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

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 instincts.

We explore the difference between real transformation vs. just accumulating more knowledge, and why external alignment matters just as much as what’s happening in your inner world.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, restless, or like you’ve outgrown your environment — but felt unsure about trying new spaces, then this one’s for you.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

If you’ve ever…

• felt like you should be growing spiritually… but aren’t
• been told to stay somewhere that doesn’t feel right
• struggled to trust your own thoughts, feelings, intuition, or instincts

… then this will help you:

• understand why spiritual growth is more than just gaining knowledge
• recognize how environment impacts your ability to grow
• rebuild self-trust and move out of performance-based faith
• identify when it might be time to find “better soil”

Purchase Martin’s book, Secrets of Spiritual Growth, here.

READY TO GO DEEPER?

If you want the full visual teaching with slides & diagrams, watch this episode on our Unhinged YouTube channel. (Or watch the entire Align With Your Design series 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 CHANNEL

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)

Martin’s books

CONNECT WITH US!

Michele’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Linktree

Martin’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Linktree

CHAPTERS

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

00:29 Why More Knowledge ≠ Spiritual Growth

06:34 “Bloom Where You’re Planted” … Really?

12:33 Feeling Safe to Be Your Authentic Self

18:22 The Role of Environment in Spiritual Growth

22:09 The Beautiful Messiness of Being Human

25:53 Not All Soil is Good Soil

27:22 “Bloom Where You’re Planted” Promotes Self-Blame

29:21 “Bloom Where You’re Planted” Reinforces Spiritual Passivity

30:06 “Bloom Where You’re Planted” Confuses “Endurance” with True Calling

30:43 “Bloom Where You’re Planted” Disconnects You From Your Design

31:35 Neuroscience Teaches Us: Your Environment Shapes Your Identity

33:23 A Helpful Reframe: Bloom Where You’re Nourished

34:21 Final Thoughts & A Few More Unhinged Moments