|
Josh Peevyhouse |
National Operations Director
|
|
|
 |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
|
 |
904-471-4308 |
 |
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 5 years old. As a child, I burned for God with such an unexplainable passion that I would just walk up to strangers and start telling them about Jesus. Trying to do the right thing opened the doors for my being teased and picked on daily.
I moved to a new town in sixth grade and I decided that I wasn’t going to be picked on anymore, no matter what. I began cursing, lying, stealing and making fun of others to become more popular. And it worked. I quickly began to love my new friends and popularity more than my relationship with God. As my new found characteristics became a part of my subconscious, my popularity continued to grow. At the age of 16 I tasted alcohol for the first time. I started acting like I was asleep, sneaking out my window and stealing my parents’ car to go to parties. I started smoking weed when I was 17. I began to run out of money despite my working two jobs. I turned to stealing money out of my mother’s purse until one day I decided to take a chance and try to make a withdrawal from a bank account established in my name from childhood acting. I wasn’t supposed to be able to touch the account until I turned 21, but to my dismay the teller didn’t ask me any questions. She simply smiled and handed me money. I began making large withdrawals daily and using the money to buy drugs and so called friendships. The more I experimented with drugs the less I thought of myself and the more rebellious I acted. I saw my parents as the epitome of Christianity. They never drank, smoked, lied or cursed. I assumed it to be impossible to ever live up to the expectations of my parents. I remember thinking that if I couldn’t be a better person than my parents that was no use in trying. I resented my parents “perfect” relationship with God. The more hatred I showed them, the more love they showed me. By the age of 18, I couldn’t stand the person that I had become and didn’t know how to become the person that I could stand. I rented a small apartment in downtown LA and for four months I spent all of my money on every drug that I could get my hands on. My quest for acceptance eventually left me homeless, begging for food and breaking into homes for money. I had accumulated 12 traffic warrants for my arrest, and had I not been arrested in September 1999, I wouldn’t be alive today.
I only spent 60 days in jail, but it was enough for me to ask Jesus back into my life. I started bible studies in jail and seemed to be getting myself together. But when I got out of jail and saw the perfect appearing lives of everyone at church I told God that when I had accumulated enough materialistic things for myself, I would give myself completely to Him. I went to college and became a workaholic. I cut off communication with everyone I knew and began working 80-90 hour weeks. I started drinking and smoking weed again. I would tell myself that I deserved it for having worked so hard. I lived this routine for 5 years making close to a six-figure salary, feeling more lonely and empty than ever.
On March 9th 2004 at about 2am, I was watching a movie at my house when all of a sudden I heard a booming voice say, “It’s time!” At that instant it was as if the sound of the television was muted. My ears were ringing as I looked around my empty living room beginning to wonder if I was just hearing things. Suddenly the voice repeated those words, “it’s time!” The voice was unmistakable. I knew exactly who it was and I knew exactly what He meant and I became afraid. I had waited my whole life to be used by God, only now that God wanted to use me; I realized that I wasn’t living a life in which I could be used. I fell to my knees in tears and asked Jesus to take my life completely and fill me with His Holy Spirit. The moment that I surrendered my life to Christ I felt a burden lifted off of my shoulders that I can’t explain. I knew that I had to leave my lifestyle behind, so I quit my job and signed up for a year of Christian Life School at Teen Challenge in Riverside.
As I kept my focus on serving God, He began to reveal more and more of His Purpose and plan for my life. I stayed and worked at Teen Challenge until August of 2005. I felt like God wanted me to move to Orange County. So I did, but it wasn’t easy. I kept questioning God: “If you really want me to go, why are you making it so hard?” Turns out, doors closed in my face at first so that I would wait for His perfect timing. God got me a job as an Executive Pastry Chef that I couldn’t have got on my own, and I married a woman that I couldn’t have fantasized of even dating, because I waited for God to lead the way.
I attended Bible College and got involved in the leadership of a missions organization called Christian Surfers. God started putting me in situations that I never would have imagined like: Speaking at churches and in front of large crowds, leading others into a personal relationship with Christ, founding bible studies and discipleship groups and praying over people in public. All I can say is that there is NO way that any of that is me! Through every life experience I find myself becoming a person that I never could have hoped to become. My life as a follower of Jesus Christ has not been an easy one. If punk rock is all about going against the flow, then there’s nothing more punk rock than being a Christian! God has given me a joy and a peace that is nothing but supernatural. Whenever things start getting rough, I have peace in the thought of what it’s going to be like spending eternity in Heaven. I know that nothing anyone does or says to or about me truly matters; rather, responding to others with Gods’ love is my purpose. The greatest gift that I’ve ever received is a personal relationship with God. I’m actually excited to get up in the morning, fall on my knees and live my life for Him. Best of all, none of my conversations with Him are ever one way! I look forward to pursuing a life devoted to ministry. But for now, I’m taking full advantage of every opportunity that God places before me through the application of HIS word, as I patiently watch Him reveal more and more of His purpose for my life. |
|
|
|
|
|
About Us 
