48. The Wilderness Way (with Dustin Kleinschmidt)

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

About Dustin Kleinschmidt

Dustin Kleinschmidt is a longtime pastor and the author of The Wilderness Way. Over the past twenty-five years, he has served in nearly every pastoral role - from student ministry to lead pastor to church planter - giving him a unique perspective on the realities of ministry and faith.

Shaped by both personal struggle and firsthand experience of the challenges within church leadership, Dustin writes and speaks for those who feel spiritually homeless, disillusioned, or exhausted by the pressure to have it all together. His work offers an honest, grounded invitation to follow Jesus in the tension of real life.

 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.”

Resources & Links

• The Wilderness Way by Dustin Kleinschmidt: 

• Dustin’s website: https://www.dustinkleinschmidt.com/

• Follow Dustin on Substack: https://www.dustinkleinschmidt.com/

The Being Formed Podcast is a soul care ministry of LifePoint Resources.