Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction

What if you’ve been spiritually malnourished... not because you didn’t love God, but because you were fed the wrong spiritual diet early in your Christian life?

Download this episode’s beautiful Companion Study Guide (with key points, scriptures, journal prompts, reflection questions, notable quotes, a guided meditation, small group discussion questions & more).

⎯ READY TO GO DEEPER? ⎯

If this stirred somethi...

If your journey with Jesus began with fear instead of kindness, this conversation may just change the way you experience God forever.

Download this episode’s beautiful Companion Study Guide (with key points, scriptures, journal prompts, reflection questions, notable quotes, a guided meditation, small group discussion questions & more).

⎯ READY TO GO DEEPER? ⎯

If this stirred something in you, don’t just watch &mdas...

What if bad theology isn’t something you have to debate on social media … but something you naturally learn to recognize the taste of? And what if the pure spiritual milk of the gospel develops spiritual taste buds that recognize fear, shame, and manipulation before they ever take root in you?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench continue their Simply Jesus series by...

What if the best protection against bad theology isn’t learning more ... but returning to the pure spiritual milk of the gospel? And what if that pure spiritual milk permanently inoculates you against fear, manipulation, and toxic preaching?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench continue their Simply Jesus series by exploring what they call the spiritual vaccine against bad ...

What if the thing missing from your faith isn’t more theology... but a simple spiritual childhood?

And what if some of the questions keeping you exhausted don’t need answers right now — they just need to be left on the shelf?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench launch their new Simply Jesus series by exploring what happens when believers grow up too fast spirit...

What if spiritual maturity isn’t about learning more... but about coming home? And what if the final stage of spiritual growth looks surprisingly similar to the first?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench conclude their Secrets of Spiritual Growth series by exploring the often-overlooked stage of spiritual parenthood — the stage where faith becomes less about informat...

What if the real battle isn’t the one you’ve been fighting? And what if your biggest spiritual problem isn’t the devil at all?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench continue their Secrets of Spiritual Growth series by exploring the spiritual youth stage — the stage of growth characterized by strength, passion, conviction, spiritual warfare, wrestling with s...

Why do so many Christians feel pressured to become “spiritually mature” before they’ve even learned to rest in God’s love?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench continue their Secrets of Spiritual Growth series by unpacking why many churches unintentionally rush believers past the foundational childhood stage of spiritual growth — creating pressure, c...

Why do so many Christians feel spiritually exhausted — even when they’re trying their hardest to grow?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench launch their new Secrets of Spiritual Growth series by unpacking what Martin calls “the bait-and-switch” of modern Christianity — the subtle shift from grace, simple connection with God, and organic spiritual gro...

You’ve been taught to not trust yourself… and what if that’s the very thing keeping you stuck?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction we explore the subtle ways church culture can train people to distrust their own thoughts, feelings, instincts, and inner voice — and how that often gets mistaken for “spiritual maturity.”

We talk about accountability culture, fear-based spirit...

You’ve been taught to fix what’s wrong with you… but what if the parts you’ve been trying to hide are the very parts God calls beautiful?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, we take a deeper look at identity, self-perception, and the subtle ways church culture can train us to dislike and distrust ourselves. We explore the powerful idea that what you’ve labeled as flaws or imper...

You’ve been told to “bloom where you’re planted”. . .

. . . which sounds great, but what if that advice is actually keeping you stuck?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, we unpack why spiritual growth doesn’t happen in environments where you can’t be your authentic self — and how Christians are often trained to distrust their own thoughts, feelings, discernment, and...

You’ve been taught there are 9 spiritual gifts… but that’s not actually the whole picture.

This is Part 4 of the Align With Your Design series, where we explore how you’re uniquely designed — and how your gifts, personality, and wiring all work together to shape your purpose.

In this teaching, we break down the three lists of spiritual gifts found in Scripture — and why most Christians have only...

You’re not weird. You’re wired this way.

This is Part 3 of the Align With Your Design series, where we take a closer look at personality — and how understanding the way you’re wired can unlock deeper self-awareness and clarity around your purpose.

In this teaching on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, we explore the four core dichotomies and how they shape the way you take in information, make decisions, and r...

What if your purpose isn’t something you have to find… but something already built into you?

This is Part 2 of the Align With Your Design series, where we explore how God has uniquely wired you — and how your design holds clues to your purpose.

In this teaching on the S.H.A.P.E. framework (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences), we look at how Ephesians 2:10 reveals that you are God&rsqu...

What if self-awareness isn’t selfish… but spiritual?

This is Part 1 of the Align With Your Design series, where we explore how understanding who you truly are is a key part of spiritual growth.

In this teaching on the false self vs true self, we look at how Psalm 139 reveals your God-given design and life purpose — including your personality, strengths, passions, and the unique way you were created to live.

WHAT ...

What if the thing you’re quietly afraid of is true… What if you think you missed God’s will?

In Part Two of our Life Purpose series, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench move from theory to real life. If Romans 12 teaches that God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect… how do we discern it when plans fall apart, churches close, doors shut, or “Plan A” disappears?

Here’s Part 1 in case ...

What if discovering your life purpose isn’t about decoding some hidden blueprint… but about alignment? In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench begin a two-part series on discovering your life purpose, looking through the lens of Romans 12.

Romans 12 describes God’s will as good, pleasing, and perfect. But what does that actually mean?

In Part One, Michele and ...

What is the Evangelical Industrial Complex — and why does it feel like people are suddenly waking up to it across the entire Church?

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench slow down to finally define a phrase they’ve referenced in prior episodes but never formally explained: the Evangelical Industrial Complex (EIC).

This episode isn’t about debating doctrine o...