Dustin Kleinschmidt Podcast

Some of us believe that God loves us because he has to. That he forgives us, but barely. That he sees our mess and rolls his eyes—or worse, turns away.But what if that isn’t true? In Luke 15, Jesus tells a story that cuts through all our assumptions—about failure, performance, grace, and what it means to come home.This episode explores:Why sin has an appetite that never gets fullWhat happens when we believe God only tolerates usHow shame and striving keep us just as stuck as rebellionThe way Jesus answers accusations with stories, not lecturesWhy the older brother never goes into the party—and what it means if we don’t either“You must embrace God’s love for you to experience his life through you.”This one’s for anyone who’s ever thought: Maybe I’m the problem. Maybe I don’t belong here. Maybe I’m the one grace doesn’t cover.

This Week on the Podcast:What if the disruption you’re resisting is the doorway to deeper transformation?In this message, we explore:How God meets us in the ordinaryWhy disruption gets our attention in ways comfort never canHow encountering Jesus leads us from fear to freedomWhy transformation often begins in the moments we want to avoidThrough stories of unexpected encounters and surprising interruptions — from Peter’s fishing nets to Jim Kelly’s baptism — we’re reminded that disruption puts God’s grace on display.Key Passage: Luke 5:1-11

Episode: Do you Want to Get well? Scripture:John 5:1–15Isaiah 35:5–6John 14:6John 20:30–31Main Ideas:Jesus intentionally moves toward the most broken, overlooked, and desperate people.Grace comes before change. Jesus heals first, then calls the man to sin no more.The religious leaders miss the miracle because they’re obsessed with rules—just like we often miss what God is doing when we’re fixated on control.Jesus doesn’t ask us to fix ourselves. He asks us to trust Him.Like the man by the pool, we often put our hope in everything but Jesus. And yet, He still meets us with compassion.Reflective Questions:What area of your life feels stuck, broken, or hopeless right now?Where have you been trying to fix yourself instead of trusting Jesus to restore you?How might Jesus be inviting you to stop striving and simply receive His grace?Action Step:Take a quiet moment today to hear Jesus ask you, “Do you want to get well?”Be honest. Then, invite Him into that space.

Episode: When Jesus Moves InThis week’s message centers on one of the most transformational encounters in all of Scripture—Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Her story reminds us that:Jesus pursues us in our mess, even when we’re trying to avoid everyone else.He asks the deeper questions and gets beneath the surface to expose the real thirst within us.He doesn’t condemn—He invites us to worship in spirit and truth, offering freedom through honesty.When we allow Jesus to fully enter our lives, our mess becomes part of His message.We all have rooms we keep hidden, closets we keep locked, and parts of our story we’d rather no one see. But Jesus isn’t afraid of our mess—He moves toward it. This episode invites you to stop managing and start surrendering.Be sure to read the related Substack article, Managing the Mess, for a deeper reflection on how this story invites us to live with honesty, freedom, and transformation.

Title: War for WorshipSeries: Becoming – A Journey Through 1 SamuelIn this teaching from 1 Samuel 8, Dustin explores how Israel’s desire for a human king wasn’t just a political request—it was a spiritual rejection. After experiencing God’s faithfulness, the people still insisted on being like the other nations. They wanted safety, predictability, and control. But in their demand, they forgot what it meant to follow.This episode confronts our modern idols with ancient truth:That we all worship something—whether money, career, comfort, or even ourselves.That whatever we worship, we serve.And that our first instinct in crisis is often to fix, not follow.Through raw honesty and scriptural reflection, Dustin challenges listeners to examine their own hearts:What do you look to when life feels uncertain?Where do your thoughts drift when anxiety rises?Who (or what) do you really crown as king?But this isn’t a message of condemnation—it’s a call back to grace. God may give in to our stubborn hearts, but He never gives up on us. He patiently invites us back to Himself, not as a king who demands, but as one who gives everything—including Himself.Key Passage: 1 Samuel 8Main Theme: We become servants of whatever we worship.Call to Action: Lay down your idol. Let God be King. Again.

