UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth

Wesley Farnsworth
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Christianity
  • Weekly

Real stories. Real faith. Real hope. UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth is about what happens when we stop pretending, take off the masks, and get honest about faith and real life. Through solo episodes and conversations with guests, Wesley explores faith, identity, failure, recovery, mental health, relationships, calling, healing, and the struggles we often keep hidden. Discover how God can use our stories—even the messy parts—to bring redemption, growth, freedom, and hope. Your past doesn't have to define your future.

  1. 2d ago

    EP 106 - When God Doesn’t Answer the Prayer You Expected

    What happens when you have prayed, served, stayed faithful, and genuinely believed God was leading you somewhere—but the answer you expected never comes? Daniel Hodges was born with multiple disabilities, including blindness. Growing up, he encountered low expectations, inaccessible education, bullying, chronic pain, and assumptions about what blind people could or could not do. He eventually pushed beyond those expectations, pursued higher education, and entered law school. But during law school, several parts of Daniel’s life began collapsing at once. His children moved across the country. Chronic pain intensified. A relationship he believed God was leading toward marriage ended. After praying, fasting, and seeking spiritual guidance, Daniel began questioning whether he could trust his own ability to recognize God’s voice. That spiritual crisis became part of the darkest mental-health season of his life. Then a conversation with his cousin gave Daniel something he had desperately asked God for: purpose. That conversation became the beginning of the Pieces of Me Foundation, a nonprofit focused on changing the way people understand disability while approaching others with grace and dignity. Daniel does not describe purpose as a cure for depression or disability. Instead, he shares how service shifted his focus, how helping others became part of his own healing, and how his relationship with God became less conditional even while difficult circumstances remained. We also talk about grace, self-worth, disability stigma, unanswered prayer, asking God hard questions, and why Daniel believes our imperfect best can still become meaningful in someone else’s life. Content note: This episode includes discussion of depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and a period in which Daniel had formed a suicide plan. If you are in the United States and in crisis, call or text 988. If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Connect with Daniel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-hodges-jd?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/danielhodgesjdmha Pieces of Me Foundation: https://www.peacesofme.org/ Connect with UNMASKED: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Unmasked-WF-Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unmasked-with-wesley-farnsworth/id1851549420 Website: https://www.wesleyfarnsworth.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnmaskedWFPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unmaskedwithwf X: https://x.com/Unmasked_WF TikTok: http://tiktok.com/unmasked.with.wf.podcast UNMASKED: Real stories. Honest faith. Unfiltered conversations about failure, freedom, and finding God's grace in everyday life. Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth? Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

    EP 106 - When God Doesn’t Answer the Prayer You Expected

  2. 4d ago

    Ep 105 - One Year Unmasked: What Honest Conversations Taught Me

    One year ago, on November 11, 2025, Wesley Farnsworth published the first episode of UNMASKED. He wanted a place where faith and failure could be discussed in the same honest conversation. What he didn't expect was how much listening to other people's stories would change him. Episode 105 isn't a highlight reel. It's a reflection on what a year of conversations about addiction, trauma, grief, identity, recovery, doubt, forgiveness, church hurt and surrender has taught Wesley. Six lessons shape the episode: • Honesty needs safety. Being seen is different from being exposed. • Identity runs deeper than titles, roles, accomplishments and even recovery labels. • Freedom is practiced through daily choices, not only dramatic turning points. • A crew matters more than a crowd. Visibility isn't intimacy. • Faith doesn't require a tidy ending. God can still be present when circumstances don't change. • Surrendered stories can help others without pretending the pain was good. Wesley reflects on past episodes, guests whose stories have stayed with him, the danger of forcing testimonies into a perfect ending, and his vision for year two: real stories, real struggle, real faith, less polish and more honesty. His anniversary challenge is intentionally simple: tell one safe person one true thing. Thank you for being part of the first year of UNMASKED. UNMASKED: Real stories. Honest faith. Unfiltered conversations about failure, freedom, and finding God's grace in everyday life. Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth? Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

