The Pondify Podcast

Hello and welcome to the Pondi podcast. I am your host, Matt, and I'm joined in the studio today by my co-host, Nigel. Hello, Nigel. Ooh, pondi podcast. Is it? Yes. Pondi. It's not a word, but it's our word, so , we'll run with that. Today we are joined, uh, by the wonderful Michael Hall. Hello, Michael.

Hello. How are you? I'm okay. Thank you. How are you? Yeah, we're very, we're we're good? Yeah. I mean, it's a, a second season. Uh, we we're obviously in demand, which is positive. Uh, and you are in demand cuz we want your time. We're gonna be spending some time talking to, to you this evening. Um, a bit about your life, about your testimony.

I mean, very quickly just tell us a little bit about yourself, Michael. Um, obviously my name is Michael. My second name's Hall. What's your middle name? Andrew. Thank you. , which is my dad's. I am a member of, community church at the Kerry Center where we are now. Bishop Alford, , been a Christian now four years.

What'd you do in your spare time? Um, I go to the gym. I love reading the word, um, podcasting. . No, I love fishing. When the weather's better. Uh, at the moment it's a bit cold. What sort of fishing? Cart fishing.

Those are the ones you put back, aren't they? Yeah, I've never, um, never fancy to eating cart. No,

no idea. I went to Macedonia on Mission years ago and, uh, I dunno whether this will be edited out. Oh, Jewish don't, but No, no. Macedonia's not Jewish. It's Greek. But, um, we went to Macedonia, we went to this fish restaurant, which was supposedly the best fish restaurant in Macedonia.

Yeah. And I looked on the re the menu and it had crap. It said crap of different kinds of crap. You spelled right, . No, no. That's how they spell carp in Macedonia. And so I edit because I thought I needed to, if I went to a restaurant, eat crap. It just seemed important today. Wow. Yeah. That's

amazing. That's great.

I love that. Once again, you're listening to the community church. Bishop Stor did it taste podcast. What did it taste like? It tasted

quite muddy, you know, like Muddy Pike. Have you ever eaten pike? No. . It tasted like muddy, kind of, but it was all right. Only though.

Okay. Okay, so we've got Michael with us, who enjoys going to the gym reading the word.

And fishing for carp. That's carp. Yeah. . Um, what's our topic? What are we talking about today,

Nigel? So we, are we doing something a little bit different than we've done before? Today we are gonna talk to Michael about his testimony, which is an amazing testimony, and we're gonna ask him about that. But then we are also gonna talk to Michael about his walk with God and about where he is at with community and scripture and his visions from God and that sort of thing.

By visions, I mean dreams and visions and ideas for the future. Um, Hopefully it's gonna go really well. Michael, I have been really blessed recently to be sharing in the leadership course with Michael. Yeah, thank you. And, uh, it's been really good fun and, uh, I'm literally looking forward to this, so, uh, there we go.

Okay. In that

case, Michael, where did it all start?

What was your

childhood like? Right. Okay. So, um, I was born in Harlow, uh, lived in Harlow, um, till I was about seven. Um, moved to states, Mount Fitt, which is just that side of Bishop Alford, nice little village.

Um, obviously I had to swap schools, , but I was quite an outgoing child. Never had, um, any problems with meeting new friends and, I think it was a year later when my mom and dad, um, divorced and then, I can't remember when we moved to Olford.

I think I was about 10.

So as you grew up, did you fall into wrong crowds or did you

start doing different things? Yeah, so, um, when I was growing up, 13, say 12, 13, uh, I at secondary school now, obviously, um, I started, I just didn't know who I was. I felt, um, when you're that age, you, I'm not many. Some people might do, but I, I didn't, um, I.

That's showing off and going with the wrong crowd, starting smoking cigarettes. Cause I thought it was cool. Remember watching films, people smoking and thinking it's, it's good. I mean, I remember it taste actually really disgusting, but I still did it. But, um, as my friends did, um, I used to hang about on the street a lot with my friends.

Um, sort of after school. I used to. Bunk off school. And, um, it wasn't much fighting at school, but a lot of it was plain truant, bunking off. And, um, I got expelled for that in the end. Um, in year 10. That, and another thing, the, the actual thing I got expelled for, I didn't do. So something got stolen out of, uh, the changing rooms.

I know it wasn't me. It actually wasn't, and God's my witness. Um, but anyway, they'd had enough of me. Um, and they, I think they asked me to leave actually before I got exp.

I just actually didn't care. It's like, I, I don't know. It's like I'm,

was there, was there anything in particular that made you stop taking interest and start to decide to do other?

I used to show off to girls. I was interested in, um, a name, getting a, getting a reputation, sort of having a good reputation.

Um, it used to be a thing at school about fighting as well, like, uh, it was the hardest in the class and all that sort of thing. So pride, isn't it? So I think pride was building me in me then, ,

so when did you leave school? , did you get into trouble before you left school

or afterwards, or, yes.

So basically I, I got it spelled from Qua, went to St. Mary, we started smoking cannabis, um, moved to Harlow at my dad's. Because I got sort of kicked out. My mom's smoking cannabis led to all this and, uh, didn't get along my stepdad house. So it's very unsettled now. Moved to my dad's. Um, and yeah, I didn't really go to St.

