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Sitting in doctor’s office after recovering from life-threatening brain surgery, the doctor explained to me a list of things I would not be able to ever do again.

I was 22 years old at the time and cracked my head running home from the bar drunk. I decided that the doctor was an idiot and I can live my life and ain’t nothing going to hold me back.

The next decision I made was I bought a 1978 Honda Goldwing motorcycle for 700 bucks and drove it all summer—half the time drunk with no helmet on at night running stop signs. To me this was freedom from fear and limitations—I was cool and brave. Truth is, I was an idiot and was a hair away from death.

Does this sound like someone you know—or maybe yourself? Have you made some crazy choices in life to chase freedom and adventure, only to find yourself farther in addiction or trouble?

As the years went by I traveled the USA stealing, lying, and cheating people. In and out of jail all over the country, in high speed chases from police. Homeless, with no sense of belonging, no hope of a real future or didn’t even like to look in the mirror and see who I was or what I had become.

I tried to look successful and cool but my life was going nowhere fast. Finally in January 1994 my life would take a turn. The sales company I was traveling with was owned by a man that I had trained how to lie and steal from people. Now I worked for him, and he decided he wanted me out of the business so he worked out a plan to cause me to lose respect within the company. I left in shame and humiliation.

I was betrayed by a long-time friend. Where is the loyalty, the respect? There was none. Has something like this happened in your life?

I remember pacing the floor of my hotel room till 5 am planning on leaving in the night, asking myself when was the last time someone told me the truth—when was the last time I told the truth.

I looked over at the bedside of the hotel room and noticed a Bible sitting there. I picked it up and said “at least God always told me the truth. Years before, at a church altar, I asked Jesus Christ—from my heart—to forgive me of all my sins and be my personal savior. My whole life changed that night: something happened to me inside. I knew that I was forgiven and believed that Jesus truly is alive and loves me.

For a year I had the most amazing experiences with God—the best days of my life. I was filled with joy, peace, hope, love, but slowly I began to stop reading my Bible and started hanging out with old friends, listening to old music. I stopped going to church and praying, took God for granted. One day I began to believe that God had left me, but I ruined the relationship.

I failed and started living as if I was never a Christian. Ten years of stealing, lying, drunken parties every week, jail—my heart was a stone. I did not care much for anyone but myself. Have you been there?

Thursday, May 26th, 1994 at 11am, I was driving my 1979 Oldsmobile down the Vista Freeway in San Diego, and decided to head out and rip someone off for some beer money. It was my birthday and I always get drunk on my birthday. As I was driving I cried out to God from my heart a simple prayer of desperation: “God I need a new heart.” These words came out of my mouth from the deepest place in me. “All of the sudden a powerful wind came into the car—I felt it and heard it.

My windows were all rolled up so I knew this was God. My hands began to tremble at the wheel, I began to cry. I needed to get off the interstate .

I pulled off the next exit and came over the overpass. As I was heading down the other way, I had the same amazing feeling flood my soul—I’m saved and forgiven! I hadn’t felt this good in 10 years.

I was so excited I drove to a church parking lot, walked into the foyer, and found a pastor in the men’s room and said “I love you man can I give you a hug?” He first thought I was on meth but soon realized that I had truly had a supernatural experience of God’s Holy Spirit and His grace.

How can this be—God you know all the things I have been doing and was going to do, yet you heard my prayer, you forgive me, and welcomed me into your presence as if I never left. I don’t understand but I’m so glad you did.

Have you ever trusted Jesus Christ to save you from your sins—or wanted to but figured that you would never be able to live the life? Maybe you’re not sure you can give up some stuff and don’t want to be a hypocrite.

I did not try to change, and God did not ask me to clean myself up or stop anything I was doing.

I just prayed a honest prayer: “I can’t change and I’m not going to try, but I’m willing to let you change me by giving me a new heart. I believe you, God, can change me so Jesus please forgive me and give me a new heart for you.”

If you make this your prayer, I promise you that Jesus Christ is standing at the door of your heart and wants to come in today.

Invite him in today, he loves the “hell” out of us, the hell that we cant get rid of he loves it out.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).

Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Notice the Bible says it is what you believe and confess about God and Jesus that saves you—not what you do or don’t do.

Are you ready for a new life? You can pray like this:

“Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the savior of the world and God sent you to live the perfect life that could never live, I believe that you died on the cross for me and paid the price for my forgiveness of all my sins, I believe that three days later God raised you from the dead and you’re alive right now so I ask you to be my personal savior and come into my heart and save me right now. Thank you Jesus for saving me. Amen.”

If you just put your trust in Jesus to save you from your sin, you’re now riding with the King!

Are you ready to take your “ride to freedom”?

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