Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick

In this podcast, Michael John Cusick discusses the concept of accountability, highlighting cop accountability as a way to overcome sin. He explores the barrier of porn addiction and its connection to true passion. With insights on vulnerability and trust, the episode delves into the struggles of Christian men with porn addiction and the ineffective use of willpower. The podcast encourages deeper conversations and genuine growth in relationships for authentic accountability.

Today’s episode is very special since you’ll be listening to a message from Julianne Cusick, Michael's bride of over 25 years. Her talk, “Devastated but not Destroyed” is a message she gave in 2004 where for the very first time she shared her story of heartbreak, hope, and healing from sexual betrayal and sexual addiction that was exposed in 1994. Giving this talk took a tremendous amount of courage and strength, and as you will hear she delivered the message with profound grace and dignity.  Julianne holds a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and her passion is to fight for the hearts of women and men shattered after pornography, affairs, and other forms of intimate partner betrayal. She is EMDR trained and utilizes a trauma-informed lens when working with women, men, and couples. Julianne embodies hope arising from her own story of healing and redemption.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 94 - Julianne Cusick, "A Holy & Horrible Journey"Episode 114 - Julianne Cusick, "5 Facts Wives Need to Know After Betrayal"Episode 115 - Julianne Cusick, "5 Things Husbands Can Do to Support Their Wives After Betrayal"Episode 165 - Julianne Cusick, "Barriers to Overcoming Betrayal Trauma"Episode 166 - Julianne Cusick, "Treatment Barriers to Healing from Betrayal Trauma"Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“The higher your Christology, the wider you see Abba’s love to be.” - Brad JersakBrad Jersak is Michael’s guest on today’s podcast. Their conversation centers around how Christ-followers might hold the tension of two abiding and complementary truths: - Christ’s one-of-a-kind revelation- Abba’s all-inclusive love. IN: Incarnation, Inclusion = Abba & Lamb.Brad lays out biblical and experiential evidence for integrating and celebrating both these truths together, espousing the beautiful gospel of Christ’s unique revelation of Abba’s all-inclusive love. Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, BC. He serves as a reader and monastery preacher at All Saints of North America Orthodox Monastery. Through his books and seminars, Brad shares the good news that God is Love, perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. He teaches others how to encounter God through the practice of ”listening prayer,” through which God’s love heals wounded hearts and empowers us to heal this broken world.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:The importance of knowing God the Father as Abba.The Lamb is the revelation of the nature of GodThe main point and purpose of the incarnationHELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 50 - Brad Jersak, "A More Beautiful Gospel, Part 1"Episode 51 - Brad Jersak, "A More Beautiful Gospel, Part 2"Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Risk-taking can lead to restoration only if it’s motivated by love.” - Haejin Shim FujimuraOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Mako & Haejin Shim Fujimura. Today, they will discuss a number of topics ranging from trauma, 9/11, Kintsugi, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Human trafficking.Mako is a leading contemporary artist whose process-driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of the New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time”. He is also an arts advocate, writer, and speaker who is recognized worldwide as a cultural influencer. A Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003-2009, Fujimura served as an international advocate for the arts, speaking with decision-makers and advising governmental policies on the arts.Married to Mako, Haejin is an international attorney and CEO of Embers International. She also serves as the President of Kintsugi Academy. Her life mission is to bringing light into the darkness and help others being remade in order for them to recover.HELPFUL RESOURCES:http://www.embersinternational.org/https://kintsugiacademy.be/en/Episode 13 - Mako Fujimura, “Silence and Beauty, Part 1” Episode 14 - Mako Fujimura, “Silence and Beauty, Part 2”Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“It’s not about limits. It’s about filling our lives with what we really want.” - Andy CrouchToday we conclude our conversation with author, musician and speaker, Andy Crouch, about his book,  “The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place.” As school is back in session and families are getting back to some regular life rhythms, we thought a conversation centered around how the entire family leverages technology would be most beneficial for the next few episodes. On the back jacket of the book, it states poignantly, “Reclaiming real life in a world of devices.”On this episode, keep an ear out for a few of the 10 Tech-Wise Commitments, such as:Develop wisdom and courage as a familyCreate more than we consumeWake up before our devices do. Go to bed before they do.If you don’t know Andy Crouch, he was an editor and producer at Christianity Today for more than 10 years. His work and writing have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, —and, most importantly, received a shout-out in Lecrae's 2014 single "Non-Fiction." We count it a privilege to know Andy and consider him a strong ally and friend in the fight to restore hearts and lives.