  3. Nov 5

    EP 104 - When Christianity Becomes a Performance

    Can someone preach, teach, and lead in church while privately feeling disconnected from the faith they publicly represent?   Justin Thompson—also known as Just J—grew upin the Apostolic church and eventually became a preacher, teacher, youth pastor, and church leader. He knew Scripture, understood theology, and knew how to present himself as spiritually grounded.   But internally, questions were growing.   Then Justin’s wife was diagnosed withn stage-three breast cancer.   As people around them confidently expected Godto heal her, Justin says she became a public representation of other people’s hopes and beliefs, continuing to preach even while carrying an oxygen tank.   Then she died. Justin had to preach her eulogy.   In Episode 104 of UNMASKED, Justin talks openly about spiritual performance, grief, inherited theology, doubt,deconstruction, leadership, and what happened when the version of Christianity he could explain was no longer enough to sustain him.   We explore why church leaders may be afraid toadmit they are struggling, what it means to develop a personal faith instead of relying on someone else’s revelation, and why Justin believes the unfinished process can be more meaningful than a polished testimony.   Justin also discusses ideas from his book, Eternity in Real Time: A Talk on Grief, on God, and on the Persistence of Love.   Note: Justin shares personal theological interpretations and experiences within the Apostolic church throughout thisconversation. These views are his own and do not necessarily represent the theological positions of Wesley Farnsworth or UNMASKED. Connect with Just J Website: www.mrgudwudz.comSubstack: https://substack.com/@todayineternity Book: https://a.co/d/06y7yTqU LS Confessions Podcast:  ⁨https://www.youtube.com/@LSConfessions Connect with UNMASKED: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Unmasked-WF-Podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3eHboKDDsxejrxdbH9cRfS?si=5fdb90f80c1e4062 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unmasked-with-wesley-farnsworth/id1851549420 Website: https://www.wesleyfarnsworth.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnmaskedWFPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unmaskedwithwf X: https://x.com/Unmasked_WF TikTok: http://tiktok.com/unmasked.with.wf.podcast UNMASKED: Real stories. Honest faith. Unfiltered conversations about failure, freedom, and finding God's grace in everyday life.   Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth? Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here:https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

    EP 104 - When Christianity Becomes a Performance

  4. Nov 3

    EP 103 - What Are You Using to Numb What You Won’t Face?

    What do you reach for when you don’t want to feel something?   Maybe it’s alcohol or drugs.   Maybe it’s pornography.   But maybe it’s work. Food. Gaming. Social media. Relationships. Achievement. Exercise. Or even ministry.   Almost anything can become a hiding place when we use it to avoid ourselves.   In Episode 103 of UNMASKED, Wesley Farnsworth asks the question underneath the behavior:   What am I trying not to feel?   Sometimes the habit we keep trying to eliminate is functioning as a solution to a deeper problem we have never named.   It gives relief. Distraction. Comfort. Control. Validation. A rush. A way to quiet our mind.   And when pain returns, our brain remembers what made it quieter last time.   But quieter is not healed.   This episode explores: • Emotional numbing and avoidance • Why coping mechanisms develop • Work and achievement as hiding places • Food, gaming and social media • Pornography and emotional triggers • Relationships and the need for validation • Ministry as performance or escape • Spiritual bypassing • Why safe community matters • The emotional honesty of Jesus • Curiosity versus condemnation • What to do before reaching for your usualescape   Wesley’s action step is simple.   The next time the urge appears, pause for fiveminutes. Ask: 1. What am I feeling right now? 2. What happened before I started feelingthis? 3. What am I hoping this will give me?   Maybe the answer is simple and healthy.   But maybe you will discover grief, loneliness, shame, anger, fear, rejection, or pain underneath the behavior.   The goal is not to condemn yourself. It is to understand yourself honestly enoughto pursue deeper freedom.   Connect with UNMASKED:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Unmasked-WF-PodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3eHboKDDsxejrxdbH9cRfS?si=5fdb90f80c1e4062Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unmasked-with-wesley-farnsworth/id1851549420Website: https://www.wesleyfarnsworth.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnmaskedWFPodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unmaskedwithwfX: https://x.com/Unmasked_WFTikTok: http://tiktok.com/unmasked.with.wf.podcastUNMASKED: Real stories. Honest faith.Unfiltered conversations about failure, freedom, and finding God's grace ineveryday life.   Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with WesleyFarnsworth? Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here:https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

