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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.
Episodes
1252 episodes
Episode 1230: Guardrails, Not Prison Bars
After delivering His people from slavery, parting the Red Sea, and providing daily bread in the wilderness, God gathered Israel at Mount Sinai and gave them the Ten Commandments, not as a burden, but as a blessing. These commands weren’t mea...
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6:49
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Episode 1229: Daily Bread, Daily Trust
Fresh off the miracle at the Red Sea, the Israelites quickly traded celebration for complaining when the wilderness exposed their hunger, thirst, and fear. Yet again and again, God responded not with anger, but with provision, turning bitter...
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7:00
Episode 1228: When God Makes a Way Through the Impossible
Just days after their miraculous escape from Egypt, the Israelites found themselves trapped with Pharaoh’s army closing in behind them and the Red Sea blocking their path ahead. Fear replaced celebration, and freedom suddenly felt fragile. B...
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6:17
Episode 1227: The Power and the Promise
When Moses stood before Pharaoh and declared, “Let my people go,” it set off more than a political showdown—it revealed a spiritual battle over who truly holds power. Through the ten plagues, God wasn’t just punishing Egypt; He was exposing ...
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6:30
Episode 1226: From Prison to Purpose: When God Rewrites Your Story
No season of waiting, setback, or suffering is wasted in God’s hands. The story of Joseph reminds us that even what feels like a delay is often divine preparation. The pit wasn’t the end. The prison wasn’t permanent. And the promotion didn’t...
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6:04
Episode 1225: What Was Meant for Harm, God Meant for Good
After 22 years of betrayal, slavery, prison, and waiting, Joseph finally sees how every painful chapter fits into a bigger plan. When his brothers, the very ones who sold him, stand before him in fear, Joseph doesn’t choose revenge. He...
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6:01
Episode 1224: From Prison to Palace in a Day
After two long years of being forgotten in prison, everything changes for Joseph in a single day. When Pharaoh’s troubling dreams leave Egypt’s wisest men speechless, Joseph is suddenly summoned from the dungeon. Instead of promoting himself...
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5:49
Episode 1223: Forgotten but Not Forsaken
Joseph’s journey takes him even deeper into adversity as he sits in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused, and now seemingly forgotten, he has every reason to grow bitter and give up. Yet even in the ...
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5:40
Episode 1222: Integrity in the Middle of Temptation
Joseph’s story takes another sharp turn as betrayal gives way to temptation. Rising from slave to trusted servant in Potiphar’s house, everything seems to stabilize—until he’s pressured to compromise his integrity. In a moment where disappoi...
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6:03
Episode 1221: When Life Doesn’t Go the Way You Planned
One of the most powerful stories in Scripture is the story of Joseph, a young man whose life unraveled almost overnight. Betrayed by his brothers, stripped of his status, and sold into slavery at just seventeen, Joseph’s dreams seemed shatte...
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6:45
Episode 1220: When God Asks for What You Love Most
As we wrap up this week in the Old Testament Challenge, we arrive at the most intense moment in Abraham’s journey, a test that feels almost unthinkable. After waiting decades for the promised son, Abraham is asked to place Isaac on the altar...
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6:43
Episode 1219: When God Seems Slow and Faith Has to Wait
Faith is not just stepping out when God says go, it is staying put when God seems slow. Abraham and Sarah received an extraordinary promise, descendants as numerous as the stars, yet year after year passed with no child. Waiting exposed thei...
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6:33
Episode 1218: When God Says Go
What do you do when God asks you to move forward and you don’t have all the details? In this episode of Pursuing God, Gene looks at the life of Abraham and unpacks what real faith looks like. It’s not about having a cl...
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5:57
Episode 1217: The Unlikely Choice
Why Abraham? Today we look at the surprising beginning of God’s nation-building plan and the pattern we see throughout the Bible: God chooses the weak and the unlikely to accomplish His purposes. If you’ve ever felt too old, too broken, or t...
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6:40
Episode 1216: The Three Promises That Changed Everything
Today we’re looking at God’s covenant with Abraham and the three promises that set His rescue plan in motion — land, nation, and blessing. From Abraham to Jesus, we see a promise-keeping God at work. What promises are you holding onto today?...
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6:40
Episode 1215: God’s Plan of Redemption Begins in Genesis
From the very first pages of Scripture, God reveals that brokenness is never the end of the story. After sin enters the world, God covers Adam and Eve’s shame through the sacrifice of an innocent life, offering an early picture of redemption...
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5:45
Episode 1214: When God Starts Again and Why It’s Not Over
After sin fractures God’s good creation, the story of Noah reveals a powerful truth: brokenness is not the end of the story. Even in judgment, God is at work to heal, restore, and begin again. Through the flood, we see both the seriousness o...
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Episode 1213: When Everything Good Breaks and Why It Matters
Genesis 3 reveals the moment God’s good creation fractures through deception, disobedience, and sin. By tracing Satan’s tactics from the garden to the brokenness we still experience today, we see how guilt, shame, fractured relationships, an...
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6:44
Episode 1212: Created for Relationship and Purpose
What does it mean to be made in the image of God? God calls creation good, but humanity very good, revealing that people are intentional image bearers created for a relationship with Him and with one another. Through the story of Adam and Ev...
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6:28
Episode 1211: Creation Starts With This Truth
Creation begins with one foundational truth: God is the starting point of everything. Week 1 of The Old Testament Challenge starts with Genesis 1 and the powerful reality behind the Bible’s opening words, “In the beginning, God.”
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5:36
Episode 1210: How to Build Real Community in God’s Family
Discover how expressing your uniqueness with passion and extending love with devotion helps people move from attending church to truly belonging. Learn why meaningful connection, small groups, and intentional relationships are essential to b...
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6:07
Episode 1209: Six Ways Love Comes Alive in God’s Family
Explore six practical expressions of love that strengthen God’s family, including selflessness, zeal, joy, prayer, generosity, and hospitality. Discover how lived-out love creates deeper connection, unity, and spiritual growth in the church....
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5:46
Episode 1208: What Real Love Looks Like in God’s Family
Discover how genuine love helps people truly connect in God’s family. Learn why sincerity, integrity, and friendship are essential marks of real love and how extending love with devotion creates a church where people belong and grow....
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