Episode Details

In this episode of Singing Through Fire, host Lara Silverman continues the Faith in the Furnace series with Mischelle Saunders-Gutch, founder and CEO of Altered Stories Ministry, host of The Altered Story Show, and author of the 30-day healing memoir devotional The Story Within You. Michelle shares her testimony as a childhood survivor of a Christian-claiming cult from ages 7–12, describing spiritual, emotional, and sexual abuse, the impact on her faith, and how her family left after the leader was exposed and her father (serving overseas) learned what had happened. She explains rebuilding faith through surrender during a difficult divorce while pregnant, finding support in a biblically sound church, experiencing Holy Spirit-led emotional healing, and pursuing Christian therapy after a Lexapro overdose revealed unresolved trauma. Mischelle discusses discerning the true Jesus through Scripture, forgiveness, justice, and how God redeemed her story into women’s ministry.

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
02:01 Michelle’s Cult Survivor Story
05:32 Leaving the Cult
08:59 Abandonment and Trust Issues
11:33 Divorce and Surrender
16:26 God Shows Up Through Community
18:11 Therapy and Deep Healing
23:02 Why God Allowed It
26:48 Disentangling Jesus from Abuse
31:07 Altered Stories Ministry Vision
33:00 Memoir Through Grief
34:27 Enemy Half Truths
35:54 Grace After Shame
39:48 Justice and Release
44:32 Forgiving Family
50:12 Free Indeed Restored
52:01 Jesus Understands Trauma
54:06 Church and Healing
56:53 Hope for the Wounded
01:00:44 Book Details Farewell

Resources and Links
Mischelle's website
Mischelle's book, The Story Within You
Mischelle's Instagram
Mischelle's LinkedIn
Mischelle's Facebook

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PODCAST DESCRIPTION:

Welcome to the Singing Through Fire podcast! I’m your host Lara Silverman, and this is where we:

• Worship when it hurts
• Discuss hot takes from the furnace of affliction
• Explore a biblical theology of suffering with a side of sass and sarcasm 

From lamentations to laughter, this podcast is for anyone desperate for hope who has ever asked, "Why, Lord, why?”

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"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2nd Corinthians 4:17.