The PursueGOD Truth Podcast

In this episode, Bryan wraps up 2025 and gives us a clear snapshot of what God has been doing through PursueGOD—and what’s coming next in 2026.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected] Now --Check out our YouVersion reading plansWant to donate? Click here

Welcome back to the podcast! Join us today as we start a new Christmas series!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected] Now --The Christmas Family Tree: The Part We Usually SkipMost people love Luke 2 at Christmas—the angels, the shepherds, the manger scene. But few of us slow down for Matthew 1, the chapter that looks like the “skip intro” button of the New Testament. Genealogies feel like the part you breeze through on your Bible-in-a-year plan. Yet Matthew opens the story of Jesus with a family tree on purpose—not to bore us, but to prepare us for what Christmas is really about.Matthew organizes Jesus’ genealogy into three sets of fourteen generations (Matthew 1:1–17). It’s not intended to be exhaustive; it’s designed to make a theological point. Jesus is the promised Son of David, the fulfillment of God’s long-awaited plan. But Matthew also includes something shocking for ancient readers: five women—and three of them appear in the very first section of the genealogy.In the first century, writers didn’t include women in genealogies, and certainly not women with complicated, painful, or morally messy backstories. But Matthew breaks the rules to highlight a truth at the heart of Christmas: God invites outsiders, sinners, strugglers, and the unexpected into His family. These women tell us what kind of Savior Jesus really is—and what kind of grace He brings.TAMAR — The God Who Sees the Hidden StoryMatthew 1:3 (NLT): “Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).”Tamar’s story in Genesis 38 is one of the most uncomfortable chapters in the Bible. She marries into Judah’s family, but tragedy and injustice quickly follow. Her first husband dies. The second refuses to fulfill his duty to give her a child. Judah promises his youngest son to her “later,” but he never intends to keep his word.Tamar is left childless, powerless, and trapped in a culture where bearing children was the only path to honor, security, and a future. Judah fails her completely, and out of desperation she takes matters into her own hands—posing as a prostitute to confront Judah’s neglect. When Judah discovers what happened, he responds with a shocking confession:Genesis 38:26 (NLT): “She is more righteous than I am.”This isn’t a story celebrating deception—it’s a story exposing Judah’s injustice. Tamar is the wronged one, and yet God sees her, steps into her story, and brings redemption through the birth of Perez—a direct ancestor of Jesus.The lesson of Tamar:God steps into the stories we try to hide.He doesn’t turn away from the messy parts of our past—He redeems them. Tamar reminds us that God moves toward the abandoned and overlooked with purpose and...

In this episode, Bryan talks with Noemi about her journey leaving Mormonism and discovering a relationship with the God of the Bible.--The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected] Now --

Welcome back to the podcast, we are in our last week of the David series!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected] Now --Failure is one of life’s great interrupters. Sometimes it comes after a long season of struggle. Other times—like David—it crashes into our story right after success. David spent decades waiting on God’s promise, surviving betrayal, wilderness years, and impossible odds. Then at last, the shepherd-warrior became king. He won battles. He grew influence. He stacked victories. But success often tests us in ways adversity cannot. When comfort sets in, cracks in our character begin to widen. That’s exactly what happened to David.Second Samuel 11 tells the story: David stayed home when kings went to war, saw Bathsheba, pursued her, abused his authority, and arranged Uriah’s death. It’s a tragic chain of compromise. Then God sent Nathan the prophet, who confronted him with a parable—and with the piercing words: “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7 NLT). Psalm 51 is David’s prayer after being exposed. It’s a window into godly sorrow, honest repentance, and the surprising hope that failure doesn’t have to be final.1. Failure Can Become a Doorway, Not a Dead EndMany people live as if their worst moment now defines them forever. David felt the weight of his sin deeply:Psalm 51:3–4 (NLT) — “For I recognize my rebellion… Against you, and you alone, have I sinned.”David makes no excuses. He names his sin before God. This is the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow.2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT) says godly sorrow “leads us away from sin and results in salvation,” while worldly sorrow only regrets getting caught. Godly sorrow grieves how sin breaks God’s heart, not just His rules. And when we repent for breaking God’s heart, He changes our heart—not just our behavior.If you’ve been letting failure define your future, Psalm 51 offers hope: repentance is a doorway God invites you to walk through, not a wall meant to stop you.2. Humility Is the Hinge That Swings the Door OpenDavid doesn’t shift blame to Bathsheba, stress, or schedule. He looks inward:Psalm 51:5–6 (NLT) — “You desire honesty… teaching me wisdom.”Humility is what makes repentance possible. As F.B. Meyer once wrote, the gifts on God’s “lower shelves” go to the lowly. Humility is the willingness to be taught, corrected, and changed. Exposure is painful, but it is also grace—because God reveals what He intends to heal.David’s prayer echoes another powerful invitation:Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT) — “Search me, O God…”That is the prayer of a teachable heart.3. Repentance Is More Than Stopping Bad BehaviorToo many people think repentance begins with outward change. But Psalm 51 shows that repentance is first an inside work—something...

In this episode, we compare the church in the book of Acts with the church Joseph Smith built—showing how the LDS ‘restoration’ actually rebuilds the hierarchy, temples, and priesthoods Jesus fulfilled and the Reformers fought to remove. It’s not a return to the New Testament but a reversal of the freedom Christ brought.--The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected] Now --SUMMARYLatter-day Saints teach that after the apostles died, the church fell into total apostasy—losing authority, truth, and the gospel—and that Joseph Smith “restored” the original church in 1830.But when we compare the Bible, early church history, and the medieval church, a clear pattern emerges: the LDS system doesn’t look like the church in the book of Acts. It looks like the institutional system that developed centuries later.This episode walks through that history and shows why Mormonism isn’t a restoration of the New Testament—it’s a rebuilding of the very system Jesus fulfilled and the Reformers worked to correct.1. What the Early Church Actually Looked Like (Book of Acts)No templesNo priestly hierarchyNo prophet-presidentNo exclusive priesthood lineageBelievers met in homes, prayed, broke bread, and studied ScriptureLeadership was shared among elders/pastorsEvery believer was a priest (1 Peter 2)Access to God came directly through Jesus, not through mediatorsBottom line: The early church was simple, Spirit-led, and centered entirely on Jesus.2. How the Church Drifted in the Middle AgesBy the 4th century, especially after Constantine:The church became tied to political powerBishops became rulersPriests acted as mediatorsSalvation was tied to rituals and sacramentsA single head (the Pope) claimed God-given authorityThis system dominated medieval Christianity and buried the gospel under layers of tradition and hierarchy.3. The Reformation: Returning to ScriptureLuther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Anabaptists didn’t invent a new church.They removed the medieval layers and returned to:Scripture aloneGrace aloneChrist aloneFaith aloneReal renewal happens when ordinary believers open the Bible again.4. Joseph Smith Recreates the Medieval SystemDespite claiming to “restore” the church, Joseph Smith introduced:A layered priesthood (Aaronic & Melchizedek)A prophet-president with final authorityTemple rituals and restricted accessOrdinances required for salvationCentralized headquarters claiming exclusive truthThis mirrors the medieval Catholic model, not the church in Acts.5. The LDS Temple: The Most Striking IronyJesus