Christian Motivational Speaker for Churches & Youth Groups
Christian Motivational Speakers
A Note From Tony to You
The pulpit is the most sacred place in the world. It’s where the lives of God’s people find their direction, hear God’s word spoken and the admonishment of God’s spirit through the pastor who has been called to lead his people into the narrow gate. Any time a church is looking for a Christian motivational speaker to share their testimony these sacred components of the pulpit are highly considered. It’s a challenge but it doesn’t have to be when we end up at the right motivational speaker for churches page.
I have been a Christian motivational speaker for over 15 years and my track record stands next to me. Below you will read the details of God’s deliverance and the power of his glory manifested through me. My mission as a motivational speaker for churches and youth groups is to uplift and inspire every person to have a closer relationship with God, come face to face with their calling and accomplish work assigned to them by Christ and to live out Christ’s example in their daily lives so they may experience the peace that surpasses all understanding.
If you hit the book Tony button and fill out the form, it will be sent directly to me. I do not have agents and manage all my own bookings. Trust and connection are the two most important things for me with a possible host for my next speaking event. I hope below you find my story and the work God has done through me to be the perfect fit as your next Christian motivational speaker.
~Tony Hoffman
The Journey From Prison to the Olympics
Early Life
Tony has a unique story regarding his faith. It’s not only compelling and engaging but very relatable for many in the audience who have not been of the faith in Christ their entire lives. Sometimes Christian motivational speakers share a wonderful story of how Jesus has been a part of their life from the very beginning. A family model built on the values of Christ were instilled from birth and carried into their adulthood. This is not the story of motivational speaker for churches and youth groups of Tony Hoffman. Tony grew up in a family that had strong morals and values but were not followers of Christ. Life was simply depicted as right and wrong behaviors which served a great purpose for who Tony is today. However without a foundation of Christ, pieces would always seem to be missing.
Tony Hoffman was an exceptionally gifted athlete from the second he began playing sports. He’s a Christian motivational speaker that can share a level of sports involvement that only a small percentage of people can. Tony’s early recognition with sports was during his participation playing basketball, his first big dream. Tony wanted to play in the NBA after attending Michigan University. Everything seemed to be on track by the time he was in middle school, but life seemed to make turns quickly at the age of twelve and thirteen.
Christian Motivation Speaker on Mental Health
Tony began to feel an emptiness inside him as he became a young teenager. Anxiety, depression, hopelessness & confusion began to plague his spirit. It seemed to have a disconnect between himself and the purpose of life. Trying to internalize his mental health struggles lead to immediate isolation from peers and family. He believed solitude was suffering alone & that no one would understand what he was feeling and thinking within himself.
In reality, the piece missing from his life was Christ. It was the direction and empowerment of God’s word that would guide him through the dark times life brings to each person in their own times. Without God’s light and direction Tony’s future was destined to self-destruction and that reality began in his teenage life. Tony was removed from middle school after making a decision to sell a female peer marijuana.
A big part of Tony’s presentation is helping his audience understand mental health and how we as people should use holistic coping skills like communication and counselling directed by the values of Christ. He believes that healing not only comes through the spirit of God but also by the work each of us do through our commitment to Christ. Tony speaks about the vulnerability it takes in opening up about our shortcomings in safe spaces like home groups, with spiritual mentors or programs like Celebrate Recovery & Regen. The mental health crisis in the modern world is clear and as a motivational speaker for churches and youth groups Tony wants listeners to know, we are not alone but we will feel alone if we continue to keep our struggles to ourselves.
Christian Motivational Speaker on Addiction
Addiction used to be a taboo topic inside the church. The focus of the old school era of church was putting your best face forward even if you were struggling with behaviors, mental health, or relationships. It opened the door for some individuals to feel as if they were not able to hit the mark of perfection set before them. This is in contrast to the message of the modern church which is we bring our problems to Christ, we all have fallen short of the glory of God but it is through the empowerment of God’s spirit that we overcome addiction to sex, pornography, alcohol, drugs, eating, unhealthy relationships.
