It's not uncommon for people in their twenties to make the bar scene a part of life, but God had much bigger plans for Doug. Not only was he being lead back to church but Doug was about to lead a church himself.
"I'd say in the beginning of this time period when God began to call me back and said, 'Remember what you said?'. And He really began to burn this thing in my heart and it started with a love for people," said Doug.
Instead of entertaining a bar crowd pastor Doug now uses his musical talent for praise and worship, leading others to a personal relationship with Christ.
Doug is now, pastor Doug.
"I have an incredible love for people and my heart is to be with people and to help them and to walk with them through things and to be in relationship with them. That's really what a pastor does."
He is the leader of a church body that has taken a faithfilled leap into a new unknown, worshipping for the time being in a hotel conference room, Doug and a handful of faithful followers are starting a new church about 50 miles away from the first chuch he was called to lead.
"When you walk with the Lord life is a course, a series of breaking because our wills are strong and often times our wills don't have the best thing in mind for us and so God has to break that and He breaks them gently and with love but that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt.
And using his past, as tainted as it is, he is able to relate to those walking in some pretty dark valleys on a level that many pastors cannot.
"God has created each of us with a different personality. Churches shouldn't have one personality requirement in their congregation. It should be a mixture of all these personalities coming together and painting this tapestry of what Jesus has done in their life. Until you come to terms where Jesus is your best friend, you're missing something in your walk. Because when Jesus becomes your best friend and you can unload everything on Him, you can find somebody who is there when nobody else is."
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