Text us your question! Check out Martin’s books: Victorious Eschatology, Eyes Wide Open, and Secrets of Spiritual Growth, and his learning community on Skool Follow Michele and Martin on Facebook Michele Kus, M.A. on Linktree Dr. Martin Trench on Linktree In this behind-the-mic episode, Michele spills the origin story of Unhinged — how a Chicago doctoral student and a Scottish theologian went from mentorship Zoom calls to co-hosting a refreshingly honest (and fun!) podcast about faith, freedom, and flourishing, with a side of spicy chili. Stick around to the end of the episode… you won’t be disappointed!

Check out Martin’s books, Eyes Wide Open and Secrets of Spiritual Growth, and his learning community on Skool Follow Michele and Martin on Facebook Michele Kus, M.A. on Linktree Dr. Martin Trench on Linktree Growing up in your faith isn’t about losing God — it’s about losing your fear of God. In this episode, Michele and Martin unpack the spiritual hero’s journey: deconstruction, reconstruction, and the freedom to outgrow old assumptions — even your own! Discover how Jesus blew up tired religious paradigms, why context and idioms matter, and what mature, love-centered spirituality really looks like. If your faith is evolving and you’re brave enough to question what you’ve been told, this one’s for you.

In this episode of Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction, Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench dive into 1 John 2 to unpack the three stages of spiritual maturity: Childhood — grounded in the Father’s love and forgiveness. Youth — wrestling with doctrine and overcoming temptation. Parenthood — living from a deep experiential knowledge of and intimacy with God. They explore why so many churches stall out at the second stage, the vital difference between teaching and spiritual parenting, and how true maturity allows you to explore mystery without losing your foundation (or your head!). Along the way, they touch on the psychology of resistance to change, the freedom that comes from knowing God personally, and how deconstruction and reconstruction are both part of a lifelong journey of growing in faith. Whether you’re questioning, growing, or rebuilding your faith — this conversation will remind you that the Father loves you, He is yours, and you are His. End of story!

Welcome to the first episode of Unhinged — where faith refuses to stay polite or predictable. Michele sits down with Dr. Martin Trench as he shares his dramatic conversion story: a supernatural encounter sparked by a pastor’s prayer after a night of heavy partying. Spoiler alert: the miracle hit before the hangover. Michele joins the conversation with her own surprising story — a search for meaning that collided with a friend’s Bible in the middle of a psychedelic trip. Their stories may be different, yet both reveal the same theme: spiritual curiosity, divine interruptions, and a grace that sneaks up on you in the least religious places. This is how two unlikely people ended up passionately following Christ. This is where Unhinged begins.

What if the version of God you were handed in church isn’t the whole story? Join Michele Kus and Dr. Martin Trench on a freedom-focused journey of real faith, real growth, and real grace. Welcome to Unhinged: Separating Faith from Fiction!