Pursuing God with Gene Appel

Financial pressure has a way of shaping our fears, decisions, and sense of security. Explore why money worry affects people at every income level and how Jesus invites us into a different way of living marked by trust, peace, and freedom from anxiety. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Eastsi...

Even with compelling evidence, belief can feel out of reach. Explore why pride, failure, disappointment, and doubt often stand in the way of faith, and how the resurrection of Jesus removed the same roadblocks in Peter’s life and can do the same today. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by Easts...

The disciples had evidence of the resurrection, but their faith took root in a personal encounter with Jesus. Discover how belief moves beyond proof and how people today still encounter Jesus in life-changing ways. 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...

When life unravels and faith feels fragile, it’s natural to wonder where God is. This episode explores Peter’s crisis after Jesus’ death and the honest questions that surface when hope feels buried. Discover how doubt, loss, and disappointment can become the very places where faith is rebuilt and trust is restored. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, a...

Failure has a way of making us question our worth, our faith, and whether God still sees us the same. In this episode, we look at Peter’s moral collapse and the weight of guilt that followed his denial of Jesus, exploring how failure can distort what we believe about ourselves and about God. As the resurrection story unfolds, we begin to see why even our worst moments do not have the final word. P...

What does the empty tomb really prove, and why does it still matter? The doubts, fears, and questions surrounding the resurrection of Jesus are explored through Peter’s encounter with the risen Christ and the transformation that followed. For anyone who has wondered whether Jesus is truly God, whether they matter to Him, or whether faith can survive failure and doubt, the empty tomb offers a compe...

It’s the end of the first full week of 2026, and change is already in the air. In Acts 3, a man asked for money but received something far better, he was healed through the power of Jesus. That kind of transformation begins with repentance, a change of mind and heart. When we turn to God, Scripture promises times of refreshing. Maybe you’re ready for a fresh start too. Today’s devotional is a remi...

What do you really need to change your life this year? A new job? A bigger paycheck? A fresh start somewhere else? In Acts 3, a man asked for money, but what he received instead changed everything. Today, we’re unpacking how real, lasting transformation doesn't come from silver or gold. It comes from Jesus. In a world full of temporary solutions and quick fixes, we need to be reminded that th...

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come in the form of interruptions. Today, we revisit a powerful moment in Acts 3, when a man who had been paralyzed since birth asked for a few coins, but instead received a life-altering miracle through Jesus. He didn’t expect anything more than a handout, but what he got was healing, freedom, and the ability to walk, leap, and praise God for the first time in...

Have you ever felt stuck… powerless… like life has left you sitting on the sidelines while everyone else moves forward? Today, we’ll take a closer look at a man in Acts 3 who had been crippled since birth, carried daily to the temple gate just to beg. He thought he needed spare change, but God had life change in mind. If you’re walking into 2026 feeling behind, worn out, or wondering if real chang...

Welcome to 2026! A brand new year means a fresh playing field, a chance to invite God to take new territory in our lives. But if we’re honest, change can be hard. Most of us say we want transformation, but few are truly ready for the discomfort it brings. Today we explore why change is at the very heart of following Jesus and how Acts 3:19 promises “times of refreshing” when we’re willing to turn...

Merry Christmas Eve, friend. Today on Pursuing God , we’re tracing the journey of Jesus from the manger to the Jordan River — and what it means for your life right now. He wasn’t just born to be admired in a nativity scene; He came to be followed. Born in a manger, buried in baptism, and raised to bring new life to anyone willing to say yes. As we light the final Advent candle and reflect on His b...

Christmas isn’t always “the most wonderful time of the year.” For some of us, this time of year magnifies the pain we’re carrying… the empty chair at the table, the tension in relationships, the dreams that haven’t come true. Today I want to talk about the hard side of Christmas and remind you of the powerful promise Jesus makes in the middle of it all: “Behold, I am making all things new.” Not so...

In this final week of Advent, Gene Appel invites you to shift your perspective from anxiety to awe. As we reflect on Isaiah 12 and the promise of salvation, we’re reminded that we don’t have to stay stuck in the cycle of worry. Instead, we’re called to draw close to our Mighty God—to turn our monologue of stress into a dialogue of trust. Whether you’re weighed down by finances, relationships, or u...

As we wrap up the third week of Advent, we’ve spent these days looking at Jesus as YOUR KING. We close this week by returning to the wise men, who traveled for months, maybe years, to bow before Jesus and offer their gifts. Their worship wasn’t casual or convenient; it was love expressed. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grou...

“Behold, your King is coming to you.” Today, we trace how the Christmas story itself declares that Jesus didn’t come for one group, one ethnicity, or one nation, He came for the world. From lowly shepherds to foreign Magi, God made it unmistakably clear: the good news is for everyone. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. Grounded...

Today, we explore the powerful contrast between two very different gifts brought to Jesus, costly treasures from the wise men and two simple pigeons from Mary and Joseph. One extravagant, one humble… yet both equally honoring to God. Why? Because God doesn’t measure the amount, He measures the proportion and the heart behind it. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue God, buil...

Today, we walk through the often-misunderstood story of the wise men, their long journey, intentional worship, and the deeply symbolic gifts they brought to Jesus. Gold for the King. Frankincense for the High Priest. Myrrh for the Savior who came to die. Their gifts weren’t last-minute add-ons; they were thoughtful, planned acts of worship. As we enter the busiest days of December, this episode in...

Step into the third week of Advent with the powerful declaration from Zechariah: “Behold, your King is coming to you… having salvation.” Today, we reflect on the wise men, their gifts, and what it means to worship the One who has everything yet still desires our hearts. In a season filled with noise, hurry, and gift-giving, this episode invites you to slow down, become a worshipper again, and hono...

Fear not, a reminder of the extraordinary joy at the heart of Christmas. Today’s episode invites you to slow down, create space in this busy season, and consider how God wants to use your life, right where you live, to shine His light. Just as the shepherds shared the good news with everyone they knew, God invites us to do the same. Who in your life needs hope, encouragement, or an invitation this...

In today’s Advent reflection, we revisit the shepherds’ fear and their courageous decision to explore what God was revealing to them. Many of us are just “18 inches” from Jesus, the distance between knowing about Him in our minds and believing in Him with our hearts. This episode invites you to quiet the noise, recognize God’s voice, and take that final step through two powerful words: I believe....

As we continue the second week of Advent, we turn to a moment in the Christmas story that reminds us just how wide God’s love reaches. The angel announces, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy for all people,” and the first to hear it weren’t kings or influencers, they were shepherds at the bottom of society’s ladder. Today’s episode invites you to “take a look” at the radical...

Advent reminds us that long before we pursued God, He was already pursuing us. Today, we explore why surrender , the very choice Mary and Joseph made in their most overwhelming moments, is the antidote to fear. From bad timing and impossible circumstances to a wave analogy that hits close to home, this episode shows how moving toward what scares us, rather than running from it, opens our lives to...

Step into the second week of Advent with the angel’s invitation: Fear not. Today, we look at Mary and Joseph’s story and how God met them in the middle of confusion, fear, and an uncertain future. As we light the “Fear Not” candle, take a moment to slow down, reflect on God’s presence in your own circumstances, and remember that Immanuel, God with us, makes courage possible. Pursuing God with Gene...

Today’s reflection is realizing the heart of Christmas is God letting go of His Son because of His love for us. Discover how learning to “let go” in your own life can open the door to reaching the one person who needs Jesus most. This episode invites you to trust, release control, and follow the example of a God who let go to rescue you. Pursuing God with Gene Appel is designed to help you pursue...