Pursuing God with Gene Appel

When the prison guard in Acts 16 sees the prisoners he’s beaten and tortured are still in the dungeon, even after an earthquake hits and causes the doors to open, he asks the most important question any of us can ask: “What must I do to be saved?” Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s...

The story of the prison guard in Acts 16 is one of spiritual freedom and transformation. After beating Paul and Silas, an earthquake hit the prison, causing the doors to open. Rather than let the guard kill himself, Paul tells the man, “Stop! We are all still here.” In that moment of humility, the guard released his guilt and turned to Jesus. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pu...

The beautiful thing about the Gospel is that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin in full. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s conviction that God’s grace is for everyone, each episode invites you to discover God’s presence and activity in your life.

Instead of starting with Genesis and getting bogged down in genealogy, begin in the New Testament in the book of Matthew. Focus on life change. Expect to be transformed as you read the Bible. Try writing down what you’re learning. Doing so will help you understand and apply what you’re reading. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion...

The Bible shows us the consequences of rebellion and how God gives grace when we repent. He promises salvation for our souls through the death and resurrection of Jesus. To help you understand the Bible, find an easily understandable translation. Choose a Bible study either online or in person with other believers. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, a...

Psalms says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The Bible gives us values to protect us in our lives. It guides our ways and sets us free. We need to read the Bible to show us the way. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s conviction that God’s grace is for everyo...

One overriding excuse we use for not reading the Bible is lack of motivation. The Bible is a moral compass to tell us right from wrong. It’s a tool to give us guidance in decision-making. Lack of motivation should not be a reason for not using the Bible to help us make decisions that will change our lives. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleas...

Over ninety-three percent of Americans own a Bible. Why don’t we spend more time reading and reflecting on it? Many people say they don’t have time. Others says they can’t or don’t understand it. Still others say they don’t believe it. Do you find the Bible intimidating? I want to encourage you to begin to try to read this book and understand its purpose. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed t...

Paul says in Philippians that he continues to ‘press on’ toward his goal. We need to have that same perseverance that Paul had. Anything worthwhile in life takes perseverance. It’s a lie to think, “It’s too much effort.” Our challenge is to continue to press on toward our goals so we can finish well. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash comp...

In Phillipians chapter 3, we are reminded by Paul to envision where we want to be. We can get distracted easily, but personally stretching goals and knowing what is most important to you can shape your life. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s conviction that God’s grace is for ever...

Success in life means learning to forget things from our past that hold us back. We can forget our failures because God has forgiven and forgotten them.  Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s conviction that God’s grace is for everyone, each episode invites you to discover God’s prese...

Philippians 3:12-14 gives us some practical tips on how to set and reach goals. We must first assess where we are before we know where we’re going. Start by assessing where you are spiritually, relationally, professionally, and physically. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s convict...

Statistics show that people who set goals and stick to them are happier. The Bible is full of people who set big goals, including Jesus. He said his goal was to ‘seek and save that which is lost.’ Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s conviction that God’s grace is for everyone, each...

God loves you and wants to use your broken past to do the things He wants you to do for Him. Because you’ve experienced God’s grace, that qualifies you to do His will. Your past failures don’t disqualify you from doing extraordinary things for God. You have a role to play. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scriptur...

Failure doesn’t have the final say in your life. Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus still used him to heal a lame man. The things in our lives we think of as failures, God is using to create something beautiful. And He wants to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in...

In the book of Acts, God uses ordinary people again and again to accomplish His purposes. When you feel ordinary, know that God can and will use you to make an extraordinary impact on the lives of others. The same power that healed a lame man is available to those of us who believe in Jesus. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. G...

Peter, James, and John were ordinary fishermen, used by God to perform a miracle on a lame man. If God can use an ordinary fisherman to perform a miracle, think of what He can do through you! Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s conviction that God’s grace is for everyone, each episo...

Do you dream of winning an award or achieving something great? Too often we think of ourselves as ‘just ordinary.’ But Jesus promises we can do amazing things by the power of the Holy Spirit to impact others, even when we feel ordinary. This week, ask God to use you to do extraordinary things. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion....

James tells us that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. He reminds us of the story of Elijah, who prayed that no rain would fall for three years. But James reminds us that Elijah was a human being just like us! That kind of powerful prayer is not out of reach for anyone. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion...

We all need a place of complete honesty, which is something we can experience when we pray. We can bring our real ourselves before the Lord, who doesn’t judge us. We can be assured His love for us is unconditional. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s conviction that God’s grace is f...

The apostle James reminds us to tell God when we’re grateful for all we have and all He’s done for us. What are you grateful to God for? Expressing thanks keeps us from having an attitude of complaining in the midst of challenging circumstances. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s c...

Do you have any trouble in your life? Everyone has trouble, whether it’s financial, personal, health related, or in our relationships. The apostle James tells us to pray when we are in trouble or when we have trouble. Your Heavenly Father wants you to pray in every troubling circumstance. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grou...

Sometimes we ask ourselves why we pray if God already knows everything we need. When we don’t get an answer, we wonder if our prayers disappear somewhere. We can be confident God hears our prayers and uses our prayers to draw us closer to Him. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s con...

Our anger doesn’t produce the righteousness God desires. Anger grows out of one of three emotions - Fear, frustration, or hurt. When you’re tempted to respond in anger, try to recognize which of these emotions are driving you. Then pray! Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside’s convictio...

When we take time to listen to others, we can learn how to respond with patience when confronted with anger or when we’re tempted to be angry. Love is patient. Think about how responding with patience and love can radically change our relationships. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastside...