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How God Transformed My Life: A Powerful Testimony · Reborn w/ Antonio Boutros

• 0:12
  SPEAKER_02: I love that 20-year-old energy.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_02: You made me see that 20-year-old energy worrying to death.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a channel guy.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Can I do this?
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: Can I be there?
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_02: Can I pick the computer here?
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: Can I send the other?
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, print your hands this direction.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_02: God, I love you.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: And we love you for this gift of God.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_02: God I thank you for this young man.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: For the not only the call of his life, but just the urgency and the sense of empowerment.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_02: He wants to make a difference with his life.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_02: So God, may he just use lighterly this morning to encourage everyone here.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: God, I've been joking with him, but God, I know.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: God, use him.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: Relax, breathe, make the shift of your heart and get out your heat.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: In Jesus' name we pray.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Amen.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: Amen.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Pastor Kenton told me two or three minutes, I'm like, man, I don't know how to rap.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: I can speak, I don't know how to rap.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: But my name is Tony Rutros, and I am here to share my testimony with you.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I love about this church, and especially today, is we have so many people here with so many different stories, different ages.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: We have the elderly elders here with PK.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: Elderly Hill! Elderly Hill!
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and so many stories.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Some people have been faithful for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, and some are still grappling.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: They know something bigger exists, but they just don't have that relationship yet.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to share my testimony today to show you what God is capable of.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Some of you guys at the end of this or throughout this, you're gonna see, oh man, he has come so far.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: You guys in the back probably will see a little bit of that.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: And some of you will see he has so far to go, and truthfully, it's a mixture of both.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I do want to I want to give all that glory to God, and I want to, I can't I can't pray like Mario can, but I want to bow our heads real quick and pray.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: I want to pray from the heart, but then I have a uh a prayer I'm gonna read over you as well.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, a couple weeks ago you put a a slogan uh on my heart, and that is to do your will with your power for your glory.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I pray for that we all do that, that we all have your discernment to do what is your will, and we are indifferent to what is not your will.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you for my imperfections, and thank you for life's imperfections.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Your grace and power shine in them.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Help me to celebrate all that I am, not so that you can be more, all that I am not, so that you can be more evident in my life.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Growing up, I faced many challenges.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: I was in and out of intensive therapy.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: I had depression and anxiety.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: I also looked like that.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so as you can tell, I had a lot of bullying.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I eventually with the therapy, December 2021, right around my mom's birthday, I was uh in intensive therapy for a week in an inpatient.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember I had three options, because I had locked myself in a room, had this big, about this size uh bookshelf, and I had locked myself in a room so no one could get in, and I had three options.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: One, get kicked out of the house and find my way.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Two, go to jail, or three, go to inpatient therapy, and I chose what I felt was the least bad of the three.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh three, not too great options.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: I had about$100 in a bank, so I definitely couldn't afford to live on my own.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: I did go to inpatient and it felt exactly like uh like jail would have.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: So, uh, and then a month later, January 2022, after after winter break, I dropped out of high school and I was then kicked out of my parents' house without about$100 in a bank.
• 4:30
  unknown: Um, and I didn't want to be clear since they're here.
• 4:33
  unknown: Nothing against them at all.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we I think that was well deserved, and that's gotten me to where I am today.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: But I want to I want to bring up a story that I'd really relate it to.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, much like Simon Peter, who toiled all night without catching anything, I felt lost and exhausted.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: In Luke 5 and 4 through 6, we read when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into deep water and let down an editor catch.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Simon answered, Master, we've worked hard all night.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Hang on a second, I think that's all cache.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: You didn't have answers now.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you good?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: I can't.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: There we go.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: What was it?
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything, but because you say so, I will let down the nets.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I don't know who in here knows the story of Summit Peter, but him and about half a dozen of the best fishermen in town were fishing all night and didn't catch a single fish.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know about you, I've never been on a boating trip, but when I imagine going onto the dock where it's very, very shallow, I don't exactly imagine when my feet can touch the ground having a net full of fish that's too heavy to even lift.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: But they did.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's not, if that doesn't show you that God provides, I don't know it will.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: May 1st, 2022, I joined the gym and I began to shed weight.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: I was 260 pounds at the time, but I shed the weight I was born for it.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: I shed the weight of insecurity, depression, anxiety, and it was like a it was like a switch flipping me.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: I remember going and and I was talking to people.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: I had never talked to anyone before, Jamar.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Anyone.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Anyone.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Teachers, girls, boys, didn't matter, students.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: But I was talking to people, I was building community, and in October 2023, this this young man, uh, Nathan VFinez, shout out to you, brother, uh, spoke into me with a ton of conviction for like an hour outside of boxing, uh, and then I got a concussion a couple weeks later, but uh that's a different part of the story.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have enough time to touch on that today.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: But I'll be honest with you, and I've told Nathan this several times.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: I thought he was corny.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: I thought that it was, you know, convinced, convinced, convinced.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: As soon as I'm convinced, boom, gosh.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Some sort of weird joke, and and eventually his words did resonate with me.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I found God, and since then I've been able to develop a great brotherhood.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: I found a strong purpose in giving back to people who have faced problems that I've faced, uh depression, anxiety, mental health, physical health, and now today young entrepreneurs, uh, especially those in school, in high school, in middle school, and uh in college.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Romans 8.28 resonates deeply here.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: And we know that in all things, God works for the God of for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now I want to I wanna I want to restate that.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: I want to reread that last part of the sentence who have been called according to whose purpose?
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: His purpose.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Not not CNN, not social media, not you know, I come from a family of uh military men, so that's my purpose.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: His purpose.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna fall over.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: And then I'll tell you guys another funny story.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: February 2024, I was driving around a Mustang, super nice, flashy uh V6, drop top, yellow Mustang.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I and I remember going up to the gas station and feeling anxious because I could I I didn't know how much was in my account.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: I remember feeling anxious about do I even have enough money to pay for gas?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so eventually the pain of staying the same overcame the pain of change.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: I sold the car in Jamar.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: I drove around a uh a hoopty, hoopty minivan for a few months.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Ethan, you saw that as well.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh drove around that and invested the money from the Mustang into my business and made a significant return.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: And since then, I've had significant ups as well as many, many downs in my business, but we are currently scaling, and God's given me a clear purpose uh in the workforce.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Another verse that really speaks to me.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: I actually just recently got some jewelry, got a got a necklace and broke it at the gym, but uh also got a bracelet and I got a uh a wristband, and the cheapest thing I bought was the wristband, but it's been the most meaningful because I can look to my wrist and it says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Philippians 4 13.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: Since then, because of Ethan, uh because of many of you brothers, but Ethan specifically uh baptized me on three months ago, this day, April 7th, um, and I've developed a strong relationship with Christ.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: I I used to find my identity in things of the world, being an entrepreneur, but now I find my identity in him.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: I've I've developed a great brotherhood with brothers and sisters.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I think that might be going against the word brotherhood, but brothers and sisters, uh, and I am searching for a wife, so if any of you guys have a can uh my number 317.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um I am I am searching for a wife to serve and to build a Christ-based family with.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I aim to do God's will with his power for his glory.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: As I was told recently to put that on shirts and might be doing that here soon, so get some get some uh apparel for you guys.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Currently I'm an entrepreneur, podcaster, writer, and author, but uh the most important title I carry is being a son of God.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now here's the thing, I've I've I've overcome many challenges, and as I said before, I have a long way to go, but if I can overcome these challenges and find purpose and success, so can you.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: As Jesus says in Matthew 11 and 28 through 30, come to me, all you who are wary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: You will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: I encourage you to seek your purpose in Christ and allow him to enter your life.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because here's the thing.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: We serve an almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing God, but he's very, very, very kind.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so he's not just, Jesus isn't going to go into your dining room, sit with you, and say, hey, uh, you're yeah, you're gonna have to accept me as your Lord and Savior, or else uh you're gonna go to hell.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't work that way.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, what he does, he knocks.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: And you have to let him in.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: I encourage you to let him in with open arms and welcome him into your lives to transform your life as he did mine.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: New Heights, thank you for letting me share my story.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: I do wish.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: Another one from the heart, and then another one I heard last night that's been on my heart.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, I come before you, humble and meek, looking to place my strength under your control, under your power, looking to do your will with your power, for your glory.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because Lord knows it's it's easy to be self-glorifying, it's easy to be uh to pursue our own will, and it's it's definitely not very easy to use our own power.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I don't know, I don't know about you guys, but there was one one one uh verse I missed out on, and that was uh 2 Corinthians 12, 9.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know about you, but uh I'm not the type of man to go around, hey, hey, hey, I am so weak.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so weak.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's not me, and I pray that we we we do boast all the more gladly about our weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on us.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Lord Jesus, I need you.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: Take control of my life, make me the kind of person you want me to be.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: And the church says, Amen.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: Give it up for my brother.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: And uh talked about how she shot me when I was a senior in high school.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: And some of the things I had gone through as a parent.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: When you see your children go through adversity, you sometimes have a tendency to take a person.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: You did something wrong.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: I got a son in prison and I have a daughter who is married to a child, and sometimes I struggle with this.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_02: But then it all boils down to free will.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody has a free will, and you cannot circle their free will, but it's such a blessing when we, as parents, see our children overcome diversity.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: We see them get it and get past the things that we're trying to destroy them.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you were a little nervous.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_02: I remember the first time I I was literally shaking, but I was like, oh my God.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_02: Now it's double hat.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_02: We owe, what did you say?
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: Double O?
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: Elderly, elderly.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: Let's all say it together.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_02: Elderly, elder, elder, elderly.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh elderly, elderly people.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: We just got wisdom and understanding to look back from because we know we serve a good God.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: He is so good.