Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction

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...

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 s...

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 u...

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 beco...

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, wrest...

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 pressu...

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 spiritua...

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 spiritua...

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 i...

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 instin...

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 b...

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 decis...

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...

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 create...

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 you missed it....

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 O...

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 de...

What does the Bible actually say about divorce — and how did so many churches get it wrong? Here in Part Two, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench slow down and examine the biblical texts, Hebrew language, and cultural context around divorce. CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes discussion of divorce, marital harm, misogyny, sexual coercion, and harmful church teachings. Listener discretion is advi...

Why does the church get divorce so wrong? And how has bad theology made abuse and shame worse? In Part One, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench examine harmful and misogynistic teachings on divorce and remarriage. CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses divorce, marital abuse, misogyny, sexual coercion, and spiritually harmful church teachings. Listener discretion is advised. If this brings up diffi...

This episode features a live group conversation reflecting on Week One of the Deconstruction / Reconstruction Challenge hosted by Martin Trench. In this candid conversation, we explore how fear-based theology — especially around the end times, the rapture, and hell — shapes not just beliefs, but anxiety, mental health, physical health, and relationships. You’ll hear honest reflections from partici...

Why is thinking for yourself such a big deal in spiritual maturity? This is Part 2 of our conversation on why churches sometimes create dependency instead of discernment, and what it actually looks like to grow up spiritually. In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench explore personal agency, inner conviction, and why real Christian maturity isn’t ab...

Why do so many smart, capable adults feel anxious making major life decisions without first checking with their pastor — or making sure the Bible gives them permission? In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Martin Trench name and explore a rarely acknowledged reality in modern church culture: the ways church systems can unintentionally infantilize adults by di...

Was Christmas really a one-night event in a lonely stable? Or have we oversimplified one of the most radical moments in human history? In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench bring you “A Very Unhinged Christmas” by dismantling common nativity myths and recovering the deeper historical, cultural, and cosmic meaning of the incarnation. You’ll di...

In Part 1, we explored the historical context of tithing — Abraham’s one-time gift, Jacob’s conditional vow, the Mosaic Law, and how Christians accidentally inherited a covenant that was never meant to be theirs. Now in Part 2, Michele and Martin turn from context to practice and ask: What does generosity actually look like in the New Covenant — for real, grown-up adults who are led by the Holy Sp...

In Part 1 of our two-part series on tithing and New Covenant generosity, Michele and Martin revisit the Mosaic Law and ask a crucial question: Why are Christians still following laws that were never theirs to begin with? We unpack how tithing functioned as a taxation system under ancient Israel’s covenant, why the Law was always temporary, and what was actually going on in the Abraham and Jacob ti...