Mary's either, so I started, uh, playing truant there and um, I think they expelled me from there. So I went to an expelled school in Harlow, um, called the unit at Tanners Dell. Um, yeah, he was only allowed to do four GCSEs there.

I think I started, the first thing I got arrested for when I was.

I think I was 15 and it was like stealing fireworks from a shop. That was the first thing on my criminal records, which were theft. And literally everything on my criminal record now is shoplifting. There's one, um, thing there, which is, uh, an attempted street robbery, but I can tell you it wasn't. It was, um, basically I was shoving off and I punched someone and.

The two people that I was with, I didn't really even know. This is how crazy my life was. And this is in Red Hill, and he got with Careful Airport. They sort of patted him down, but he got up and run off and, um, I was only 16. And um, yeah, I got, I, I pleaded not guilty for it, but, um, I got found guilty of cult.

I was really young then. I should have made a plead deal. But, um, yeah, that was the first thing I went to prison for. Um, my criminal record wasn't really that bad then. Five or six maybe convictions on there for, maybe not even that actually, but, uh, I think criminal damage. And so why did you, why were

you shoplifting?

Why

were you, um, then was just for fun. later years when, um, When I sort of got introduced to hard drugs, uh, heroin, um, and smoking heroin and smoking crack cocaine, which sort of comes in hand in hand with shoplifting, um, to fund the drug cuz it's expensive. Mm-hmm. Addictive physically, you need it to feel normal in the end after using it.

Cause your body built up a tolerance and if you don't have it, basically you withdraw. And, um, the withdrawal of heroin is really, I can't describe how nasty, horrible, dirty, and, and prolonging it is. You can't sleep. About a week, maybe two. Some people don't sleep for a month.

So how old were you when you started drugs?

Getting into the, into the harder drugs.

So, um, started smoking weed, um, did ecstasy and whatnot, 1516. Um, bit of speed here and there, but used to hear of heroin and whatnot. But never, ever, ever thought I'd, I'd, um, touch it. So I was 22, I think, 22, 23. Um, brokenhearted. Um, I was, um, getting over or just coming out of, um, my first sort of loving relationship.

I never really felt like I had a home.

My home where I was, I never felt settled with my mom cause I didn't get along at all with my stepdad at this stage. And the same like, likewise with my mum, with my dad, my, um, my step num used to drink. A lot, a lot.

And, uh, it become very volatile, violent sometimes. And, um, and I didn't, I just, yeah, I, I felt more at home around people's tallies sometimes. It was really, it got it, got that bad. And, uh, anyway, so, um, I was living with, uh, my first love for about a year and a half. Um, not all the time, but most of the time and.

and she fell pregnant. And, uh, she said she wanted it, first of all. And then I remember around Christmas time actually, um, and just after, I think she'd come back from staying at her mum's, she, she said, I'm gonna, she had a child already, which was two. Um, she said, I'm not ready to have another child. And I went to stay, I ended up staying around someone's house that I used to go to St. Mary's with, and he was smoking. I didn't, I'd never seen heroin at this before at this stage. And um, he used to smoke it on the foil and he said, um, he offered me some. And, um, I didn't know how to do it then, so he had to do it.

He, he literally give me a foil tube. Um, just literally rolled up foil tube to, um, inhale the herring through. And I remember ta, oh, it's really, um, like a, it's got like a fishy smell, but it's like got really sort of, uh, it strong taste to it anyway. Um, of, I remember it hitting me like, um, cuz when you're in it's really quick.

It's really instant and it's like all. All the pain, all the, all the fear. It's like it all just went, it was like I was in a warm. Sort of uh, like just comfortable bubble, the paranoia, everything. Just

So how long did that, that feeling last

for quite long then? Cuz it was the first time I'd taken it so it probably was been an all night thing.

But I remember sort of waking up for the night scratching and itching cuz it makes you skin it. But when I used to scratch my skin, it used to feel, it's really weird. It used to feel really nice, but it's, um, oh, I'm looking back at it now. It's so dirty, man. But. And I didn't know, no one told me how physical it was otherwise, to be honest, I wouldn't, you know, you hear about it and you see films like train spotting years ago back then, but I, it never used to sink in my mind then.

I never thought I'd ever do it anyway. Um, if you do it for say a week, every day on a trt, you are gonna go cold Turkey if you don't have it.

So did he become a habit quickly?

Um, I'd say over a. Maybe two. Um, and then I got introduced into learning how to shoplift to he, he showed me how cuz he was doing it at this stage.

And uh, I got away with loads first of all cause the police didn't really know me. Um, obviously I'd been living in Harlow now I was back in Telford. . And, uh, just things like clothes and things like that, but it was like a, it was like a new, um, even though I knew it was wrong, I always knew it was really wrong.

I didn't, I, I always thought of, thought it wouldn't have got me like it did, you know? Um, but it was, it was like a new sort of adventure. It was because, people, I know it's the wrong shoplifting and thieving, but it was exciting. It was like a fear factor as well. Excuse me. And um, we used to go to Tottenham Hill to sell the stuff.

