442. You Got Advice—So Why Was It Still a Bad Decision?
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Release Date: 08/21/2026
459. You're Growing More Than You Think | Before You Quit, Day 13
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
You're Growing More Than You Think | Before You Quit, Day 13 Have you ever wondered why you're not further along in your relationship with God? You've been a Christian for years. You know what the Bible teaches. You've set spiritual goals. You've tried to change. But you're still struggling with some of the same weaknesses, habits, and temptations. And you start asking yourself: “Why am I not growing as I should?” In Day 13 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done, Rob Skinner addresses the discouragement that comes when our spiritual growth doesn't match our expectations....
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458. Are You Faking Your Faith? It's Time to Take Off the Mask | Before You Quit #12
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Are You Faking Your Faith? It's Time to Take Off the Mask | Before You Quit #12 Have you ever looked like a strong Christian on the outside while feeling spiritually empty on the inside? You still attend church. You smile. You give hugs. You say the right things. People may even look up to you as a mature, faithful disciple. But deep down, something has changed. Your prayers have become inconsistent. You've stopped spending time in God's Word. You're struggling with sin, carrying guilt, or feeling ashamed of what's happening in your life. And instead of telling someone, you keep pretending...
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457. Feeling Lonely at Church? Don’t Walk Away Yet | Before You Quit #11
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Feeling Lonely at Church? Don’t Walk Away Yet | Before You Quit #11 Have you ever stood in a crowded church and felt completely alone? Everyone else seems to have their people. Their conversations. Their plans. Their friend group. Meanwhile, you're standing there wondering: “Does anyone even see me?” In Day 11 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done, Rob Skinner addresses one of the biggest reasons people quietly consider walking away from church: Loneliness and isolation. Last summer, Rob and Pam met a young woman who had recently moved to Boston and joined the church....
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456. Retirement, Faith, and 2,200 Miles: Phil and Robbyn's Appalachian Trail Adventure
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Retirement, Faith, and 2,200 Miles: Phil and Robbyn's Appalachian Trail Adventure What would you do if you retired and suddenly had the freedom to pursue a really big dream? Most people picture retirement as a time to slow down, relax, and take it easy. Not Phil and Robbyn Paradis. After more than four decades of following Jesus, Phil retired from his career in civil engineering and decided to take on one of America's most demanding hiking adventures: the nearly 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. There was just one problem. He had never backpacked before. And he was already dealing with serious...
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455. When God Doesn’t Come Through the Way You Hoped | Before You Quit #10
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
When God Doesn’t Come Through the Way You Hoped | Before You Quit #10 What do you do when you've prayed for something good—and God doesn't come through the way you hoped? In Day 10 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done, Rob Skinner tackles one of the most painful sources of spiritual discouragement: Disappointment with God. When COVID hit, Rob's church in Tucson was averaging around 200 people on Sundays. Like churches around the world, they temporarily moved online. When they finally gathered again, a little more than 100 people remained. Rob wondered: Where did...
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454. You’ve Got One Job: Stay Connected to Jesus
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
You’ve Got One Job: Stay Connected to Jesus There are a thousand things competing for your attention every day. Your career. Your marriage. Your kids. Your health. Your finances. Your goals. Your phone. Even your ministry. But according to Jesus, there's one thing you absolutely cannot neglect: Your connection with him. In John 15, Jesus gives one of the simplest and most powerful pictures of the Christian life: “I am the vine; you are the branches.” In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob explores why successful people can be especially vulnerable to spiritual self-reliance, why...
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453. When Following Jesus Costs You Something Real | Before You Quit #9
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
When Following Jesus Costs You Something Real | Before You Quit #9 What happens when following Jesus costs you something—or someone—you genuinely love? In Day 9 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done, Rob Skinner talks about a part of Christianity that can be painful to accept: Obedience can cost you something real. When Rob became a Christian during his junior year of college, one of the first people he wanted to tell was his best friend from high school. This was someone Rob could completely be himself around. They had taken road trips together. Made memories...
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452. God Loves You—But Do You Believe It? Is Your “Truster” Broken?
