Tim From Savannagh

Tim grew up in LA in a non-churched home. His mom and dad were both hooked on drugs and alcohol while he was growing up.

On one Easter, his mom decided to go to church and take Tim and his sister as well. From that one occasion, his mother never attended again but it provided an opportunity for Tim and his sister to attend Sunday School through the bus ministry. Tim wasn’t interested but his sister was, so he went along, and hearing the gospel at this evangelical church.

When Tim reached high school, he turned away from all things Godly. Not having any positive family support, he got into drugs and alcohol.

Tim loved playing football. So at age 18, he got on a community college team. His coach got him a job as a bouncer at a local bar, furthering the spiral down in his life.

Then he quit football at age 20 and went into some state of depression. When he was sitting at a bar, Tim would be drinking and then be able to quote scripture that he learned as a child.

In this state, Tim decided to visit his youth pastor he came to know at the church he attended as a child. His purpose was really to offend him and mock him and hopefully the pastor would chastise him. But the pastor’s only response was one of love, and specifically he said “God has a better plan for you.”

After this encounter, Tim went home, somewhat jarred by the experience he intended for bad. He became convicted of his ways. But he also had 5 reasons why he felt his return to God would not work. Later on that day, he received calls from some of the friends he had while at church. In those conversations, all the reasons he had were melted away. It was at that moment of realization that Tim fell on his knees and asked Christ to become his Savior.

One month later, Tim enrolled in Azusa Pacific University getting his degree in Biblical Studies. He met his wife there and they married 2 years later in 1990. Today he is the associate pastor in a large Assemblies of God church in Savannah, Ga.

Tim’s sister is still serving the Lord with her husband in California. They have 5 kids who are part of the second generation.

Learnings:

Score one for the bus ministry. Had there not been the initiative of someone in that church to invite Tim and his sister to come to church through the bus ministry, probably Tim would not have come to the Lord.
Tim said that he was instantly delivered from drug and alcohol addiction. His thought for this was that God knew he was too weak to overcome this on his own, recounting the scripture that God will not put us into situations that are too hard for us to bear.