It's how I got introduced to a gambling. Then in Tottenham Hill where they used to, I think it was old gangsters in there, they used to play poker and cards. You'd go in there, they'd be like, say 30, 40. Um, guys sitting around these tables, playing cards and, um, there's a couple of people there that, um, would take stolen goods.

I think they all would. But, um, there'd be a couple of buyers. There'd be the main buyers you'd go up there with whatever you have. They'd take the whole lot, give you a. A big bit of money for the whole lot and obviously they'd make more cuz they'd sell it separately. Yeah, I, it just became a daily thing in the end.

I remember getting a train down there every day. It, it sounds to me like you were, were kind of apprenticed into that, that yeah, definitely that lifestyle. Definitely. You're a kid. Mm-hmm. , um, you say you fall in with the wrong crowd, you know, you're going from place to place and then all of a sudden you.

You'd bring in this apprenticeship that, that kind of spirals downwards. I can definitely see where the enemy was working then and um, you know, cuz there were chances where I could have, uh, got myself out of it maybe. But, um, was your mom concerned with you at that time? Always. Yes, definitely. I remember her saying to me that she had a dream of, um, getting a phone call from the police, like, uh, finding me dead, coming to identify the body, that they found me dead in a public.

But thank God that'll never happen. Cause you know that I've been away from all that for years. So you said you were, were shoplifting to, to fund this, this habit. That's obviously what, what ended you up in, in trouble with the law? Yeah. And you ended up serving a, a prison sentence, is that right? Many.

Right. Okay, fine. So how often, how many, I think I've got over a hundred, um, marks in my rap sheet. I think I've got over a hundred convictions for shoplifting, theft, um, and I've been to prison. God mate, I've, I've lost over probably about 13, 14 times. So, so how did you actually. Come to faith then. I mean, we've, we, we've heard about your, your upbringing.

We've heard about, you know, how you were Yeah. Apprenticed into this, uh, criminal lifestyle. How on earth are you here

now? Can I just take a step back? It's just, you said you've been, you said 13, 14 times in prison. Mm-hmm. When you left in between each time, did you want to be. , did you want your circumstances to change or did you just go straight back into it?

Um, I did wanna be different. Um, but you've gotta understand the power of this drug. Um, when you, everyone says when they get out, right? I'm not gonna touch it. I'm going to, um, or, or in, in another instance, like I'll go out, I'll have a little bit and then that'll be it. You know, cause you've done a, it's like looking forward to Christmas day when you're going home in prison.

It is. That's the feeling you get. And that's what we'd always say. It's like, I'm excited, I'm going home in the morning, going home in the morning. And the prison would always give you a discharge grant. If you had no money, they'd give you, I think it was 50 something queer to automatically, they'd just give it to you to go out with.

And, um, every time you, I, I knew, I, I, I said I wouldn. Um, I think there was one time I didn't, but I ended up doing smoking spice instead and missing my appointment and getting recalled straight away. But that's, that's crazy. But anyway, um, yeah, so every time I'd, um, I'd use that and then, yeah, I wouldn't be strong enough to, I I didn't know about the support that there is now.

There's so much support out there now. Um, you can get medicated. I was on methadone, um, back then, but I didn't know that, first of all. Um, Was first, um, in the addiction. I didn't know about it, but they, they've got so much more now. There's so much support out there now. Even in prison as well. They, they wean you off it.

There's rehabs in prison now cause it's become such a problem. I mean, years ago, obviously when I first started, you have to go to Topham and London to buy the drugs. Now they come up County Lion selling it in villages, towns. You can get it on your doorstep, 24 hours delivery. Um, so yes, it's literally rife everywhere you can, I mean, people don't know, like, you know, but when you've.

I can spot, I can see it, you know, even in little villages say states in Mount Fit, you wouldn't, you wouldn't ever think it, but it's there. It's, it's sort of new enough everywhere. So what changed Michael? Yeah. So Jesus, um, Jesus called me out of it. Um, he spoke to me in a police cell. Um, Four years ago, literally four years ago, um, around this time, uh, end of Jan, oh no, sorry, end of February time.

I was, I had to get to the end of myself. I was at the end of my, I had nothing. I had no money, no job in and outta prison for 10 years. Um, family loved me, but didn't really want me around. Friends just weren't really friends, people that used me. Cause I was a good, I was good at what I did, which was shoplifting the th uh, stealing to get.

Excuse me, I've got a bit of a banged up nose. Um, yeah, so I just really, it took a long time for me to come to the end of myself. I remember, um, being in a police cell and, uh, at this time I was smoking cannabis. I hadn't, I was, I thought I was doing well for myself, but I was still smoking cannabis. Um, to get off the crack and the hurry, which I did.

I wasn't smoking. I didn't smoke the, the crack and hurry him for about three months. And I thought, wow, that I've never done that. I haven't done that for years. So, and then I got arrested and I fought, like my whole world just caved in and. And, uh, and in a way it did, you know, I was, I was sort of back at my mum's end and uh, things were looking upwards and, um, anyway, so, um, I remember getting dropped off in the town.

I was on the way to the, uh, train station to go and see my dad in Harlow and, uh, police drive past me as I was walking to the train station. I just had a feeling and they did a u-turn at roundabout by the paddling pool down there. And, uh, Mr. Hall, I think you all wanted to got a warrant and I thought, well, no.