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
God Loves You—But Do You Believe It? Is Your “Truster” Broken? What if one of the biggest problems in your relationship with God isn't that God doesn't love you—but that you have trouble believing that he does? Years ago, two young children in Rob Skinner's extended family were adopted from Korea. Their new parents gave them a loving home, security, opportunities and a family that poured love into them. But the children struggled. There was anger. Mistrust. Rejection. As a young man watching from the outside, Rob couldn't understand it. Why couldn't they see how much they were loved?...
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451. Following Jesus Feels Too Hard? Don’t Quit Yet | Before You Quit #8
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Following Jesus Feels Too Hard? Don’t Quit Yet | Before You Quit #8 What if one of the reasons you're thinking about quitting Christianity is something you rarely say out loud? “It's just too hard.” In Day 8 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done, Rob Skinner begins Week Two of the book: Why People Quit and Don't Say It Out Loud. People rarely walk away from their faith in one sudden moment. A disappointment here. A conflict there. An unanswered prayer. A broken relationship. Little by little, discouragement accumulates until someone quietly begins drifting away. And...
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450. Stop Saying “Not Yet”: It’s Not Too Late to Change
The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count
Stop Saying “Not Yet”: It’s Not Too Late to Change What have you gotten so used to that you don't even see it anymore? From 2004 to 2012, Rob Skinner worked as a realtor while planting a church in Ashland, Oregon. Whenever someone bought a fixer-upper, he gave them one piece of advice: Fix the problems right away. Why? Because human beings have an incredible ability to get used to almost anything. The cracked tile that drives you crazy when you first move in eventually becomes your cracked tile. You stop noticing it. Rob shares an unforgettable illustration from John Kotter and Dan...
info_outlineYou Got Advice—So Why Was It Still a Bad Decision?
Can you seek advice and still make a terrible decision?
Absolutely.
In 1 Kings 12, two new kings—Rehoboam and Jeroboam—face some of the biggest decisions of their lives. Both seek advice. Both listen to advisors.
And both make disastrous choices that affect generations.
The problem wasn’t simply whether they asked for advice.
The deeper question was: What were they looking for when they asked?
Wisdom—or approval?
God’s direction—or validation for something they had already decided?
In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob explores the stories of Rehoboam and Jeroboam and shares five practical principles for making better decisions at the major crossroads of life.
Rehoboam received wise counsel from experienced leaders who encouraged him to serve the people. But when he didn’t like their answer, he found younger advisors who told him what he wanted to hear. One pride-driven decision helped split the kingdom of Israel.
Jeroboam made a different mistake. God had already promised to establish his kingdom if he remained faithful. But fear took over. Instead of asking whether his plan honored God, he sought advice about how to execute a decision he had already made—leading to the golden calves at Bethel and Dan and generations of idolatry.
One of the most important lessons is simple:
Something can work and still be wrong.
Effectiveness is not the same thing as faithfulness.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why asking for advice is only the beginning
- How Rehoboam confused advice with approval
- Why the advice you don’t want to hear may be the advice you need
- How Jeroboam used good strategy to accomplish the wrong goal
- Why fear can disguise itself as wisdom
- How greed can sound like “good stewardship”
- Why your heart cannot always be trusted
- How a small number of major decisions determine much of your life
- Why you should seek several perspectives on important decisions
- How to choose advisors whose lives you actually respect
- Why, when both choices are good, choosing growth can be a helpful principle
- How Rob and Pam chose church planting in Tucson over financial opportunity in Oregon
- Why it’s never too late to admit you were wrong and change direction
Rob closes with five principles for better decisions:
- Seek advice.
- Ask more than one person.
- Ask people whose lives you respect and would want to imitate.
- When both choices are good, consider choosing the path that produces greater spiritual growth.
- Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to change your mind.
Before your next major decision, ask yourself:
Am I really looking for wisdom—or am I looking for permission?
Sometimes the advice you least want to hear is exactly the advice you need.
Learn more about Rob’s books and the podcast at RobSkinner.com.
You can also support the program here.