Recovery Service at South Shores Church
Rhythm of recovery Presents The way REcovery!
Find hope, healing, and freedom in Jesus Christ. Rhythm of Recovery is a Christ-centered recovery service at South Shores Church in Dana Point, on Tuesday evenings 6:30pm, created for anyone seeking restoration from addiction, pain, or life’s struggles.
Meet the crew
Steven Shaw (Pastor of Recovery)
Steven Shaw (Pastor of Recovery)
Steven Shaw (Pastor of Recovery)
Steven Shaw is the Pastor of Recovery at South Shores Church and the founder and one of the leaders of Rhythm of Recovery. With over eight years of experience as a CADC counselor, Steven has spent thousands of hours working alongside people struggling with addiction, mental health, shame, and brokenness.
But for Steven, recovery is about m
Steven Shaw is the Pastor of Recovery at South Shores Church and the founder and one of the leaders of Rhythm of Recovery. With over eight years of experience as a CADC counselor, Steven has spent thousands of hours working alongside people struggling with addiction, mental health, shame, and brokenness.
But for Steven, recovery is about more than simply stopping destructive behaviors—it’s about finding a whole new life in Jesus Christ. His passion is helping people discover their identity, freedom, and purpose in Christ and creating a place where people can come exactly as they are without staying where they are.
Steven is also a husband, father, author, musician, worship leader, and longtime fitness professional. His own story of brokenness, restoration, and faith shapes the heart behind Rhythm of Recovery:
Where Truth and Love Meet.
Scott Ricks
Steven Shaw (Pastor of Recovery)
Steven Shaw (Pastor of Recovery)
Bio & Links Coming
The 10 Commitments - God’s Heart for Freedom
The 10 Commitments - God’s Heart for Freedom
The 10 Commitments - God’s Heart for Freedom
The Ten Commandments are not old or outdated. They come directly from the heart of God — and since He never changes, neither does His truth. These commands are more than rules; they reveal God’s design for a life that flourishes.
Even though we are forgiven and made new through Christ, we are still called to live lives marked by holiness and purity. The fruit of our lives is the visible proof of our faith.
These Ten Commitments are not a path to earn salvation — for salvation comes by grace through Christ alone — but they help us understand God’s heart. As we meditate on them, they begin to transform ours, leading us into freedom, purpose, and restored relationship with Him and others.
A Christ-centered reflection on the Ten Commandments through the lens of restoration and renewal.
1. Have no other gods before Me → “Put God First”
Heart of God: He knows only His love can truly satisfy and heal.
Recovery Focus: Let go of idols — substances, relationships, control, or approval — that take God’s place in your heart.
“Only God can restore what was broken and fill what was empty.”
2. Do not make idols → “Let Go of False Fixes”
Heart of God: He wants us free from the things we build to numb pain or replace His presence.
Recovery Focus: Surrender anything you turn to for comfort instead of God — people, pleasure, performance, or painkillers.
“What we obey is our god. Choose what heals, not what hides.”
3. Do not misuse God’s name → “Honor the Source of Your Strength”
Heart of God: His name represents His character — steadfast, faithful, holy.
Recovery Focus: Speak truthfully about your recovery and about God’s work in your life. To use His name is to live His way. Anything else is blasphemy.
“God’s name is not a label; it’s the lifeline that gives meaning to yours.”
4. Remember the Sabbath → “Rest and Recharge in God’s Grace”
Heart of God: You’re not a machine — rest is sacred, not selfish.
Recovery Focus: Build rhythms of rest, reflection, and gratitude into your week. Healing happens in stillness.
“Recovery requires rhythm — pause, breathe, focus in Christ and let God restore your soul.”
5. Honor your father and mother → “Heal from the Past, Honor Through Growth”
Heart of God: Family shapes us deeply, but He can redeem every story.
Recovery Focus: Acknowledge where broken relationships have caused wounds. Choose forgiveness — even when reconciliation isn’t possible.
“Honor isn’t ignoring pain — it’s choosing healing over hatred.”
6. Do not murder → “Value Life — Yours and Others’”
Heart of God: Life is sacred. Anger, resentment, and violence destroy the soul.
Recovery Focus: Let go of destructive thoughts and behaviors. Choose gentleness — especially with yourself.
“Each sober day is a declaration: I choose life.”
7. Do not commit adultery → “Be Faithful — in Heart and Habit”
Heart of God: He calls us to real intimacy built on trust, not escape.
Recovery Focus: Practice integrity in your relationships and honesty in your thoughts.
