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Pursuing God with Gene Appel
Gene Appel is the senior pastor of Eastside Christian Church, a multi-site church based in Anaheim, California. Since 2008, Gene has led Eastside into multiple seasons of rapid growth and as a result, Eastside has been consistently named among the 100 fastest growing churches in America. Gene’s recipe for success is simple: Pursue God, Build Community, and Unleash Compassion. Eastside’s explosive growth is rooted in a deep conviction that God’s heart and God’s grace is for everyone, resulting in a radically inclusive community of God-conscious “servant leaders” who serve both locally and globally. Join Gene Monday - Friday as he walks you through practical biblical teachings that will foster a deeper connection and awareness of God’s activity and presence in your life. No matter where you are at with your walk with God, this podcast is for everyone.
Pursuing God with Gene Appel
Episode 1309: The Reason Trying Harder Never Fixes Your Relationships
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All week, we've walked through four ways to love the people in our lives the way God loves us: understanding, acceptance, discipline, and love. But here's the honest truth I want to close with. None of it can be sustained on willpower alone. You've probably already tried that and found its limits. Jesus said in John 15, "Apart from me you can do nothing," and He meant it. This kind of love isn't something you power through by trying harder. It's fruit, and fruit comes from staying connected, not striving. So if you've read through these principles and thought, "I've been getting this wrong," that's not condemnation. It's an invitation.
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.