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The Redeemed Backslider — Christianity
The Redeemed Backslider

“Welcome to The Redeemed Backslider—with your host, Kathy Chastain, Christian-based psychotherapist and a redeemed backslider. This podcast dedicated to those who have wandered but are ready to return to the life-changing power of grace and the freedom found in Jesus.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus proclaimed: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.’

This is the heart of our message. Whether you’re wrestling with regret, despair, seeking freedom from spiritual chains, or longing to see the light of God’s love again, you’re not alone. Here, we share testimonies, biblical truths, and encouragement to remind you that no one is too far gone for God’s redemption.

This is your invitation to find healing, hope, and restoration in Jesus. Welcome to The Redeemed Backslider—where grace is greater than your past and your future is abundant when God redeems your story.”

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Copyright: © 2025 The Redeemed Backslider

Latest Episodes:

The Weight & The Glory TRB #34 Luis "Pops" Pena Oct 30, 2025

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Some stories grip you because they name the ache you’ve been carrying. Luis grew up in church, but grief took him someplace colder—anger he couldn’t shake, music that deepened the mood, and pornography he couldn’t confess. He didn’t storm out on God; hope just thinned until silence felt easier. When conviction finally met courage, he chose the terrifying route: tell the truth, trust a pastor, and let his wife see the parts he hid. What happened next reframed everything he believed about obedience, provision, and what strength looks like in a man.
We walk through the layered fallout of loss and secrecy, from the way our inputs shape our inner life to the subtle ways shame starves intimacy. Luis explains how fasting and prayer did different work—prayer softened him, fasting broke the bitterness. In the hardest year—jobless, living with his parents, expecting a new baby—doors opened he didn’t knock on: a surprise interview, early pay advanced for required tests, and a rental home against the odds. Those moments didn’t reward his goodness; they revealed God’s goodness and taught him to recognize the weight of God’s presence as glory, not guilt.

Listen in for the rest of his testimony.

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Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

Breaking The Silence TRB #33 April Martinez Oct 22, 2025

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Some stories arrive like a storm and leave the air clearer than before. Kathy sits down with April Martinez, who grew up loving church, survived years of hidden abuse, and then endured the whiplash of public blame and church hurt that pushed her out at sixteen. What follows is a fiercely honest journey through survival mode—protecting younger siblings, running from violence, two suicide attempts, foster care, and the aching desire to feel nothing at all—only to discover that numbness never heals what truth and mercy can.
The turning point comes through her son, Anthony. Diagnosed with a brain tumor at eleven, he finds faith with remarkable clarity: receiving the Holy Ghost, asking for baptism, and urging the family back toward God. One month after his baptism, Anthony passes at fourteen. April remembers the ride to the hospital as he prayed in tongues, his tenderness checking on her between waves of pain, and the unmistakable peace that settled in the room as he slipped away. The grief was crushing, but it did not have the final word. Breath by breath, April returned to the God she met as a child—the One who was safety before everything broke.
Across this conversation we unpack how trauma hides in plain sight, how shame keeps victims quiet, and how healthy boundaries are not bitterness but wisdom. We talk about reconciling with faith after church hurt, why a prayer closet can do what a platform cannot, and how a grandmother’s intercession can outlive a generation.

Tune in for more

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

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Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

Homeless to Ministry TRB #32 Kaylene Mendez Oct 16, 2025

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A label can feel like a sentence—until it becomes a testimony. Kathy sits down with Kayleen Mendez for a candid, unflinching conversation about growing up tender-hearted in church, slipping into control and secrecy, and the abusive marriage that shattered safety and trust. When drinking in her thirties opened the door to meth and homelessness, life narrowed to survival—hotel lobbies, gang threats, a brutal assault, and the numbing calculus of where to lay a head at night. Then came a stark inner warning: leave now or die. Kayleen walked nine miles to her parents while high, praying with every step for a door to open.
What follows is a blueprint for restoration that doesn’t pretend the road is easy. Teen Challenge slowed her down long enough to name the core wound—unhealed trauma and a lifelong hunger to be accepted. Released early with nowhere to go, she chose faith on empty: a train station floor, a welfare office, and the audacity to pray out loud for strangers. Enter the Abbotts, mentors who mixed backbone with tenderness, moving her from shelter to safety and from shame to steady steps. We talk about boundaries, gossip in the church world, and why direct questions—Are you sleeping together?—can save a life when paired with real support.

