Welcome to God Today. My name is Pastor Tyrone Gray. I pastor a church in Louisiana called The Edge Church. I just want to share my personal testimony. Maybe those of you hearing me, also grew up in a church as I did. I grew up from my earliest youth, as way back as I can remember, but at the age of 12, I got away from the Lord. I began to use drugs, I began to hang out with my friends, every weekend was a weekend to go out and party. I began to rebel against my mom, I didn’t want to go to church anymore. The times I did go to church I was always high – all the way up to the age I was 20 years old. My mom would pray for me. My mom would walk the floors, I would come inside and I would argue with my mom and become angry with my mom. My mom would never let up on me. She used to pray and put oil on my head and tell me, “One day, you will become a preacher. One day you will preach the Gospel just like your dad.” I remember being so angry like, “Mom, leave me alone,” because I really felt like she was pushing God down on me.
I got in so much trouble because I pushed God out of my life. When I pushed God out of my life, I went down the wrong path. I went down a path of drugs and alcohol and just sleeping around. I found myself sitting in a jail cell one night. I saw myself and I got into some trouble. I said, “God, if you can get me out of this trouble, I give you this promise – I will serve you.” I was so high that night I was out of my mind. I remember praying that prayer. I said, “God if my life doesn’t change, I’m going to die like this. All I want is a family one day. I just want to be married with kids of my own. God, if you can do this one thing for me and do this blessing for me, I will never look back.”
Let me tell you. All those charges that were pinned against me dropped. I was facing to do 15 years of federal prison time. Just because I repented and also acknowledged my own fault, the judge called me to the bench. He said, “Mr. Tyrone Gray, I am to inform you that we have to let you go. Apparently, we can not find the evidence in the evidence room. All charges have been dropped.” From that moment I have been serving Jesus.
I just want to encourage you today. If you grew up in the church and you’ve run away – come back to Jesus. When I came to Jesus all my charges were dropped. Let me pray for you. The moment that you return back to God, you repent and you own up to the things that you have done. If you are running away from God, today I pray that you hear this message, that you will stop in your tracks and you will say, “Today is the day of salvation.”
Maybe you too are facing trouble. The only person that can rescue you is Jesus. Let me pray with you. Pray this prayer with me. Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. I surrender my life to you. I ask you to come into my heart and live in my heart all the days of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, I believe you have been born again. I believe God will set you free, too – as He did for me.