How Stuff Works

The Trinity. Toxic People. Healthy Families. Heaven and Hell. How does it all work, according to the Bible?

Podcasts + Discipleship: Click to Learn How to Use PursueGOD

PursueGOD is a new kind of discipleship curriculum for an increasingly complicated world. We use podcasts on a variety of topics to offer no-nonsense answers to everyday questions. Then we organize these podcasts into series so you can use them to make disciples at church, home, or in the world. Here’s how it works:

  1. Pick a series from our homepage. There's plenty to choose from!
  2. Each series contains multiple lessons. Click on the numbered tabs to open each lesson.
  3. Start by listening to the podcast on your own, before you meet as a group. Take notes as needed, and listen again if it helps. Consider starting a discipleship journal to track what you're learning.
  4. Meet as a group to talk through what you learned from the podcast. Each lesson includes shownotes, talking points, and discussion questions. Click on the # tab to explore additional topics.
  5. Listen to the podcast above for more helpful tips or check out one of our many training series.

Click for Shownotes

How the Resurrection Works
Welcome to Easter and the kickoff to our new series: How Stuff Works. Today, we’re not just celebrating a historical event—we’re discovering how the resurrection of Jesus works in real life. The empty tomb isn’t just a symbol of the past; it’s a source of power for today.

We’re unpacking Ephesians 1:18-20 to explore how the resurrection gives us:

  • Confident hope for today and eternity

  • A new identity as God’s prized possession

  • Daily power through the Holy Spirit

So, how does the resurrection work? It transforms how you live right now—not just how you feel about death.

Ephesians 1:18-20 (NLT)
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead…

1. The Resurrection Gives Us Confident Hope
We live in a world short on hope. But the resurrection proves that death isn’t the end. Our hope isn’t wishful thinking—it’s the deep assurance that God will fulfill His promises.

  • Temporal hope anchors us during hard times.
    Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can endure anything through Christ.

  • Eternal hope assures us that death is not the end.
    1 Corinthians 15:19 says that if our hope is only for this life, we are to be pitied.

2. The Resurrection Makes Us God’s Inheritance
Ephesians 1 says that we are God’s glorious inheritance. That’s a radical shift! You’re not just saved—you’re treasured.

  • Before: we were dead in sin and “objects of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

  • After: we are God’s masterpiece, created anew for His purposes (Ephesians 2:10)

Jesus didn’t rise just to create a holiday. He rose to claim what’s His: you.

3. The Resurrection Empowers Us for Everyday Living
That same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now available to every believer through the Holy Spirit.

  • Ephesians 1:19-20 and Acts 1:8 point to the Spirit’s power in us.

  • It’s not about doing one big thing—it’s about daily strength:
    loving your kids, resisting temptation, staying faithful, sharing your faith.

If you feel powerless today, maybe it’s time to turn to Jesus. His resurrection power still works.

Takeaway
The resurrection of Jesus changes everything—not just back then, but right now. But it only works for those who place their faith in Him.

  • Admit your brokenness.

  • Trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

  • Let Him give you hope, identity, and power.

Join us for the rest of this series as we explore how the resurrection—and the Spirit behind it—still works.

Talking Points:
  • The resurrection gives us a confident and eternal hope. Ephesians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 15:19
  • We are not just forgiven—we’re God’s inheritance, His treasured people. Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 2:1-10
  • The Holy Spirit empowers us daily with the same power that raised Jesus. Ephesians 1:19-20, Acts 1:8
  • Resurrection power is not just about heaven—it’s about victory today: overcoming sin, living generously, loving others, and enduring trials. Philippians 4:12-13

Discussion:
  1. Read the talking points above as a group, including scripture references. What are your initial thoughts about these points or about the podcast lesson (see audio above)?
  2. How does the idea of “confident hope” challenge your current view of faith or circumstances?
  3. What does it mean to you that you are God’s inheritance? Why is that a powerful truth?
  4. Can you think of an area in your life where you need resurrection power right now?
  5. Why do you think it’s important to connect the resurrection to daily life, not just Easter Sunday?
  6. What would it look like for you to walk in the Spirit’s power this week?
  7. Have you ever had a moment where everything felt powerless—like a spiritual blackout? How might Jesus change that?

