Steve J. Austin

Founder & President

Wife: Michelle

Children: Eli  &  Ellie

More about: the Austin Family

About Steve:

I walked the aisle of a small Baptist church in Maury City Tennessee in 1976. I was only six years old, but I knew I needed Christ to save my eternal soul.  However, I was not ready to surrender my life to His Lordship! Even at the young age of six, I sensed God’s tug at my heart for Kingdom service. I was scared to death! All I knew about the ministry was the old dead guy that crept up to the dead pulpit on a dead Sunday and delivered his dead sermon to a bunch of dead people. That was not the way I intended to live the rest of my life.

I began to rebel against all authority; parents, Sunday school teachers, baseball coaches, and school teachers. At the age of ten, smoking became a form of outward rebellion that made me feel free inside. I felt an adrenaline rush when actively rebelling against authority. As the “rush” wore off and I began craving cigarettes, it was not fun anymore. I began drinking alcohol to heighten the rush again. By the age of twelve, I was drinking almost everyday and started casually using marijuana. The marijuana usage progressed until finally, I found myself using cocaine, even crack to escape the reality of my pitiful lifestyle. I foolishly thought I could go so far away from God that He would finally cut the string and let me go.

Thank the Lord, He never leaves us nor forsakes us! I was addicted!  I did not know how I got to this place or how to break free from the bondage that held me in its grip.  I went to bed at night for three years and cried myself to sleep, literally, begging God to remove the addiction, only to wake up the next morning crying because I DID wake up. I hated the person I had become. After a couple of half-hearted attempts at suicide (you know you are a pitiful failure if you cannot ever kill yourself right) and through a series of miraculous events, God led me to Teen Challenge of Memphis. WHEW!!!! My life was about to be totally transformed!

Prior to Teen Challenge, commitment after commitment had been made to Christ, only to be broken after a few short days. Upon entering the program, I knew this was my last chance. This was the divine hand of God orchestrating the events of my life as a result of answered prayers from family, friends, and a true heart desire to be set free. I begged Christ, “please do not let me continue in this nightmare, I will do anything, anything!!” Through a process, God got me to a place of absolute surrender, and Jesus SET ME FREE! I never had another craving for crack, which I had used for almost eight years. There were no cravings for cigarettes, alcohol, pills, or pot. I WAS SET FREE!!  Addiction is merely a symptom of deeper root issues.  Once I dealt with the root issues of rebellion, I was free from the craving symptoms!  God transformed my desire system when I gave Him the right to control my life!  

This was no temporary freedom either. Christ met me in such a way that I began to fall in love with Him. Sure, I was thankful for the sacrifice He made for me when He died in my place, but I was starting to long for the times of quietness we could spend together fellowshipping and building a relationship of intimacy with each other. I was amazed that the God of the universe could still love me, a pitiful excuse for a human being. After all I had done to family, friends, people in general, even Christ, He still loved me and He loved our time together too! WOW!! A spark of hope was rekindled for the first time in years. I finally had a reason for living; to climb onto the potter’s wheel and stay there!  Man, was I in for an incredible journey with God at the helm!!

God has been so good to me!!!! He has blessed me with the most wonderful woman in the world as my wife, Michelle. We have been married over ten years.  We have a beautiful daughter named Ellie Grace, (wonder where the “grace” came from?) and an incredible son named Eli.  

I am now the Founder and President of 180 Degrees Ministries® in Murfreesboro, TN, which offers FREEDOM and liberation from life-controlling addictions. Since its conception in 2003, 180 Degrees Ministries® has led thousands of individuals to Christ and has offered hundreds of thousands the hope of a transformed life living FREE from addiction. I am currently in the process of writing my first book entitled “Getting Your Life ON-TARGET,” while preparing 180 Degrees Ministries® for a national expansion.