And I had canopies on me at the time and, um, I, I tucked it in my, down my, uh, trousers. They, that's where you couldn't conceal it anyway, they found it. And, um, and I was wanted for something that happened, uh, a month or two before shoplifting and, um, Got to the police station and, I dunno, something was, something had been cool in me.

Something was happening in my life then. And, um, there's something I'll, I'll tell you in a minute, but in the police cell, um, I just, I just so emotional and I, I was crying my eyes out and, um, something made me, I had a Bible as well, and I never had took a Bible. I asked for a Bible when the police are, and.

Anyway, I, I, I just cried out to God. I can't remember if I was on my knees or, or what, but I just, um, I was like, God, if, if you are real, I, I'm not sure if I was speaking it or a sound in my heart, but, um, he knows your heart. And I said, God, if you're real, I can't live like this anymore. I don't want to live like this anymore.

I can't. I literally felt like I didn't want to live anymore, you know? Right. And. I remember him saying to me as clear as day, um, in my heart it's, and I felt such a peace as well. He said to me, I've got you, my son. And he followed out the miracle as well cuz he, he blessed me with getting bail and, and that was one thing I was upset for as well.

Cuz as soon as you got, I, I got arrested, my record got so bad they would keep me in. So they wouldn't let me out. So I'd stay in the police so all night and, um, I'd go to court the next morning. And if that was So you knew what was gonna happen. Yeah. Yeah. And if that would've happened, Oh, the court wouldn't have, I was in breach of two suspended sentences, which means, um, you're guaranteed to go to prison if you commit any offense on, on them.

Yeah, I got bail and it was like, okay, God. Wow. Um, I was just still getting over the fact that, um, I heard his voice and then knock get pile, which is like, wow. And then, um, I got home and I just felt different in my heart. I felt something, I felt there was hope. It was like hope, like light.

It's like I can't explain it. When God speaks to your heart, there's, uh, he, it's like he gave me the grace or the comfort, the peace. There's something there, hope there.

But you noticed there was

something different inside. Yeah, definitely. I mean hugs, you just think you've got God's real. He's real and, uh, I got home and I still, um, I think I had weed at home and I just, I remember smoke, I never used to feel guilty about it, but I did now. And uh, I got home and I put on Christian pastors on, um, on YouTube and, uh, and a guy come up from America, Joe Stein. Um, And I needed to hear that. Then I used to sit there and, and cry my ads out, listening to Hope and everything that he said, I felt like he was talking to me directly, you know?

Yeah. And at at the end he's like, do you wanna give your life to Jesus? And um, I remember I did it multiple times, but, um, I remember that night I was, yeah. You know, I think that's when God marked me. Then I've gotta ask you, you asked for the, for a Bible in, in the police cell? Yeah. What did you read?

Nothing. I I think I opened it up cause I used to like Psalms. So when I was in Bedford, I used to read the Psalms and I, I always knew about Psalm 91.

. I find it amazing. You said, you know that you didn't want to live anymore. It just, it happened so much in my life and it was like, I had to really get to the end of myself. Some people, it might happened after a year or two, and they'd be like, right, that's not me anymore.

That wasn't me in the first place. But for me, I was just, I, I was so lost. And it had happened, it had been going on so long. I just, I couldn't do it anymore. And in prison the last few times before this, that I'd been to prison. There's a new drug that came out called Spice Synthetic, um, cannabis.

It's nothing like cannabis, I dunno what it's sprayed with, but in prison it was rife back then. And, um, I used to smoke that in there to, you'd do anything in there really to pass the time. And, um, anyway, you know, cellmates that I'd be, um, in a cell show in a cell with would, um, we'd get some or I'd get some and whatnot, but I, I'd end up getting in debt in there and, Oh, it's horrible.

Look at, I'd ring my mum for 25 quid to get her to put it in people's accounts and it got really bad like that in there as well. And uh, it's like I didn't know how to control it, you know, it's like I wanted it, I'd get it on tick, but I knew I couldn't pay for it. And then I do, you know what I remember, um, cuz I had something of that, I'd be going to church in prison.

Even, I remember the third or fourth time, um, in prison, I think it's Chelmsford. I started going to church and I actually got baptized in Chelmsford Prison. I got a sprinkle, not a full immersion, but it's Church of England. but I remember getting in debt with these dealers, but I'd be sort of, I'd be praying to God's to help me.

Sort of just not really knowing how to pray, but like, I, God, you know, just desperate. And this was before you'd had that, that heard that voice of God in, in the cell. Yeah. But God's amazing. He'd always, it would always, something would, I could see his hand on it now. It, it, I'd always happen. Something saved me from it.

So my mom would end up putting the money in. Or there was one time, um, I was in, I was in Bedford again and all these. Uh, the gang of, there was a gang of some islands in there controlling it all. And, uh, I actually had the stuff, but I'd moved the, the wings were right close to each other, so I'd, I'd moved from C to B, which is right, and the guy that I owed was on the other wing and, um, but I gave him the stuff and put it through, but, I was still get in these trouble from these, um, Sam Islands and they all come in my cell and obviously you've got 10 whatever them, and there's one of me in the cell.