Series: Becoming…Episode: Framework for FreedomText: 1 Samuel 6We like life to be simple. Good or bad. Right or wrong. Hero or villain. But the reality of the human heart—and the biblical story—is far more complex. This week’s message dives deep into that complexity, exploring how even Israel’s enemies—the Philistines—model a surprising posture of humility, surrender, and repentance.In this episode, Dustin unpacks a “framework for freedom” rooted in the response of the Philistines to God’s discipline. Though pagan and opposed to Israel, they display three critical steps that often elude even the most religious among us:Confession – It starts with surrender. A change in posture. An admission that we’re not God.Repentance – Proactive ownership. Taking action, not to earn forgiveness, but to realign with the Lord.Belief – Moving forward in faith, trusting that God’s grace is big enough for our imperfect steps.Whether you’re struggling with lingering shame, trying to navigate a difficult season, or simply needing to remember the beauty of God’s mercy, this message will invite you to stop managing your sin and start walking in freedom.📖 Featuring insights from 1 Samuel, Exodus, Jeremiah, Psalm 145, and the writings of Tim Keller.Key Quote:“We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, and yet more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” – Tim Keller

Episode NotesSeries: BecomingEpisode Title: Broken IdolsPassage: 1 Samuel 5Episode Overview:We all have idols—things we lean on for identity, security, comfort, or control. In 1 Samuel 5, the Philistines learn a hard truth: God will not be placed alongside false gods. He will not be managed, manipulated, or minimized.In this episode, we explore how the story of Dagon falling before the Ark of the Covenant serves as a mirror for our own divided hearts. We see how easy it is to “add God” to an already crowded life, instead of surrendering wholly to Him. And we’ll unpack how God, in His love, often topples the very idols we trust—because only He can satisfy and sustain us.Key Themes & Takeaways:The Danger of Divided WorshipWe often live with spiritual “dual citizenship”—trying to honor God while still clinging to idols of success, approval, comfort, or control.Minimizing & Managing GodLike the Philistines, we can treat God as an accessory to our own agendas—bringing Him in when convenient, sidelining Him when uncomfortable.God’s Relentless Grace in Confronting IdolatryGod’s judgment is often an act of mercy—designed to free us from what enslaves us and call us back to Him.Freedom Through Full SurrenderTrue worship is not about managing sin or balancing competing loves. It’s about whole-hearted devotion, rooted in trust that God is good, sovereign, and worthy of it all.Reflection & Application:Where do I subtly “place God alongside” other priorities in my life?What am I trusting in today for identity, peace, or hope—apart from God?Am I managing sin instead of confessing it and surrendering it?What would it look like to give God full weight and glory in every area of my life?Key Scriptures Referenced:1 Samuel 5Isaiah 42:8 — “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”Proverbs 1:7 — “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”Hebrews 12:1–2 — “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles… fixing our eyes on Jesus…”Main Questions for Listeners to Ponder:What idols has God been revealing in your life lately?How have you tried to “manage” God instead of surrendering to Him?What would it look like to live with an undivided heart—fully focused on Him?

Episode NotesSeries: BecomingPassage: 1 Samuel 2:12–36Theme: The contrast between spiritual corruption (Hophni & Phinehas) and focused faithfulness (Samuel)Key Questions:What gets most of your attention and affection?Where in your life do you feel spiritually passive or distracted?How can you reorient your heart toward a faithful focus on God?📝 Reflect:Confess the places where your heart feels divided.Practice listening for God’s voice this week—start your day by praying, “Lord, I want to give you my full attention today.”📖 Related Scriptures:Deuteronomy 6:5Hebrews 12:1–2John 15:1–5

New series: Becoming (Exploring 1 Samuel)Teaching text: 1 Samuel 1Key themes:Life rarely goes as planned—and that may be God’s grace.Faithfulness often looks like fighting to keep showing up.Hannah’s honest, broken prayer models what surrender really looks like.We don’t need perfect words—just a real heart before God.God hears, God cares, and He always responds (yes, no, or wait).Steadfast surrender is trusting God with what we long for most.

This episode explores the hard but beautiful call to forgiveness through the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18.Key themes:Why forgiveness is not about excusing or minimizing sin.How carrying unforgiveness fills our hearts with fear, anger, and loss.What forgiveness is and what it is not—including why forgiveness and justice are not mutually exclusive.Why forgiveness is less about forcing a feeling and more about daily surrender and release.How being filled with God’s forgiveness frees us to forgive others.Why the Christian community must be a place of confrontation, confession, grace, and restoration.Forgiveness isn’t the easier way, but it is the better way—and it is the path that leads to life and freedom.