Listen in, for the rest of the story.

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

Beauty For Ashes TRB #31 Alicia Chairez Oct 09, 2025

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What if the people meant to protect you became the source of your deepest wounds—and yet grace still found a way to bring you home? Alicia’s testimony is a gripping, compassionate look at church hurt, childhood abuse, and the long road back from the occult, fear, and despair to a sound mind and real freedom. We walk through the moments that shaped her story: early prayer as a little girl, predatory adults hiding in plain sight, rebellion born from secrecy and shame, and a desperate search for identity that led to tarot cards, night terrors, and a suicide attempt interrupted by a voice that said, “Tell your mom.”
We don’t gloss over the hard parts. Together, we untangle the difference between holiness and outward standards, how legalism can become a stumbling block, and why true transformation lasts only when it grows from relationship with God. Alicia explains how deliverance met her in a simple prayer, how sleep paralysis fled at the name of Jesus, and how daily prayer and Scripture began to rewire a trauma-shaped brain. We talk about the “hedge of protection,” not as a threat from a punitive God, but as mercy from a Father who sees the trap ahead and calls us back before it snaps shut.

This is just part of Alicia's testimony. Listen for the rest of the story.

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

Confessions of A Prodigal TRB #30 Stephenie Haney-Montes Sep 25, 2025

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What happens when the daughter of respected Pentecostal leaders finds herself trapped in an abusive marriage and eventually walks away from church altogether? Stephanie Haney Montez shares her raw, unfiltered story of growing up in a "glass house" as the daughter of Joy and Kenneth Haney, and how that experience shaped her expectations, struggles, and eventual journey away from and back to faith.
This powerful conversation pulls no punches as Stephanie reveals the warning signs she missed in her abusive marriage, the isolation and fear that kept her silent, and the difficult process of escaping both physically and emotionally. Her candid sharing about miscarriage, depression, and questioning God creates space for anyone who has wrestled with similar experiences.

You can follow Stephen on her Facebook, Instagram or YouTube pages under @ACupofReal

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

What is Religious Abuse TRB #29 Dr. Peridot Gilbert-Reed Sep 18, 2025

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When spiritual leaders become sources of harm rather than healing, the damage can reach to the very core of a person's identity and faith. Dr. Peridot Gilbert-Reed joins host Kathy Chastain to unpack the complex reality of spiritual abuse—a topic both personal and professional for this psychologist specializing in religious trauma.
Dr. Gilbert-Reed offers a powerful framework for understanding this often-misidentified form of harm, explaining how spiritual abuse occurs when authority figures use manipulation, coercion, and scripture-twisting to control others. She shares her own journey through both overt and covert religious abuse, and how these painful experiences ultimately shaped her professional work helping others heal from similar wounds.
The conversation distinguishes between religion (organized, communal) and spirituality (personal, individualized)—a crucial distinction for those who've been hurt by religious institutions but still desire a relationship with God. This explains why many become what researchers call "dones"—done with organized religion but not done with their faith journey.

For more information from Dr. Reed, visit her website at www.peridotreed.com

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

Headed To Hell TRB #28 Terry Boucher Sep 11, 2025

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What makes a child who loves church, Bible quizzing, and picking out ties for Sunday service turn to witchcraft, drugs, and crime? Terry Boucher's testimony is a harrowing journey through the darkest valleys of human experience and a powerful reminder that no one is beyond redemption.
Terry's descent began with seemingly innocent choices at age 12—smoking cigarettes with a neighborhood friend and listening to heavy metal music. Like a slow-moving current pulling a swimmer away from shore, these small decisions gradually altered his heart and mind. Soon he found himself disrupting Sunday school classes, creating voodoo dolls, and eventually praying directly to Satan in a backyard ritual inspired by the movie "The Craft." The spiritual doors he opened led to increasingly destructive behaviors and supernatural experiences that science might label as hallucinations but Terry recognized as encounters with darkness.
His criminal record grew to include over 70 voluntary surrenders to authorities, not counting involuntary arrests. Terry survived being stabbed 14 times by his own brother during a drug-fueled fight and a car accident that claimed his friend's life. Even these brushes with death didn't deter him.