I actually like food for my laugh a bit. And um, over that night I thought in the morning I was thinking they're gonna, um, cuz they, they, they had knives in there, they had kitchen knives in there. They'd be able to get things over the wall and. Anyway, I had a picture, um, of, of the ch you know, the chew child, um, where Jesus' face is on it.

And, um, it's like this sort of size, like a notebook sort of size. And, um, I think I'd got it from church that Sunday, but there was a picture of Jesus's face and I had it in my cell. , I'd been smoking spice that day. I was sort of crying then. I was really desperate.

I didn't know what to do. I was really scared and. But I just felt I'd looking at Jesus's face in his picture and remember this come to me earlier, but I just remember him sort of coming, it sort of come real, it became real and I dunno if I was hallucinating or not, but he sort of, everything's gonna be okay.

And um, the next morning I got moved cuz I was on methadone. Then I got moved to, um, to a totally separate wing, which deals with methadone and everything, uh, D Wing, which is over the other side. So he took me out. So maybe something would have happen the next day. Yeah. So that's just completely amazing.

But I always remember it and okay, I was smoking spice that day, but I think I was coming off the effects then. But it's like his face just came real. And I was looking, remember looking into his face and I was like, God, help me, help me, help me. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? Yes. Amazing. So

you've mentioned several times over this, okay.

So you've, you've grown up, you've fallen into the wrong stuff and you've gone to prison. Yeah. And all that stuff's happening for time. You've mentioned several times fear. You've mentioned several times that you were scared. Did that play a part in what was going on? Did that change after you came to faith?

Yeah, definitely. So is

anxiety, is that, is that a word that's important in that time

too? It was definitely. It's, um, cause I never really had anything secure like a home or anything where I could call a bass, you know, I was always here, there, there, everywhere sort of, and life was just a shambles, never known whether I, I'm gonna get arrested or whatnot.

You read the Bible. Or you have a Bible. Yeah, yeah. Um, you go Joel Osteen, you hear that preaching, which is all hope and grace and really positive stuff, and that really has an effect on you. You give your life to Jesus. You've been baptized before in Chelmsford? Yes. What was different about that? Why was that

different?

I just felt totally different. It felt like I had Holy Spirit in me. I think then I just felt like I was marked before when I got baptized in prison. We read everything off a sheet. I didn't even know what I was reading after time. And then I got a sprinkle in the cross and that was it.

And it didn't really, I did feel, cuz I remember leading up to that, um, this first time I read. Um, I read Mark in a little pocket, uh, Bible in, um, in my cell, and I remember reading it and I, I remember tearing up, so the seeds were getting planted then. And I remember like, um, wow, you did that for me. You know, I was like, wow.

I just felt God speaking to me then. And I look back through it all and I can see where God had his hand on me and was using people. Um, godly people in prison had made a. Um, stirring up, firing me, or why else would I go to church? Other people would be like, I remember this guy that I shared to see go, I can't go to church.

I'll bone up if I go in there and I'll, you know, what a stupid thing to say.

So you met, you met people in prison who

really stirred me up.

Yeah. Stirred you up. Yeah. Okay. So after you've come to. What happens next? So you've got Joel Osteen. It's a big step from Joel Osteen in your bedroom on YouTube Yeah.

Yeah. To church and

membership and all the rest of that. Right. So, Joel Osteen always said, get yourself into a bubble based church. And, um, always knew about here. Um, I actually told Peter Vincent about this the other day. I, I come to this church. When I was lost in addiction many years before this, um, many years before.

Um, then anyway, um, and I came in here looking to see if I could get any money or to steal anything. And I remember when I was in prison as well, um, the chaplaincy team would recommend this church as a church to go to when I get out. Um, so yeah. Um, I can't even remember the first day I came in here, but I came, remember coming here and, um, and it just felt like home.

It just. Yeah, this is, this is where I'm meant to be. What, what do you think it was, what, what was so different do you think? As I say, the Holy Spirit in me, I think it's just what the change in myself. What was it about this place? Oh, here, the worship was great. I can't remember the first, but the more I came, the more welcome and loving I felt.

And I'd been around so many like people that I couldn't trust. I couldn't trust anyone, but I felt like here I could, that people coming to move with prophecies and oh, I can see um, your mighty man of God. And things like really stir me up and I'd be like, wow, am I, do you know what I mean? And then, um, , even when I'd go home and listen to sermons and, and then know who I really am, it was like the old me, the liars coming off me and the truth coming in me and, and knowing who I really am because, um, yeah.

The, the, the reason I ask is that we've, we've recently been, been going through a sermon series at church about community Yes. Obviously with, with the community church. So I wanted to ask you, how has the Christian community helped? In general, it's just amazing to come to, um, to know this place is here. Um, many welcoming people.

There's no judging. You come in and you are, you are welcome. There's, there's always people here that can speak to you about whatever sort of journey you are in your life, you know? So if you are lost on drugs and homeless, then you know, I could talk to you or there's others here that could speak to you about that.

There's all sort of. Um, types of blessings on people that people have got testimonies that can talk to you. Um, the worship's amazing. Um, and great, great leaders and speakers and yeah, people come up to you and say hello. We have the welcome team. I'm on the door as well. Yeah, uh, sometimes, uh, and some everyone's great.

