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Jared’s testimony contains sensitive material that may be distressing for some viewers and may not be suitable for younger audiences. Parents and guardians are encouraged to preview the video before sharing it with children.

From Struggle to Surrender: Come As You Are, But Do Not Stay As You Are

There are moments in life when we find ourselves searching for something, even when we cannot quite explain what it is. We search for acceptance, for love, for belonging, for purpose, and most of all, for peace.

Sometimes we look for those things in relationships, in the approval of others, in temporary pleasures, or in the things this world tells us will make us happy. Yet no matter how much we chase them, something still feels missing.

For Jared, that search began at a very young age.

His story is one of childhood trauma, confusion, rejection, addiction, struggles with identity, and the lasting effects of experiences he never should have had to endure. But more importantly, it is a testimony of surrender, redemption, and a God who continued reaching for him even when he was running in the opposite direction.

Jared shared that he was molested when he was just five years old. At an age when a child should feel safe and protected, he experienced something that would affect the way he viewed himself, his relationships, and the world around him for years to come.

He described the experience as a domino effect. One painful event led to confusion, and that confusion influenced other areas of his life.

Childhood trauma can leave wounds that follow a person well into adulthood. Sometimes those wounds affect how we trust others, how we seek acceptance, and even how we understand our own worth.

But there is something important we must remember. What happened to someone does not determine their value, and the abuse they experienced was never their fault.

Psalm 139 reminds us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our worth does not begin with what others have done to us or what we have done ourselves. It begins with the God who created us.

Jared spent years struggling to understand who he was. He described searching for acceptance, wrestling with his sexuality, and trying to find peace through relationships, pornography, and other things that ultimately left him feeling unfulfilled.

His experiences were deeply personal, and his testimony reflects how he came to understand his own life and faith. His story also reminds us that the effects of childhood abuse can be complicated and that healing often requires time, support, and compassion.

Throughout those years, however, something remained with him.

His mother had planted the Word of God in his heart when he was young.

Even when he wandered away from what he had been taught, those truths continued speaking to him. He could try to ignore them, but he could not completely forget them.

Proverbs 22:6 reminds us of the importance of training children in the way they should go. We may not always see the results immediately. Children grow up, make decisions, and sometimes walk in directions we never expected. But the truth we plant in their hearts can remain long after they leave our homes.

That is an encouragement to every parent, grandparent, teacher, and spiritual leader. Never underestimate the importance of planting God's Word in someone's life.

You may not be the person who sees the harvest, but that does not mean the seed was planted in vain.

As Jared grew older, he continued struggling with the things that had become part of his life.

He spoke openly about lust, pornography, and the cycle of temptation, shame, repentance, and returning to the same behaviors.

And that is a struggle many people understand, even if the details of their lives are different.

We know something is hurting us. We know something is pulling us away from the person God is calling us to become. We promise ourselves we will change, but before long, we find ourselves repeating the same patterns.

The apostle Paul describes this internal conflict in Romans chapter 7. He speaks about wanting to do what is right while still struggling against the pull of sin.

It reminds us that spiritual growth is not simply a matter of trying harder.

We need God's grace, His truth, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

Jared also shared how his physical health became part of his spiritual journey. As he worked toward losing weight, he began using time at the gym to listen to worship music and sermons, turning an ordinary daily activity into an opportunity to grow closer to God.

He began understanding that honoring God was not limited to what happened inside a church building.

It involved his thoughts, his decisions, his habits, and the way he cared for the life God had given him.

And that brings us to one of the most important truths in Jared's testimony.

Surrender is not simply about giving God one part of our lives.

It is about giving Him everything.

For years, Jared described trying to hold on to his own desires while also holding on to his faith. He wanted the peace of God without completely surrendering the things he believed were separating him from God.

But eventually, he came to a place where he could no longer continue living that way.

On New Year's Eve, Jared went to the altar and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.

He described that moment as finally finding the peace he had been searching for.

