Welcome to Inside Job—a podcast by offenders, for offenders.

I'm your host, Cleve Bell, and today I'm joined by my good friend, John M., Director of Celebrate Recovery at Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In this episode, our guest, John M., shares a raw and powerful conversation about redemption, recovery, and new life.

John shares his journey growing up in a Caribbean family where alcohol, partying, and destructive behaviors were normalized and even encouraged. Surrounded by substance use from an early age, John began drinking and selling drugs around the age of nine. He reflects on generational patterns within his family—how the lifestyle of his grandfather and the environment he was raised in shaped his own struggles with addiction and identity.

Through honesty and faith, John opens up about breaking generational cycles, finding recovery, and discovering hope through Christ. His story is one of transformation and resilience, offering encouragement to anyone wrestling with addiction, past choices, or the belief that change isn't possible.

This episode is a reminder that no matter where you come from—or what you've done—recovery, redemption, and a new beginning are possible.