Episode 540 Andrew Jones How Faith Rebuilt a Combat Veteran’s Life Transcript

This transcript is from episode 540 with guest Andrew Jones.

[00:00:00] Scott DeLuzio: This episode is going to be talking about faith, and I want to, I want to make sure that you know that right up front we’re gonna be talking about God, we’re about. Doubt and about what it feels like to be at the very end of yourself. Our guest, Andrew Jones, has been there. He’s a Marine Corps combat veteran who came home from Iraq carrying nightmares, anger, and pain that he didn’t know how to escape drugs, alcohol, broken relationships, even suicidal thoughts became part of his life.

[00:00:30] Uh, he didn’t think that God could possibly want anything to do with him. But at his lowest point, when he was ready to give up completely, he cried out for help. And what happened next changed everything for him. This is a message I think a lot of us need to hear, um, and, and. Andrew does such a great job articulating, uh, how this helped him and, uh, saved him, quite frankly.

[00:00:56] Um, before we get into the story though, I do wanna take a moment to raise awareness for something [00:01:00] that’s deeply important to our community, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. This organization is working to build a permanent national memorial in Washington DC to honor the service members, families, and civilians who are impacted by the global war on terrorism.

[00:01:13] This memorial serves as both a tribute to those who served and a way to ensure their sacrifices are recognized and remembered for generations to come. If you’d like to learn more or find out how you can support the mission, visit GWOT memorial foundation.org. Now, let’s get on with the episode.

[00:01:32]

[00:01:46] Scott DeLuzio: Hey Andrew, welcome to the show. Look, really looking forward to this conversation. Glad to have you here.

[00:01:49] Andrew Jones: to have you here. Yeah, thank you. Appreciate the opportunity.

[00:01:52] This is great, man. Thank you so much.

[00:01:54] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, you bet. Before we get into, you know, the whole story and kind of everything about you and everything like that and, and [00:02:00] kind of what we’re gonna talk about today, but could you tell us a little bit about yourself, your time in the Marine Corps, stuff like that, things that you experienced maybe even at, during your transition out of the military and, you know, kind of a little background information on, on who you are for any of the guests who maybe aren’t familiar with you.

[00:02:13] Andrew Jones: you. Yeah, absolutely. So my name is Andrew Jones. I’m a Marine Corps combat veteran. Served as an oh 3 51, which is a anti-tank consultant. I was in the infantry, deployed to Iraq back in 2003 with the first Marine Division when everything first kicked off.

[00:02:27] So it was part of that initial wave initial push into Baghdad. In the very beginning of operation Iraqi Freedom and. You know, definitely experienced everything that that war has to offer during that time. And you know, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I was a kid, you know, I was 21 years old, just a young marine corporal and you know, just doing what I signed up to do and what I had trained to do and ended up experiencing some things that I wasn’t really ready for.

[00:02:50] And I don’t think anybody really is,

[00:02:53] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:02:54] Andrew Jones: you go through it, you don’t really know what you’re about to go through. And so I remember it being a very surreal time for [00:03:00] me. Almost like I was in a movie sometimes and when I came home and it, it, it took some time, but my mind started I think, trying to process everything and it all kind of dumped everything out at once.

[00:03:14] And I started experiencing nightmares. A lot of post-traumatic stress, a lot of anxiety, depression even to the extent of visual and audio hallucinations of things and. just really didn’t know what was going on in my head and just felt like I was going crazy and spent a few years like that.

[00:03:32] And it took me down a road of alcohol drugs, depression suicidal behavior you know, pretty much the whole gambit. Right. You know, I’ve talked to a lot of veterans who’ve gone through it and we kind of checked all the boxes, you know, divorce, jail, drugs, alcohol, violence,

[00:03:46] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:03:47] Andrew Jones: You know, and, and I went through it all. Broken relationships within my family and just really went into a deep darkness and wanted nothing more than to die after a while, whether it was by my own hand [00:04:00] or you know, I’ve seen this term recently coined passive suicide which was something that, you know, I definitely had. Had experience where I’d go to bed and just hope that I would die, you know, and not necessarily doing anything to bring it on, but if it happens, I’m well with it.

[00:04:14] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:04:15] Andrew Jones: I’m done here. And that was my mentality for a long time until right around 2011 I met my wife Chelsea. And she started to seeing what I was going through. You know, I, I remember the first time I woke up screaming in the middle of the night. She launched outta bed. She’s trying to figure out what’s going on.

[00:04:33] I’m trying to explain to her what, what the situation is. But ultimately she helped me find Christ. She, she started explaining who Jesus was and I should talk to him and I should pray. And, you know, I’m like, if there’s a real God, he doesn’t love me, like my life is, you know, he wants nothing to do with me.

[00:04:49] And so it was a big back and forth for a while until one day I finally, you know, I was in a place where I was gonna drive my car off a cliff and I thought, where do I have to lose? So, God, [00:05:00] if you’re there, you know, I dropped to my knees in a place of surrender, called out to him, and I experienced an encounter with Jesus and he saved me, and I’ve been serving him ever since.

[00:05:09] You know, in a nutshell, that’s pretty much what that looked like. you know, and so my life is dedicated to Christ and being able to. Speak on how he has helped me through that PTSD and overcome the, the depression, overcome suicidal thoughts, find new life again. And so going from Marine Corps combat veteran to suicidal to man of God serving Christ, it’s been a, a wonderful journey.

[00:05:31] Scott DeLuzio: You know, it’s an interesting thing. You’re not the first person that I’ve, I’ve talked to who have has mentioned. A, a scenario similar to what you just described, where let’s just call it a you know, kind of rock bottom moment where it’s like things can’t get any worse than this. And, and hey, what, what else do I have to lose?

[00:05:49] And they basically call out, cry out, pray, whatever it is that you, you want to say. And they have this, this kind of. [00:06:00] Moment this interaction as you, you called it some, something that just kind of clicks in inside of them and. Lets them know that, hey, you know, maybe it’s not o not everything’s maybe not okay right now, but it’s gonna be fine.

[00:06:15] You know, like just, you know, trust in you know, what,

[00:06:19] Andrew Jones: what,

[00:06:19] Scott DeLuzio: what, what’s going on? And, and you know, you’ll be okay. And,

[00:06:23] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:06:23] Scott DeLuzio: You know, they have completely turned things around in their lives and it, and it just. It, it’s hard to describe. I think you know, maybe you could do a better job than I can, but it’s hard.

[00:06:35] I think it’s hard to describe to someone who maybe just hasn’t had that kind of experience before where they, they’ve had that maybe a sense of calm or peace or whatever it is that, that you experienced to know that that type of thing does exist. It, it can happen to anybody if, you know, if they are, are willing to accept it, right.

[00:06:56] Andrew Jones: Absolutely. No, I was I was one of the most stubborn, [00:07:00] you know, I just, again, wanted nothing to do with God.