Um, it's just, um, a really. That's a major thing as well, like a safe place to be.

But it's more than just Sunday. Is it? I mean, you're talking about the worship team and the world did that Sunday's really amazing. What about the other

community as well? Two week as well? So Loom is, um, is amazing as well, and it's, um, I really, um, I really miss Loom.

I, I can't, yeah. Um, it's, it's really good to come and meet other people, um, to get into. People be with people you can trust and have shared the same, if not different testimonies, but we all lost, we all were lost, and now we are found or beginning to be found. But there's so many people here that can talk to you, um, about Jesus and explain their testimonies and talk to you about who, who you really are in, in God.

Yeah. So, so Loom is, is one of the community groups that we have here at the, uh, at the community church. It started from a, a load of people doing. Originally, yeah. Similar backgrounds, some people were kind of stuck in addiction, uh, other people criminal past, and, you know, it just so happened that a, a group of people with similar background all came together and Jesus broke into their life at the, at the same time, common.

It's a little bit different now. Like different backgrounds. We love having you as part of Loom . Oh, thank you. Thank you. I mean, I, I can say that I do too, cause I'm part of, yeah, yeah. Okay, cool. I mean, are there any particular people who've encouraged you?

Are there like Oh, definitely. So, um, Mark Williams, Christine Williams for one. Um,

the

lead Mark is currently sitting at the laptop next to us.

Hi. Mark's our producer, . No, definitely you can, I can definitely see where God's definitely, um, had people and put people in my life. and, and still is. And, and he's putting me in people's lives now.

And so he is using me as a vessel and a testimony and, and his light for other people as well, which is, which is amazing. And there's Beth, there's um, there's people that were here that are sort of, haven't seen for a little while as well miss them so much. Um, Yeah, there's Matt, obviously Matt Squi. Nigel, obviously I'm getting to know you more about

while you carry on with them.

They're much

nice than I. Um, but yeah, the sermon's always, uh, great. Here on a Sundays, you, you, you did actually just mention God's using you Yes. Yes. To encourage others. How? Oh, so at work lately, um, a guy that I met last year where he joined, where I worked last year, and, um, I've told my testimony, I was speaking to him similarly, similar to how I am now telling him my story.

And, um, he, I remember him saying to me, he's never heard it like that before. I can't remember how he put it, but he'd never heard Jesus being spoken like that, uh, before. And, um, because I think most people think it's religion, don't he, when it's not. And, uh, anyway, he got baptized, uh, a month ago now, month half ago now.

Um, and thank god for that. Come on. Um, hope I, I just got feeling there's gonna be so many more. Coming to coming to the truth, you know, coming to the light. Um,

yeah. You see, but that's one of the things that's really important cuz I, I had a, I I, I've, I know I'm really blessed cuz I've had a stable childhood and I had stable parents, although my dad died when I was very young.

So that made, so it wasn't stable then. Yeah. But you know, as far as it could be was stable. And I, that really speaks to people from those circumstances. I praise. because you, God brought you out of stuff. Yeah. Thank you. And you have becoming, you've, I mean, I'm just getting to know you. You're becoming a man of God.

You are becoming balanced and balanced in the right way, in the sense of, you know, you are a person that Jesus has touched and you're becoming more like Jesus. That's

this total miracle. Cause I, I couldn't ever do it myself. I tried and um, and there is another guy as well, bless him, another guide us in rehab now.

The first guy, sorry. I'll totally just come in my mind. That's fine. So his name's Gary and, God had me, this is really weird. Can I just tell you this quick? Sorry. , I was on a train back from, um, I wasn't driving then. This is two years ago. , and I was on a train back from Harlow and, a guy come up to me and, Looked a bit like, sort of worse for where, but he was speaking okay.

But he's, I could, uh, smell a little bit of drink anyway, I noticed he had a hospital, um, you know, the bracelets, they have no wrist, so he, he'd just come out Anyway, he actually was telling me he was, he was forward, he was so enough to just come outta hospital and I was like, oh, what for? And everything. And, um, he told me about alcohol, how he really struggles with it.

I couldn't really see much of that in him, but you know, I could smell it on his breath. And anyway, , what happened, I remember this was outside the train station. He actually asked me for a cigarette cause I was smoking at this time. so I gave him a cigarette and was chatting, but I remember talking to him.

Um, About my testimony and about, you know, how lost, cuz addiction is addiction. It doesn't matter if you're on alcohol or, or whatever you do, what you're addicted to is needs a chain that needs to be broken. And I told him, , about giving my life to Jesus and Jesus coming in and breaking that chain and setting me free and just knowing the love of God.

And, um, I could tell he was just soaking it all in, and he ended up, I remember telling, I, I gave him my number. And I bumped into him about a week later in town as well, and I told him about, And then I never thought he would come here, but he did. He turned up here, and now thank God he's in a Christian rehab.

He's been in there over six months now. Is it? And he's clean. He's knowing Jesus more. Oh wow. That's amazing. Saw him a month or two ago. He is really totally free. And his family were here. I'm thinking about it now, you know. Oh, thank you, Lord. I couldn't do that myself. If I didn't have a testimony, what could I say to him?

