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Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction

Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction

By: Michele Kus M.A. & Dr. Martin Trench
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What if the version of God you were handed… isn’t the whole story?

Welcome to Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction — a bold, grace-filled, sometimes wild and wacky exploration of what happens when real faith breaks free from fear, performance, burnout, and outdated religious assumptions.

Hosts Michele Kus, M.A. and Dr. Martin Trench aren’t afraid to question what we’ve been taught, rethink common church narratives, and wrestle honestly with scripture, spirituality, emotional health, and what it actually means to become more like Jesus.

If you’re tired of churchy clichés, spiritual jargon, and performative “Church-ianity” that leaves you more anxious instead of more whole… you’re not alone.

Each episode separates what’s authentic from what’s manmade, helping listeners rediscover a faith rooted in freedom, grace, honesty, humanity, and authentic spiritual maturity.

Because the truth really does set you free — and it might be far better than you were told.

Copyright ©️ 2026. All rights reserved. Christianity Spirituality
Episodes
  • Ep27: Did Church Make You Tired Instead of Transformed?

    Ep27: Did Church Make You Tired Instead of Transformed?
    May 15 2026
    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 Dr. Martin Trench unpack what Martin calls “the bait-and-switch” of modern Christianity — the subtle shift from grace, simple connection with God, and organic spiritual growth into pressure, performance, striving, and burnout. Many Christians begin their faith journey hearing about forgiveness and transformation through Jesus… only to slowly feel trapped in a cycle of trying harder, fixing themselves, performing, and wondering if they’re ever truly enough. Through scripture, stories, and honest conversation, Michele and Martin explore the difference between transformation that happens organically through connection with God versus behavior modification driven by fear, pressure, and religious performance. Real spiritual growth is about letting our connection with God gradually transform us into the people we were always intended to be. If you’ve ever felt burned out by religion, exhausted by spiritual pressure, or quietly wondered why faith stopped feeling life-giving — this episode is for you. If you want the full visual experience, watch this episode on our Unhinged YouTube channel. (And remember to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE while you’re there!) -- WHAT YOU’LL LEARN -- If you’ve ever… felt exhausted from constantly trying harder spirituallywondered why Christianity sometimes feels more stressful than peacefulstruggled with pressure, performance, or fear-based spiritualityfelt like grace somehow turned into strivingquestioned whether transformation is supposed to feel this exhausting … then this will help you: understand the “bait-and-switch” many people experience in modern Christianityrecognize the difference between grace-based growth vs. performance spiritualityrethink spiritual transformation through the lens of connection instead of pressureexplore scripture passages about how God works within usembrace a healthier, more peaceful journey of spiritual growth -- Purchase Martin’s book, Secrets of Spiritual Growth. -- READY TO GO DEEPER? -- If this stirred something in you, don’t just watch — take the next step. Join Michele’s online community, New Creation Academy Join Martin’s 30-Day Spiritual Growth Challenge inside his online community, The Gathering -- SUPPORT THE SHOW -- Love our free content and want to keep it ad-free? Grab some snarky Unhinged merch or send us a donation (thank you!) -- ABOUT OUR SHOW -- Unhinged helps you unlearn toxic religious thinking and rediscover a freer, healthier way of understanding God, faith, and yourself. -- RESOURCES -- Michele’s music (Grace Remixed) on Spotify Michele’s music (Grace Remixed) on Apple Music Martin’s books on Amazon -- CONNECT WITH US! -- Michele’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree, & website Martin’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree, & website CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction! 01:19 The Christian “Bait & Switch” Explained 07:44 Why So Many Christians Feel Spiritually Exhausted 11:07 The Shift From Grace to “Discipline” & Striving 14:33 The Living Things of the Kingdom of God Grow Naturally 17:42 Separation Only Exists in Our Minds 19:05 The Christian Life Is a Partnership, Not a Performance 23:13 Becoming Who You Were Always Intended to Be
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    25 mins
  • Ep26: Did the Church Teach You to Distrust Yourself?