[00:07:03] You know,

[00:07:03] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:07:04] Andrew Jones: he, if he is real, then he must not want me, you know, like, and so I was definitely one of the most stubborn, and I believe God knew that. And it would take a pretty extreme encounter with him to turn that. for my life, you know, and the Bible talks about our hearts being hard and God softening our hearts talks

[00:07:23] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:07:23] Andrew Jones: bones and God breathing life into those dry bones.

[00:07:26] And how before, you know, before Christ is in us, we were dead, you know, to sin and all these things that showing that before Christ comes into our life, we’re in this place of just death. We’re in a place of, of just, of just despair and darkness. And then, you know, Christ comes on board and there’s life.

[00:07:43] Scott DeLuzio: Hmm.

[00:07:44] Andrew Jones: know, like you said, the light, the, the switch turns on. and I know for, for me, it was a, a, a situation where I dropped to my knees. I called out to God because I had nothing left to lose, you know, if I’m gonna drive my car off a [00:08:00] cliff, it was like, I literally heard God’s voice before I even did this, where it I heard this voice come over me that said, if you’re gonna do this. Okay, but first exhaust every option that’s been given to you, and I knew the last thing I had truly left to do was to cry out to God and ask him for help. I had yet to do that with a sincere surrender in my heart.

[00:08:21] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:08:22] Andrew Jones: and so what do I have to lose? So I drop to my knees and do it, and I felt God’s presence with me.

[00:08:30] I felt joy come over me. I felt what, what, what I can only describe as his arms wrap around my body and lift me to my feet. And I felt like my father in heaven hugged me and told me I love you. gonna be okay. Everything’s gonna be fine. You’re exactly where I need you to be and everything’s gonna be okay. And all of that pain and despair and depression and hopelessness in that moment was lifted from me and I felt true [00:09:00] joy and peace. And so going from as stubborn as I was to having this moment, this encounter with God, I knew that I couldn’t, I couldn’t deny or doubt what I had experienced. So, all right, Lord, you must be real.

[00:09:17] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:09:18] Andrew Jones: you’re real and I experienced this, my life is yours. And so going forward, even no matter the hardships, no matter any doubts I may end up having from this point forward, I know this moment happened. I know my father in heaven hugged me and told me I love you and it’s gonna be okay. So it’s gonna be okay. And, and, and I’ve gone forward from that moment with such a different outlook on life and such a, a change in my life. And I remember calling Chelsea after that happened because I was at this Veteran’s retreat program in Payson Arizona. Right. And I called her and I said, you won’t believe what just happened.

[00:09:55] Right? I knew she was gonna be excited, and she didn’t even recognize who was on the phone. She’s [00:10:00] like, like, she’s like, who, who is this with this joy in his voice, right? With this piece? Like, and, and, and so she was ecstatic when I explained to her what happened. I remember I went, I got off the phone with her.

[00:10:11] I left the, the, the room that, that I was in. And I went to go meet up with some other veterans that were there, and I walk into a room and they looked at me and, and they were like, what happened to you? Like, where’s that mean mug? Where’s that, that, that, that, that, that, that that mean, man, that, that we saw come, come up here.

[00:10:28] Who are you? Like there was an immediate change in everything about me because I had hope. Again,

[00:10:34] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:10:35] Andrew Jones: and, and I think that’s

[00:10:36] Scott DeLuzio: Right,

[00:10:36] Andrew Jones: thing to look for is just to know that there’s hope. And, and that’s one of the things that God has put on my heart to share the most with men. I come across with especially hardheaded, stubborn veterans. is still hope.

[00:10:50] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[00:10:50] Andrew Jones: even though it may not look great right now. There’s hope and if my life can be a testament to that, you know, then he can do it to me. He can do [00:11:00] it with anybody. Because anybody who knew me back then knew me as someone who was too far gone out of the reach of God. Hope. Hopeless and there’s no hope for this guy. He’s, you know, there’s nothing that’s ever gonna help him. We just, you know, hope that he doesn’t, you know, take himself out. Like that was everybody’s outlook on me. And to go from that to a man of God serving in the kingdom of the Lord, like it’s, if God can do it here, he can do it anywhere, I’m telling you.

[00:11:26] Scott DeLuzio: Right. Yeah. And

[00:11:27] Andrew Jones: And

[00:11:27] Scott DeLuzio: I, I think that’s the, the same kind of sentiment that I hear from other folks who have had similar experiences

[00:11:34] Andrew Jones: experiences.

[00:11:35] Scott DeLuzio: where they, they just feel like I. There, there’s nothing, there’s no hope, there’s nothing left for me. And you know, I don’t necessarily want to die, but they don’t wanna keep living either, if that makes sense.

[00:11:48] And, and and then when they, they experience something like this, it’s like,

[00:11:53] Andrew Jones: like, it,

[00:11:54] Scott DeLuzio: it, it’s almost like, just like a whole new world just opens up in front of them and, and they, they realize [00:12:00] like,

[00:12:00] Andrew Jones: like,

[00:12:00] Scott DeLuzio: oh my gosh, there, there is some. Some good stuff that can actually happen here. Yeah, sure. A lot of bad things might, might have happened in the past, but

[00:12:08] Andrew Jones: but

[00:12:08] Scott DeLuzio: the future is yours to make what you, you will with it and, and to, you know, follow follow God and, and do all those, those things.

[00:12:18] You’re able to really just make a whole new better life and not be stuck in this. Sadness and despair and misery. You don’t have to be stuck in that, that place. And that’s, I think, kind of the, the message that I’m hoping to get across here to folks is that you know, for the, the folks who feel hopeless and like, there’s, there’s nothing good going on in their lives.

[00:12:43] They, they feel well, there are good things and, and you just, you just need to be open and, and receptive to receiving those. And I, I think you, you mentioned something earlier that, you know when, when you cried out it’s like.

[00:12:57] Andrew Jones: it’s like

[00:12:58] Scott DeLuzio: You did it with a sincere [00:13:00] heart and like sincerely wanted a you know, some sort of response as opposed to someone who might say like, oh, hey, God, if you’re real, you know, make that light flicker or something and, and it doesn’t flick.

[00:13:12] And they’re like, oh, well that’s proof. God doesn’t exist. And it’s like, didn’t really want it to happen anyways. So,

[00:13:17] Andrew Jones: You know,

[00:13:18] Scott DeLuzio: you know, it’s, it’s kind of not the same thing. You, you know, I, I think that’s, that’s my, my takeaway anyways, of kind of what you were saying from, from all that. Right.

[00:13:26] Andrew Jones: Yeah, absolutely. And you know, even at that time that, that all this happened with me, I knew nothing about scripture.

[00:13:31] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:32] Andrew Jones: about what it meant to submit, surrender to God. I knew nothing about any of it. It was just what was, what was in me to do because it, it, it seemed to be what made sense. If I’m gonna, if I’m gonna seriously ask. God who people are telling me about for help, well then I should, I should do it the best way that I

[00:13:51] Scott DeLuzio: Sure.

