My name is Daniel Carl Felgate. I grew up in a strong religious family and was introduced to Jesus and the gospel at an early age. But I did not believe. I went through the motions. My older brother David especially, witnessed to me through my early teenage years how the gospel had shaped his life and heart. But I still did not believe. I believed I was in charge of my life, and that I could gain everything I needed on my own. Years of doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, with no thought of consequences of harm to myself or anyone else, led to life full of selfishness and ego. Late in high school I became addicted to drugs and alcohol. I believed that status in life was tied directly to the amount of money and worldly things I possessed. Eventually, my addiction took everything in life away from me. I lied, cheated and stole from everyone in my life. At 40 years old, alone and imprisoned, I cried out for help. Jesus was there. My life changed forever. I embraced sobriety. I amended my past wrongs. I started to heal and forgive myself for the damage I had caused. I had everything in life that I had thought I wanted. Home. Kids. Wife. But something was still missing. There was a hole still in me. At 45, I fell on my knees and asked Jesus for forgiveness. Since that day, I have been a new man. I have faith in Him that I never knew. I have become a man of service, thinking of others before ever thinking of myself. And I understand clearly wordly possessions do not make status, but rather how I mirror the teachings of Jesus. Today, I would like to thank that brother David and my aunt Diane, who never stopped witnessing to me, and to publicly proclaim, my heart and my soul, belong to my Savior Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:21 — “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow on his steps.”