 Would you please share what what's he's from Teen Challenge and I would like to ask you What is Teen Challenge? And then we're gonna go into your personal testimony. Absolutely. Well first off real quick that worship was cracking That was some worship that felt amazing. Come on, but Teen Challenge is a faith-based recovery program It's about one year long. It's taking the worst of the worst. Let's be real if you gotta go rehab for a year You got some issues. You got some things to work out. You know what I mean? So it's taking guys that have been there done that ex felons Extra-drug addicts and giving the opportunity to meet Christ. That's the best thing about Teen Challenges We work through different curriculum to learn really about you know Yes, your addiction but most importantly Jesus Christ because he is the one that sets us free. Come on guys Put your hands together for Jesus We're thankful for organizations like this and we will support that So could you please share your personal story? How did you what was the things that you struggled in life? And how did you receive Jesus Christ and then we'll go from there? Definitely. So I struggled with everything under the sun Come on somebody. We all got issues right, but what I struggled with was I'll kind of give you a quick back story When I was about 14 months old my dad died in a drunk driving accident My mom became an addict herself lived under a bridge for several years I was taken away from CPS three different times by the age of five We moved up to Auburn Tacoma Washington area where I'm originally from and we moved in with my aunt my mom's sister and You know, she was gonna get her life, right? And they were gonna help us out well within two weeks my grandpa passed away my dad's dad and my mom was like Well, I'm gonna go back to Oregon. I'm gonna go to the funeral and I'll be back and two weeks later I'd never seen her talk to her again. So I was about 17 years old, but I grew up saying, you know, I'm never gonna do drugs I'm never gonna do this. I'm never gonna do that because I saw what it did to my loved ones It's my family members, but sure enough. I was a sports guy, right? And so my freshman year of high school played varsity football and varsity basketball had a scholarship to go play at Central Washington University and But what comes with that Friday nights house parties things of that nature and having an addictive personality because of my loved ones It was quickly before I was I was full-blown an addiction myself and I lost everything. I had my first go around in high school at that point in time I actually got saved I was looking at a few years in prison and One of the executive directors in Seattle Teen Challenge came and he visited me in Pierce County jail And basically told me about the program and I'm thinking three and a half years in prison one year in Teen Challenge Give me the one year in Teen Challenge. Let's be real and I went to church for the first time ever in my life and that night It was actually the first night. I was in the program and I'm sitting I start crying I'm like, what are you the heck am I crying? You know, and you can't you're locked up. You can't be crying You can't look like no punk. Let's just keep it real, you know what I mean? And so I said I'm trying I sit down I'm trying to hide my face so that way nobody sees me crying right and the pastor's wife comes on stage and she goes Some of you guys are crying and you have no idea why and I'm like, well, that's me You know, I mean like holy cow What's going on here and this lady spoke directly into my life and at that point in time She said, you know the reason you're crying you can't explain right now It's because Christ wants to come into your life You want to have an encounter with you and that day I gave my life to Christ. Oh, how amazing our God is so good That is so amazing, let's go back just for a little bit Would you please share how long were you addicted to drugs and how did it affect your daily life? Yeah, so I was addicted for about three or four years at that point in time and being transparent with you After I got saved I actually started serving in ministry I was doing full-time ministry for about eight years and I had some life experiences happen in and kind of like well I heard the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, right? And they're you know, they're found righteous and they try to set them off to the side and so that way they'd be Okay, but Sarah looked back and when she looked back she turned into a pillar of salt, right? And I kind of had that experience. I was serving God. I was you know found righteous But I found myself starting to look back with envy in my old lifestyle because I was getting burnt out And I was getting frustrated and things that nature so I look back and I started using again And I had relapsed and I used for about a year before I decided. Hey, you know, I need to get focused I need to give my life back to Christ. I tried seeking happiness and business I became vice president of two local businesses was doing really well and mind you I dropped out after my 10th grade year You know what I mean? So I was having opportunities. They were all God-given, but I started thinking it was all me and Turning away from God. And so overall I've used about five years Share about experience your experience coming back. You've been through the program once and how was it for you? Coming back to to the program and kind of like humbling yourself and stuff. What how did you make that like happen? Yeah humbling is huge. Let's keep it real It was extremely humbling that the program that I worked I worked there for two and a half years I was a staff member, you know So coming back and being used to it one way and now it's different and now you're on the other end of it It was very humbling But you know the coolest experience about it was is I realized a lot of flaws that I had even in my leadership And it gave me an opportunity to take a step back Re-evaluate and realize that man God wants to do something radical in my life He has a calling on my life, but these are the things that I need to get right first Here's the character qualities you need to fix addictions just part You know, it's a branch of what you got going on in your life There's root issues at the at the cause and it's helping me find that again Come on. Hallelujah. So amazing That is awesome You know god God is a god of second chances third chances and so on We're so excited to hear, you know, your story and how you came back And I want I just want to point out if you want to receive freedom and you constantly fall never be too too Too too good or too proud to come back to jesus christ, you know It takes take takes a step of humbling yourself And this is when we see god need us and set us free amen And so how long it's been now since you are not using drugs and back with the lord So I uh, it's been about six months since I've been clean um and about five months since I've been back with the lord Wow, that is so awesome. And come on guys. Let's put our hands together for jesus christ Mac we're super excited and happy for you. Would you please share a word of advice to people who might find themselves Addicted to drugs or just constantly going back and forth with that Yeah, first and foremost is hoping jesus christ bottom line. I I don't care what lifestyle you're from what drug you're addicted to There is hope. There is freedom. There is salvation. He breaks every freaking chain that comes across your path. There is power and christ I'm a bottom line and secondly, you know, once we start serving god, we It's easy to get caught up while i'm supposed to be perfect. The truth of the matter is you're not perfect I got humbled real quick and realized that thought I could do it all on my own And you think of shot rock me shot can have been to go and you know And they go into the fire and the hill song has a new song out right now called another in the fire And it's been rocking me. I listen to it every day But it's because even if I even if he doesn't I will still serve him even if he doesn't I'm still gonna get in that fire even if he doesn't I'm still gonna praise god And so my thing to encourage you is if you're going through something whether you just got saved or whether you're saved or not Just realize it man Our god is alive our god as well that he will set you free that he will redeem you So no matter what trials no matter what fires come your path step into that fire and continue to seek god And he's gonna do some miracles. Wow. Come on. Thank you so much. Thank you for watching this content I know this was a blessing to you We would like to ask you to subscribe to our channel and click on the bell on our channel So that each time we upload something you can be notified Don't forget to share this content with your friends and family and on social media We're so thankful to you better is not good enough. The best is yet to come