  5. Oct 29

    EP 102 - She Was a Nun—Then Grief Made Her Hate God

    Content Note: This conversation includes death, alcoholism, grief, and Gina’s description of a period when she did not want to live and prayed that she would not wake up. Gina Economopoulos knew who God was. She had been raised Catholic and spent 12 years as a Catholic nun. But afterdevastating loss, knowing about God was not enough to keep her faith from shattering.   Gina lost her mother to cancer. Years later, after leaving religious life, she met Danny and planned to marry him. ThenDanny survived a car accident that killed his mother, returned to drinking, and eventually died from alcoholism one month before their wedding.   Gina says she became furious with God.   She returned to New Jersey grieving, isolated, and exhausted. Eventually, she walked into AA—not because she thought she was an alcoholic, but because she wanted to understand why other people could recover when Danny had not. Nine months later, she realized she was an alcoholic too.   In this episode of UNMASKED, Gina shares how alcohol helped her numb pain, why she initially refused to pray in recovery, and how honesty slowly became part of rebuilding her life and faith.   We also discuss the masks Gina wore, her years as a Catholic nun, the difference between religious knowledge and a personal relationship with God, and how her experiences with death now shape her work as an end-of-life doula.   Connect with Gina AUTHOR WEBSITE – GinaEcon.com FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562911825099  INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/ginaeconomopoulos    Listen to UNMASKED YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Unmasked-WF-Podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3eHboKDDsxejrxdbH9cRfS?si=5fdb90f80c1e4062 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unmasked-with-wesley-farnsworth/id1851549420 Website: https://www.wesleyfarnsworth.com UNMASKED: Real stories. Honest faith. Unfiltered conversations about failure, freedom, and finding God's grace in everyday life.   Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with WesleyFarnsworth? Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here:https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

    EP 102 - She Was a Nun—Then Grief Made Her Hate God

  6. Oct 27

    EP 101 - Why Strong Men Struggle in Silence

    Why do so many men wait until something is falling apart before they finally admit they’re struggling?   Men are often told to be strong, dependable, responsible, protective and capable.   Those are not bad qualities.   But what happens when strength stops being something you practice and becomes an identity you have to prove?   In Episode 101 of UNMASKED, Wesley Farnsworth calls this “the strongman trap.”   It happens when: • Silence gets confused with strength • Independence gets confused with maturity • Usefulness becomes worth • Competence becomes a mask • Asking for help feels like failure • “I should be able to handle this” becomesthe rule for everything   Wesley talks about the pressure many men feel to provide, solve problems, protect their families and remain dependable—even when grief, addiction, fear, financial pressure, spiritual dryness or exhaustion are building underneath the surface.   He also shares personally about losing his youngest brother Steven in a car accident at age 16. At the time, Wesley didnot really process the grief with anyone. He learned to look okay around other people while hurting deeply when he was alone.   Years later, Celebrate Recovery helped him begin exploring that grief.   “The pain didn’t disappear because I didn’t talk about it. I just carried it longer.”   This episode explores masculinity, provider identity, recovery, vulnerability, safe relationships, Exodus 18, surrender, dependence on God and why asking for help does not erase strength.   Sometimes it requires it.   The action step is simple: identify one thing you’ve been carrying alone, identify one safe person, and tell them the truth.   Maybe the breakthrough isn’t finally becoming strong enough to handle everything.   Maybe it’s realizing you were never supposed to.   UNMASKED: Real stories. Honest faith. Unfiltered conversations about failure, freedom, and finding God's grace in everyday life.   Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with WesleyFarnsworth? Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here:https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

