From Hustlin' to Hallelujah! Luke 4:18
By Dr. Preston T. Adams, III
Executive Pastor
My name is Dr. Preston T. Adams, III. I haven’t always been a “Dr” or a Pastor. In fact, I haven’t always been saved. And even after I accepted Christ as my Savior, I didn’t always live to bring Him glory. To help you understand my testimony I need to tell you a little more about where the Lord has brought me from. Then you’ll see just how good God is! I was born the eldest of four sons to Priestley T. and Myrtis L. Adams on May 25, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of seven (7) my parents separated and my mother was left to raise four (4) sons in the inner city on her own. From my father’s departure, until the six (6) months prior to his death (which was a period of 23 years), my brothers and I had no contact with my father. Subsequently, I felt compelled to become the father figure and the big brother to my three younger brothers, the youngest of whom, Micrin Tyrell, God would call home to glory in 1980, at the age of 12.
Life was hard in the inner city of Chicago. Gangs, drugs, prostitution, violence, killings, burglaries, and other forms of criminal activity were not only the norm, they also served as a powerful negative influence over those of us who were relegated to these dismal conditions. Further, education was not viewed as a “way out” of the “ghettoclass” by most. Rather, “hustling” or participating in the “street” lifestyle was promoted as one’s ticket out. At the tender age of 12, I confessed Christ as Savior and was baptized. One of the first scriptures Mama taught me was Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” But in spite of Mama’s teachings and Christ’s saving grace, I did not fully commit my life to the Lord until I was well into my young adult years. Like you, I knew right from wrong. Like you, I sinned repeatedly and asked God to forgive me. Like you, I took God’s grace and mercy for granted.
I believe that from the very moment I confessed Christ and accepted Him as my Savior, the Lord began to work even harder on my behalf. At 17, just two weeks prior to my high school graduation, I was arrested for “hustling” and faced 10 years in prison. I now understand that Christ interceding on my behalf is the reason I was given a second chance. But I still didn’t get it right because I was not fully committed to the Lord. I was not doing as Mama had taught me. I was not trusting God, I was not leaning on God, I was not acknowledging God in everything, and I was not letting God direct me.
It would not be until I was well into my young adult years, married, and expecting our first child that I would say, “Lord, I am tired of living this way and I need you to cleanse me and use me to your glory.” I had been blessed to graduate from high school and college. I had a good job and I was considered successful, especially given my harsh beginnings in the streets of Chicago. And yet, I was unfulfilled and still had a lot of “stuff” that was getting in the way of God’s plan for my life.
Then one Sunday in 1988, I attended Light of the World Christian Church, the church my wife grew up in, where we were married, and where I was now a member. But this Sunday morning was different. The pastor, Bishop Benjamin (who at the time was affectionately known as “Dr. B.”), preached a message called “Break Up That Fallow Ground.” While I don’t remember the scripture he preached from, what I do remember is it was if he was sitting right next to me, talking directly to me, and me only. I knew after hearing God’s Word preached that day that my life would never be the same.
But the ultimate turning point for me, and a catalyst in my search for God’s purpose in my life, would come in 1989 when my 18 year old nephew was arrested for murder over money in a dice game. Over the previous seven years, I had watched my nephew spiral into the methodical ruin that grabs too many young black males. His trek into the system began when he was just 11 years old and continued spiraling downward through juvenile detention, an out-of-state group home, and the Indiana Boys School (currently known as the Plainfield Juvenile Correctional Facility). Now at 18, he was facing a murder charge. If convicted, he was headed straight to adult prison, possibly for the remainder of his life.
It was through this experience with my nephew that I found my calling and true purpose. I was to dedicate my life, a life that had been spared death in the streets on numerous occasions as well as the possibility of going to prison myself at age 17, to the purpose of reconciling God’s people, specifically young black males, back to God. Seeing my nephew facing hard time in prison was like seeing me for who I must have been as a young black male. It was through my nephew’s experience that I would begin to volunteer in the prisons and juvenile detention centers, determined to make a positive difference in the lives of young black males who, like I was once, are caught up in a lifestyle that has them destined for destruction. And it was through this experience that I eventually accepted my call to preach the glorious, saving, and liberating Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I close by saying; I love the Lord so much. Jesus heard my cry for help and He answered as He always does by saying, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I plead with you to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior today. I promise you that your life will never be the same. I want to spend eternity with you in Heaven and accepting Christ is the way for that to happen.
Jesus truly saves from the guttermost to the uttermost. I’m a witness!