[00:13:52] Andrew Jones: And so even dropping to my knees was more just mimicking what I’ve seen on TV or heard people, you know, do you, you [00:14:00] pray on your knees, you know, you call to God on your knees. And so even that was more of just like, well, I, okay, let me do that because it’ll show I’m serious, you

[00:14:08] Scott DeLuzio: Sure.

[00:14:09] Okay.

[00:14:09] Andrew Jones: and, and it really was.

[00:14:11] It was, it was a place where I knew in that moment, either I’m going to from God or I’m going to go get in my car and drive it off a cliff that I’ve already scouted out. Like I knew where I was going so either I’m gonna die or God’s gonna show up. those were my two options. so there was just such a surrender in that moment. Like you said, it’s not that I really wanted to die. I was just tired of what I was going through and

[00:14:40] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:14:41] Andrew Jones: I was such a burden to people in my life that it would be better off if I did die.

[00:14:46] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:14:47] Andrew Jones: it, those are my options on the table. Die or truly call out to God and see if he’s really there

[00:14:53] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:14:53] Andrew Jones: man, he showed up

[00:14:55] Scott DeLuzio: And, and that’s, you know, thank, thankfully he did. Right? Because, you know, the, [00:15:00] the alternative was you are, you were planning on arranging a meeting one way or the other. And, and it, you know, luckily it turned out the way it did, right? So,

[00:15:08] Andrew Jones: yeah.

[00:15:09] Scott DeLuzio: You know, so, so you’ve taken this kind of a step further and, and you’ve, you’ve kind of,

[00:15:13] Andrew Jones: of,

[00:15:13] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, sure.

[00:15:14] You know, you, you got yourself squared away and that, that’s good. And, and that’s obviously the desired outcome of, you know, what we’re looking for here. But you,

[00:15:21] Andrew Jones: you,

[00:15:21] Scott DeLuzio: started a podcast as well locked in, loaded faith as well, right? And you, you’re talking about. Maybe some biblical principles and

[00:15:29] Andrew Jones: and

[00:15:29] Scott DeLuzio: maybe thrown in a little bit of a Marine Corps grit in, in the

[00:15:32] In the topic in, in the subject of the show as well.

[00:15:35] So

[00:15:36] Andrew Jones: so

[00:15:36] Scott DeLuzio: talk to us about the show and kind of like how these kind of two

[00:15:39] Andrew Jones: of two

[00:15:40] Scott DeLuzio: pieces of your, your life kind of

[00:15:42] Andrew Jones: of

[00:15:42] Scott DeLuzio: go together in and go hand in hand.

[00:15:45] Andrew Jones: Yeah, for sure. Thanks. Yeah, so the podcast is fairly new for me. I’m about 20 or so episodes into it. You know, it’s just kind of something I got off the ground back in, in May in June. And, but for years prior to that, I’ve spent a lot of time in our veteran community here in [00:16:00] Arizona. And, and within my church and men’s group working with men, working with veterans. And for a long time those two, those two parts of my life were kind of separate. I was going to church and I was leading a men’s group and I was focused on church.

[00:16:12] And then outside of that I was running a nonprofit. That was focused on military veterans and suicide prevention in the veteran community. And these were like two separate entities. And I would always find myself at odds when I would go speak on behalf of the, of the nonprofit because I, I’d get into this place where I, like, I’m wanting to talk about God and my testimony, I’m, I’m starting to preach.

[00:16:33] And then, you know, people are like, you can’t do that with this, you know, I’m like, ah,

[00:16:38] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right.

[00:16:39] Andrew Jones: and, and it was, it was causing this like this, this, this tug of war. And. But God, he’s been so incredible in showing me how. The

[00:16:48] Scott DeLuzio: Okay.

[00:16:49] Andrew Jones: how his word, how spiritual warfare, how, you know, just everything in the kingdom of God, how it can line up with all these things that I knew and was really good at in the Marine Corps when it came to, to, to [00:17:00] battlefield tactics and strategies and combat and fighting and leadership and all these things that the Marine Corps taught me.

[00:17:06] God’s like, it’s here in my word too. Like it all comes together and, and so. You know, he really led me down this path to eventually get where I’m at now, where it’s merging the two where, you know, he, he’s given me this voice to be able to call out to, to, to Christian men, specifically men who are in the church, men who who claim to be Christians, you know, to, to to, to lead their families, to rise up and look in the word.

[00:17:31] What does the word say about being a man of God? What does it say about being a husband, being a father? Like what does God say about this? And then let’s do that. And to be able to present it in a way that also adds in this warrior mindset that, that, that shows how, you know, in the Marine Corps, I went through this and that, and I was taught this and that, and it lines up with being a man of God and trying to kind of maybe give some excitement to some. To, some men who might be struggling with [00:18:00] seeing the church or being a man of God as a weak thing. I think that there’s a stigma behind men in church that there’s a softness about you or that you know, you can’t be a real man if you’re in the church and. man, God has shown me the complete opposite of that.

[00:18:14] Like, no men of God we’re warriors, like we’re fighters, like we’re meant to lead our families. And, and there’s so much to that. And so it’s been this this eye-opening freedom almost that as God has brought me into this place of this podcast, to be able to take these two worlds that have been so meaningful to me and merge ’em together. And present God’s word and, and, and speak to Christian men in a way that I would speak to Marines, right? So in, in a lot of my podcast episodes, I’m taking these topics and I’m having the mindset that I’m in front of a platoon of Marines about to go to combat, and this is how I’m speaking to you. You know, like, all right, gentlemen, fall in, let’s go.

[00:18:55] You know,

[00:18:55] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:18:56] Andrew Jones: rise up. And, and, and, and so being able to come at it in that way, I [00:19:00] believe that. That, that God is definitely going to open doors for men to hear that in a way to where they’ll receive it. and see that being a man of God is a powerful thing. Being gentle according to scripture is actually a strength and is powerful.

[00:19:16] You know, David in the book of Psalms, he tells God, your gentleness has made me great. Like, if David can, can, can say that his greatness came from God’s gentleness, there’s a power to gentleness. Like

[00:19:29] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right.

[00:19:30] Andrew Jones: much to it. And so it, it, it, it, it’s been something that I’ve been so happy to, to merge those two things together where I can go out into the military veteran community and impact these veterans that I’ve had a relationship with and these organizations that I’ve built a, a, a network with, but now come at it with a freedom. To say, I’m coming at this from my faith and I’m sharing Jesus with, you know, the mix of the Marine Corps grit and the word of God. And I think it’s been a wonderful, a wonderful [00:20:00] journey so far. And I’m excited where God’s gonna take it.

