ETBCM

Thank you so much to brother Dennis and your sweet family. This is an honor to receive this scholarship and to be here with you all in this place. Brother Dennis, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for being so gracious and kind to Paxton and myself. You, Mrs. Tiffany, and your kids are part of our family. You have no idea how much you mean to us. Thank you for showing me, as a young preacher, what it means to be a Man of God and to be obedient and steadfast in the faith. And the proof is in these 4 children you’ve got in this place. They have grown up and watched their dad stand steady and unmovable in his faith, and it set an example that they have picked up on and now carry those attributes. And that is something learned, and it’s learned from you. And I just want to say, if you’ve spent 30 seconds or more around brother Dennis you will understand what I am saying, but anyone that says they have a problem with the Erwins or with brother Dennis, I’ve got some news for you… it isn’t them, its you.

Most of you all have never met me before or have any idea who I am. Let me just tell you, I am a nothing and a nobody. And I sure am not worthy to be standing here on this platform receiving anything. But I didn’t choose this, God chose this. I’ll be honest I ran from the call to preach for a while. I would have people around me that would mention to me, “oh yeah, when are you going to teach or preach.” I’d laugh tell them, “no way” and go on about my day. I did not want to preach or teach. It wasn’t because I didn’t love God or want to be busy doing something for the Lord. It was because I know me, and I didn’t think that me with my past ever deserved that title. I grew up in church but I never truly got saved or had that personal relationship with Jesus. When I was in my late teens and early 20s I spent most of my free time in the bottom of a beer can or a tequila bottle thinking it was going to solve the problems of life. I was ten foot tall and bullet proof and you couldn’t tell me anything. I breathed arrogance and disrespect. I walked holding the hand of this world with no care for anything of God. But that time of my life was the most destructive and turmoil filled years of my life. There was a God sized hole in my heart and I did everything I could to fill it with everything except for God, and nothing was able to. And discontent, bitterness, and anger began to grow the longer I spent toying with the trinkets of this world. Rather than beginning to build my life, it was deconstructing it. I chose the world and not God, and that decision took away everything I ever cared about. It drove away Paxton, my friends, and began to disrupt my career. And it didn’t matter how much I lost, I wasn’t listening. Until July 4th 2021 I had a single vehicle car accident, when I rolled my truck off the side of I75 because I was drunk. That night God finally got my attention, and if it wasn’t for His grace and mercy I would have died at mile marker 324 that night. And if I would have died, I would have busted the doors of hell wide open. But God. God saved my flesh that night and began working on my heart and it was a few months later, on November 10th 2021 in a Wednesday night meeting in a college and career class at Parkway Baptist that I heard the Gospel and surrendered my life to Jesus.

After God pulled me from that wreck and kept me on this earth, I knew there was a reason and a purpose but I didn’t know what it was. But I stand before you tonight and I know the purpose was this. This call to preach is why I am still alive and why I am here tonight. And I don’t know what battle you all have waiting on you when you walk out of these door, I don’t know the fiery darts of hell you may be having to dodge when you get home or get to work. Or what situation and sickness keeps you up at night. I don’t know what past the devil may be trying to throw in your face to distract you from being busy and serving the Lord. You may be like me and you see yourself in that sin and in that discouragement the devil keeps you from fully experiencing the joy of Jesus.

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me;

      My glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

           I cried unto the LORD with my voice,

      And he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

           I laid me down and slept;

      I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

Jesus will shield you from those fiery darts, Jesus is the glory we can walk in and not ourselves. Jesus is the one that will lift your head when the world tries to hold it down. Cry out to God and He will hear you and deliver you. You can lay down and find rest in Jesus because He will sustain you. I don’t know where you’re at or what you’re dealing with but I know Jesus is the answer. And tonight would be a real good night to come to Him and let Jesus take control of your life. Jesus says;

            28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Come to Jesus and let Him take control. I promise you won’t regret it.