368. How to Make 2026 Your Best Year So Far
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Release Date: 01/09/2026
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Holy Distress: How One Man Shook an Entire City Have you ever walked into a cityâor even a roomâand felt something stir deep inside you? Not anger. Not annoyance. But a holy distress. In this episode, Rob Skinner takes us to Acts 17 and walks with Paul into Athensâthe intellectual capital of the ancient world. One man. One city. One burning conviction. Paul wasnât impressed by Athensâ architecture, culture, or ideas. He was distressed. Why? Because the city was full of idols and people didnât know God. This message is a blueprint for spiritual courage in a modern city. đ Key...
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Berlin Mission Update: Raising Kids, Learning German, and Watching God Move In this episode of The Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob sits down with Austen and Sara Bolves, missionaries serving the church in Berlin, Germany, for an honest, inspiring update on life and ministry overseas. Austen and Sara share how they became Christians, how they met in the campus ministry at the University of Washington, and what led them to leave stability in the U.S. to help strengthen the church in Europe. They open up about the real challenges of leading a church in a different culture, building a leadership team...
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What if the greatest battle youâre facing right now isnât your circumstances⌠but what youâre believing? From the Garden of Eden until today, the enemy has used the same strategyâcasting doubt on Godâs Word. âDid God really sayâŚ?â In this powerful episode, Rob Skinner unpacks the explosive truth of Hebrews 6:18: âIt is impossible for God to lie.â Not unlikely. Not rare. Impossible. If youâve ever wondered whether God will come through⌠whether His promises are still true⌠or whether Heâs forgotten you⌠This message will anchor your faith and help you fight the...
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đ If God Is For You, Youâve Already Won Scripture: Romans 8:31 What if the greatest advantage in your life has nothing to do with your talent, position, or pastâbut everything to do with who is on your side? In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob unpacks the life-changing truth of Romans 8:31: âIf God is for us, who can be against us?â This isnât motivational hypeâitâs spiritual reality. When you realize that the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the armies of heaven are on your team, fear begins to fade and confidence takes its place. Through powerful Scripture,...
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đ When Your Worst Sermon Becomes Godâs Best Work Podcast: The Rob Skinner Podcast Episode Summary Have you ever poured your heart into somethingâonly to walk away feeling like it completely failed? In this honest and encouraging episode, Rob Skinner shares a recent preaching experience that felt weak, quiet, and ineffective⌠until God revealed a very different story. Through an unexpected conversation after church, Rob was reminded of a powerful spiritual truth: Your feelings are a terrible measure of Godâs effectiveness. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 12:9, this episode explores how...
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đ The Freedom of Living Beyond Peopleâs Opinions Podcast: The Rob Skinner Podcast Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 4:3 Episode Summary Have you ever felt crushed by what others think of youâor even worse, by the voice inside your own head? In this powerful devotional episode, Rob Skinner explores the radical freedom found in the apostle Paulâs words from 1 Corinthians 4:3: âI care very little if I am judged by you⌠indeed, I do not even judge myself.â Paul lived with an unshakable peace that most of us have never experiencedâfreedom from people-pleasing, freedom...
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What God Calls Pure Christianity (And Why Itâs So Uncomfortable) What if much of what we call Christianity⌠God wouldnât call pure? In this powerful episode of The Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob explores the simple yet challenging definition of real faith found in James 1:27. When church culture, traditions, and labels are stripped away, Scripture reveals a clear picture of what God considers pure and faultless religion: Loving the vulnerable and living with a clean heart. Rob unpacks how early Christians transformed the world through radical compassionâserving the sick, the poor, and the...
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đ Itâs Not the FactsâItâs Your Attitude That Moves Mountains What if the facts of your life arenât the real problem? Psychiatrist Carl Menninger once said, âAttitudes are more important than facts.â At first, that sounds riskyâuntil you realize how deeply biblical it really is. From a Roman prison cell, uncertain of his future, the apostle Paul wrote: âRejoice in the Lord always.â (Philippians 4:4) âI have learned the secret of being content in every situation.â (Philippians 4:12) Paulâs facts were terrible. But his attitude was unshakableâand it changed...