He even shared a deeply personal experience of sensing Jesus sitting beside him, holding his hand, and saying, "I'm with you. Let's go."

What a powerful picture of the love and mercy of God.

Not a God standing at a distance, waiting for someone to become perfect before approaching Him, but a Savior who calls people to come to Him and begin walking in a new direction.

It reminds us of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15.

The son had wasted what he had been given. He had made mistakes, gone his own way, and eventually found himself in a place of desperation.

But when he finally decided to return home, his father did not turn him away.

He ran to meet him.

That is the beauty of grace.

No matter how far someone has wandered, the invitation to return to God remains.

And perhaps someone hearing this today needs to understand that truth.

You are not too far gone.

Your past does not place you beyond the reach of God's mercy.

The mistakes you have made do not mean that God has stopped calling you.

But Jared's story also teaches us that coming to the altar is not the end of the journey.

It is the beginning.

He shared that the very next day, while riding in an Uber, he encountered someone who challenged his new commitment by using Scripture in a way that conflicted with what Jared believed God had revealed to him.

For Jared, it was an immediate reminder that surrendering to Christ did not mean temptation, confusion, or spiritual opposition would simply disappear.

In Matthew chapter 4, we read about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. Satan even used Scripture in an attempt to lead Jesus away from obedience to the Father.

But Jesus answered with the truth of God's Word.

That is why knowing Scripture matters so much.

We cannot build our faith entirely on emotions, powerful experiences, or what someone else tells us.

Those moments may encourage us, but we need a foundation that remains when the emotions fade and difficulties come.

We need to know what God's Word says.

We need prayer.

We need fellowship with believers who will encourage us, correct us in love, and help us remain faithful.

And we need to recognize that spiritual maturity does not happen overnight.

Jared was very open about that.

Even after his experience at the altar, he continued facing temptation. There were moments when he stumbled and had to repent.

But one of the most meaningful things he said was this.

"You are not your temptation."

That is something every believer needs to understand.

Being tempted does not mean we have already failed. Struggling does not mean God has abandoned us. And falling does not mean we should give up and remain where we are.

Romans 8:1 reminds us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

That does not mean sin is unimportant or that repentance is unnecessary.

It means our relationship with Christ is not built on hopelessness and shame.

When we fall, we are called to repent, get back up, and continue following Him.

Sanctification is a process.

God continues working in our hearts, revealing things that need to change, teaching us obedience, and helping us grow.

And sometimes that process is uncomfortable.

Jared described conviction from the Holy Spirit as one of the greatest blessings a believer can receive.

Think about that for a moment.

Most people do not enjoy being corrected.

We naturally want to defend ourselves, explain our actions, or find someone who will tell us that what we are doing is acceptable.

But genuine love does not always tell us what we want to hear.

Sometimes love tells us what we need to hear.

The Holy Spirit's conviction is not meant to drive us into despair. It calls us to recognize what is wrong and return to God.

It is an invitation to change.

And that is something the church must remember as well.

We are called to speak truth, but we are also called to love people.

We should never confuse holiness with hostility or conviction with condemnation.

People who are genuinely searching for God need to encounter believers who will welcome them, listen to them, walk alongside them, and faithfully teach the Word of God.

That does not require abandoning biblical convictions.

It requires remembering that we are all dependent on the same grace.

Jared's testimony also reminds us that God can begin using someone long before that person feels fully prepared.

Just two days after giving his life to Christ, Jared started a Bible study.

He did not have years of experience or all the answers, but he wanted to share what God was doing in his life.

Over time, however, he recognized that the group had begun moving away from its original purpose.

Things became worldly, and eventually the group fell apart.

Jared had to acknowledge what had happened, repent, and begin again.

And when he did, he shared that the group grew from five people to thirty.

What an important lesson about humility.

Sometimes we become so focused on what we are building that we forget who we are building it for.

We begin measuring success by numbers, recognition, or how much attention something receives.