[00:20:02] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. And you know, like you said, you’re just, just getting started. So I’m, I’m excited to see kind of where, where, where it ends up as well because you know,

[00:20:09] Andrew Jones: you know,

[00:20:10] Scott DeLuzio: I know thinking back to when I started this show not having a clue what I was doing when I started, and, and not having, not knowing like, how, how long would I do this for?

[00:20:19] Would I make it six episodes, 10 episodes, 20 maybe? You know, I, I had no idea and.

[00:20:24] Andrew Jones: And,

[00:20:25] Scott DeLuzio: And here I am years later, still, still doing the same thing and

[00:20:29] Andrew Jones: and

[00:20:29] Scott DeLuzio: You know, just continuing to help, help out veterans out there in you know, any way that I can. You obviously have your, your focus and I’m, I’m kind of, we’re, you know, maybe doing, doing things a little bit differently, but really the same message, getting across, trying to help people you know, with, with the struggles that they have.

[00:20:44] And, and one of the things that you, you were talking about that I, I want to just kinda circle back to, you, you said how, how this gave you like this, I think the quote that you said was an eye-opening freedom. Right. And,

[00:20:55] Andrew Jones: And

[00:20:56] Scott DeLuzio: you know, for, for folks who maybe are not really [00:21:00] following along, like with what that, that really means, is that,

[00:21:02] Andrew Jones: that,

[00:21:03] Scott DeLuzio: You still got that, that gritty side, that Marine Corps toughness. The, the

[00:21:07] Andrew Jones: the

[00:21:08] Scott DeLuzio: stuff that you did in the, the Marine Corps. No one’s taken that away from you just because you go to church, right? Like you, you still have that. You can, you can turn that switch on if you, if you wanted to or if you needed to, right?

[00:21:18] Like that’s still there. You also have like this sense of peace and, and calm about you too. You know, I, I could tell, you know, we just started talking, you know, 20, 25 minutes ago or whatever it was when we started talking. I could tell like, you’re, you’re, you’re a man who’s, who’s kind of at peace and calm and, and not.

[00:21:36] Not you know, this ball of nerves and, and just totally amped up, ready to go kicking doors and, you know,

[00:21:42] Andrew Jones: know,

[00:21:43] Scott DeLuzio: blast the bad guys away and all, all the, the things like that. Like,

[00:21:46] Andrew Jones: Like,

[00:21:46] Scott DeLuzio: Like, like you might think of a, a typical Marine Marine Corps infantryman. You know, but you have that side of you that that can be turned on if, if it need to be.

[00:21:55] But but gosh, can you imagine. Having to walk around with that all [00:22:00] the time, where that’s just your default mode is, is always turned on in that, that way. And a lot of people do, a lot of people do walk around like that and you know, and so to your point that there’s that freedom that hey.

[00:22:13] Andrew Jones: hey,

[00:22:14] Scott DeLuzio: I don’t have to walk around with, with this ball of energy ready to go constantly every, every single minute of every single day.

[00:22:23] Like, you know, a lot of, a lot of you know, infantry guys might, might be I’m talking as a, an army infantryman, so I, I’m, I’m kinda making the, the generic you know, leap there that, you know, a lot of infantry guys have some similar qualities regardless of the branch, but, but

[00:22:37] Andrew Jones: but

[00:22:37] Scott DeLuzio: you don’t, you don’t have to.

[00:22:39] And so you have that freedom of being able to turn it on if you want, but also keeping it off if, if you don’t want it to be on. And that’s, I think, a great thing. And, and knowing that,

[00:22:49] Andrew Jones: You

[00:22:50] Scott DeLuzio: you know, it doesn’t go away just ’cause you’ve turned it off,

[00:22:52] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:22:53] Scott DeLuzio: know, you still can turn it on if you need to. Right.

[00:22:55] Andrew Jones: right? Yep, absolutely. Yeah. There’s I forget the name of the author, but he’s a guy that I met back [00:23:00] when I first started speaking to the veteran community. But there’s a book it’s called Off Switch. And he kind of, you know, speaks to that, you

[00:23:06] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:23:07] Andrew Jones: how you just can’t turn it off,

[00:23:08] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:23:09] Andrew Jones: And, and so, and, and that’s how it was. I was one of those men that would walk around constantly just on, ready to go, ready to fight, ready to to pick a fight, ready to yell at somebody, just ready to be upset, just constantly. In a state of just anger and, and, and overall depression that really just show, like, it, it, one of the things my, my wife actually helped me see is that it was more of a sadness really that displayed itself as anger and rage.

[00:23:37] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:23:38] Andrew Jones: And, and that’s what I was really walking around with, was the sadness that displayed itself in, in anger and rage and wanting to fight all the time. But yeah, you know, one, one of the coolest things I think that. That helped me as a man of God was when I started seeing Jesus as a man’s man, as a warrior. Not as someone soft, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m learning about this Jesus [00:24:00] who’s flipping tables. This Jesus who’s stepping up the Pharisees and calling him out. You know, this Jesus, who’s bold in the way that he speaks, you know, when he speaks, it says, you know, that, that they were just in awe over how he would talk.

[00:24:12] And, and it it reminded me of like a drill instructor, the way that they would speak with authority.

[00:24:17] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:24:18] Andrew Jones: is doing it in, in, in a way that that is also. Showing love and showing compassion, but he speaks with a boldness and an authority, and I’m like, I want to do that. You

[00:24:28] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:24:29] Andrew Jones: I, I, God gave me a very powerful voice and, and, and I used it for many years to intimidate and to frighten and to just yell at marines all the time. And, and it’s something I had to get in a prayer about with God. Like, if you gave me this booming voice and he used to scare people, take it from me. ’cause I don’t want to do that anymore. And he told me, no, I’m gonna teach you to use it for, for my word, for for my kingdom. So, okay, well teach me how to speak like that then.

[00:24:54] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:24:55] Andrew Jones: know, and just showing that side of spiritual warfare, you know, as a marine, you know, you’re, you’re [00:25:00] focused on the enemy and how to take out the enemy and learning about the enemy and, and everything about him and God’s like all of that now, now do it with the devil. Learn about him. You know, learn his

[00:25:09] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:25:10] Andrew Jones: how he fights, get into spiritual warfare.

[00:25:12] Read in Ephesians about, you know, how your fight is not with people, but is in the spirit with these demonic principalities and spirits and forces. And, and, and learn that, you know, your, your weapons of warfare are not carnal, they’re spiritual. And learn how to be, you know, good with those weapons. You know, I, I use the a small mark, 1 53 rocket Launcher.

[00:25:32] Right in the Marine court you know, M sixteens, there’s machine guns and mortars and I got really proficient with them. And God’s going now. Get proficient with prayer. Get proficient with intercession. Get proficient with leading your family. Get proficient with fasting. Get proficient with reading my word, and, and be that. That Marine who’s ready to fight a man of God, ready to pray for your family.