Tony Hoffman’s presentation ‘From Prison to The Olympics’ – The power of God’s deliverance, gives captivating insight into addiction and how it really works. His work in the field of substance use addiction through pH Wellness his drug and alcohol facility in Southern California makes him an expert on the topic. As a Christian motivational speaker, no other speaker in the world is able to share the power of God’s testimony and educate on the topics many of God’s people are struggling with today in such a relatable and impactful way as Tony does. Tony’s story as it enters the end of his teenage years are painful as he depicts the reality of addiction and the loneliness and disparity one feels in the cycles of addiction.
The Prophetic Calling
In the midst of Tony’s drug addiction, a close friend who gave his life to Christ and left their hometown of Fresno California to serve in Christ’s ministry in San Diego California, called Tony Hoffman with a vision God had shared with him about Tony.
“God gave me a vision & you were in it. I need you to pay close attention. God is going to give you 3 significant chances to stop doing what you are doing. If you don’t stop before these 3 chances take place, you’re going to be taken to prison”
It’s a conversation in August of 2005 Tony will never forget and one that Tony vividly remembers today because for the first time he started to consider Christ and his existence. It was a year later in the fall of 2006 that Tony was pulled over by the police three times in four days. Each time Tony should have been arrested and taken to jail. At the time Tony was on felony probation for a drug related robbery he committed in 2004. It wasn’t until after the third time being pulled over and let go that Tony realized while saying to himself, “That was the 3 chances Adam was talking about. I think I’m going to prison soon.”
Motivational Speakers for churches submits his life to Christ
In January of 2007 after sleeping on the street homeless for 6 months Tony Hoffman was invited to a church by a friend of his. Tony took the invitation and on January 21, 2007 found himself at his first church service. During an alter call at the end of the service the head pastor told Tony the words that began his surrender and repentance which eventually became the foundation of his sanctification and atonement.
“God has favored you your entire life in everything that you’ve done. You don’t have to worry anymore God is going to remove you from your addiction”
Tony said to himself, “I believe, I believe, this is real, this is real. I can’t believe this is real”
That evening Tony broke into a house and woke up the next day to the cops in the room who would take him to jail on a violation of probation. Shortly after Tony was sentenced to 4.5 years in Prison.
Gods Calling and Redemption
It was in his first cell at Wasco State Prison on the first night that Christian motivational speaker Tony Hoffman cried out to God and asked for direction. It was his complete surrender that gave way for God’s direction and inspiration through the studying of his word that Tony’s renewing of the mind would be built on.
Tony begins to challenge his audience during this part of his presentation. God has called every person to a specific work that needs to be done with their time on earth to build the kingdom of God. Tony encourages his listeners to think about what the true meaning of faith is and how when we truly believe that God is real there is a very strong work that follows this belief. It is by faith that we work daily on God’s calling and it is Christ’s provision that sustains us during our time on earth. One must know that no matter how dark our internal spirit has become God’s deliverance and our obedience to the Spirit can drastically change any person’s life for the better.
Tony’s time in prison was about developing a relationship with Christ that involved prayer, faith, studying the word and taking action. The great thing about having Tony has your Christian motivational speaker for churches and youth groups is that he does not preach down to the listeners. He story tells and challenges audience to think more deeply about the spiritual mechanics of Christ and how to apply them into our lives.
Tony felt God call him to four things while in prison
Race BMX professionally
Go to the Olympics
Start non-profit for kids called Freewheel Project
Become Christian motivational speaker
A Christian Mental Health Speaker Who Cares
Seventeen Years Into The Calling
Tony has since lived out the entirety of the vision Christ showed him in Wasco State Prison. After paroling prison in December of 2008 Tony began racing BMX professionally. He sustained a career ending knee injury at the end of 2011 before switching to coaching athletes in his sport. In 2012 Tony founded Freewheel Project a non-profit organization for underserved youth that used action sports to make connections with young teens who needed mentors. Tony is one of the biggest motivational speakers in the world traveling 250 days a year sharing the powerful testimony of Christ and currently the only person in the world who was in prison at one time and participated in the Olympics. In 2016 Tony coached Brooke Crain to a 4th place finish at the Rio Olympic games which opened up the door for the viral story millions of people have watched online, ‘From Prison to The Olympics’. Tony celebrates 17 years of sobriety on May 17, 2024 and has continued to follow God’s calling placed upon him In the hopes that through the work assigned to him God’s kingdom would grow.