Pursuing God with Dave and Gene

When Jesus asked blind Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” He already knew the answer. The question wasn’t for His benefit but for Bartimaeus’s. In the same way, God invites us to name our needs specifically — because specific prayers lead to deeper healing and ease our anxiety in personal 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 for everyone, each episode invites you to discover God’s presence and activity in your life.

Philippians 4:6 shows us three kinds of prayer — prayer, petition, and thanksgiving — that move us from vague requests to specific cries for help. Anxiety loses its grip when we get honest with God about exactly what we’re worried about and exactly what we need. Nothing is too small to bring before 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 conviction that God’s grace is for everyone, each episode invites you to discover God’s presence and activity in your life.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6 that anxiety is a signal, not a sentence. Just like a “check engine” light, it points us back to the One who knows how to fix what’s wrong. If it’s big enough to worry about, it’s big enough to pray about. Peace is found on the path paved with prayer.

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.

Anxiety is unavoidable, but living in its prison is optional. In Philippians 4, Paul — writing from prison himself — shows us how to move from anxiety to peace by trusting God’s goodness and His control. As the holiday season approaches, discover the first step toward calm: rejoicing in the Lord who is always near.

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.

Earthly prizes fade, but Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 9 that the reward of helping someone find Jesus lasts forever. One day, crowns will be placed at the feet of Christ in worship, and those moments will make every sacrifice worth it. Don’t just run aimlessly. Run for the prize that never fades.

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.

Not every evangelist looks the same. Scripture shows six distinct styles — confrontational, intellectual, testimonial, interpersonal, invitational, and service. Each one is valid, and each one is needed. Discover how God has uniquely shaped you to share Jesus in your own way, with people only you can reach.

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.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 9 that just like athletes train with discipline to win, we also need to prepare well to share our faith. That is why preparation matters in evangelism and how God has uniquely designed you to reach people who can only be reached by someone just like 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 episode invites you to discover God’s presence and activity in your life.

Paul challenges us in 1 Corinthians 9 to run the race of evangelism with focus and intensity — not aimlessly, and not just shadowboxing. The prize isn’t money or possessions; it’s people who need Jesus. It is sometimes easy to lose sight of this goal so we need to refocus on what matters most: helping others encounter Christ.

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.

When you hear the word evangelist, do you picture yourself? Many don’t — and that’s the problem. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul uses the imagery of running a race to remind us that sharing Jesus isn’t one-size-fits-all. This week we examine how God has uniquely shaped you to reach people only you can reach. The question isn’t if you should share the good news - it’s how.

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.

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.