[00:25:55] Scott DeLuzio: Sure. Yeah.

[00:25:56] Andrew Jones: you know, one of the, the, the examples that, that I love to use is that [00:26:00] as a man, if somebody were to kick in the front door of your house and come after your family, you would fight

[00:26:06] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:06] Andrew Jones: there would be a, a, a, you know, ripping body parts off kind of fight going on.

[00:26:11] You’re not getting my family

[00:26:12] Scott DeLuzio: Right? Mm-hmm.

[00:26:14] Andrew Jones: I do that spiritually? If my wife is dealing with depression, will I get into prayer for her? Will I fast for my family? Like, am I willing to fight spiritually the same way that I would physically if somebody grabbed my 3-year-old daughter and try to run off with her? mean, the, that marine would kick in, right?

[00:26:34] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right,

[00:26:35] Andrew Jones: and that would not look good for that person.

[00:26:37] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[00:26:38] Andrew Jones: I willing to do that spiritually and fight with that same kind of aggression in my prayer time, in my time of worship, in my time of, of getting into the word of God. And so there’s still that fire, there’s still that aggression.

[00:26:51] There’s still that, that that fighter, that warrior in me, but now it’s focused on the right enemy.

[00:26:57] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, no, [00:27:00] absolutely. And there just kind of an example of what you’re, you’re talking about. So, a few years ago I was, I was walking in our, our neighborhood and, and there were, there were kids who were walking to school.

[00:27:09] Andrew Jones: to

[00:27:09] Scott DeLuzio: There’s a school in our, you know, not far from our house. And

[00:27:12] Andrew Jones: And

[00:27:12] Scott DeLuzio: so there are kids who are, who are walking to school and,

[00:27:14] Andrew Jones: and,

[00:27:15] Scott DeLuzio: and a fight started breaking out amongst some of these kids.

[00:27:17] And I was, I was a little distance away. I was maybe a hundred yards or so away from, from where these kids were, but I saw this fight breaking out and I, I turned on, I, like, I, I

[00:27:28] Andrew Jones: I,

[00:27:28] Scott DeLuzio: jokingly call it to my, my wife, Sergeant Scott, voice. And you know, I, I, I just had this booming voice.

[00:27:34] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:27:35] Scott DeLuzio: I kid you not, I had kids apologizing who weren’t even involved in the fight.

[00:27:40] Andrew Jones: Wow.

[00:27:41] Scott DeLuzio: They were, you know, so like that can be turned on. Like, that’s not my default. I’m not constantly screaming and, and you know, but hey, it was a tool that I used and I, I helped break up a fight and the kids went on their way and, you know, who knows? Maybe they.

[00:27:55] Andrew Jones: maybe they

[00:27:55] Scott DeLuzio: Started another fight somewhere else so that, you know, when they went around the corner.

[00:27:58] But,

[00:27:58] Andrew Jones: But

[00:27:58] Scott DeLuzio: you know, it, I, [00:28:00] you know, I, I helped, you know, diffuse that situation by using a tool that was available to me. And, you know,

[00:28:06] Andrew Jones: You know,

[00:28:06] Scott DeLuzio: had that tool not worked, I would’ve found something else and I, I would’ve continued until I, I figured out how to you know, diffuse that situation, you know, to the best of my ability.

[00:28:16] But.

[00:28:16] Andrew Jones: but,

[00:28:16] Scott DeLuzio: But it, you know, for, for the, the folks who are out there and it’s like, you know, Hey, I don’t want to, I don’t want to get soft. Like you, you were talking about, I don’t wanna get soft and,

[00:28:24] Andrew Jones: and

[00:28:24] Scott DeLuzio: lose that, that ability, you’re not gonna lose anything that, that ability is stuck with you. I don’t care. The Marine Corps, the army, the, you know, whatever branch you were in that, that, that guy drilled into, that’s why they’ve call ’em drill sergeants or drill instructors.

[00:28:36] They, they drill that stuff into you.

[00:28:37] Andrew Jones: you.

[00:28:38] Scott DeLuzio: That like that, that’s not going anywhere. And so, you know, I, I think you know, that, that it’s kind of a big scary thing. It’s like, Hey, I don’t wanna lose any of that stuff. ’cause hey, you know what? That stuff kept you safe when you needed it. Right? Well, you, you don’t need that right now.

[00:28:51] You know, I, I don’t, I don’t need to go, you know,

[00:28:53] Andrew Jones: you know,

[00:28:54] Scott DeLuzio: bash those kids’ heads in because they were starting a fight, you know, like,

[00:28:57] Andrew Jones: Like,

[00:28:57] Scott DeLuzio: could I, yeah, but that would be a stupid [00:29:00] thing to do. Like, why would I do something like that? You know, I just, I just used something just to, you know, I thought that was gonna help.

[00:29:06] And so, yeah, I yelled and. Boom, problem was solved, and, and they, they went about their day. You know, but I, I think, you know, another issue that, that a lot of, a lot of veterans have especially you know, during that transition period you know, getting outta the military, it’s like, Hey, I, I was this before I was, I was a soldier, a, a, a Marine, a, you know, an airman, whoever.

[00:29:25] Now I’m not. Now what am I? And you start to lose that sense of purpose and meaning and, and direction. Maybe just feeling dis disconnected all altogether because, you know, there was that life that you lived before and now there’s this other life that, that you have going on. And, and so sometimes it’s just a struggle to find direction or, or meaning, purpose, whatever you wanna call it.

[00:29:47] Andrew Jones: it.

[00:29:47] Scott DeLuzio: Have you, have you found that.

[00:29:49] Andrew Jones: that.

[00:29:49] Scott DeLuzio: This, this newfound faith in, in your life has helped you in any way with that?

[00:29:54] Andrew Jones: that? Oh yeah, absolutely. You know, I went through a similar thing when I got out and, and for, for [00:30:00] years I would actually, I, I, I wouldn’t want to tell people I was a Marine. And, and I would actually kind of get away from that.

[00:30:07] And if my family ever said anything about it, I, you know, would tell ’em, just stop. Like, I don’t, I don’t wanna talk

[00:30:12] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:30:12] Andrew Jones: want to even deal with that. And, but I didn’t know who I was though, but there was just this identity kind of thing going on of like, I don’t, I’m not gonna associate with that anymore because I don’t feel like it’s a, it’s a part of me.

[00:30:23] And I, I truly didn’t feel worthy of being called a Marine anymore because I had gone down such a deep spiral, know who I was. And so, yeah, definitely went through this, this time of just, I don’t know who I am, I have no identity, I’m just gonna do whatever. And, and really just, just careless about things and. Finding my identity in Christ is pulled me outta that. It saved me From that, it helped me understand just who I am God, not just who I am in Christ, but the specific purpose that he has for my life, the, the mission that he [00:31:00] has for me. So as, as a veteran you know, as a, a Marine, anyone, you know, in the infantry a combat, MOS. You’re very much just built up and developed to be on a mission. You’re preparing for a mission. You’re in a mission. You’re debriefing a mission like you’re always doing and training for something. And so God was able to show me this is who you are to me and in my kingdom, and here is the, the purpose and the mission that I have for you. And when I can connect with that. Now that identity crisis is, is gone.

