(inspiring music)

- [Narrator] Jerry Roberts remembers well

growing up in povertyin the rural community

of Manchester, Texas.

- We had to pump our waterand warming our water,

even on the stove to take a bath.

We would have to use eventhe restroom like in buckets.

I've had to fight with a lot of shame.

But I had a lot of anger because of that.

- [Narrator] What angered himmore was watching his father,

a drug addict and alcoholic,

verbally and physically abuse his mom.

- I can remember my dadliterally taking a elbow

to my mom's face.

Just seeing my mom be abused that way,

that even as a child instilledso much anger, anger in me.

- [Narrator] When Jerry wassix, his parents divorced

and he went to live withhis grandparents on a farm.

While in the fifth grade,he developed a lazy eye

and was the subject ofrelentless bullying.

He responded the only way he knew how.

- I learned that if you made me angry,

then from what I saw growing up,

I need to either verballyor physically abuse you.

- [Narrator] The anger alsofueled Jerry to prove himself.

In high school, he did well in his classes

and on the football field,

becoming a star linebackerwith hopes of going pro.

It was his ticket out of poverty.

- I saw football was gonna be my way

of me being able to take care of my mom

and my two sisters, my family.

- [Narrator] After high school,

Jerry made one more step toward his dream

when he went to WilliamPenn University in Iowa

to study mechanical engineeringand to play football.

Then in his first game,he broke his arm so badly,

it ended his football career,

shattering any hopes of going pro.

Depressed and angry, hestopped going to class

and was kicked out of school.

- I had no hope.

I didn't really care anymore, you know.

- [Narrator] Jerry moved backto Texas to live with his mom

where his life took a drastic turn.

He would spend the next 13 years

in a gang called The Bloods,dealing and using drugs.

While he joined for acceptance,

he found a new outlet for his anger.

- I looked at them as afamily that I didn't have,

like somebody I could talk to,

people that when I neededsomething, you know,

I could go to.

I never thought that Iwould be beating people up

for what was in their pocket, you know,

for money or just because I didn't like

the certain color ofclothes that they had on.

- [Narrator] By 26, he wasmarried and had two children,

a daughter with his wifeand a son who was living

with his ex-girlfriend.

Now on probation for stealing,

he was trying to make an honest living,

working in a chicken processing factory.

Still carrying the anger, shame and guilt,

he fell deep into drug addiction.

- And that's when I reallystarted doing the heavy drugs,

the methamphetamines,the cocaine, you know,

drinking a lot, because I wasstill bringing all that anger.

- [Narrator] He also became suicidal.

- If I take my life, lifewill be better for her

and then life will better for my daughter,

because then they won'thave to put up with someone

that has this temper, thisanger that I would have.

- [Narrator] Then one night,outside a convenience store,

some friends got into a fight.

Jerry jumped in and stabbed a man.

The next day, he turned himself in

and was arrested on aggravated assault

and violating his probation.

Awaiting sentencing, heran into a familiar face,

a rival gang member whowas facing 60 years.

- He was a whole completelydifferent person.

I didn't understand how hewas just somebody so peaceful.

- [Narrator] They became fast friends.

And Jerry started watchingChristian television

with him every morning.

Eventually, he could nolonger ignore God's call.

- I just fell and I cried out to God,

"Forgive me, God, I need you Jesus."

I was just crying.

I said, "God, I give mylife to you, I give my..."

And I was telling him I'dgive him my whole and I did.

I gave up everything.

I realized that God was not mad at me,

but he was madly in lovewith me and how he forgives.

He desired to come and live in me.

You know, how the spirit ofGod wants to dwell in me.

And I was crying and I said,

"You mean you forgive me?

And you want to come and live in me?

After everything I have doneand what I've done to people?"

And all of a sudden and Istill can't explain it today,

it was like the very sunitself come out of the sky

and like hit me.

And I was just crying.

And I had like every poreof my body was opened up.

My body was on fire and I had like a peace

hit me so hard and Ican't even explain it.

- [Narrator] From then on,Jerry read his Bible and prayed.

- I was someone who was addicted to drugs.

I was addicted to alcohol, you know,

and God delivered and setme free completely from it.

I felt the love of Godand for the first time,

my life had meaning.

- [Narrator] Serving five and a half years

of a 10 year sentence,Jerry became a leader

in the prison ministry.

Although he and his wife woulddivorce after his release

in October 2016, it didn'tchange the fact he was a new man

delivered from his addictions

and healed from the wounds of the past.

- Now that anger, thatshame and guilt is gone.

He is a deliverer.

He's a God that he fillsyou with peace and a comfort

that you can't explain.

- [Narrator] He started workingat an egg production plant,

learned a new skill and isnow the maintenance manager.

Jerry is married to Leslieand has a great relationship

with all of his children and his parents.

He and his wife do prisonministry and marriage counseling.

And Jerry is an ordained elder

who shares the messageof hope on radio stations

and platforms all over the world.

- God can deliver youtoday from addictions.

He can deliver you from anger today.

He can deliver you from fear today,

but it's something youcan only find in Jesus.

(inspiring music)