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:
- Pick a series from our homepage. There's plenty to choose from!
- Each series contains multiple lessons. Click on the numbered tabs to open each lesson.
- 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.
- 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.
- Listen to the podcast above for more helpful tips or check out one of our many training series.
- Guilt is a “bad boss” that creates a cycle of sin and hiding. We often use busyness or isolation to mask the shame of our “sinful nature.” Genesis 3:8, Romans 7:15-19
- Legal guilt is a factual status, not just a feeling. As a just Judge, God cannot ignore sin, and our good deeds cannot “balance the scales” of our past mistakes. Romans 3:19, 6:23
- Jesus canceled our debt by taking our legal judgment upon Himself. His death and resurrection “nailed the charges” to the cross, publicly declaring our freedom from the law. Colossians 2:14
- Freedom comes through faith, allowing us to stop hiding and enter God’s presence with confidence because our consciences have been made clean. Hebrews 10:22
- Read the talking points above as a group, including scripture references. What are your initial thoughts about these points or about the podcast lesson?
- The article mentions modern “fig leaves” like busyness or phone addiction. Which of these (or others) do you find yourself using most when you’re feeling guilty?
- Why is it important to distinguish between “feeling guilty” (emotion) and “legal guilt” (standing before God)?
- In the “thought experiment” about a judge, why do we demand justice for others but hope for “mercy without justice” for ourselves?
- How does the Roman custom of nailing a cancelled debt to a post change the way you visualize what Jesus did on the cross?
- Read Colossians 2:14. How does knowing your “record of charges” is canceled change the way you respond to the “silent partner” of guilt in your head?
- What is one area of your life where you have been “hiding in the bushes” from God or others? How can you move toward the “presence of God” this week?
Related Articles:
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Acknowledge your fears: Don’t ignore anxiety; lay it out before God to begin taking back control.
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Shift your reporting structure: The solution to fear isn’t becoming your own boss, but making the LORD your light, salvation, and fortress.
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Seek His face: Focus on a deep, personal relationship with God rather than just asking Him for quick fixes or “presents.”
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Listen to God, not your heart: Your heart can be an unreliable narrator during panic; train your heart to listen to God’s whisper instead.
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Embrace the wait: Patiently waiting for the Lord is often the process God uses to teach us constant reliance on His grace.
- 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)?
- The author suggests that “the solution isn’t to become our own boss; it’s to change who we report to.” What changes in your daily life when you view God as your “boss” instead of your fear?
- Read Psalm 27:1. David lists several terrifying scenarios but starts with the solution. Why is it important to state the solution (God’s protection) before listing our problems?
- Discuss the difference between seeking God’s “hand” (provisions) and seeking His “face” (presence). Which one do you tend to seek more often during stressful times?
- Have you ever experienced a time when God spoke in a “whisper” rather than a “miracle”? How did you have to change your pace to hear it?
- The author notes that “your heart is a notoriously unreliable narrator” during anxiety. How can we practically “make our hearts listen to God” when our emotions feel overwhelming?
- Read Psalm 27:14. Why is “waiting” so difficult when we are afraid, and what is one thing you can do this week to practice “patiently waiting” for the Lord?
Related Articles:
- Bitterness is a quiet, destructive force. Like Japanese Knotweed, it grows beneath the surface and eventually destroys the foundation of our lives and relationships. Hebrews 12:15
- Forgiveness is a conscious decision to release a debt. We don’t wait for an apology to forgive; waiting for remorse makes our freedom dependent on someone we can’t trust. Luke 23:34, Romans 12:19
- Forgiving is not the same as forgetting. While we remember the hurt, we choose not to act on it or hold it against the person, mirroring how God treats our sins. Hebrews 10:17
- Forgiveness must be a trained, proactive response. We must “make allowance” for the faults of others by engineering grace into our relationships before conflict happens. Colossians 3:13, Matthew 18:21-22
- The Gospel is the ultimate cure. We are empowered to get rid of bitterness only when we realize how much God has forgiven us through Christ. Ephesians 4:31-32
- Read the talking points above as a group, including scripture references. What are your initial thoughts about the “background app” or “Japanese Knotweed” metaphors for bitterness?
