Then one dark night, Mike sat on a bluff in Encinitas for hours, desperately praying, “God, if you’re real, please help me.” He threw his drugs away, then as the sun rose, he walked back to his parents’ house and told his dad, “I need help.” His dad replied, “Son, we’ve heard of a place where miracles happen. It’s called Teen Challenge.” Mike agreed to give it a try At a San Diego Teen Challenge chapel service, Mike saw something he never expected—a group of hardened men kneeling around the altar with tears in their eyes, crying out to Jesus. And for the first time in years, Mike saw hope. He opened his heart and began to experience God’s mercy and forgiveness. Over the next year, Mike was molded and shaped by God into a new creation. He graduated from Teen Challenge, then went on to the Ministry Institute. From there he went on to East Los Angeles College, and then transferred to Vanguard University. Even though he had never received a high school diploma, he graduated from college with good grades.

2020-03-24T09:49:35-07:00

But that isn’t the end of Mike’s story. He met and married the love of his life, Sarah, and together they had three sons. At the age of 27, he felt called to the ministry and for the next 10 years, enjoyed the challenge and joy of being a pastor. Even though he went from [...]