But God's work is not meant to bring glory to us.

It is meant to bring glory to Him.

Our responsibility is to remain faithful, humble, and obedient, trusting God with the results.

Jared also spoke about difficult seasons when he felt alone, struggled financially, and wondered how things would work out.

He shared that Psalm 23 became an important source of strength during those times.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Those familiar words remind us that even when life becomes uncertain, God remains our shepherd.

David did not say we would never walk through valleys.

He said that even in the valley of the shadow of death, we do not have to fear because God is with us.

There will be seasons when following Christ feels difficult.

There may be relationships that change, habits we have to leave behind, and moments when we feel as though no one understands what we are going through.

But those seasons do not mean God has forgotten us.

Sometimes they become opportunities to deepen our prayer life, strengthen our faith, and learn to depend on Him more completely.

And through all of it, we must remember that God is not simply interested in changing our circumstances.

He is interested in transforming our hearts.

Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away, and all things have become new.

That is the hope of the gospel.

We are not required to remain prisoners of our past.

We do not have to allow our mistakes, our wounds, or the opinions of others to become the final word over our lives.

In Christ, there is forgiveness, restoration, and the opportunity to walk in newness of life.

That does not mean every wound disappears immediately.

It does not mean every temptation vanishes or that every difficult memory is erased.

But it does mean that our past does not have to control our future.

And it means that healing and growth can continue as we walk with God.

Jared's story is a reminder that our testimony does not have to be perfect to be meaningful.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can share is not that we have everything figured out, but that God is still working in us.

Someone else may be struggling with the very thing we once struggled with.

Someone may be carrying shame they have never spoken about.

Someone may believe they have wandered too far away for God to welcome them back.

And hearing how God has worked in another person's life may encourage them to take that first step toward Him.

That is why our testimonies matter.

Not because they make us look good, but because they point others toward the goodness of God.

As Jared brought his testimony to a close, he shared a simple challenge.

"Come as you are, but don't stay as you are."

Those words capture the invitation and the transforming power of the gospel.

Jesus does not ask us to become perfect before coming to Him.

He invites us to come with our struggles, our questions, our failures, and our burdens.

But when we truly surrender our lives to Him, we must also be willing to let Him change us.

That change may not happen all at once.

There may be setbacks, difficult decisions, and moments when we have to surrender the same struggle again.

But the goal is not to remain the person we were yesterday.

The goal is to become more like Christ.

So perhaps the question we should ask ourselves today is not simply whether we believe in God.

Perhaps the question is whether we have truly surrendered to Him.

Are there areas of our lives where we are still holding back?

Are we seeking peace in things that can never provide it?

Are we allowing past wounds, present struggles, or the expectations of others to determine who we are?

Or are we willing to trust the One who created us, loves us, and calls us into a new life?

Jared's testimony reminds us that surrender is not a sign of weakness.

It is the moment we stop pretending we can do everything on our own and begin trusting God to lead us.

No matter where you are in your journey, the invitation remains.

Come to Christ.

Bring Him your burdens.

Bring Him your questions.

Bring Him the parts of your life you have been afraid to surrender.

And trust Him enough to follow wherever He leads.

Because your struggle does not have to be the end of your story.

Through Jesus Christ, surrender can become the beginning of something new.

Come as you are, but do not stay as you are.

If you are struggling with something in your life, whether it is addiction, past trauma, temptation, your identity, or simply feeling lost and unsure where to turn, please know that you are not alone.

At Praise Tabernacle, we believe that no one is beyond the reach of God's love, grace, and forgiveness. Whatever you are facing, we encourage you to reach out. We would love to pray with you, encourage you, and help you take the next step in your walk with Christ.

You do not have to face your struggles alone. There is hope, there is healing, and there are people who care.

To connect with us, visit www.praisetabernacle.church or reach out through our social media pages Call is at 609-927-4560.

Come as you are, but do not stay as you are.