I'd just be like, oh, I just, I hope the best for you, sort of thing. Try and stop. But God's blessed me with, um, with this testimony, which, uh, which I'd never take for granted. It's just such a blessing. And, uh, but not just

that testimony. You've got in your heart a love for people, which is just brilliant because that's, that's

Jesus I'm on a journey with, with that now, cuz there's a, I wanna, I do love people.

I don't, there's, I've got a love and a lost, I know how, how desperate and everything it is out there. So, um, yeah, definitely. Um, I, I remember being at Loom, uh, one night you brought someone along who had been in a fight and their eye was closed up. Do you remember this? Yeah. Yeah. And if obviously if you hadn't invited him along then, then this never happened.

But he, his eye was so swollen up he couldn't see out of it. Yeah. And we, yeah. Laid hands on him and we prayed and before we saw his, the swelling go down and we saw this guy's eye just open, just open. And it, it was, it is amazing. He, his eyes were physically opened, come on, and the eyes of his heart were physically opened.

And I just think like it, if, if you, if you hadn't met that guy, if you hadn't said something like that, guy's, life would be totally different. He could see God touching him then couldn't you as well. And his faith just, he's just blown away by, by those, even though drinking, but God works through that, you know?

Yeah. And you can definitely see. So are

there areas that you still struggle? Um, you know, to be, to be completely honest about it, in addiction, we're all works. We're all works in progress.

A hundred percent. Yeah, definitely. And, um, and yeah, so I carried on smoking cigarettes for, I always felt, um, convicted about it, but I've now given up and it's been, I think, yeah, Christmas I stopped.

Have a little vape here and there, I'm hungry for God that I wanna do every, every day for the kingdom. So now, I just get into my work. I've been where I am for three years now and it's getting a bit mundane. I feel like I've been drying up a little bit there lately.

I know David's come to God. Thank God for that. That's the best thing ever that I'm working there now, but I wanna this, I'm excited for the future. I'll put it that way. I'm very excited for the future. I wanna do. I wanna trust God more. If God said to me, leave your job tomorrow. Go here. And that's the sort of, um, but if

God said to you, don't leave your job, stay there for another three years, would you stay?

Uh, yes, definitely . So, question , how's your anger? Um, it's getting better. Uh, it, ah, mate, there's, there's times that I do fly off the off the handle, um, especially with. That's what I mean. I work with 12 guys and, um, I think I've been, look, I've been praying about this lately as well, and Holy Spirit sort of tells me that there's, obviously, when I'm in prison, I'm around guys all the time.

I used to share a soul with a guy and it, you know, there's certain things that. You flesh just get, you get wound up about. And, um, there's a few times at work that I've, uh, I've, that I'm not, um, happy about that I'm ashamed of really, like I've, I've sworn, um, I have, uh, like really lost my temper at some people.

Um, Not, not violent or anything, just uh, there's times when I've just walked outta work. Not many once I think, no, twice. Sorry, I've just walked out. Nearly given it in. But mate,

as a, do you know, as a dad, right? I'm always, I lose my temper quite a lot cause I'm quite passionate at times. Yeah. And, uh, there's a, my wife has said to me, and I absolutely believe what she says.

She says it. Necessarily that you lose your temper. It's what you do afterwards that makes the impact on

your I know what, thank God you said that. Cause I always do sort of apologize and, uh, and yeah, there was an incident recently that's just come to mind. I lost my, I lost my tempero. I just got a bit wound up about something that I shouldn't And I'm glad I didn't apologize after, but some people do not.

So we, we are human, aren't we? We're still human. We still live in a fallen world. It's easy to be really hard on yourself and get really like, condemned about it, but, um, as long as you. Sort of know about it and you pray about it and God will grow you out of it more and more.

You know? Definitely. Yeah. We'll too, right? We're all works in progress. Yeah. , I can definitely testify for that. You, Nigel, can you testify for that?

No, I'm perfect. Yeah, I was no doubt. I thought, I thought you were. No, I'm absolutely a work in progress. I

say you are. I just wanna jump onto something. You, you, you said right at the very beginning you said you love reading the word, um, How do you read your Bible?

It's something that, again, we we're talking about, um, in the, in a sermon series in a minute. How do you read your Bible now? So now, uh, I've, um, I just, uh, get into the New Testament. I, I need to read, I wanna read, not need to, I want to read more of the Old Testament. I've read bits and bobs, but, um, I'm not one person that I go, well, I'm gonna meet Matthew and Mark, Luke and John, and then blah, blah, blah.

Um, so I'll just, I wouldn't say pick. No, I'm on Hebrews, but I've just gone through Peter second Peter. But when I read it, I make like, I don't write too much in my Bible, but I put little stars in. That means I highlight things that mean to me, um, that are speaking to me, important things and, um, and yeah, um, I need to be doing more sort of bible study where I am writing notes.

Um, digging more into it, but I just rest in it. I just love it. Soak it up as much as I can. Meditate in the word there's, I can't read a couple of pages or a whole chapter. Cause after a page or two, there's so much in it. Yeah. I need to meditate on what, otherwise you're just reading through it, aren't you?

