re even called to do—this episode is for you. Madi unpacks why the workplace isn't just a place to earn a paycheck, but a space where God forms us, meets us, and invites us to live on mission.

Tune in for an honest conversation about burnout, calling, showing up with purpose, and why your ordinary work might be more sacred than you think.

How would Paul be using social media? Would he even be using it all?

This week, Madi sits down with Jonah Wiley from The Bible Teacher to talk all things social media: what you’re watching, who you’re following, and how your screen time is shaping your soul. From stewarding your platform to building one that points to Jesus, this episode is a challenge to live on mission, even online.

Show Links:

Follow Unpolished Faith

Connect with Jonah on Instagram @thebibleteacher

Connect with Jonah on Facebook @the.bible.teacher

Jonah Wiley on TikTok

Welcome back to another episode of Unpolished Faith. Today, we're joined by Mary DeMuth, author, speaker, and host of the Pray Every Day podcast. Mary shares her journey of becoming a prayer warrior—what it’s cost her, how it’s shaped her, and why she still believes in prayer's fierce, transformative power even in the messiness of life. We talk about spiritual fatigue, the tension between hope and heartbreak, and how to keep praying when the answers seem silent.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered if their prayers matter.

Show Links:

Connect with Mary DeMuth

Pray Every Day Podcast

Connect with Madi

Follow Unpolished Faith on Instagram

Welcome back to Unpolished Faith! This week, we are talking about mentors, who they are, why we need them, and how to stay Christian in a secular workplace.

Hi friend! Welcome back to Unpolished Faith. We are in the middle of Your Dwelling Place, where we talk about the different types of community you need in your life.

Today, we are talking about the mentors who help you find your calling with one of my mentors, Terri Burnett. Terri has helped me over the past few years shape the work of my nonprofit and grow further into who God made me today.

Join us today as we talk about:

• How to discover your unique gifts and talents
• Who should speak into your purpose
• What your purpose is

Show Links:

Women's Nonprofit Alliance