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 191 - Andy Crouch, "The Tech-Wise Family, Part 1"Episode 11 - Andy Crouch, "Strong and Weak, Part 1"Episode 12 - Andy Crouch, "Strong and Weak, Part 2"Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“This is about something a lot more than screens, it’s about something a lot more than limits, and it’s not just about the kids.” - Andy CrouchMichael's guest for the next two podcasts is author, musician and speaker, Andy Crouch, who joins Michael in a discussion about his book, "The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place."Andy is an eloquent communicator who masterfully makes connections between culture, creativity, and the Christian faith. He is also on the governing boards of Fuller Theological Seminary as well as the Council for Christan Colleges and Universities. For more than 10 years he was an editor and producer at Christianity Today including serving as the Executive Editor from 2012-2016. Andy joined the John Templeton Foundation in 2017 as Senior Strategist for Communication and his work and writing have been featured in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine.He is also the author of several books including "Culture Making", "Playing God", and "Strong and Weak" (which in his first appearance on Restoring the Soul, we explored in-depth). According to Andy's website, "Making good choices about technology is more than just using internet filters and limiting “screen time.” It’s about developing wisdom, character, and courage in the way we use digital media, rather than accepting technology’s promises of ease, instant gratification, and the world’s knowledge at our fingertips."HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 11 - Andy Crouch, "Strong and Weak, Part 1"Episode 12 - Andy Crouch, "Strong and Weak, Part 2"Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“How well are you paying attention to what you’re paying attention to?” - Dr. Curt ThompsonOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael continues the conversation we began on our last episode with our good friend, Dr. Curt Thompson. This special in-person conversation has been edited from a 12-part video series with Curt and Michael. As a special blessing for our listeners, Restoring the Soul is making these two conversations available in advance of Curt’s forthcoming book, The Soul of Desire, published by InterVarsity Press.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 189 - Dr. Curt Thompson, “Anatomy of the Soul, Part 1”Episode 65 - Dr. Curt Thompson Part 1, “Being Known”Episode 66 - Dr. Curt Thompson Part 2, “Being Known”Episode 122 - Dr. Curt Thompson, "Love and Lament During the Pandemic"Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“We are people who long for a world of beauty and goodness.” - Dr. Curt ThompsonOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes our good friend, Dr. Curt Thompson, back to the podcast. This special in-person conversation has been edited from a 12-part video series with Dr. Curt Thompson and Michael John Cusick. As a special blessing for our listeners, Restoring the Soul is making these two conversations available in advance of Curt’s forthcoming book, The Soul of Desire, published by InterVarsity Press.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:What is a person? What is a soul?What does the mind look like when it’s flourishing?The understanding of interpersonal neurobiology as a Christian.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 65 - Dr. Curt Thompson Part 1, “Being Known”Episode 66 - Dr. Curt Thompson Part 2, “Being Known”Episode 122 - Dr. Curt Thompson, "Love and Lament During the Pandemic"Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Freedom is the ability to be exactly who we are before God and others with an overflowing heart and to direct our heart in the direction we most deeply desire.” - Michael John CusickOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael continues his in-depth look at Surfing for God and unpacks Chapter 13, “Freedom to Live" with Part 2 of a conversation titled, "Understanding Freedom."God’s love kneels down to us, wherever we are. And as He does, He urges us to bare ourselves before Him. Why? Because in seeing our naked selves in the light of God’s love, we make two discoveries. First, we discover more clearly who God is. All of the brokenness in our world and in our lives calls into question God’s goodness. Can we trust Him? Is He really enough? In our nakedness, there is no pretense of earning or obtaining His love. It’s a gift that makes the gospel more real.HELPFUL RESOURCES:The Apprentice GatheringThe Apprentice Institute for Spiritual FormationSeptember 23-25Wichita, KSPrevious podcasts that address “shame”Episode 173 - "Surfing for God, Part 5: Shame and Core Beliefs"Episode 133 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 1”Episode 134 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 2”Episode 137 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 3”Episode 138 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 4”Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” - 2 Cor. 3:17On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael continues his in-depth look at Surfing for God and unpacks Chapter 13, “Freedom to Live.” God’s love kneels down to us, wherever we are. And as He does, He urges us to bare ourselves before Him. Why? Because in seeing our naked selves in the light of God’s love, we make two discoveries. First, we discover more clearly who God is. All of the brokenness in our world and in our lives calls into question God’s goodness. Can we trust Him? Is He really enough? In our nakedness, there is no pretense of earning or obtaining His love. It’s a gift that makes the gospel more real.HELPFUL RESOURCES:The Apprentice GatheringThe Apprentice Institute for Spiritual FormationSeptember 23-25Wichita, KSPrevious podcasts that address “shame”Episode 173 - "Surfing for God, Part 5: Shame and Core Beliefs"Episode 133 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 1”Episode 134 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 2”Episode 137 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 3”Episode 138 - “5 Ways Shame Fuels Addiction, Part 4”Support the showENGAGE 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 info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!