Listen to the full episode to hear how God has delivered him and called him take the gospel into the prison system.

Visit Amazon to pick up a copy of Terry's book, "From Darkness to Light" or click on the link https://a.co/d/6jsRXun

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

The Hardship of Grief TRB #27 Keri Rodriguez Sep 04, 2025

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September 1st was National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. As such, we dedicate the episode to the thousands of children around the world who have suffered and died of childhood cancer.

Grief has a way of reshaping our lives in ways we never imagined. For Keri Rodriguez, the unthinkable happened when her granddaughter Everly was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer at just 16 months old. What followed was a harrowing journey through hospital stays, treatments, moments of hope, and ultimately heartbreak when Everly passed away before her third birthday.
This raw conversation explores the intersection of profound loss and spiritual faith. Keri candidly shares how she proclaimed to everyone – even skeptical medical staff – that God would heal her granddaughter. When healing didn't come in the expected form, she faced the question that haunts many believers: Why didn't God heal Everly when we know He could have?

Listen to hear the entire conversation.

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

Spiritual Bypass THB #26 Dr. Peridot Gilbert-Reed Aug 28, 2025

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Have you ever been told to "just pray more" when facing depression? Or heard "God has a plan" when grieving, leaving you feeling worse instead of comforted? You're not alone, and there's a name for this phenomenon: spiritual bypass.
In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Peridot Gilbert-Reed shares her groundbreaking research on how Christians use scripture and religious language to avoid processing psychological pain. While often well-intentioned, this practice prevents genuine healing and can leave lasting wounds. As a licensed professional counselor with a Ph.D. focused on spiritual abuse and spiritual bypass, Dr. Gilbert-Reed brings both professional expertise and personal experience to this sensitive topic.
We explore the difference between healthy faith and harmful avoidance, examining how phrases like "do not be anxious about anything" can be weaponized against vulnerable people. Dr. Gilbert-Reed explains how spiritual bypass occurs most commonly in three contexts: home, church settings, and ministry workplaces, and she provides practical guidance for recognizing when it's happening to you.

To reach Dr. Reed, you can visit her website at www.peridotreed.com

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

Freedom From the P-word TRB# 25 Breanna Arango Aug 21, 2025

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Pornography addiction among Christian women remains one of the most hidden yet prevalent struggles in our churches today. In this vulnerable conversation, Brianna Arango breaks the silence by sharing her journey from secret addiction to complete freedom.
Brianna's story begins with accidental exposure to pornography at just seven years old, creating neural pathways she would return to as a teenager during times of emotional distress. Despite being actively involved in her church—playing in the praise team and attending regularly—she maintained a secret addiction that created significant spiritual separation. What makes her testimony particularly powerful is her insight that despite repeatedly asking God to take away her addiction, she wasn't truly surrendering it: "I realized I wasn't letting it go... it was just such a security that I couldn't let go."
The conversation takes a surprising turn when Brianna reveals the critical moment that gave her hope—overhearing a friend mention someone who had overcome pornography addiction. This simple revelation that she wasn't alone gave her the courage to confide in someone. Through accountability, practical safeguards, and immersion in Scripture, she began her eight-month journey toward freedom.

Support the show

Partner with us : https://www.theredeemedbackslider.org

Follow us on Insta & Facebook: The Redeemed Backslider

Kathy has three books out and they can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online:

"Where Did That Come From?" A children's book

"Redeem California, With God it IS Possible"

"God of the Impossible: 30-Prayers for the Redemption and Restoration of California"

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