Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick

Most people assume temptation is about weakness or willpower. But the wilderness story in Matthew 4 reveals something far older — evil moves first against the places where we have not been seen, soothed, safe, and secure.
In this conversation, Michael and AJ Denson walk slowly through the baptism and temptation of Jesus, presenting them as a portrait of attachment under siege. They explore how the devil's opening accusation — if you are the Son of God — lands precisely where God's voice had just spoken identity and belonging, why hunger, loneliness, and exposure aren't just physical states but the exact conditions evil exploits, and what it means that after the ordeal, angels came and attended to him — a scene almost never preached, yet the one that puts the bow on the whole story.
This is a co-host episode from Michael's ongoing series unpacking Sacred Attachment, chapter by chapter.
Support the show

ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:
- Follow us on YouTube
- Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter
- Follow Michael on Twitter
- Email us at [email protected] 

Thanks for listening!

Most people assume their distance from God is a faith problem. It may be something older — a pattern in the nervous system, learned long before you had words for it, that quietly shapes how close you let God come.
Dr. Geoff Holsclaw and his wife Cyd spent years watching people plateau spiritually and realized the stall wasn't theological — it was relational. This particular conversation with Michael John Cusick traces how our earliest attachment wounds create an image of God in our own likeness, why trying harder to believe rarely moves us from the head to the heart, and what it looks like to run new experiments in faith that slowly rewrite those patterns from the inside out.
Geoff also unpacks three concrete practices — cultivating joy, naming river and wilderness moments, and silence and solitude — and why the same practice works entirely differently depending on your attachment landscape.
Dr. Geoff Holsclaw is a pastor, theologian, and professor in the Doctor of Ministry program at Western Theological Seminary, and co-author with Cyd Holsclaw of Landscapes of the Soul.
Support the show

ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:
- Follow us on YouTube
- Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter
- Follow Michael on Twitter
- Email us at [email protected] 

Thanks for listening!

Dr. Liz Hall is a psychologist and professor at Biola who, at 45, was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer — and discovered that her training had barely prepared her for it. She joins Michael to talk about her book When the Journey Hurts, co-written with theologians Kelly Kapic and Jason McMartin, and what a decade of research and lived suffering taught her about meaning, faith, and staying human in the hard middle.
They talk about why the degree to which something threatens our worldview is exactly the degree to which it causes distress. They discuss the "problematic roadmaps" Christians often get handed — vague theology that begins and ends with Romans 8:28, triumphalism that rushes past suffering toward victory, and theodicy that answers a question no one in crisis is actually asking. Liz also describes a study on Ignatian prayer, walking people through twenty moments of Christ's suffering on their phones — and finding that identifying with Christ in suffering drew people closer to God in measurable ways. And they end where you might not expect: with lament, and with Psalm 88, which doesn't resolve.
Support the show

ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:
- Follow us on YouTube
- Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter
- Follow Michael on Twitter
- Email us at [email protected] 

Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to the Restoring the Soul podcast with Michael John Cusick. In this episode, Michael sits down with licensed therapist, author, and researcher Jay Stringer for a deep and vulnerable conversation exploring the core desires that shape our lives. Together, they unpack themes from Jay Stringer’s latest book, Desire: The Longings Inside of Us and the New Science of How We Love, Heal, and Grow.
Over the course of their dialogue, Michael and Jay examine the five core desires: wholeness, personal growth, pleasure, intimacy, and meaning. They candidly discuss the traps of mastery and control, the importance of radical self-hospitality, and the crucial role of self-acceptance in loving others well. You will hear stories from Jay’s clinical experience, thoughtful reflections on the nature of shame and transformation, and an honest look at how pleasure and intimacy can be both revealing and redemptive.
Support the show

ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:
- Follow us on YouTube
- Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter
- Follow Michael on Twitter
- Email us at [email protected] 

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to another episode of "Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick." Today, Michael is joined by Brian Lee, founder and director of Broken to Beloved, a ministry dedicated to providing practical resources for recovery from and safeguarding against spiritual abuse. 
In this heartfelt conversation, Brian shares his personal journey through repeated experiences of spiritual abuse and how these challenges birthed a passion for helping others reclaim their belovedness. Michael and Brian delve into the intricacies of spiritual abuse, the importance of cultivating humility and self-awareness in spiritual leadership, and the transformative power of naming and owning one’s story. They also discuss the innovative programs offered by Broken to Beloved, which include a book club, podcast, and an impactful eight-week cohort called "Through," designed to guide individuals in their healing journey. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on finding hope, healing, and wholeness in the aftermath of spiritual trauma. 
About Brian Lee
Brian Lee is a pastor, coach, and speaker. In his 20+ years of experience in vocational ministry, he experienced three instances of spiritual abuse and toxic leadership. After living with an identity of brokenness for too many years, he learned to recognize and embrace his belovedness.
In 2023, he founded Broken to Beloved, a nonprofit organization that exists to provide practical resources for recovery from and safeguarding against spiritual abuse and religious trauma.
He is a certified Trauma-Informed Coach (Centre for Healing) and holds a certification in Religious Trauma Studies from the Global Center for Religious Research.

Based in Richmond, VA, Brian loves to go on mini-adventures with his family, exploring their neighborhood, community, and city with his family. As a coffee snob and addict, he could always use another cup.
Support the show

ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:
- Follow us on YouTube
- Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter
- Follow Michael on Twitter
- Email us at [email protected] 

Thanks for listening!