“Faithfulness isn’t perfection — it’s consistency in the same direction.”
8. Do not steal → “Be Content — Respect What Isn’t Yours”
Heart of God: God desires that we live with gratitude and integrity, trusting Him to provide what we need. Stealing reveals fear — the fear that God won’t come through.
Recovery Focus: In addiction, we often took — time, trust, opportunities, even peace from others and ourselves. Recovery teaches us to live differently: to give back, to make amends, and to find satisfaction in what God has already given.
“Freedom begins when we stop taking and start restoring.”
9. Do not bear false witness → “Walk in Truth and Transparency”
Heart of God: Lies fracture community; truth restores connection.
Recovery Focus: Tell the truth — to God, to yourself, and to others. Secrets lose power when brought to light.
“Healing begins where honesty begins.”
10. Do not covet → “Be Content — Gratitude is Your Freedom”
Heart of God: He wants you to be free from comparison and craving.
Recovery Focus: Gratitude turns what we have into enough. Recovery isn’t about having more — it’s about being whole.
“Peace comes when you stop chasing what God never promised.”
Conclusion
Let these Ten Commitments guide our minds and guard our hearts. Real and lasting change begins when we draw near to God — because only His presence transforms us from the inside out.
Sobriety is a beautiful step, but our ultimate goal is eternal salvation. We are not defined by the label of “addict” or by our past, but by the grace of God that makes us new.
We are all born under the curse of sin that came through Adam (Romans 5), but through Christ, we are given the choice of a new identity — one that leads to life.
For in Adam, all die; but in Christ, all shall live.
9 Principles of R.E.C.O.V.E.R.E.D.
The 10 Commitments - God’s Heart for Freedom
The 10 Commitments - God’s Heart for Freedom
Because we aren't just recovering. We are recovered in Christ!
- R — Receive Christ
Received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Congregation: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8–9)
- E — Embrace Truth
Embraced God's truth over your feelings, your past, and the lies you've believed.
Congregation: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)
- C — Confess
Confessed your sins openly before God and walk in the light.
Congregation: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us." (1 John 1:9)
- O — Obey
Obeyed Christ daily because you love Him—not to earn His love.
Congregation: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
- V — Victory
Walked in the victory Christ has already secured.
Congregation: "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)
- E — Equip
We are equipped by God's Word and His people for every good work.
Congregation: "All Scripture is breathed out by God... that the man of God may be complete." (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
- R — Restore
Helping restore others with gentleness and grace.
Congregation: "Restore him in a spirit of gentleness." (Galatians 6:1)
- E — Endure
Persevered through trials, trusting Christ to finish His work in you.
Congregation: "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)
- D — Disciple
Go and make disciples, living as an ambassador of Christ.
Congregation: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)
- Why Change? Celebrate Recovery's principles are rooted in the Beatitudes, which is a solid biblical foundation. But our ministry has a distinct emphasis on being recovered in Christ, identity, and gospel-centered transformation. Our principles can reflect that emphasis.
Christ centered 12 Steps
Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18)
Step 2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)
Step 3. We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God ~ this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Step 4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40)
Step 5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)
Step 6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10)
Step 7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Step 8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
Step 9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)
Step 10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Step 11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Colossians 3:16)
Step 12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)
The 12 Steps of Salvation & Sanctification
Step 1
We acknowledged our total sinfulness and helplessness before God.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
Step 2
We recognized salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, not by works.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast..” – Ephesians 2:8–9
Step 3
We placed our faith fully in Jesus Christ as the only Mediator and Redeemer.
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 2:5
Step 4
We repented of our sins with genuine sorrow, turning from sin and turning to God.
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” – Acts 3:19
Step 5
We surrendered our lives to Christ’s Lordship, desiring to walk in obedience.
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
Step 6
We renounced sin daily and pursued holiness by the Spirit’s power.
“3:5 - Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
"3:10 - And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." – Colossians 3:5, 10
Step 7
We committed to enjoy fellowship in a biblically faithful church under godly leadership.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24–25
Step 8
We regularly confessed our sins to God and held fast to His forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
Step 9
We sought to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, growing in Christ‑likeness.
“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” – Matthew 7:16
Step 10
We shared the gospel boldly, proclaiming Christ crucified and risen.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19–20
Step 11
We rested in Christ’s sovereign providence, trusting His purposes in all things.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Step 12
We fixed our hope on Christ’s return and the fullness of God’s kingdom.
“Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” – Titus 2:13