SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) -  Pastor Davis greeted me with open arms as he proudly stood in the doors to his church. 

"God Bless you and thank you for being here," he whispered. 

30 years ago, Maurice Davis was a heroin addict and after an armed robbery attempt, he found himself left for dead. 

"It was a low point, I still have a bucket lodged in my chest," he said as he pulled his shirt down to show the wound. "I ended up doing eight years in a state penitentiary." 

As Pastor Davis recalled what it felt like to hit rock bottom, he said it was that moment when he realized he hadn't answered his calling. 

"I got a call from God. He had always been there; I just had to answer his call," he said.  

Now 30 years sober, Davis says he shares his testimony with the youth. 

"My passion is to expose the work on the enemy (and) tell a young man when he thinks he's gone right but he's gone wrong," explained Pastor Davis. "There's a scripture in the bible that says 'the way seemeth right to man but the way he walks in is death'."

Pastor Davis just recently opened a church in Springfield. He plans to have a second-chance initiative for the youth in addition to hosting AA meetings for those in need.Â