Bachelor of Science, Bible Teaching, 1994, СÖíÊÓƵÌý
Master of Arts, Teaching, 1996, СÖíÊÓƵ
President, OneLife Ministries and OneLife Leadership
Chapin, SC
Driving south on Interstate 95 from Washington, D.C. to begin a new chapter in life had me scared to death. Giving up a chance to play college basketball to attend СÖíÊÓƵ was hard. Before I left, there was a man who pulled me aside and said, "Giving up hoops to go to that school is going to be the biggest mistake of your life!" But my favorite teacher, David First, was a graduate of CIU. His passion for God burned like something I had never seen. I wanted that passion, so I decided to follow in his footsteps. It has turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I ever made.
After graduating with two degrees, Bible Teaching and Master of Arts in Teaching, that same "big decision anxiety" that I had six years earlier showed up again. Now what? I feel like God said something very simple, "Help people." So in 1996 I began traveling full time as an inspirational speaker with a goal of helping people. Since then God has opened the doors for me to speak in churches and universities, as well as at music festivals and other special events all over the United States. He has also allowed me to work with the poor in India, Mongolia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. His provisions have overwhelmed me. Not only has He allowed me to speak, but also to help people in other ways including a podcast, three published books, and over 40 radio and television interviews. Statisticians calculate that the messages through all these outlets over the past 16 years have been available to over 100 million people. Praise Him!
I could never thank CIU enough for teaching, mentoring, and training me. I am now hoping to have an impact in a new endeavor. God is giving me opportunities to speak in the corporate world. There are certain restrictions on the words I can use. These new messages talk about integrity, character, sacrifice, patience and humility. But there is no restriction on Truth. Jesus said, "I am the Truth." I pray that God will plant seeds in the hearts of the lost, and that I will continue to pursue what He told me many years ago - "Help people."
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