I remember the first time I ever walked in the doors of a church after I made a commitment to follow Christ. I showed up with three of my buddies and their families. We smelled of cigarette smoke and breath mints. There were about twelve of us in all. As we walked in the door, the greeters met us with a smile and a bulletin. Before they could show us around, the ladies who invited us came running toward my crowd. They hugged all of us one by one and gave us the grand tour of the church. What I felt was something greater than anything I'd ever experienced before. It was the love of Jesus Christ. This church, led by Pastor Fred Franks, reached out to my family in a way that no one had ever done before. They helped us get plugged in to the family of God. As a result, my entire household made decisions to follow Christ. As a result, I stand here today with a God-given calling to duplicate that same experience into the lives of as many people as possible before the Lord decides to take me home.
- Love God, Love People, Work Hard