How the Trinity Works

Click for Shownotes

Today we’re tackling one of Christianity’s most debated and misunderstood topics: the Trinity.
Is it biblical or man-made? Is it the only valid way to think about God? How should we explain it?

To set the stage, imagine living in a two-dimensional world (like in Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott) and trying to comprehend a sphere. In two dimensions, you’d only see points and lines — no true concept of depth. You might see a sphere as just a growing and shrinking circle, missing its full reality.

Similarly, trying to fully grasp God’s nature is beyond human comprehension. As C.S. Lewis said, trying to know God with our senses is like using your fingers to understand music.

The Bible gives us glimpses of God’s nature:

  • Genesis 1:26 (NLT) – God says, “Let us make human beings in our image.” (Plural pronouns)

  • Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) – “The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

  • Psalm 110:1 (ESV) – “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand…’” (Quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22)

Though the Old Testament emphasizes monotheism, these glimpses hint at a complex unity in God’s nature.

Christians didn’t invent the Trinity; they discovered it.

  • Copernicus didn’t invent heliocentrism; he discovered it.

  • Newton didn’t invent gravity; he named what already existed.
    In the same way, careful Bible study reveals God as triune, not by human invention but by divine revelation.

Skeptics claim the Trinity was fabricated for political or theological control, like conspiracy theories about a flat Earth. But if we simply read the Bible thoughtfully, the truth becomes clear.

Other views of God fall short.
Like the failed “humorism” medical model before germ theory, wrong views of God can be more harmful than helpful.

Based on the Bible, we learn:

  • God is ONE in being. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:6, Romans 3:29-30)

  • Jesus is fully God. (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9, Philippians 2:6)

  • The Holy Spirit is fully God. (Acts 5:3-4, Matthew 28:19)

What works biblically is the doctrine of the Trinity:

  • One being (essence)

  • Three persons (Father, Son, and Spirit)
    It’s a paradox, not a contradiction — two truths that coexist beyond our full comprehension.

Each person of the Trinity plays unique roles, especially in salvation:

  • The Father initiates it. (1 Peter 1:2)

  • The Son accomplishes it.

  • The Spirit applies it to believers.

Ultimately, understanding the Trinity is not just theological — it’s deeply personal. It shapes how we know, love, and worship God.

Talking Points:
  • The Trinity is a Christian concept that attempts to explain an infinite, unexplainable God. 1 Corinthians 13:12
  • The Old Testament hints at God’s complex unity with plural language and divine figures. Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 6:4, Psalm 110:1
  • Christians didn’t invent the Trinity; they discovered it by putting together all of the Bible’s teachings. Conspiracy theories about the Trinity are like flat-earth theories — easily dismissed with honest Bible reading.
  • Lesser descriptions of God don’t work biblically; they contradict clear teachings about God’s oneness, Jesus’ divinity, and the Holy Spirit’s personhood. Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:6, Romans 3:29-30, John 1:1, Colossians 2:9, Acts 5:3-4
  • The Trinity explains God as one being in three persons — a profound truth that shapes Christian faith and worship. 1 Peter 1:2

Discussion:
  1. Read the talking points above as a group, including scripture references. What are your initial thoughts about these points or about the podcast lesson (see audio above)?
  2. In your own words, explain the two-dimensional analogy from this episode. How does it illustrate our inability to understand God?
  3. Make a list of some of the groups that deny the Trinity. Why do you think they push so hard against a trinitarian view of God?
  4. Why do you think it matters that Christians have an accurate view of God’s nature? What dangers do you see in following “lesser” or inaccurate views of God?
  5. How does the Bible’s teaching about the Father, Son, and Spirit deepen your personal relationship with God?
  6. How would you explain the Trinity to someone who is skeptical or confused about it?

Coming soon!
Coming soon!
This series is still in production, come back every Friday for a new episode!
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