Pursuing God with Dave and Gene

Today Gene encourages us to genuinely love our neighbors. In this self-absorbed world, we may be too worried about our own needs to care for the needs of others. But those in spiritual darkness need us to provide a trauma center. It is said that kindness is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear. We can unleash compassion to those around us, providing a trauma center for the hurting.

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.

Our world is a brutal place and most people have needs, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Our enemy, the devil, wants to steal, kill, and destroy us. Gene asks us to see others the way Jesus sees them; seeing the hurt below the surface.

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.

What if this story was told today? In today’s podcast, Gene challenges us to look for ways we can show kindness to those in need, even though they may be different from us in background, beliefs, and status. 

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.

Many of our friends and relatives and we ourselves are suffering in what should be a time of joy. Distance, divorce, death, and disappointment bring sorrow into our lives. We struggle to make sense of things, and ask for advice from others. Today Gene challenges each of us to make a personal decision to listen to Jesus from now on about how we will respond to life’s circumstances. We can trust Jesus’ advice 100% of the time. He is the Wonderful Counselor.

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 month of December and Christmas in particular can magnify both the good and the bad in our lives. We see pictures of Mary and Joseph serenely watching over their baby, but in reality they were under severe emotional and physical distress, much like we are today. In this episode, Gene challenges us to draw close to God and He will draw close to us. Especially now, we need the promise of Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, everlasting Father, Price of Peace.

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 the wise men approached the baby Jesus, they bowed down and worshiped; then they joyfully opened their gifts and presented them. Their gifts expressed their joy, gratitude, and love. Gene challenges us not to miss the message that worship is love expressed. Come in awe before the One who holds our lives in the palm of His hands. Take time this Christmas season to worship God.

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 came for those far from God. That’s why he appeared to Gentile magi, wise men from the East. God wants us to know that Jesus came for all people. In today’s episode, Gene challenges us to go on a global mission trip with the church to spread the good news of Jesus to many lost and dying people.

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 gifts the wise men brought were quite extravagant. By contrast, Joseph and Mary gave only two pigeons to celebrate the birth of their son. The wise men gave out of their abundance, Joseph and Mary gave out of their poverty. Yet both were equally honoring to God. Gifts that honor Jesus represent both planning and proportion. In today’s episode, Gene encourages us that God is not impressed by large numbers; he is impressed with proportion. He measures generosity based on the measure of sacrifice.

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.

Scholars believe Jesus may have been a toddler by the time the three wise men arrived to present their gifts. They had plenty of time to determine what would be appropriate to bring to a King. Gold, which was for royalty; frankincense, for Jesus as high priest; and myrrh, a burial spice. This brings new meaning to the significance of the wise men’s gifts. Today Gene challenges us to take time to plan how we will worship God.

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 asks the question, “What can you give to the person who literally has everything?” Like the magi, or wise men did when they first saw the baby, Jesus desires our worship as the ultimate gift. Between now and Christmas Day, take time to express your worship and gratitude to God.

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.