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Youâve Been Assigned This Mountain (And Itâs Not to Stop You) Sometimes life hands us a mountain we never asked for. A health crisis. A financial setback. A broken relationship. A ministry that feels stuck. And the question rises in our hearts: âGod⌠why this?â But what if the mountain in front of you isnât punishmentâ what if itâs purpose? In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob explores Jesusâ powerful words about faith the size of a mustard seed and what it really means to move mountains. Youâll discover: Why God allows impossible situations How faith grows...
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The One Thing You Canât Afford to Miss (Even If Youâre Busy Doing Good) Are you busy doing good thingsâbut still feeling spiritually dry, distracted, or stuck? In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob looks at Jesusâ words to Martha in Luke 10:41â42, where Jesus gently reminds her that while she was busy and faithful, she was missing what mattered most. Rob explores: Why being busyâeven with good and spiritual thingsâcan still leave us empty The difference between doing things for God and being with God How distraction quietly pulls our hearts away from intimacy with...
info_outlineđď¸ How to Make 2026 Your Best Year So Far
Episode Summary
As a new year begins, Rob Skinner shares the exact process he uses to plan for a fruitful, faith-filled year. Drawing from Scripture, personal experience, and practical wisdom, Rob walks through how to reflect on the past, set meaningful goals, build daily routines, and invite God to establish the work of your hands. This episode is a roadmap for anyone who wants to live a no-regrets life and make 2026 their best year yet.
đ Key Scriptures
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Isaiah 43:19 â âSee, I am doing a new thingâŚâ
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Psalm 103:2 â âForget not all His benefitsâ
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Ephesians 5:15â16 â Make the most of every opportunity
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Psalm 90:17 â âEstablish the work of our handsâ
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Hebrews 10:14 â Perfected, yet being made holy
đ§ Episode Highlights
1ď¸âŁ Count Your Blessings
Before planning forward, Rob encourages listeners to look back with gratitude. Writing out blessings helps reset your mindset from scarcity to abundance and prepares your heart for growth.
2ď¸âŁ Review the Past Year Honestly
Reflect on both wins and shortcomings without self-judgment. Rob shares how he used reflectionâand even AI as a toolâto gain clarity on what worked and what needs improvement.
3ď¸âŁ Write Clear Goals for 2026
Goals help redeem time and bring focus. Rob outlines key goal categories, including:
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Peace of mind & spirituality
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Health & fitness
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Relationships (marriage, family, friendships)
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Fun & adventure
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Money & stewardship
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Mission & evangelism
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Career
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Learning & skill development
4ď¸âŁ Build Daily Systems That Serve Your Goals
Goals without routines donât work. Rob explains why daily habits matter more than motivation and shares examples of systems heâs using this year, including prayer, walking, writing, and screen boundaries.
5ď¸âŁ Take a Planning Getaway with Your Spouse
Getting awayâeven brieflyâcreates unity and clarity. Rob shares how intentional conversations with your spouse can shape the entire year.
6ď¸âŁ Use Faith and Imagination
Ask: How do I want to feel at the end of 2026? Let vision guide your decisions today.
7ď¸âŁ Put Priorities on the Calendar
What gets scheduled gets done. Rob recommends using a year-long calendar to keep priorities visible.
8ď¸âŁ Ask God to Bless the Work of Your Hands
Plans matterâbut prayer matters more. Commit your goals to God and trust Him with the results.
đĄ Key Takeaway
Success isnât perfectionâitâs progress. As Earl Nightingale said, âSuccess is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.â Every step toward Christlikeness counts.
đ Final Encouragement
God is not finished with you. No matter what last year looked like, 2026 can be marked by faith, peace, growth, and real impact. Walk with God, live on purpose, and letâs make this year our best yet.
đŹ Connect with Rob
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Send your goals for prayer: rob@robskinner.com
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Sign up for the weekly newsletter: robskinner.com
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Read Robâs latest book: The 10X Christian (available on Amazon and robskinner.com)
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Make this life count.