Pursuing God with Dave and Gene

Today we’ll focus on the ultimate goal that should drive all of our decision-making: We should be trying to get as close to Jesus as we can. 

Paul said, "I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved." This is the heart attitude that should characterize our approach to gray areas.

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.

Welcome back to a week where we’re dealing with gray areas that surface when we follow Jesus. We've established that love should be our guiding principle when the Bible doesn't give us clear direction, and we've seen how Paul applied this. 

Today, we’ll look at how Paul lived out this principle in his own ministry in a very practical and powerful 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 everyone, each episode invites you to discover God’s presence and activity in your life.

In 1 Corinthians, believers were struggling with whether they should eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols in pagan religious practices. Today we're going to dive into Paul's answer about how the principle of love plays out in making difficult decisions. His response is both practical and profound.

In the gray areas of life, are you being driven by what you have the right to do or by what love would do?

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.

On many things, the Bible is absolutely black and white. But what about those gray areas where the Bible doesn't say anything specific? What do we do then? What are the principles that guide us when we're walking in uncertain territory?

Paul gives us some incredible insights in 1 Corinthians 8-10, and that's what we're going to be unpacking over the course of this week.

In the gray areas of your life, are your decisions being driven by knowledge or love? 

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.

The parable Jesus told wasn't just a nice story about wine-making practices in ancient times; it was a powerful illustration of how God works in our lives and what He expects from us as His followers. We’ll give some practical thoughts about what this means for your life. 

Remember, God doesn't just pour new wine into your life. He makes you into a new wineskin, flexible and expandable, ready to accommodate all the good things He wants to do in and through you. That's the miracle of transformation.

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.

Is God doing a healing work in your life emotionally, relationally, spiritually, or even physically?

When we remain in our connection to Jesus, His spirit in us produces the power to face our 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 conviction that God’s grace is for everyone, each episode invites you to discover God’s presence and activity in your life.

There are two kinds of people seen in church: those who have transformed a lot and those who have barely transformed at all.

What’s the major differentiating factor between those two kinds of people? The word YES. 

We were all really failures at one time or another, but failure is not fatal. But even when we fail, God loves us and shows up for us.

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.

We’ll continue to look at the parable of the wineskins from Luke. We’ll review the context of when this parable was told.

Do you prefer the old way of doing things when God is doing something new? Do you resist situations he is calling you into simply because you don’t like being put in those kinds of situations?

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.

Sometimes we’re not as prepared as we think when God does something new. New spiritual goals require new ways of pursuing them.

Jesus explained in Luke that new wine in old wineskins could lead to a mess. This week, we’ll explore the topic of being ready and empowered to act when God does something new. 

Have you been feeling a little insecure at changes that may be coming your way? Does it seem like God is not showing up in the same way as he did in another point of transition in 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 everyone, each episode invites you to discover God’s presence and activity in your life.

From the archives - it’s the best of “The Best Way To Live” podcast - summer edition:

Romans 3:23 says, “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God has extended an outrageous invitation of life and grace, but He’s waiting for each of us to accept it. In today’s episode, Gene clearly lays out the path to living a life of true freedom. 

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.