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 tak...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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....

Before You Quit, Pray This With Me | Before You Quit #7 What do you do when you're discouraged, overwhelmed and don't know what decision to make? Before you do anything else, turn toward God. In Day 7 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done , Rob Skinner pauses to do something simple: Pray with you. If you're considering walking away from church, struggling in your relationship w...

Yesterday Is Not Prophecy: Don't Limit What God Can Do Have you ever looked at an area of your life and thought: "This is never going to change"? Maybe you've been single longer than you expected. Maybe your marriage has been difficult for years. Maybe you've prayed for one of your children to come back to God and nothing seems to be happening. Maybe your finances are stuck. Your career isn't movi...

Thinking About Leaving Church? Watch for These Warning Signs | Before You Quit #6 Most Christians who walk away from God don't make one dramatic decision to quit. They drift. In Day 6 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done , Rob Skinner walks through the familiar pathway that can slowly lead a Christian out the door: Disappointment. Discouragement. Pulling back. Missing church....

FROM THE ARCHIVES: With NASCON26 happening in Baltimore this weekend, we're resurfacing one of Rob and Pam Skinner's most practical episodes on how to make the most of a Christian conference. Originally recorded before the 2022 World Discipleship Summit, the principles are just as relevant for NASCON today. Going to NASCON26 in Baltimore this weekend? Listen to this before you go. We're bringing b...

Still Struggling With Sin? Something Isn't Wrong With You | Before You Quit #5 Have you ever looked at other Christians and wondered, "Why am I still struggling? Something must be wrong with me"? In Day 5 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done , Rob Skinner addresses the shame, comparison, and imposter syndrome that can make Christians feel as though they're only pretending to h...

Give God One Night a Week—and Watch What Happens What if the biggest thing keeping you from making a difference for God isn't a lack of talent, knowledge, or spirituality? What if you're simply too busy? In this episode of the Rob Skinner Podcast, Rob offers one simple challenge: Leave one night open. Choose one night every week and dedicate it to investing spiritually in another person. Study the...

When Church Doesn't Feel Safe Anymore | Before You Quit #3 What happens when the place that once felt like family no longer feels safe? In Day 3 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done , Rob Skinner addresses one of the most painful reasons Christians consider walking away: church hurt . Church can be a place of incredible friendship, growth, healing, and spiritual transformation...

You 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 w...

When God Doesn't Answer the Way You Prayed | Before You Quit #2 When you've prayed, sacrificed, and trusted God for years—and the answer still doesn't come—what happens to your faith? In Day 2 of Rob Skinner's new book, Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done , Rob shares one of the most personal and painful stories in the book. After becoming a Christian, Rob prayed intensely for h...

The Decisions That Keep You Faithful: 6 Christians Share What Changed Everything What decisions help a Christian stay faithful—not just for a few months or years, but for a lifetime? In this special live edition of the Rob Skinner Podcast, recorded during the Downtown Boston Midweek service, Rob sits down with six disciples at very different stages of their spiritual journeys. Some have followed J...

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 Skin...

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...

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,...

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. A...

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 Isra...

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,...

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 skiin...

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 o...