Being Formed Podcast
What if the wilderness isn’t something to escape… but the place where faith is actually formed?
In this episode of The Being Formed Podcast, Adam Ormord is joined by author, coach, and teacher Dustin Kleinschmidt to explore the deeper realities of the spiritual life, especially for those who feel disillusioned, tired, or unsure where God is in the middle of it all.
Dustin brings a rare kind of honesty shaped by decades of pastoral ministry and his own lived experience with burnout, anxiety, disappointment, and the eventual unraveling of expectations. Together, they talk about what happens when doing “everything right” doesn’t lead where we thought it would, and how the wilderness may not be a detour, but the very place where God meets us.
This conversation doesn’t offer sound-bite answers or quick resolutions. Instead, it offers something more needed: companionship, language for what many feel but struggle to name, and permission to walk with God in the tension.
If your faith has ever felt more like wandering than arriving, you’re not alone.
In This Episode, We Explore:
Why the wilderness is not just a season, but the terrain of the spiritual life
What happens when faithfulness doesn’t lead to clarity or relief
The hidden cost of expectations in ministry, leadership, and everyday life
Burnout, anxiety, and disillusionment in Christian spaces
The difference between honest faith and performative spirituality
How to resist spiritual bypassing and make room for emotional honesty
What it means to experience God’s presence without immediate answers
Finding language for the tensions we carry but often can’t articulate
The important role of a safe community as we navigate the wilderness
A Simple Reflection
Take a few moments in quiet and consider:
Where does your life feel unresolved right now?
What expectations - spoken or unspoken - are shaping how you interpret this season?
What would it look like to notice God’s presence here, without needing to change anything?
You might pray:
“God, meet me here.
Not when this is over…
but here, in the middle of it.”
The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.
