John Swanger is a wonderful storyteller whose experience with God has to be heard to be believed. He describes his life before Christ as bank robber, prisoner, lead singer in a band, and eventually drug dealer and bouncer at a strip club. His life was wild but one couple who shared the Gospel with him changed everything. God not only turned John’s life around but gave him a mission to let his light shine. John says that his goal is to be spent in service to others sharing Christ with those most of us forget about. He wrote his story in a book called Shackled and has a sequel in the works.
John’s life is proof anyone can be changed by the love of Christ.
Stories John shared:
- The ministries he has had to homeless and prisoners
- His life as the most prolific bank robber
- Dealing drugs, being a bouncer, running strip clubs and the fight that changed his life
- The dinner conversation that answered his objections before he could even ask
- Becoming a Christian while doing cocaine and reading the New Testament
- How God introduced him to his wife
- The ministry that God uses John’s unique personality and history to accomplish
- His books sharing his story including the 1000 copies he has given away to prisoners
Great quotes from John:
he can keep people from…
If prison doesn’t count, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a home cooked meal.
I’ll be 63 years old soon and I’m not spent yet.
I haven’t had time to think about what I want to thank God for giving me. I’m still busy thanking Him for what he took away.
Resources John mentioned:
- Shackled: Confessions of a Teenage Bank Robber
- John’s GoFundMe to raise money to publish his second book Unshackled
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