Journey of Shawn Peoples' Walk in Grace!

Well, its that time of our journey to update everyone on whats going on with us AGAIN! As we were driving home from our quick visit to Ohio Sunday, I told Michelle that I feel like the last 5 years have been wilderness wandering just waiting to enter the promised land that we feel we are wired for and that God is going to expose us to His exponential Kingdom growth. During these last 5 years, we have traveled across an Ocean (and back), driven over 100,000 miles (maybe) and have been blessed to make friends with some of the greatest people we could have met. It has been as rewarding as it has been hard, but that's what a journey with God is. It is God taking us through what He desires so that He can accomplish what He desires in us and through us. I can truly say that He isn't wasting any of the last 5 years. Well, here is the news: Since I resigned in March, Michelle and I have been praying about what is next. I believe I keep hearing the Holy Spirit tell me to trust Him w...

      In late 2015 , I proclaimed a statement from the stage " Belief dictates behavior ". The context of the statement the first time I said this was in speaking toward the constant struggle of sin within a christian's life. The point at the time was; that your beliefs about God, life, yourself and others will lead to behavior that reveals those beliefs. We act out what we really believe. Oh how God has continued to use that statement to reveal how much I trust in Him, how much I live out the things I preach and how often I fail to walk in what God is sovereignly putting in front of me. God has since expanded on the essence of that saying; allowing me to see with an even greater light that " BELIEF dictates behavior ".       If you want to know what a person believes, you should watch their life and listen to their talk. The scriptures tell us that the mouth reveals whats in their heart (Luke 6:45). Taking people's speech is an incredible way to underst...

     “When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging Grace”. How incredible it has been to not experience darkness in 2 months. The joy of being in daily light has rested my soul. Even though battles rage daily for my heart to turn to, I am finding God’s incredible joy through this part of my journey. For the past 31 years, I believe I have been depressed in some way or another. Recently, my doctor shared that I had suffered PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from the abuses I suffered during my childhood. Although I would never compare my experiences to those brave men and women who serve our country in the military, police, firefighters and first responders; I have had many traumatic experiences in my past. What I have learned is those experiences had shaped my journey and I suffered many of them over and over. Its funny (strange) to think I walked in depression during my adult years, years of ministry, marriage and fatherhood have been in the midst ...

    Okay, the title is a little harsh but I needed to call us to something that I believe is killing us as parents. We are allowing our children to dictate how we see ourselves and it needs to stop, NOW! I hear parents struggling with being compared to other parent. I watch parents killing themselves as they attempt to provide their children with everything other kids have. We are overrun with debt and lack sleep trying to be a better parent by buying more or supplying more. Why are we killing ourselves? Why are we attempting to be something that we are not nor have been given? THE PROBLEM     My wife often shares with me pictures from her Instagram account. There are some incredibly talented people out there with some great ideas. However, my wife and I have learned to become realist, which means we have realized we don't have the talent of many on Pinterest or Instagram. I am creative, but most of that time my creativeness ends with paper and pen or my vocal ch...

It is has been a sweet few days since I announced my resignation at Faith. Many of you and others have been incredibly kind and gracious. I have been grateful to the encouragement many have given us. I am amazed how much God has done through us in these 16 months. He brought us here to heal but also to engage others with the Gospel and see many trust Him more. I am overwhelmed at God's great Grace in the past year. In some of my conversations with people, I hear a little worry. Some have shared their concern with how much we are healed and others with how we are going to make it after our time at Faith is done. It truly is scary and hopeful time for us, there are so many unknown things right now. However, I see that there have always been unknown things for us. Even with being in every church we have served in, our security and future were never held in human hands. I remember when Michelle and I were praying through moving to Hawaii. That was scary and overwhelming. It was a t...

Well, if you haven't heard or read by now, let me share with you what has transpired. Yesterday I turned in my resignation to Faith Lakeside as their Senior Pastor. It was hard to see so many people hurting and shocked by the announcement. Michelle and I feel incredibly blessed to have served here these last 16 months and are very hopeful for the future of the church. We believe that the 2 men that are leading through this transitions are leading by attaching themselves to Jesus. Please pray for Todd Vaughn and Don Davis (our Elders) as they lead the church through these next months and find the direction God is taking them. They have been great friends to our family and are leading by abiding. Pray for them please. One of the things that people are going to ask is why now? There are going to be a lot of questions about the time of depression I went through, some of the conflicts we had, the number of new families we experienced joining us and why would God move us on since we ar...

As some of you read from me recently, I have finally admitted my struggle with depression and the fight to control it that God is saving me from. Though I would never wish what I have gone through on anyone else, I can honestly say today that I am thankful for it. It is a funny and strange thing for me to say sometimes, but I would not change my past of being abandoned, rejected, abused and hurt. Although I would fight for these things never to happen to anyone else, there is a peace I have about the life's journey God has had me on. There are so many things I would not know if I were not taken down the road God has walked me through. There are many people that I would not enjoy being part of their healing if God had not allowed affliction in my life. Though I might not want to experience the pain again, I am thankful that God is using those pains in my life and overflowing Himself to others. Charles Spurgeon struggled with depression for most of his life as a pastor, father and hu...