- Why is bitterness often harder to detect and deal with than “louder” sins like anger or fear?
- Discuss the statement: “Waiting for an apology is self-sabotage.” Why do we struggle so much to forgive people who aren’t actually sorry?
- How does the distinction between “forgetting” and “choosing not to act on a memory” change your perspective on forgiveness?
- Reflect on the “Graveyard Spiral” analogy. When has your “gut” told you to stay bitter, and how did that affect your “flight path” in life?
- Read Colossians 3:13. What does it look like practically to “make allowance” for people’s faults in a marriage, friendship, or workplace?
- Is there a “root” of bitterness you are currently allowing to grow? What is one step you can take this week to apply the Gospel to that wound and choose to release it?
Related Keyword: Bitterness
- What Are the Five Apology Languages?
- What Is True Repentance?
- What Does Forgiveness Look Like In Marriage?
- What Is a “Root Of Bitterness”?
- What Should I Do If I Struggle with Unforgiveness?
- What Does It Mean to Make Allowance for Faults?
- How Can I Pursue Reconciliation with My Enemy?
- How Do I Forgive the Unforgivable?
- How Does Forgiveness Work?
- How Should I Ask for Forgiveness?
- Why Is It So Hard to Apologize?
- Is Forgiveness the Same as Forgetting?
- Hurry Sickness is real: Defined in the 1950s, it is an unrelenting sense of urgency that correlates with higher risks of heart disease and stress. It is a tool the enemy uses to steal our joy and peace.
- The Yoke of Jesus: Matthew 11:28-30 invites us into a partnership. We stop trying to lead our own lives and instead let Jesus (the veteran ox) set the pace. It is about submission to his unhurried authority.
- Saying “No”: Jesus modeled the ability to walk away from crowds and expectations. We must learn to limit our activities to maintain spiritual health.
- The Sabbath Test: Sabbath rest is a test of trust. If we cannot stop working, we have made our work (or our performance) our idol. It proves that we believe we are essential for the world to keep spinning.
- The Power of Quiet: Slowing, solitude, and silence are not passive activities; they are spiritual disciplines that allow us to hear God’s whisper. Psalm 62:5 reminds us to “wait quietly” as an act of faith.
- Read Matthew 11:28-30. What does the metaphor of a “yoke” suggest about our relationship with Jesus? How does it change the way you view your daily responsibilities?
- Looking back at the “Hurry Sickness” test in the article, which symptom do you struggle with the most? Why do you think that specific area is so difficult for you?
- Jesus frequently walked away from crowds to pray. What are the “crowds” or demands in your life that you find hardest to say “no” to?
- How does the concept of the “Bus Factor” (the idea that a team should function even if one person is gone) apply to your personal life and your relationship with work/rest?
- The article says, “If you can’t stop working for a day without panicking, you are enslaved to your work.” Do you agree with this? How does a Sabbath day force you to trust God?
- When was the last time you practiced silence or solitude? How did it make you feel? Did you feel “productive” or “anxious” during that time?
- Where are you currently feeling the most “hurry” in your life? What is one small step you can take this week to slow down and listen to God’s voice?
Related Keyword: Hurry
Coming soon!
- You’re Not the Boss of Me (Series)
- How Can You Know If You’re Really Saved?
- What If I’m Not Ready for My Faith Moment?
- What Does Faith Look Like?
- How Does Spiritual Conversion Actually Work?
- How Do I Get to My Faith Moment?
- Why Should You Consider Faith as a Skeptic?
- Harnessing Your Fear to Build Your Faith
- Why Does Faith Require More Than Just Reason?
- What Are the Keys to Finding Faith as a Skeptic?