437. Don’t Die in the Desert: How to Live the Life God Intended
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Release Date: 07/31/2026
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
I Almost Quit: When You Haven’t Lost Your Faith, But You’ve Lost Your Joy - Before You Quit #1 What do you do when you still believe in God—but you don't feel the joy you once had? You haven't necessarily lost your faith. You still care. You may still attend church, pray, and try to do what's right. But something inside feels different. The fire isn't there anymore. In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob begins reading from his new book, , a collection of short letters written for Christians who are discouraged, exhausted, hurt, drifting, or wondering whether they can keep...
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The Biggest Obstacle to Your Spiritual Growth (It's Probably Not What You Think) Everyone wants revival. We want to feel closer to God. We want deeper faith. We want more joy. We want to become spiritually fruitful. But what if revival doesn't begin with stronger emotions? What if it begins with a renewed mind? In this episode, Rob explores Romans 12:1–2 and explains why God transforms the way we think before He transforms the way we live. You'll discover: • Why revival always begins with God's mercy • How culture quietly shapes our thinking • Why trusting your own understanding can...
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Don’t Die in the Desert: How to Live the Life God Intended Have you ever wondered whether you are settling for less than the life God intended for you? The Israelites witnessed miracles, crossed the Red Sea, ate manna from heaven, and experienced God’s power firsthand. Yet almost an entire generation died in the wilderness because fear kept them from stepping into God’s promises. In this episode, adapted from a lesson Rob taught at a ministry training retreat in Spokane, Washington, Rob explores the life of Caleb and asks a challenging question: What if the greatest danger is not...
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Stop Waiting for "The One": How Fear Is Keeping You Single Are you waiting for certainty before you're willing to put yourself out there? Do you want to get married someday, but fear rejection, making the wrong choice, getting hurt, or simply never finding the right person? In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob tackles one of the greatest obstacles facing Christian singles today: fear. After teaching a lesson on dating to approximately 200 young adults and married Christians in Boston, Rob noticed a common theme. Many people aren't struggling because they don't want to get married or...
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Walk Where Jesus Walked: The Holy Land Tour That Will Transform Your Faith Have you ever wanted to walk where Jesus walked? In this episode, Rob sits down with longtime minister and Bible teacher Mike Fontenau from Perth, Australia, to discuss an unforgettable opportunity—a guided Holy Land tour planned for October 2027. With more than twenty years of experience leading biblical tours through Israel, Mike shares how visiting the places you've only read about can completely transform your understanding of Scripture. From the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum to Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, the...
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Before You Fast: 10 Ways to Experience Breakthrough with God What if your breakthrough is waiting on the other side of wholehearted prayer and fasting? In this episode, Rob prepares listeners for the upcoming 72-Hour Fast for Revival by sharing practical, biblical guidance on how to make the experience meaningful. Whether you've fasted many times or have never skipped a meal for spiritual reasons, this episode will help you approach God with faith, humility, and expectation. Rob explains why repentance always comes before revival, how to prepare your heart, practical tips for fasting safely,...
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From Olympic Dreams to Church Growth in Spain: How Jeff Arias Learned to Trust God What does it look like to spend decades building a successful career and then use everything you've learned to advance God's Kingdom? In this episode, Rob sits down with Jeff Arias, a bivocational minister serving in Madrid, Spain. Jeff shares his remarkable journey—from growing up in Virginia, chasing Olympic skiing dreams in Colorado, becoming a disciple in 1986, building a successful business career, and eventually helping lead churches across Spain and Portugal. Jeff opens up about being fired from the...
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85 Years Old and Still Preaching: Why Al Baird Refuses to Retire What keeps a Christian faithful, fruitful, and full of vision at 85 years old? In this inspiring episode, Rob sits down with Dr. Al Baird, longtime church leader, teacher, and disciple-maker, who is still actively preaching and helping churches grow decades into his Christian journey. After losing his wife Gloria following 56 years of marriage, Al faced the challenge of finding purpose in a new season of life. Rather than slowing down, he accepted an opportunity to help revitalize the church in Bakersfield, California—a...
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85 Years Old and Still Asking God for More: The Caleb Spirit At 85 years old, Caleb wasn't asking for comfort, retirement, or an easier assignment. He was asking for a mountain. In this episode, Rob explores one of the most inspiring stories in the Bible and reveals why Caleb's faith remained strong after 45 years of waiting. While others focused on obstacles, giants, and limitations, Caleb learned to see God in every situation. What made Caleb different? Why did he continue dreaming when others had given up? And how can his example help us experience personal revival, renewed purpose, and...
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📄 They Sold Everything to Move to Albania for God What would make a young family sell nearly everything they own, leave a thriving ministry, and move across the world to one of Europe's least evangelized nations? In this inspiring conversation, Rob Skinner sits down with Kyle Plum as he prepares to move with his wife Monique and their three young children to Albania. Kyle shares the remarkable journey that led them from a successful ministry in San Diego to a bold new mission in Eastern Europe. He discusses how God opened unexpected doors, confirmed the calling through prayer, and ignited a...
info_outlineDon’t Die in the Desert: How to Live the Life God Intended
Have you ever wondered whether you are settling for less than the life God intended for you?
The Israelites witnessed miracles, crossed the Red Sea, ate manna from heaven, and experienced God’s power firsthand. Yet almost an entire generation died in the wilderness because fear kept them from stepping into God’s promises.
In this episode, adapted from a lesson Rob taught at a ministry training retreat in Spokane, Washington, Rob explores the life of Caleb and asks a challenging question:
What if the greatest danger is not failure—but living safely?
While most of his generation wandered in circles, Caleb remained faithful, courageous, mission-focused, and ready for his next adventure. At 85 years old, he was still dreaming, still fighting, and still asking God for more:
“Now give me this hill country.”
Rob shares seven principles for becoming a faithful adventurer—someone willing to go anywhere, do anything, and trust God enough to receive the life He intended.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why it is possible to be forgiven and still miss much of God’s purpose for your life
• What Caleb saw that the other spies could not see
• Why faith does not deny reality—it adds God to the equation
• The power of following God wholeheartedly
• How Rob and Pam learned to keep saying yes to new adventures
• Why courage means taking action even when you feel afraid
• How to recognize and resist a “shadow mission”
• Why your career, education, and money are tools—not your ultimate mission
• The importance of staying physically and spiritually strong
• Why many people regret playing it safe more than taking meaningful risks
• Practical principles for reading, learning, saving, growing, and overcoming failure
• How to finish life with purpose instead of regret
The tragedy of Israel’s story was not a lack of opportunity. They saw the same land, heard the same promises, and witnessed the same miracles as Caleb.
Fear simply made their decisions.
Don’t allow fear to make decisions that faith should make.
Keep dreaming.
Keep growing.
Keep saying yes to God.
And when your opportunity comes, have the faith to say:
“Now give me this hill country.”
Find Rob’s books, podcast resources, and ways to support the ministry at RobSkinner.com.
Rob’s goal is to inspire you to live a no-regrets life, make this life count, and multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.