I grew up in a Baptist church in Chicago and was baptized when I was 10, but I wasn’t a Christian—I actually hated going to church. At the time, I was a high school dropout. I smoked, drank, and cussed like a sailor. People told me I’d never amount to anything. But at 14, I prayed for the first time in years and asked God to make something of my life.
Soon after that prayer, I came across a newsletter for a Christian boarding school in Wisconsin. I begged my mom to let me go, and she eventually agreed. That school—specifically, the pastor who led it—had a tremendous impact on me. I observed him living out the gospel and studying the Word of God, but I still wrestled with God for months.
On October 15, 1988, I was sitting in a church service and felt compelled to respond to the altar call. I couldn’t help but walk forward. In that moment, I knew I would never be the same. I finally understood that I couldn’t save myself—but Jesus had died for my sins, risen from the dead, and offered me eternal life and right standing before God. And I gave my life to Christ.
From that day on, my desires began to change. I developed a hunger for the Word. Over time, I stopped smoking, drinking, and cussing. People—especially my pastor—began to affirm a calling on my life. God has since used me in many different settings, and I eventually went on to attend Liberty University and now seminary. The road hasn’t always been easy, but God has always been faithful.
As he says in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”