00:00
16 years later, 14 years of marriage,
00:03
we're still together.
00:04
And I believe that is because
the Lord has been working
00:09
My name is Michael.
00:11
And this is our story.
00:13
Before I became a Christian
I believed my life was,
00:17
When my daughter was born
00:20
and my wife she was off
00:23
travelling all round the world,
00:26
and but she asked me to take Stephanie to
00:32
she could have the
blessing and everything.
00:35
Don't know what it was, but
I took communion that day.
00:40
I walked out of the
church totally confused.
00:43
Not knowing really what was going on.
00:47
And the suggestion was
to go on an Alpha course.
00:52
I thought I'd give it a go
and it was at that point then
00:55
that I gave my life to the Lord.
01:00
I ended up on my own with two children.
01:03
I wasn't to be left on my own.
01:06
And I met my lovely wife now Penny.
01:13
Got married, had my children.
01:16
And then all of a sudden
on my own with two boys,
01:19
after a very bitter and nasty split.
01:22
Mick came along, we got chatting.
01:25
"Well, you know, you've gotta try it.
01:27
You know he's a Christian,
what can go wrong?"
01:30
I wanted to share my faith with Penny.
01:33
And Penny was asking questions
so I said well the best
01:36
way I can show you is come
with me to Spring Harvest.
01:40
The opportunity to go to
Spring Harvest came up.
01:43
So I thought, "Huh, it's now or never!"
01:46
So I went to a 'Just Looking' group.
01:49
And it was just amazing,
absolutely amazing.
01:51
You either believe Jesus was a crazy man.
01:54
You believe he's fictional.
01:56
Or you believe he's real
and if you believe he's real
01:59
whether you want to
invite him in your life.
02:01
And it came down to that simple,
02:02
it was like this lightening moment.
02:05
And it's like, I can do this.
02:07
On that day at Spring Harvest
I gave my life to the Lord.
02:10
Life threw a curve ball
and Penny wasn't very well.
02:14
I believe that the devil
is throwing things at us.
02:19
And this time, I'm stronger.
02:21
Through prayer, through
the support of my church,
02:27
and the support of this
wonderful lady, Penny,
02:31
and the devil won't win.
02:34
He will not make me
turn away from my faith.
02:36
He will not make me turn away from Jesus.
02:39
Jesus has never walked away from my life.
02:42
And he's never stopped
showing me his presence.
02:45
In everything that's happened
in the last year to 18 months
02:47
as much as I've struggled
and I didn't know how to
02:50
practise my faith, I still
knew that Jesus was there
02:54
and he was walking alongside me.
02:56
And when I couldn't hold
myself up he was holding me.
02:59
I never doubted that.
03:01
I just never thought I
was good enough for it.