  7. Oct 22

    EP 100 - Your Marriage Can Be Dying While Everything Looks Fine

    Some marriages don’t collapse in one dramaticmoment. They drift.   Thomas Eberts looked successful from the outside. He had traveled the world, built businesses, studied spirituality, andpursued personal growth. But inside his home, he says he was physically present while emotionally somewhere else.   Then his wife told him she wanted a divorce.   In this episode of UNMASKED, Thomas talks withWesley Farnsworth about what that moment exposed: defensiveness, performance, emotional absence, and a version of masculinity that he says taught him how toaccomplish but not necessarily how to be present.   Thomas shares what happened when he stoppedtrying to explain away his wife’s concerns and began listening to them differently. He also discusses how his faith in God became more concrete during the crisis, how watching The Chosen prompted him to engage more deeply withJesus and Scripture, and what rebuilding his marriage has required over time.   This is not a story about a perfect husband discovering a formula. It is a conversation about confronting what isn’t working, taking responsibility for your own patterns, and learning that being in the room is not the same thing as being emotionally present.   Thomas’s statements about masculinity, marriage roles, spirituality, and family leadership reflect his personalbeliefs and experience.   Connect with Thomas Integrated Fathers: https://substack.com/@integratedfathers   UNMASKED: Real stories. Honest faith. Unfiltered conversations about failure, freedom, and finding God's grace in everyday life.   Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with WesleyFarnsworth? Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

    EP 100 - Your Marriage Can Be Dying While Everything Looks Fine

  8. Oct 20

    EP 99 - Are You Following Jesus—or Just Practicing Religion?

    Can good religious traditions actually becomebarriers to genuine faith? Church isn’t the enemy. Scripture isn’t theenemy. Doctrine matters. Traditions can be beautiful.   But sometimes we become so committed toroutines, appearances, preferences, and “the way we’ve always done things” thatwe miss the God those things were meant to point us toward.   In Episode 99 of UNMASKED, Wesley Farnsworthexplores the difference between tradition, religion, and a genuine relationshipwith God.   Traditions like communion, baptism, hymns, andmeaningful church services can remind us of God’s faithfulness. The problemcomes when we protect traditions more fiercely than we pursue Jesus—or when ourmethods quietly become the mission.   This episode explores: • Why tradition itself isn’t the enemy • What happens when church preferences becomesacred • Religion’s focus on appearances • Why Jesus challenged religious leaders • How spiritual masks develop • Why people can hide serious struggles inchurch • The difference between obedience and earningGod’s love • Rules, holiness, relationship, and grace • Spiritual comparison • Discernment versus defending personalpreference • External behavior versus hearttransformation • What healthy faith looks like   Wesley also connects this directly to theheart of UNMASKED.   Living unmasked requires honesty. But honestycan feel threatening when religious culture prioritizes appearances. If youhave to look like you have everything together, you may never admit you needhelp. If you believe God only accepts polished people, you can spend your wholelife polishing instead of healing.   Jesus never invited people to impress Him.   He invited them to follow Him.   If religion has wounded you, this episode alsooffers an important distinction: imperfect people and a perfect Savior are notthe same thing. Someone’s misuse of religion does not have to keep you from therelationship Jesus invites you into.   The episode closes with one question worthsitting with:   Is there anything in your faith you’re doingsimply because it’s what you’ve always done—without stopping to ask whether itis actually drawing you closer to Jesus?   Connect with UNMASKED: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@Unmasked-WF-Podcast Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unmasked-with-wesleyfarnsworth/id1851549420 Website: https://www.wesleyfarnsworth.com Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/UnmaskedWFPodcast/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/unmaskedwithwf X: https://x.com/Unmasked_WF TikTok:http://tiktok.com/unmasked.with.wf.podcast Want to be a guest on UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth?Send Wesley Farnsworth a message on PodMatch, here:https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/unmaskedwfpodcast

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Real stories. Real faith. Real hope. UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth is about what happens when we stop pretending, take off the masks, and get honest about faith and real life. Through solo episodes and conversations with guests, Wesley explores faith, identity, failure, recovery, mental health, relationships, calling, healing, and the struggles we often keep hidden. Discover how God can use our stories—even the messy parts—to bring redemption, growth, freedom, and hope. Your past doesn't have to define your future.

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