    Ep26: Did the Church Teach You to Distrust Yourself?
    May 8 2026
    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 spirituality, nervous system exhaustion, and the difference between transformation through love versus control. Real spiritual growth is not about becoming less yourself… but becoming safe enough to finally be your authentic self. If you’ve ever felt stuck in self-doubt, constantly second-guessed yourself, or felt afraid to think differently, question things, or trust your own discernment — this episode is for you. -- WHAT YOU’LL LEARN -- If you’ve ever… felt like your thoughts or feelings were “dangerous”struggled to trust yourself or make decisions confidentlyfelt exhausted from constantly performing spiritualityfeared “straying” or being wronghidden parts of yourself just to feel accepted … then this will help you: understand how self-distrust gets reinforced in church culturerecognize the difference between transformation through love vs. controlrebuild self-trust and discernmentunderstand why acceptance often transforms us more deeply than correctioncreate space for your nervous system to finally exhaleembrace a healthier, more honest spirituality -- If you want the full visual experience, watch this episode on our Unhinged YouTube channel. (And remember to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE while you’re there!) Stream “My Scars Are Beautiful” on Spotify. Stream “My Scars Are Beautiful” on Apple Music. Purchase Martin’s book, Secrets of Spiritual Growth. Purchase “Disappointments, All of You” t-shirt (from the Unhinged merch shop). -- READY TO GO DEEPER? -- If this stirred something in you, don’t just watch — take the next step. Join Michele’s online community, New Creation Academy Join Martin’s 30-Day Spiritual Growth Challenge inside his online community, The Gathering -- SUPPORT THE SHOW -- Love our free content and want to keep it ad-free? Grab some snarky Unhinged merch or send us a donation (thank you!) -- ABOUT OUR SHOW -- Unhinged helps you unlearn toxic religious thinking and rediscover a freer, healthier way of understanding God, faith, and yourself. -- RESOURCES -- Michele’s music (Grace Remixed) on Spotify Michele’s music (Grace Remixed) on Apple Music Martin’s books on Amazon -- CONNECT WITH US! -- Michele’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree, & website Martin’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree, & website CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction! 02:24 Spiritual Growth or Spiritual Control? 04:04 Transformation by Being Accepted, Not by Being Corrected 05:48 Love God. Love People. Love Yourself. 08:12 Fear of “Straying” and His Reckless Love 09:21 “Your Heart Is Deceitful” and Other Lies We Internalized 10:59 The Restlessness When You Outgrow Old Beliefs 14:48 Final Thoughts & Final Unhinged Moments!
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    16 mins
  • Ep25: Your Deepest Insecurity? God Sees It Differently

    Ep25: Your Deepest Insecurity? God Sees It Differently
    May 1 2026

    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 imperfections may not be flaws at all — and how learning to see yourself through God’s eyes can radically shift the way you see yourself.

    If you’ve ever struggled with self-criticism, shame, or the feeling that something about you is deeply flawed and needs fixing — this one’s for you.

    -- WHAT YOU’LL LEARN --

    If you’ve ever…

    • felt like something about you was “too much” or “not enough”
    • been taught to distrust your own thoughts, feelings, intuition, or heart
    • struggled with self-criticism or feeling like you need to fix yourself

    … then this will help you:

    • reframe what you’ve been calling “flaws”
    • understand how shame-based thinking gets reinforced in church culture
    • begin to see yourself through a lens of grace instead of criticism
    • rebuild self-trust and embrace your authentic self

    --

    Stream “My Scars Are Beautiful” on Spotify.

    Stream “My Scars Are Beautiful” on Apple Music.

    Purchase Martin’s book, Secrets of Spiritual Growth.

    Purchase “Disappointments, All of You” t-shirt (featured in this video, from the Unhinged merch shop).

    -- READY TO GO DEEPER? --

    If you want the full visual experience, watch this episode on our Unhinged YouTube channel. (Or watch the entire Align With Your Design playlist here. And remember to SUBSCRIBE while you’re there!)

    If this stirred something in you, don’t just watch — take the next step.

    Join Michele’s online community, New Creation Academy

    Join Martin’s 30-Day Spiritual Growth Challenge inside his online community, The Gathering

    -- SUPPORT THE SHOW --

    Love our free content and want to keep it ad-free?

    Grab some snarky Unhinged merch or send us a donation (thank you!)

    -- ABOUT OUR SHOW --

    Unhinged helps you unlearn toxic religious thinking and rediscover a freer, healthier way of understanding God, faith, and yourself.

    -- RESOURCES --

    Michele’s music (Grace Remixed) on Spotify

    Michele’s music (Grace Remixed) on Apple Music

    Martin’s books on Amazon

    -- CONNECT WITH US! --

    Michele’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree, & website

    Martin’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree, & website

    CHAPTERS

    00:00 Welcome to Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction!

    03:05 How Do You Find the Right Environment?

    05:13 Go Where You’re Celebrated, Not Where You’re Tolerated

    07:21 What You Call Ugly, God Calls Beautiful

    12:54 Guided Meditation: You Are His Treasure

    18:07 “My Scars Are Beautiful” song by Michele
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
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