From Gang Life to New Life: Johnny Chang’s Testimony + How to Stop Trusting Your Emotions (Copy Jesus)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

Some people preach about grace. Johnny Chang is a walking sermon on grace. When he speaks, you can feel the anointing, because he is not talking about something he read. He is talking about Someone who found him at the very bottom.

Before we get to his video, you need to know his story.

Who is Johnny Chang?

Johnny grew up in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley in the 1990s, in a home marked by poverty, his father’s drinking and violence. As he has shared in his testimony, home did not feel safe, so by around 8 years old he was finding his “refuge” on the streets, and fighting became normal.

At 12, he was pulled into a gang. They offered him what every hurting kid is looking for: money, protection and a sense of belonging. It led straight to his first arrest and into the California Youth Authority, where violence was a daily reality.

Released as a teenager, he was soon arrested again, this time for a shooting, and sentenced to 10 years. All in, Johnny spent over a decade of his young life locked up.

The moment everything changed

Johnny tried to fix himself. He tried discipline. He tried religion. Nothing filled the emptiness.

Then a pastor explained something that finally clicked: sin is not just the bad things we do. It is an identity problem we are born with, which means we cannot save ourselves. We need a Saviour.

For a man who had survived by trusting no one but himself, surrendering to Jesus went against everything the streets and prison had taught him. But that surrender is exactly where his new life began. In his own words:

“I was drowning in my sin. He’s the lifeguard, and that is why we call him our Saviour.” Johnny Chang

A family restored

One of the most beautiful parts of Johnny’s story is what happened with his dad. After his release, Johnny reconciled with the father he had been estranged from. They apologised to each other and embraced, and that moment touched millions online. His father went on to give his life to Jesus and stop drinking.

That is what Jesus does. He doesn’t just save one person. He heals generations.

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” Malachi 4:6 (KJV)

Now he goes back for others

Today, Johnny shares the Gospel online with a huge following and goes back into prisons to preach to men who are where he once was. He tells them the truth he had to learn himself: “You are what God calls you… He calls you righteous, holy, and sanctified.”

If you have ever thought you are too far gone, too broken, or too guilty for God, Johnny’s life says otherwise.

Watch: “How to stop trusting your emotions (copy Jesus)”

Can’t see the player? Watch on YouTube.

Your feelings are real. They’re just not the boss.

Let’s be honest: most of us live by our feelings. If we feel like praying, we pray. If we feel offended, we react. If we feel hopeless, we believe it. Our emotions become the steering wheel.

But the Bible says our hearts can mislead us:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

And Jesus shows us a better way. Here is how He did it:

1. Feel it

Jesus was not emotionless. “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). He was moved with compassion. He was grieved. Feeling something is not sin, and you don’t have to pretend you’re fine.

2. Surrender it

In Gethsemane, Jesus was overwhelmed, “exceeding sorrowful, even unto death”. But He did not let that feeling decide for Him. He prayed:

“O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matthew 26:39 (KJV)

He brought the feeling to the Father, and then He chose the Father’s will.

3. Follow truth

Feelings change by the hour. God’s Word doesn’t. So when your emotions and God’s Word disagree, go with the Word.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV)

“Casting down imaginations… and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)

Johnny’s life is proof of this. The angry, hurting kid who lived by his emotions became a man led by the Spirit. If Jesus can do that in a prison cell, He can do it in your heart today.

Declare this over your life

Speak it. Believe it. Walk in it. His Word is true, and Amen!

Need more encouragement? Read Why I Almost Gave Up on Psalmist Gift Shop (And Why I Won’t) and listen to Closer Than Breath, a song for when your heart is shaking.

Keep your heart anchored

Nobody is too far gone. Not Johnny. Not you. Not the person you’re praying for.

God’s business is our business. — Psalmist Gift Shop

Story sources: Johnny Chang’s public testimony and interviews, including Charisma.