And they're asking me questions about my speaking and I'm kind of answering them and probably

getting a little bit above my station, you know, starting to sound, you know, a little bit pompous.

I just turned to my son and said, how about you jump up and get a coffee for your dad?

And in front of all these leaders, my son just went, how about you jump up and get it

yourself in front of all the leaders? Welcome, everybody. This is Simon Gilbo with Inspired.

Inspired is all about just telling great stories from friends of mine from different walks of life

that I've come across over the years. And having been bombarded relentlessly with bad news, it's obviously hitting a spot because we just need to be encouraged and stirred in our faith. And so I'm really excited to have with us today, Mark Ritchie. Welcome, Mark. Hi, great to be here. Oh, it's so good to have you. So Mark, I mean, it's a bit like me, I suppose, when you ask what you do.

I mean, there's a whole range, isn't it?

You're a comedian, you're a speaker, you're a storyteller, you're a podcast, so there's loads that we're going to talk about. We're going to try to pack into our time together in terms of where we've come across each other. So I go at the start of each year, Jay John does an evangelist conference,

which is just a great way to kick off the year. And there's a few hundred managers there. And come across each other. So I go at the start of each year, Jay John does an evangelist conference,

which is just a great way to kick up the year. There's a few hundred managers there. And Mark

compares that and has us all in absolute stitches. And it's such a brilliant ambiance. And also,

he didn't just have had some stitches of laughter, but also, I mean, I wasn't literally crying,

but there were definitely some tears in the house as he shared some of his personal journey and story as well. And, yeah, brilliant storyteller. So look, Mark, that's enough. I just want to crack on in there to maximize the time. Just go back to your childhood. I think you came to faith relatively young, didn't you? And you had quite a smooth journey, is that right?

Yeah, I mean, I always want to try and make something up.

And, you know, so I sound like I'm a hell's angel and I got radically saved.

But I became a Christian when I was 12.

So, I mean, I would have been a pretty young hell's angel, you know. I was owning a motorbike when I was 12. So, I mean, I would have been a pretty young Hell's Angel, you know.

I was owning a motorbike when I was 11.

But no, I, my mom and dad were ministers of a church.

And I really remember, you know, responding to God when I was about 12 for my own personal relationship.

And I'm just one of those unusual stories that I never rebelled.

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