[00:31:31] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:31:32] Andrew Jones: who I am. I’m a child of the most high God. I’m a mighty man of valor because God says I am. You know, all these different things that God says I am. And then getting into His word and seeing what God has called me to do. You know at at its at its core, every one of us are called to go out and preach the gospel, to go out and tell people about who Jesus is. even if I don’t know my specific purpose, I at least know that part of it, right? I kind of see the only, see that as like being like a, [00:32:00] a basic rifleman in the kingdom of God. You know, in the Marine Corps they say every marine is a rifleman, right? You can sign up for a computer job, but before you go to that computer school, you’re gonna learn to be a rifleman first. Then

[00:32:12] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:32:12] Andrew Jones: go learn how to do computers. And so, you know, in the Kingdom of God, I look at it as soon as you receive Christ and you’re a Christian, like you’re a basic rifleman in the kingdom of God, go preach the gospel. Go tell people who, who Jesus is.

[00:32:23] Scott DeLuzio: Right,

[00:32:24] Andrew Jones: you can at least do that.

[00:32:25] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[00:32:26] Andrew Jones: then, you know, God’s gonna show you your specific purpose, what he is, what he’s molding you into, what he’s creating you to do specifically in the body of Christ for you.

[00:32:36] You know, because. That’s the thing that, that, that really helped me out a lot is God showing me that we are all, you know, part of the body of Christ and we’re all, we all have a calling for something specific. And so he’s calling us all to something. He’s gifting us all in a certain way to do something specific for the Kingdom of God. And once I could grab a hold of that, all of that identity stuff went, went, went out the window. I knew who I was. I [00:33:00] knew what my mission was, I knew what my purpose was, and now it’s like, it’s like life is back. Like I’m back now. I know what I’m doing. I’m, you know, just, it is like, like a runaway machine gun all of a sudden just, you know, I’m that I was a running a runaway machine gun and God was able to get, get, get ahold of me, get me back on target, you know, put the right ammo in me, lock me in, and start pulling that trigger again.

[00:33:22] Scott DeLuzio: Sure, sure. I, I like that analogy actually, that, that, because sometimes it feels that way, like you’re, life just seems like it’s just getting away from you. It’s like, like sometimes days, weeks, months. Sometimes years even pass. And you’re like, what, what am I doing with my life? And, and what’s the, what’s the point, what’s the purpose?

[00:33:42] And I could see how, you know,

[00:33:44] Andrew Jones: know,

[00:33:44] Scott DeLuzio: you know, when, when you were talking before about just being at that point where it’s like, what’s the point anymore? Like, it just, just seems like hopeless at, at that point. Like, I, I get it. Like that, that makes, makes a ton of sense because, you know, you’re, you’re.

[00:33:58] Andrew Jones: you’re

[00:33:59] Scott DeLuzio: A [00:34:00] runaway machine gun, you know, like you’re, you’re, you’re not, you’re not on target, you’re not focused on, on where you need to be.

[00:34:05] And,

[00:34:06] Andrew Jones: And

[00:34:06] Scott DeLuzio: you know, just like the Marine Corps, you know, every, every Marine’s a rifleman. But they, they also have other, other jobs. There’s other things there, right? And so yeah, sure. You, you can find your, your faith, right? And that, that’s, that’s good. And, and that’s, that’s kind of the, the foundational level of, of everything, but.

[00:34:24] There may be some other purpose, you know, may, maybe not everybody’s purpose is to start a podcast and, and spread a, a message of whatever the, the, the message may be through a podcast. Well,

[00:34:35] Andrew Jones: Well,

[00:34:35] Scott DeLuzio: like you said, there might be a computer job, there might be a, you know, a finance job. There might be a something else where your purpose is more aligned.

[00:34:43] Whatever it is that you were created for, to do what, whatever your purpose is.

[00:34:47] Andrew Jones: is.

[00:34:47] Scott DeLuzio: There, there’s something out there for you.

[00:34:49] Andrew Jones: you.

[00:34:50] Scott DeLuzio: It’s just a matter of figuring out what that is. And, and sometimes the best way to do that, I think is, is to be open to [00:35:00] kind of surrendering everything that you, you thought you knew and you know, kind of

[00:35:04] Andrew Jones: kind of

[00:35:05] Scott DeLuzio: start from scratch.

[00:35:06] And, and that might sound scary to some people, like, well, starting from scratch, like, I’m,

[00:35:09] Andrew Jones: I’m

[00:35:10] Scott DeLuzio: you know. 40 something years old and you know, I gotta start from scratch like that. That seems like I’m a little, little too far in the game. But

[00:35:16] Andrew Jones: but,

[00:35:17] Scott DeLuzio: yeah. But

[00:35:17] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:35:17] Scott DeLuzio: if you’re, if you’re miserable and like you’re gonna continue living for, you know, however many more years and continue to be miserable, like

[00:35:25] Andrew Jones: like,

[00:35:25] Scott DeLuzio: what do you got to lose, you know?

[00:35:27] Andrew Jones: You know? I think one of the I’d say is a, I’m wanna say it was a quote or just a message I saw recently, and I forget exactly where I even heard it, but it was a question that was presented. If you could do anything for the glory of God and you knew it would be 100% successful. would that thing be? And then when you come up with the answer for that, the next question is, now why aren’t you doing it?

[00:35:51] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:35:52] Andrew Jones: Right? And so, like, I think in, in our heart, like everyone’s gonna have a different answer to that. You know, when I had that encounter with Christ you know, being the, [00:36:00] the Marine, I am after that, that moment of I love you, everything’s gonna be okay. My, my first response to God was, okay, now what would you have me do? like, I’m, I’m a Marine. Give me a mission. You know?

[00:36:12] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:36:13] Andrew Jones: And, and he gave me two specific things in that moment. One was to marry Chelsea. ’cause we were dating at the time, we were living together, we were playing marriage. God said, that’s the wife I’ve given you.

[00:36:22] Marry that woman. Okay, awesome. Done. Check. I’m marrying her. Proposed to her within a month we got married, like, all is good. And the second thing he told me was, tell people about me. That there’s hope in me. And so the mission he gave me right off the bat was talk about me. Use the voice I’ve given you and just go tell people.

[00:36:41] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:36:42] Andrew Jones: you know, the, the, the Bible tells us that our gifts will make room for us, right? And so, okay, God, if you’ve g gifted me with, with a voice and to be able to speak and the confidence to stand in front of people and to talk about you. Then I’m just gonna go start doing it and then see what doors open along the way. [00:37:00] so moving in, in just the, the basic mission that God gave me, just go talk about me, son. Just go tell people about me that there’s hope in me. Okay, yes, I’ll go do that. All of a sudden doors are opening there. There’s opportunities to work with nonprofits, there’s opportunities to, to work with politicians to affect change within different bills and Congress and all these things where I’m like, what’s happening?

