Life Before Christ

Growing up, I faced significant challenges with identity and belonging. My dad was a deacon and later a pastor, so church was always part of my life, but I didn’t understand a personal relationship with Jesus. When I was 13, I learned that the man I had always called “Daddy” wasn’t my biological father and that I was the result of an affair. My mother, in one of the most painful moments of my life, told me I couldn’t live with her family anymore because she didn’t want to “see her mistake” every day. That moment shattered me and left me feeling like I was unworthy of love.

From ages 10 to 14, I moved between three boarding schools and was expelled from each one. By the time I was 14, I had dropped out of school and was living alone in a one-bedroom apartment, with my dad traveling for work. I spent time in jail and struggled deeply with neglect and a sense of abandonment. Even though I was surrounded by church growing up, I didn’t know what it meant to truly follow Jesus. I sought identity in people’s approval and tried to find worth through accomplishments, but nothing could fill the emptiness inside me.

How Nathan Came to Know Christ

At a summer camp in 7th grade, I heard the gospel presented clearly for the first time. I realized that my worth wasn’t determined by my family, my mistakes, or my circumstances, but by Jesus Christ, who loved me and died for me. That week, I gave my life to Christ. It was a moment of hope and light breaking into a dark season of my life.

I wanted my family to be there for my baptism, but when the day came, none of them showed up. When the pastor asked for anyone who knew me to stand, no one did. It was a painful reminder of the isolation I felt, but God was working through it. During this time, a teacher who wasn’t connected to a church poured into me and encouraged me to press forward. That encouragement gave me the strength to keep going, even when I felt unseen by others.

Life After Christ

Accepting Christ transformed everything. Though life was still hard, I began to see His hand at work in my circumstances. At 14, I started working as a sports intern at a church. What began as simply playing basketball turned into a calling. People assumed I was older, and I was given responsibilities far beyond my years, including coaching my sister’s soccer team. Though this fed into my identity struggles, it also opened the door to ministry.

In 12th grade, during a concert at Dallas Baptist University, I felt God’s clear call to ministry. I didn’t fully understand what that meant, but I stepped forward in faith. By then, I was already serving as the Sports Minister at a large church, yet I still wrestled with doubts and questions about what it meant to serve God. My journey wasn’t without challenges—education became an idol at times, and I struggled with understanding what “biblical ministry” looked like. Reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan helped me process these questions, and I eventually transitioned to a smaller church where I could live out my faith in a more intimate way.

When Amanda and I got married, we anticipated infertility struggles. After years of tests and treatments, we chose to pursue foster care and adoption—not to fill a void but to love and serve children in need. God blessed us in unexpected ways, allowing us to adopt two sons through a local doctor who called us about children needing a home. He didn’t just answer our prayers once but twice, showing us His faithfulness.

Today, I lead a ministry called Faithson, which was inspired by my name and identity in Christ. “Faithson” means “follower of faith,” and it represents my journey of discovering who I am in God. Through this ministry, I’ve had the privilege of serving pastors and churches across the nation while continuing to grow in my own faith. God has also restored my relationships with my family. I forgave my mother before I got married, seeking to break cycles of pain and build a family founded on grace. Recently, she asked for my forgiveness—something I had already given years ago—and today we have a strong relationship.

God has transformed my life through His mercy, grace, and redemption. He has given me gifts of Mercy, Service, and Generosity, which I seek to use for His glory. My story is a reminder that no matter how broken we feel or how far we stray, God’s love pursues us. Today, I live for Him, and it’s my joy to point others to the hope and life found in Christ alone.