Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick

“ Healing requires fierceness and tenderness. ” - Aundi Kolber Many of us don’t realize that just as God is profoundly kind and compassionate to us; we are invited to steward that compassion toward ourselves in the form of self-compassion. How do we do this? We begin to practice gentleness and attentiveness toward our wounds in the same way that God is already kind to us. On this edition, we’re fe...

“ More time with fewer people equals greater Kingdom impact. ” - Robby Angle Making disciples is an imperative delivered by Jesus in the Great Commission. In Matthew 28, He says, “go and make disciples of all nations… and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” So how are we as a Church at discipling? A joint Barna Group and Navigators research project revealed confusion among leaders...

“ I don’t believe people will trust you with their hope until you show you understand their pain .”  - Steve Siler The essence of the Restoring the Soul podcast is to present conversations that cultivate freedom, flourishing, and wholeness of heart through Jesus-shaped spirituality. Over the past six years, we have found that many conversations were springboards to help our listeners find freedom...

“ Compassion and gentleness create something in us that is very solid and strong .” - Aundi Kolber How do you define strength? And does the phrase, “what doesn’t kill you make you stronger,” really true? On today’s edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes back Aundi Kolber to the podcast, and they’re going to unpack the essence of true strength and discover that God has, and always will be...

“ It’s not about letting go of love. It’s about letting go of the false love so we can be held by the true love and receive what we need there. ” - Brad Jersak Brad Jersak is a frequent guest on the Restoring the Soul podcast and joins Michael for Part 2 in this conversation about Brad’s latest book, “Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction.” In the book, Brad explores the necessit...

“ I needed to dismantle those elements of my image of God that were harming me. ” - Brad Jersak For the past five years or so, the term ‘deconstruction” has become quite familiar in evangelical circles and is used to describe a process as varied as the people who experience it, but it primarily revolves around questioning tenets of faith. For some, it can mean leaving a particular church. For othe...

The heartbeat of the ministry of Restoring the Soul is intensive counseling - which allows you to experience a deep change in half-day blocks over one or two weeks rather than an hour here or an hour there with your counselor. The intensive program is focused and challenges both client and counselor to be “all in,” with the hopes of seeing breakthrough in a shorter amount of time. Every once in a...

“How do you restart a dormant career without destroying everything that you love in the process?” - Kevin Tracy If you haven’t heard, the church has been experiencing a mass exodus of pastors. Not because they are commissioned to plant new churches or join the mission field. They’re leaving the ministry altogether. There are several reasons behind this trend. COVID wreaked havoc on the church, and...

" It is just a beautiful revelation. It's as if I had been born again. " - Brian Beatty We’re closing out 2022 with a very special conversation between Michael and our producer, Brian Beatty. As a result of what you hear on today’s episode we hope you will be inspired to lean into life, reflect, respond, and resolve to live to the fullest. From all of us here at Restoring the Soul,...

“ We use faith stories. We use testimonies to build bridges and diffuse tension. We recognize Christ in each other and each other in Christ. ” - Rev. Dr. Casely Essamuah Merry Christmas, everyone! If you’re listening in the US, you have probably hunkered down with a few extra blankets or your warmest coat to brave the cold front that has crippled nearly all of the country. But maybe it’s a blessin...

“ You will be at your best if you are doing it from a rested soul. ” - Alan Fadling With the overwhelming pace of life, many of us struggle to stop long enough to be present. Our long to-do lists and full calendars leave little breathing room to hear from God. We know we need to slow down, but we don't even know how to begin. As 2022 comes to a close and we soon turn the page to a new year, i...

“ There’s only one answer to the question, “What is God like?” It’s Jesus." - Dr. James Bryan Smith The Christian faith is not only about belief and practices but also about the kind of people we become. Yet some of the most significant barriers to our transformation come from our toxic self-narratives. These narratives shape the way we see ourselves and the way we interact in the world. God...

“ The Sabbath is the greatest gift from God outside of Jesus Himself. ” - Dr. Ruth Haley Barton The practice of the Sabbath has received quite a lot of attention in recent years and if you’re interested in learning more, today’s conversation will be a perfect compliment to your journey. On this edition of the podcast, Michael welcomes Dr. Ruth Haley Barton to the conversation. Ruth is an author, s...

