In Acts 28, Paul and his companions spend three months on Malta—a season of healing before continuing their journey. Gene reminds us today that deep wounds don’t heal overnight, and God doesn’t rush the process. Hurts that take time can become the very places where we’re equipped to walk alongside others in their pain. The church isn’t meant to be a showcase for perfect people but a refuge for real people—scarred, grieving, learning to heal. And as Isaiah 53 declares, “By his stripes we are healed.” In God’s time, our scars can become the source of someone else’s hope.

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.