Summary

SummaryI’m Ted Nellis, and for years I lived life as a pool hustler and bank robber, chasing fast money across Toronto and British Columbia. My hunger and desperation led me to a hostel in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where I decided I would rob a bank—anything to escape hunger and being broke. That decision plunged me into a chase that ended in hiding in my parents’ backyard and ultimately landing me in Kingston Penitentiary, Ontario, Canada. Behind bars, I wore a tough exterior, but inside I was haunted by my past—shame, regret, and a distant heart that even good outward success couldn’t reach. I became a workaholic and an alcoholic, trying to drown my memories.

Then I saw a poster of Serge Lllair—my only cellmate for three days in prison—now speaking at a church less than a mile from my home. Intrigued, I went despite having never set foot in a church or read a Bible. A slow drip of Christian radio ministry followed, and one night, alone in a doctor’s waiting room while cleaning, I fell to my knees, weeping and crying out to God: “If You’re real, forgive me and come into my life now.” In that moment, I felt Jesus’ presence so powerfully—my identity became crystal clear: a born-again creation in Christ.

From that dark place in penitentiary cells to sitting in that waiting room, God transformed my broken mess into a message of hope. Today I’m free, restored, and living for Him.

“I didn’t stop robbing banks because I became a nice guy. I just didn’t enjoy being in prison.” – Ted Nellis, 1981 Journey to Redemption paints an intimate portrait of a man desperately searching for himself and for his place in a world he found himself at odds with. Travel with Ted Nellis into some of the dingiest pool rooms, hotels, and hostels in western Canada. Join him in his cell in Kingston Penitentiary. Peek into a deserted doctor’s waiting room on a quiet October evening and discover Ted on his knees during an encounter with God that would change his life forever. “My father’s life reads like something out of a movie. I’m very excited about his book.” – Cole Nellis “Ted is a trophy of God’s grace.” – Pastor Ken Miles In addition to holding down a full-time job, Ted Nellis is a licensed minister, author, speaker, and ministry leader. He is also a husband, father, and grandfather with a past as colourful as a fall landscape. Possessing only a grade-eight education, Ted stands in stark contrast with today’s multi-degreed, formally trained church and ministry leaders, yet has an ability to engage, connect, and relate to people of all ages and backgrounds in a way that is very real and refreshing. Ted’s passion for reading, studying, obeying, and living out God’s word in very practical and tangible ways is both inspiring and contagious.

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Time Chapters
 
01:02 Chased by bank manager
02:56 Released from prison
04:33 New life and struggle
05:55 Saw Serge speak in church
08:02 Moment of conversion
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