[00:37:22] Like, how am I at this table? How am I in this group? How am I speaking to this person? How am I on this phone call with these people? Like there’s no way I could could’ve gotten here on my own. so just following that specific purpose that God has given me.

[00:37:38] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah,

[00:37:38] Andrew Jones: open the doors for it. And so for me, he said, speak, go speak for someone else.

[00:37:44] He, he may, you know, say, do something else,

[00:37:46] Scott DeLuzio: sure.

[00:37:46] Andrew Jones: we’re all gonna have that specific purpose.

[00:37:48] Scott DeLuzio: Right. And. Initially, I, I gotta imagine that stuff like that is, is a little intimidating, right? I’ve, I’ve never gone and spoken to people in this manner before, and

[00:37:57] Andrew Jones: and

[00:37:59] Scott DeLuzio: how am I gonna start doing [00:38:00] that? Like, just,

[00:38:00] Andrew Jones: just,

[00:38:00] Scott DeLuzio: just start like, I don’t know. I guess, I guess that’s how you do it, right? And you just start, right?

[00:38:04] But when, when you start doing that

[00:38:06] Andrew Jones: that.

[00:38:07] Scott DeLuzio: because you’re the one who’s doing the talking and you’re, you’re out there speaking to people and you’re, you’re spreading a message, however it is that you’re, you’re doing it.

[00:38:16] Andrew Jones: it,

[00:38:16] Scott DeLuzio: People are, are listening to you and they’re, they’re forming opinions as they’re listening to you.

[00:38:21] Andrew Jones: you.

[00:38:21] Scott DeLuzio: You know, this, this guy, he’s, he makes a lot of sense. Or, you know, somebody else. If, if you’re not doing a great job of someone like say, Hey, that that guy’s full of crap. And you know, but,

[00:38:30] Andrew Jones: but,

[00:38:31] Scott DeLuzio: but you, you start to kind of learn what, what it is that you’re supposed to be.

[00:38:36] Andrew Jones: to be.

[00:38:37] Scott DeLuzio: Telling people. And

[00:38:38] Andrew Jones: And

[00:38:39] Scott DeLuzio: it, when you, when you’ve got that dialed in and you’ve got that purpose and that that mission focused and, and you’re on target, you know, going back to that analogy you’re gonna be the, the one who people are looking at like, yeah, you know, this guy’s making a lot of sense.

[00:38:52] And,

[00:38:52] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:38:52] Scott DeLuzio: And that’s, that’s where you wanna be. And so, you know, you kind of have to be I think receptive to the, to the [00:39:00] signals that are, are coming to you, the, the, you know, whether wherever they’re coming from be receptive to those things. ’cause you know, you, you may, you may think you know what you’re supposed to be doing, but you, you may not actually know and you know, be, be open to hey, that that might need,

[00:39:15] Andrew Jones: need,

[00:39:16] Scott DeLuzio: you might need to change what it is that you’re doing and, and you know, kinda shift gears a little bit and that, that’s, that’s kind of.

[00:39:23] God guiding you in that right direction, getting you back on target. ’cause you’re, you’re starting to veer a little bit off course and let’s, let’s, and, and you know, who knows? Maybe down the line the target changes too, you know? Yeah. You’ve nailed that target and you’ve, you’ve,

[00:39:35] Andrew Jones: you’ve,

[00:39:35] Scott DeLuzio: accomplished that mission you know, just like a, a Marine Corps infantryman would do.

[00:39:40] Like, you’re,

[00:39:40] Andrew Jones: you’re, you’re

[00:39:41] Scott DeLuzio: got a mission. Cool, we went out, we, we accomplished that mission. What’s next? What’s my next mission? Right? And so, you know, go out there and.

[00:39:49] Andrew Jones: and

[00:39:50] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Yeah. Go out there and nail that mission and, and do it to the best of your ability. I, I mean,

[00:39:55] Andrew Jones: mean,

[00:39:56] Scott DeLuzio: can’t imagine there was a moment e even a single moment [00:40:00] where you’re like, you know what?

[00:40:00] I’m gonna go out and, and I’m just going to,

[00:40:02] Andrew Jones: gonna,

[00:40:04] Scott DeLuzio: I’m tired today. I’m not, I’m not gonna

[00:40:05] Andrew Jones: gonna

[00:40:06] Scott DeLuzio: put it in a hundred percent effort As, as a, as a,

[00:40:08] Andrew Jones: as a,

[00:40:09] Scott DeLuzio: as a, as a Marine. Right. So you, you’re,

[00:40:11] Andrew Jones: you,

[00:40:11] Scott DeLuzio: I mean, I, I’m sure you get a, you know.

[00:40:13] Andrew Jones: you know, a,

[00:40:15] Scott DeLuzio: You, you, you’d get taken care of real quick if, if you didn’t. Right. You know, so you go out there and you give it a hundred percent and you do the job, you get, you accomplish the mission, and you move on,

[00:40:26] Andrew Jones: on.

[00:40:26] Scott DeLuzio: To, to that next thing.

[00:40:27] And, and that next thing,

[00:40:28] Andrew Jones: thing,

[00:40:29] Scott DeLuzio: you’re saying, like doors are being opened and, and conversations are, are being had and,

[00:40:33] Andrew Jones: and

[00:40:33] Scott DeLuzio: you know, you kind of follow along those doors that are, that are opening and, and it’ll, it’ll.

[00:40:38] Andrew Jones: it’ll

[00:40:38] Scott DeLuzio: Present new opportunities to you. And I, I think that’s you know, kind of a, a, a wonderful thing to, to be able to follow those those opportunities, you know?

[00:40:46] Andrew Jones: Yeah. Amen. And there’s always gonna be a next thing. I think that’s the, you know, for, for those who are struggling with, with, with, with following God and with, you know, thinking, is this really for me? Or is, is it gonna, what’s it gonna look like? You know, you don’t always [00:41:00] know what it’s gonna look like, but I know who’s guiding

[00:41:01] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:41:02] Andrew Jones: I know that, that he has a purpose for me and, and there’s always going to be something. That, that he’s doing, God is always doing something. Either I’m going into something, I’m in something or I’m coming outta something.

[00:41:14] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:41:15] Andrew Jones: You know, and there’s always gonna be so many awesome surprises to where you can look back and see, oh, okay, God, I see where you were moving in all of this. And where, how I’ve gotten where I’m at and,

[00:41:24] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:41:24] Andrew Jones: know, I’ve gone through so many season. Since I, I, I received Christ since I had that encounter. There’s been seasons of, of, of working with nonprofits, seasons of helping to just build the church. Just being focused on my local church and just helping to in ministry and build the church seasons of just, I need to be a father right now. I need to focus on my kids.

