I GRADUATED FROM ART

COLLEGE, AND I DECIDED TO GO

TO NEW YORK CITY.

AND NEW YORK CITY WAS, LIKE,

THE PREMIER PLACE TO BE A

COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

THE FIRST WEEK I ACTUALLY

OPENED THE DOORS TO THE

STUDIO FOR THREE NATIONAL AD

COMPAIGNS.

ALL OF A SUDDEN MY LOVE JUST

GOT DROWNED BY ALL OF THIS

WORK.

I WAS WORKING SO HARD AND

LONG HOURS THAT I HAD NO

SOCIAL LIFE.

ONE OF MY CLASSMATES WAS A

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER.

AND HE NEEDED A PLACE TO

STAY, TO SLEEP, AND I PUT

HIM UP ON MY COUCH IN MY

APARTMENT.

AND WE DECIDED TO START

GOING OUT TONIGHT CLUBS.

AND I REMEMBER THAT WAS THE

FIRST TIME I DID COCAINE.

WE WERE INVITED BACK TO A

PENTHOUSE APARTMENT.

AND THAT WAS THE FIRST NIGHT

I TRIED FREE-BASING CRACK

COCAINE.

AND I INSTANTLY -- I MEAN I

INSTANTLY GOT ADDICTED TO

HIM.

WHEN I DID FREE-BASING, IT

WAS LIKE A RUSH.

AND I CONSTANTLY WANTED

ANOTHER AND ANOTHER AND

ANOTHER.

I WAS ENTANGLED, AND IT WAS

AWFUL, AND I COULDN'T GET

OUT OF IT.

I STARTED PAWNING MY CAMERA

EQUIPMENT.

I STARTED LYING, CHEATING,

STEALING, ANYTHING TO GET

DRUGS.

I STARTED REALLY NOT SHOWING

UP FOR DRUGS.

MY AGENT STARTED TO NOTICE

AND IT GOT SPREAD AROUND NEW

YORK THAT I WAS A DRUG

ADDICT, AN ACTIVE DRUG

ADDICT.

AND MY WORK STARTED TO FALL

OFF.

IT WAS BAD.

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND AT

THAT POINT IN TIME, I HAD

GIVEN UP ALL HOPE.

I HAD GIVEN UP ALL HOPE OF

RECOVERY.

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE

AS A DRUG ADDICT.

MY FAMILY HAD DISOWNED ME.

THEY HAD WRITTEN ME A LETTER

SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NO

LONGER OUR CHILD.

THE DRUG HAD SUCH CONTROL

OVER ME THAT I COULD NOT

STOP.

I WENT INTO MY BEDROOM TO

SEE -- YOU KNOW, I SAT DOWN

ON MY BED AND I PULLED OUT

THE MONEY ON MY POCKETS TO

SEE HOW MUCH CRACK I COULD

GO BUY.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD

THE DEMONIC VOICES.

AND I LOOKED UP, AND I

LOOKED AT MY WALLS, AND I

SAW THE SATANIC SYMBOL.

AND I WAS, LIKE, OH, MY

GOSH, AND I STARTED SHAKING

INCONTROLLABLY.

I WAS SO SCARED.

AND I JUST SAID, GOD, IF

YOU'RE REAL, I NEED YOU

NOW!

I REALLY NEED YOU NOW, GOD.

PLEASE SHOW ME THAT YOU'RE

REAL.

I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN YOU,

GOD.

I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN

YOU.

AND THE NEXT THING THAT

HAPPENED WAS A PEACEFUL

FEELING CAME OVER ME, AND I

CLOSED MY EYES, AND I JUST

PUT MY ARMS OUT TO MY SIDE.

IT WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL

FEELING I'VE EVER HAD IN MY

LIFE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

TOUCHING ME.

I SAID, GOD, YOU JUST PROVED

TO ME THAT YOU'RE REAL.

BUT GOD, I'M A DRUG ADDICT.

I HEAR THE LORD CLEAR AS DAY

JUST SAY, "BRAD, YOU DON'T

HAVE TO SAY NO TO DRUGS

ANYMORE.

I'LL SAY NO FOR YOU YOU.

I DIED FOR YOUR SINS."

AND THAT WAS IT.

THE LORD CAME INTO MY LIFE.

THE NEXT DAY I WAS CLEAN.

I DIDN'T DO DRUGS AGAIN.

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT

HE'LL, YOU KNOW, RESTORE THE

YEARS THAT WERE TAKEN AWAY,

AND HE HAS DONE THAT.

HE HAS REALLY RESTORED AND

GIVEN ME A WONDERFUL LIFE, A

WONDERFUL WIFE, AND TWO

KIDS.

GOD CAN DO IT.

IT MAY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE.

YOU MAY THINK THAT YOU CAN

NEVER, NEVER GET OUT OF YOUR

ADDICTION, THAT THERE IS NO

HOPE FOR YOU, BUT THERE IS.

IT IS THROUGH GOD.

IT IS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.

HE IS IS ABLE.

HE IS TOTALLY ABLE.