Sonny was born into a young, loving, close knit family, which was also broken and dysfunctional, dealing drugs in San Diego, CA.  As a teenager, he partied and got high with his friends, living life like most young people in his neighborhood.

While he partied, God was doing something in his family.  It started with his uncle, who had been living on the streets after separating from his wife.  He accepted the Lord while attending Horizon Christian Fellowship, with Pastor Mike Macintosh.  His uncle’s love for the Lord began a change in his family, with his aunt, cousin and mom giving their lives to the Lord, and serving Him as well.

Soon after, Sonny’s mother found out she was dying of cancer and she worried about him.  She needed to know she would see him again, in heaven, so she asked him to attend a church event with her, but it did not sway him.  He was not ready to give his life to Jesus.

During her last week of life, Sonny would not leave her side, while she held onto this life.  The doctors told them she was holding on for her kids.  Sonny knew why.  He was reminded of his mom’s desire for him to truly live life for Jesus.  She was holding on for him.

At the urging of family members, he finally left the hospital to go home and get cleaned up, but in the parking lot, before heading home, he cried out to God.  Wanting to know the Jesus his mom loved, he asked the Lord to make Himself real to him, and God did just that.  Sonny surrendered his life.

When he returned to the hospital, he whispered to his mom, “You can go be with Jesus.  I will see you again.”  A short time later, she took her last breath.

Losing his mother was the most painful thing in Sonny’s life.  To help take his mind off the pain, his cousin asked him to front a band he had started with a friend.  Sonny had no desire to be in a band, but thought it would open doors for him to share with his friends.  Payable On Death, P.O.D., was formed, named for our sins being paid by Jesus’ death on the cross.

P.O.D. has been together for 19 years, touring the world many times, selling millions of albums and impacting the lives of millions with the message of hope and love, found in their songs.

Traveling the world with P.O.D., Sonny saw so many hurting people, so many lost young people, “There’s such a hurt around the world. There are a lot of kids that are hurting and struggling with everything, from suicide to broken homes, drugs, pornography, and rape—everything.  I know it breaks the heart of God and that Jesus loves them, He loves them so much.”

Unfortunately, he encountered many judgmental people in the church, and, over time, it caused confusion and bitterness in his heart, “In my travels around the world, in my own Christianity, I got bitter at the division in the church, I got bitter at people who call themselves Christians, but didn’t accept me.  They judged us (P.O.D.) for what we were and what we did.”

Being out in the world, seeing people get ripped off and their relationships with Christ destroyed, Sonny needed time off the road, time with his family, “I had to come home because I know, the world has nothing to offer that lasts. When I got home, I just wanted to be with my family.  I wanted to run away and hide and wait for Jesus to come back.  I could say, ‘Whew, I made it.’”

While he wanted to hide in his house, safe with his family, Sonny began spending more time with the Lord.  During this time, God was working on his heart, giving him a greater vision, and in the last few years, Sonny’s heart has been stirred with an even deeper desire to be used to reach the lost and hurting.  Through this desire, the vision for The Whosoevers was birthed: to go after and love people who would not normally listen to a message of hope.

“In the process of being restored and being built up, I started to really, really find out what it’s like to be a Christian and not just go through the routine and the practices. In doing that, I believe God has called us to go out into the world, where we can relate with these kids—where we don’t judge them.”

As Sonny has traveled with The Whosoevers, speaking to young people and adults both from the world and the church, he has found a great need in both worlds.  There are hurting people on the streets, in the clubs and in the pews.

For the people in the world, Sonny has a message, “God is gonna meet you where you’re at. God will clean you up, and will take away your guilt your shame.  He will forgive you if you repent of your sins, and He will change your lives.”

He also has a message for the kids who are playing church, “Jesus wants to have a relationship with you guys.  This isn’t your mom and dad’s religion.  This isn’t your pastor’s religion.  This is a relationship Jesus wants to have with you guys.”

If you are a Christian, having a hard time seeing beyond the tattoos and piercings of the world, Sonny admonishes, “It’s not their fault they don’t know who Christ is and His goodness. I think that maybe as Christians, we’ve just done a poor job of representing who the King is to them, and it’s made them distant—it’s made them bitter.”

“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16