Harvest

I was blessed to grow up with parents who loved Jesus. I remember praying to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior at the ripe old age of 7.

I never doubted that Jesus had died on the cross for my sins and rose again. I never doubted that heaven was real and that Jesus promised everlasting life to those who believe in Him.

My problem was that I grew away from God, instead of growing closer.

From junior high through college, I lived for me. In high school, I played football and baseball, wrestled, surfed, and partied a lot. None of my friends were Christians and nobody knew I was a Christian either. Maybe I wasn't either.

I was living a Luke 15 life—total anarchy. After high school, I moved to Huntington Beach to surf and party and live what I thought would be the "endless summer." As it turned out, it was really the "endless bummer." I was living the lifestyle I thought would make me happy, but I was empty inside.

Little did I know that my parents and a girl friend were praying for me. She had become a Christian and asked me to go to a concert, which turned out to be a Christian concert. That night, God used that girl to remind me how much He loved me and how much He wanted me to come back to Him.

I went to this girl's church, which was Harvest. Pastor Greg shared the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:30: "If you're not with me, you're against me."

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew I wasn't living for Christ. I had tried to blow off my Savior, while keeping my salvation, and Jesus was calling me out on it. He spoke to my heart, asking me, "Are you for me?" My answer, by the way I was living my life, was "No."

That morning, Greg asked those who wanted to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to come forward to the front of the church. He also asked those who wanted to start fresh with Jesus to come forward too.

My heart had been pounding so hard . . . I got up, walked to the front, and asked for forgiveness and a fresh start. It was so radical. I really felt like the weight of sin had dropped off my shoulders.

I've been walking with Jesus for more than 28 years now. I fell in love with and married the girl (Dianne) who invited me to that Christian concert. We have two daughters, Tiffany and Tayler; and we have a son, Dylan, who is in heaven.

My passion is connecting people to Jesus. I believe people don't know Him for who He is. He's been misrepresented . . . it is the ultimate identity theft. He wants to be known.

I still like surfing with my family and friends, but I love serving Jesus with family and friends even better.

If you need a second chance, Jesus is a prayer away!