If you just cast your mind back to my story a little bit, I'm in a locked cell in a mental institution on drugs that are really fudging my mind up with no future, no hope, not sure where life's going.

And now I'm graduating from a Bible college with a degree. I'm demon free, I'm mental health free, I'm as happy

as I could be. You know, this is what Jesus can do. Welcome, everybody. This is Simon Gilbo with

Inspired. I'm excited to be back with you for another great episode. Inspired, if you're new to us,

it's all about sharing basically friends and contacts of

mine who've got great stories in all sorts of different spheres and walks of life of overcoming

faith, despite sucker punches, despite the difficulties that have come up them and we've all

got so many challenges in their own lives. So it's good that hopefully in 45 minutes or so

you'll leave in courage, inspired. And, you know, we're bombarded with bad news, so it's good that hopefully in 45 minutes or so you'll leave in courage, inspired. And

you know, we're bombarded with bad news. So it's good to hear just great stories, isn't it,

of overcoming faith. And I have no doubt we're going to be inspired this week because we've got

a fantastic guest with us. Alan Gardner, welcome. Thanks, Simon. Great to have you. So

Alan was just giving a testimony, well, telling his story, his journey. We've got a sort of maybe it's a quarterly men's event here in Bath. And last Saturday, he was telling and wowing, just blowing people away with his story. It's an incredible story. He was world karate champion back in 1987. He's a theologian. He's an artist and living up to his name

as gardener. He also runs a gardening business now. So anyway, let's get straight into it. Alan,

tell us a little bit about your background and growing up. How was that?

Oh, thanks, Simon. You know what? First of all, I just want to say this, that the testimony of

Jesus is the spirit of prophecy

so anyone hearing this testimony they can claim it for themselves that they can get delivered as

well you know whatever whatever i've been through jesus is no respect to a person's what he's done

for one he'll do for another so have have faith when you hear this story today.

Tell you, yeah, a little bit about my background. So I grew up in Northampton, in the Midlands,

I thought it was a wonderful place to live. And I was very much a happy-go-lucky sort of lad.

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