Pursuing God with Dave and Gene

An apprentice is someone who works under a teacher to learn a particular job or skill. Jesus invites us to be His apprentices. Gene challenges us with the question,  “What would you be willing to give to sit under Jesus teaching today?” The goal of Jesus’ teaching isn’t for knowledge, it’s for personal transformation. His challenge is for us to read our Bibles and pray that we will become stronger in our faith.

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 crowds were always amazed that Jesus, a carpenter by trade, could teach so well. He hadn’t attended rabbinical school to learn to be a teacher. But Jesus told the crowds that He came to preach good news to the poor. In today’s episode, Gene shows that Jesus recruited other ‘unlearned men’ and even women to be his followers! His example reminds us that His message is for everyone.

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.

Jesus engaged his listeners by using stories. He understood that people think in pictures, not words. His stories included weddings, farming, and other practical things people of that day understood. His teaching was practical - feed the poor, go to work, forgive others. Jesus’ teaching was compelling with graphic illustrations that are still relevant today.

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.

Today Gene reminds us that faith and actions work together. The righteous and good things we do won’t save us. It is only by faith in Jesus that we are saved. Ephesians 2:10 says it is by grace we’re saved through faith. It’s a free gift. Now that we’re saved, we’re equipped to do good works that He has for us to 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.

In today’s episode, Gene talks about how the patriarch Abraham and Rahab the prostitute had genuine saving faith by putting their faith into action. It is impossible to separate what you believe in and how you act. Are you living out your faith by unleashing compassion? Faith must express itself through 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.

Gene reminds us again that when James wrote his letter, he said, “Show me your faith without deeds and I’ll show you my faith by my deeds.” James says that in order to show our faith in Jesus, we need to have deeds. We are the feet of Jesus to the world.

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.

Christ-like care looks different from compassion. We should be moved to do something. James says that if you claim to care for someone, but do nothing to help them, your faith is dead. Faith and compassion have to be more than words. It is more than acknowledging Jesus with our lips. Gene challenges us in today’s episode that we need to demonstrate our faith by our actions.

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 today’s episode, Gene unpacks a verse that has many Christians divided -

James 2:14. James says that people ‘claim’ to have faith, but many don’t understand what that means. They have the lifestyle and behavior of a Christian but there is no fruit. It’s easy to say one thing and another to live it out.

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.

Heaven is beyond our wildest imagination. Gene talks today about how a bride prepares herself for her groom is like how Christ is preparing a place for us in heaven. When we see Jesus face to face, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What a welcome! Gene challenges us in today’s episode to be ready to face the Lord.

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 today’s episode, Gene reminds us that every good thing we see in life now will be perfect in heaven. The Bible says that in heaven there will be no sorrow, no pain, and no sickness. We will be perfect, healthy, and whole. There will be no anxious waiting, no emotional sickness, and no death.

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.