“ Painting was healing and gave me a way to share my story when I could put words to it .” - Sheila Paige On this edition of the podcast, Michael welcomes Sheila Paige to the conversation. Not too long ago, Sheila experienced the tragedy of betrayal trauma and discovered the path to healing through painting. As a result, she found the faithfulness of a Creator who loves her in her pain. Although t...

“ I don’t work well with people who have it all together. ” - Dr. Janelle Hallman On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes his colleague and one of Restoring the Soul’s Intensive Clinical Soul Care Specialists, Dr. Janelle Hallman. Janelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor, ordained minister, professor, author, and speaker on issues such as redemption, healing, and wholeness. Her...

“ The trajectory of spiritual growth is in the direction of simplicity rather than in the direction of complexity. ” - Alan Fadling On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Alan Fadling to ponder questions that not many people want to - or have the courage - to ask, “Do you want a Jesus who is relaxed? When you think of Jesus, is He relaxed?” Living an Unhurried Life is central to A...

“ God is not elsewhere .” - Gem Fadling On this edition, Michael welcomes Gem Fadling to the podcast to discuss her latest book, “ Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads .” Gem is a founding partner of Unhurried Living , a non-profit that trains people to rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better. She is a Certified Life Coach and a trained Spiritual Director who coaches women...

“ There’s no better freedom than being the person God created you to be. ” - Kevin Triplett On this edition of the podcast, Michael welcomes back Kevin Triplett. Kevin was a guest in 2017 alongside Tony Anderson as they recounted their 2013 Restoring the Soul Men’s intensive weekend that catalyzed their radical life change. They also recount their stories in the incredible film, The Heart of Man....

“ A job of a songwriter is to not sleepwalk through the world .”  - Andy Gullahorn Our good friend Andy Gullahorn joins Michael on this edition of Restoring the Soul. Andy was born and raised in the rich musical climate of Austin, TX and then went to College at Belmont University in Nashville to join the legions of songwriters in the country music scene. After graduation, he spent several years as...

“The idea of settling is actually stepping into a place of unfaithfulness.” - Chris Bruno On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Chris Bruno to the podcast where they will discuss, among other things, Chris’s latest work, “Sage.” A promotional web page for the book reads, “The time comes for every man where he realizes the morning of his life will soon turn towards afternoon. Ther...

“ Certain kinds of care for betrayal trauma actually makes people stuck or worse in their recovery .” - Julianne Cusick On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael concludes his conversation with Julianne Cusick about Betrayal Trauma. Today they will focus on Treatment Barriers to Healing from Betrayal Trauma. Today’s conversation is a continuation from our previous episode on Barriers to Overc...

“ It’s impossible to recover from betrayal trauma when you’re still a victim of betrayal trauma .” - Julianne Cusick On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes back Julianne Cusick for the next two episodes as they discuss Betrayal Trauma. Today they will focus on Barriers to Overcoming Betrayal Trauma. In this podcast, we hope you will discover: Why a woman stays stuck in the process...

“ Masculine power is intended to be good when it’s wholehearted and in the service of love. ” - Morgan Snyder On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Morgan Snyder to the podcast. Morgan is a grateful husband of over 20 years and a proud father of a wildly creative and witty daughter and a joyful and passionate son. He serves as a strategist, entrepreneur, teacher, writer, and spea...

“ We’re loved into loving. That’s ultimately how we’re transformed. ”  - Dr. Todd Hall It's no secret that we live in an increasingly isolated world. The pandemic has only exacerbated a startling trend: loneliness and disconnection have been on the rise for a long time in our society. We long for a deep sense of meaning to make sense of our lives, but we don't know how to find it. Even w...

“I came to see that Michael had the power to devastate me but not destroy me.”  - Julianne Cusick What’s the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? There are similarities in the definition - but they are a world apart when it comes to practical application. Today’s podcast features a conversation between our very own Julianne Cusick, who was recently interviewed by Bill Arnold on Faith...