Jimmy Peacock
Hi, my name is Jimmy Peacock. Thank you for letting me share part of my story this morning. For years, I searched for peace in all the wrong places—alcohol, approval from others, and running from my own brokenness. But I stand here today, a man redeemed by the relentless love of Jesus Christ.
Growing up, I didn’t hear much about God. We didn’t pray, we didn’t go to church, and I didn’t know there was a God who loved me. Fear became my constant companion. I felt like I was never enough, and to escape that feeling, I withdrew into myself. As a teenager, I found alcohol, and from the very first drink, I believed I had found my escape. What started as a way to silence my anxiety quickly took over my life.
By college, drinking heavily every day had become part of my life. I surrounded myself with people who lived for the next party, the next drink, the next escape. Eventually, I failed out of college, rushed into marriage, and within months was going through a painful divorce. I had hit rock bottom. I was empty, lost, and desperate for something more—but I didn’t know what.
Even though I had spent my life running from Him, God never stopped pursuing me. One day at work, a customer left me a card with Jeremiah 29:11 on it:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I had no idea why, but I kept that card. Later, a coworker invited me to a Bible study and shared John 3:16 with me. I laughed it off. But now I realize—I wasn’t rejecting a person; I was rejecting the God who was calling me home.
Years later, I met a woman named Isabel. She was a single mother, and though our relationship was far from healthy, God was working through her. Isabel felt convicted to start going to church, and together we found CityBridge. Each Sunday, I heard about a love so deep, so unrelenting, that it began to crack the walls around my heart. But I was still holding back.
We got married, but I carried my brokenness into our marriage. I was still hiding my alcoholism and trying to control my life. Eventually, I couldn’t hide anymore. I confessed my addiction to Isabel, convinced she would leave me. But instead, she forgave me. That moment shattered me—it was the first time I truly saw the grace of God. A love that stays, even when we are at our worst. I felt loved, even when I believed I was unlovable. The mask I had been wearing and the shame I was carrying were gone, and I felt a heavy weight lift from me.
That same week, we went to Re:generation, and for the first time, I fully surrendered my life to Jesus. I gave up my plans, my ways of living, and instead submitted to Jesus’s will and guidance in my life. Romans 10:9 says,
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
That truth changed everything.
Through Christ, I found freedom—not just from alcohol, but from the deep fear and anxiety that had ruled my life. My problem wasn’t just drinking; my problem was that I had never trusted God. As an adult, this led to multiple panic attacks—racing to the hospital when my heart would pound, or lying in bed, calling paramedics, convinced I was dying. Eventually, I was diagnosed with AFib and put on medication. But through a daily, personal relationship with Christ, He healed me. I was released from medication and cardiologist visits just five years after my diagnosis.
Over the past ten years, He has completely transformed me. My marriage has been restored, and we now have three beautiful children. In our family, we often get the opportunity to extend forgiveness to one another. In marriage, we receive the blessing of reflecting the relationship between Christ and His Church—a model of love, sacrifice, and commitment. I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor men through recovery, co-lead groups, and even had the honor of officiating a wedding. The man who once mocked Bible studies now invites others into God’s Word.
Today, I no longer live in fear. I have a community of believers who walk alongside me, and I cling to Galatians 6:9:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Though we are different, we share a deep belief in Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. Community has fostered my spiritual growth and helped me mature in my faith. I know I can count on them to offer encouragement, prayer, and accountability.
If you are here today and feel broken—if you are tired of running—I want you to hear this: There is a God who loves you, who sees you, and who has never stopped pursuing you. He has already done the work of salvation. Jesus says, “Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” I ran from Him for years, but when I finally turned around, I found that He had been right there all along.
Because of Christ’s faithfulness, I am sober, I am free, and I am alive in Him. Thank you.
