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Imagine having a lead pastor — as far back as you can remember — who faithfully preached God's Word three times a week, but who also showed up. He visited you when you were sick. He was there when you needed encouragement. He came to your high school football game. He sat with your father on Christmas Day, near the end of his life. He mentored you, and he loved you enough to tell you the truth, life on life.

Tune in to GraceWorks as Shawn and Christian remember a man who lived out the abundant Christian life — faithfully, fully — into his upper 80s.

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Has a religious leader or spiritual authority figure ever threatened your welfare, wellbeing, or eternal security? Did they predict God would punish you for not listening to them? Maybe they enacted what they believed was God's justice—shaming you, urging your spouse to leave, even inserting themselves into your children's lives. Did they tie your salvation to staying in their good graces?

If you've experienced religious abuse or spiritual manipulation—or know someone who has—this episode is for you. Hosts Shawn Saunders and Christian Meachem know firsthand the fear, guilt, and shame so many Christians carry from those they called pastor or elder. Tune in to this episode of GraceWorks to learn how to stop the hurt and begin healing.

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Shawn and Christian were both born into the Baptist faith and spent over thirty years on the hamster wheel of "performance Christianity."

They followed the prescribed regimen for staying right with God: attend church, tithe, read your Bible, pray, witness, and—of course—don’t smoke, drink, chew, or run with those who do. They checked all the boxes and earned their way into full-time ministry. But both of them wanted something more than formulas.

Tune in to discover how these two church brats stepped off the treadmill and became grace handlers.

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What's your true north? Christless Christianity is the ultimate, unfortunate paradox.

Are local churches called to attract the "higher societal masses" to a lavish or trendy campus — or are we called to go into our communities and reach our neighbors one life, one family at a time? What about the broken and the poor? The widows and orphans? Unwed, expectant teenage mothers? Those in prison, or those trapped in the prison of addiction? When you're hospitalized, sick, hurting, or at your most vulnerable, are your pastors physically showing up to sit with you and love you?

What once seemed avant-garde as a growth strategy may be turning out to be specious. In this episode of GraceWorks, Christian Meachem and Shawn Saunders graciously and truthfully speak into this paradox — sharing what Christianity looks like when Christ is the center, and our true north.

Season 1, Episode 8 of 11

Recorded April, 2025

Produced August, 2026

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The BIG THREE: guilt, shame, and fear.

How often do you find these emotional contagions distorting your view of God, yourself, and others? Do you walk in gratitude and the joy of the Lord, or do you find yourself constantly struggling with judgment and criticism? Thankfully, there is an antidote. Enter the other BIG THREE: faith, hope, and love.

Tune into GraceWorks to discover how you can experience true healing, step out of performance Christianity, and move from a wounded heart to a tranquil heart.

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What difference does Christ's atonement actually make in your day-to-day life?

Sure, you’ve been forgiven of your sin debt and made righteous in God's eyes. But does that mean living a holy life is now entirely up to you, your character, and your wise choices? Is the Christian life just a test of your willpower? What if the atonement means so much more? What if its scope is multi-dimensional—completely transforming your present life, not just securing your future eternity? Tune into GraceWorks as we break down the true significance of Christ's atonement. Discover how it offers absolute freedom and serves as the literal foundation for your entire existence, your identity, and your daily peace.

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Is your chief ambition being right regardless of who you hurt? Do you believe you're a "lesser sinner" than others and have attained the spiritual equity to judge and condemn them? Having a hardened heart can make you impervious to pain, oblivious to the feelings of others, and can get you "ahead" in the market place and even in the church. But what are you selling in exchange? Tune into GraceWorks to hear Christian Meacham and Shawn Saunders unpack how performance based Christianity fosters a hardened heart and feeds off the satisfaction of hurting fellow believers.

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Your weaknesses and struggles with sin are your pathway into God's presence. In this episode, Christian and Shawn discuss celebrating grace when sin is confessed versus punking down and bullying the hurting and vulnerable. Be careful not to downplay God's grace and the atonement by elevating someone's sin struggles.