Um, maybe after a few years of reading it, more and more can get like that, but, Yeah,

that sounds, that sounds really good to me. There are times when you can read through. I had a really good friend, really good friend, a pastor who's in his eighties by the time I knew him, and he taught me to read the Bible in a different way.

And he said, read through it. If there's stuff that catches you, just dwell on it. Yeah. And if there's not, just pass. Keep going. Just read and absolutely. , it catches your

heart.

I was gonna read this out and use it as a kind of a, a meditation kind of thing, but actually the more we are talking, the more I think this is for you. Oh, okay. And I really think. I mean there is over you. God has got something over you.

Yeah. Michael, you are a work in progress. You're not perfect and. You don't have to be no . That's why Jesus saves you. He doesn't save you because you're perfect. He saves you cuz he loves you. Thank you Lord. You and you are an absolute blessing to have around. And the passage I was praying earlier today and the passage I found was two Timothy chapter one, verse six to 10, and I'll give you the piece of paper when we finished, but it says this, yes.

And this is for you, I reckon. And Paul is writing to Timothy. So Timothy is a young man. How old are you, Michael? I'm

39 in Paul. So you're not

that young, but he's, he's writing to Timothy. He's a young man, . And he says this, he says, for this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For the spirit of God gave us, sorry, the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power. Yeah. Love and self discipline. So do not be ashamed of your testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Rather join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of. He has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace.

And this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. That testimony you gave of effectively meeting him in the police cell when you had the Bible of meeting him several times in other people through Joel Ostein, through all sorts of stuff.

Don't despise that and the stuff that you are ashamed of. Don't be ashamed of that because it's that that God saved you from that is that is your past, but that is your testimony and that is what brings people to faith. That is what brings people to think. Hold on. If it can happen to him, it can happen to me.

Oh, come on. Yeah,

that's what I wanna highlight. Just

bless you man. Cuz it's been

really good. There's no one too far gone to for the grace of God. You know, God knocks says in scripture, let's say my favorite one, but God knocks on Jesus knocks on the door of your heart. You just have to open it and he'll come in and um, and, and

Revelation three 16, behold, I stand at the door and knock anyone who wants, opens it.

I'll come and eat with

him. What's up with you? Yeah. So, um, and that's what happened that day. Um, God sees your heart and. He, uh, there was nothing but, and there is nothing but him. There's, there's, I've been in the world. There's nothing that he can offer you that, that is any anywhere near as good and loving as the grace and the peace and the, the, the security of knowing that you are right.

We've God and God's blessing on you and, um, yeah, life with very quickly, Michael, has God put anything on your heart? Any dreams, any visions? As in ambition is what I want to do Yeah. For the future. I've always had snatching people out of, out of addiction. I remember God saying to this, to me at work one day, I've written it all down on my phone,

working in rehabs. , even going into police cells, cuz in police cells, you're there, you have, you know, you, you are at the end of it. You have like where I was, but if you had someone coming around and saying, telling you my story, you know, and there is hope,

Even like maybe changing the law that you know, that you can talk about Jesus and, and. Because I feel like he's, he's, you're not allowed to, are you? Sometimes you're not, you're not allowed to talk about Jesus. Um, I'm not sure if it's a law. I can't stop talking about Jesus. The only person to ask about that one.

But, um, I'd love to. There's a, this is a Christian podcast. You can talk

about .

I'm talking about in police stations, . So, um, the community support officers in Olford stopped me, um, a little while ago now. They wanted, they want me to. Or they want to use, uh, my story or want me to come talk to, uh, some of the naughty boys, naughty people that they know, told them, um, where I was and where I am now.

And, um, I said, yeah, I agreed to it. And um, hopefully we can, we can get that going. Oh, that's awesome. But I was talking to them about coming into the police station in Steven and maybe, um, going around the cells, but. I wouldn't be allowed to do that, unfortunately, but I, you never know what doors are gonna open.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, I agree. It's God's will definitely. But, um, Can we see what God wants to do? Come on. Well, Michael, it's been a, an absolute pleasure, uh, talking to you. Thank you for your, uh, your honesty, uh, your, your openness. Thank you. Um, and yeah, I, um, I just wanna thank our, our listeners, um, uh, as well if, if you have, um, Had any questions raised, um, uh, by, by what Michael said, then please do, please do get in touch.

We, we'd love to hear from you.

Um, and I just wanna say, I think there's one other thing we need to say before we finish, right? Everyone who's listening to this, who goes to Bishop Olford to Community Church in Bishop Olford, you've played a part in Michael's Testament.

Thank

you. When we gum down heavy on our church and on all the issues that we have and we are not perfect and all the rest of that, the grace and the love and the compassion, that's the most important.

The stuff that is in our church, among our people. There are some. Unbelievably loving, caring, kind people. Yeah, and you have such an impact and I would go through people's names, but we'd miss people off, but I just wanna bless them as

well. Yes. Come on. It's like a magnet. You draw people in, you pull people notice it.

I remember seeing Mark smile, I think the first or second time I came and I was like, I'm so, so happy, . I was like, why is he so happy? I think I caught his eye once as well, and he's just smiling. I was like, At first. Yeah. It's just so nice. It's just love. Just love, isn't it? It's love. Yeah. Thank you.

Community church. Yeah, thank you. We really are blessed by you. Thank you everyone.