[00:41:44] I need to focus on my wife, and I need to just you know, disciple my home. And you know, seasons of, of I’m going out and I’m speaking and I, and I’m, I’m, you know, taking on speaking engagements and things like that. Like, there’s always going to be something that, that God has you doing. And it’s, it, it’s an [00:42:00] incredible, it’s an incredible journey to be on because it’s gonna have things that, that you don’t expect.

[00:42:05] You

[00:42:05] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:42:06] Andrew Jones: I have two little girls one and a half and three and a half years old. And they have brought a something out of me that I didn’t know existed. A gentleness from strength and, and just a, a love that I never thought I would ever experience, but, but God brought these, you know, little babies into my life and a miraculous way.

[00:42:26] You know, there’s a great testimony me and my wife shared. For over seven years, we were believing for a baby. Doctors told my wife, you can’t have kids you can’t get pregnant. If you did get pregnant, you wouldn’t be able to sustain the pregnancy. We kept praying, praying, praying a little bit over seven years, she’s pregnant.

[00:42:41] Boom, we got two little baby girls, like, God is good. And, and so he brought these miracles into our life and, you know, just, it, it, would not be living the life I’m living now if it wasn’t for that moment of complete surrender. God, if you’re there. Show me, help me because I am broken and [00:43:00] I have. Completely destroyed my life. And so I need you to to, to take it and put it back together. And my trust is in you to do that. when we can do that, God’s gonna just bring you down a journey of things that you can’t even imagine. There’s no way over 10 years ago that I could imagine my life being what it is right now. And there’s not a morning that goes by that I don’t wake up and have a ti have a moment with God of just being grateful and thankful and just feeling like I don’t deserve any of this. God, thank you. Thank you for my family.

[00:43:33] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:43:34] Andrew Jones: my home. Thank you for the very breath in my lungs today. How may I glorify you today? and it’s a wonderful life to, to be a part of.

[00:43:43] Scott DeLuzio: You know,

[00:43:43] Andrew Jones: know,

[00:43:44] Scott DeLuzio: you just said something right there just a couple seconds ago that, as you were saying it, I was thinking about some of the listeners who might be listening to this episode right now. And you said, you know, I,

[00:43:56] Andrew Jones: I,

[00:43:56] Scott DeLuzio: I don’t deserve it, but I, you know, I’m grateful that I, I have it.

[00:43:59] Andrew Jones: it.

[00:43:59] Scott DeLuzio: And I feel [00:44:00] like there, there might be some listeners out there who are like, you know what?

[00:44:03] Andrew Jones: what,

[00:44:03] Scott DeLuzio: I don’t even wanna bother because I know, I know I’m just such a broken person. I don’t deserve. The, to even have hope or I don’t deserve to have these good things that you’re, you know, it’s great, great for you. I’m glad that, that you got all the things that you got going on in your life. You know, you got your kids, you got your wife, you got,

[00:44:21] Andrew Jones: you got,

[00:44:22] Scott DeLuzio: you know,

[00:44:22] Andrew Jones: You know,

[00:44:24] Scott DeLuzio: all, all those things that you got going on.

[00:44:26] You know that, that’s great, but I, you know, I don’t deserve it.

[00:44:28] Andrew Jones: it,

[00:44:29] Scott DeLuzio: And so I’m not even gonna bother,

[00:44:31] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:44:32] Scott DeLuzio: but gosh, that, that’s just not true. Right? I mean, there, there was probably a point in time when you, you felt that way too,

[00:44:37] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:44:38] Scott DeLuzio: and. And, and felt like,

[00:44:40] Andrew Jones: like,

[00:44:41] Scott DeLuzio: man, it’s, I’m a lost cause.

[00:44:44] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:44:44] Scott DeLuzio: But look at you now,

[00:44:46] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:44:46] Scott DeLuzio: And, and what if, just, what if you could turn that around, you know?

[00:44:51] Andrew Jones: And you know, it’s, it, it, it’s, it, it, it all has to point back to Jesus. It all has to point back to the cross to you know, just the, the, the, the, the simple [00:45:00] scripture.

[00:45:00] And I say simple just ’cause most people know it. John three 16, right? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten

[00:45:05] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:45:05] Andrew Jones: that whoever believes in him, when not perish, but have eternal life. And that, that whosoever is, is all of us.

[00:45:11] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:45:12] Andrew Jones: hopeless, those who feel like I don’t deserve this.

[00:45:14] Those who feel like I’m too gone. You’re the whosoever.

[00:45:17] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right.

[00:45:18] Andrew Jones: scripture says for whosoever like that’s. Everyone. when Jesus was on the cross and he looked at those Roman soldiers who had nailed him to the cross, who had spat in his face, who had ripped his beard out, scourged his back, you know, nailed him there.

[00:45:34] Like he said, father, forgive him. You know, they know now what they do. There was a forgiveness even for them and. I think the, the most powerful thing that has helped me that, that, I always try to say this in a way to where people don’t take it wrong, but understand the heart behind it is when someone says, you know what, Andrew?

[00:45:52] I just don’t deserve it. my answer is, you’re right. You don’t,

[00:45:57] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. [00:46:00] Right.

[00:46:00] Andrew Jones: you’re not good enough. You don’t deserve what Jesus did on the cross for you, he did it. he loves you. And when he was on the cross, the word says that he saw the joy set before him and that joy set before him was us, he would go through that. me, for you. Like, and, and not because we deserve it, not because we’re good enough, not because I did anything great. Not because I did enough works. Not because I, I, I said, I love you, Lord. Like none of that matters. It’s, it, it, it’s not my worthiness. It’s not my, it’s not that that I deserve it. that he did it because he loves me and he values me. To shed his blood for me.

[00:46:46] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[00:46:47] Andrew Jones: if I can just come to a place to accept that, then I can have that great exchange at the cross of leaving all of my despair and depression and hurt and pain and [00:47:00] shame at the cross to receive his great love from my life and to move in his righteousness and, and, and with his power.

[00:47:08] It’s, it, it’s just coming to that place of, of truly going, you know what? I don’t deserve it. really don’t deserve it. I’m in, I’m not worthy for of, of this, but Jesus, you did it for me. So thank you that you would love me enough to do that. And so my life, it’s yours.

[00:47:27] Scott DeLuzio: You know, and I, I think the, the best way to maybe kinda explain what you were saying to someone who, who still is like, you know,

[00:47:35] Andrew Jones: you know,

[00:47:35] Scott DeLuzio: yeah, I don’t deserve it and I’m not gonna bother. You know, like, think of it like a parent who like.

[00:47:41] Andrew Jones: like.

[00:47:41] Scott DeLuzio: You’re a father? I’m a father. Like,

[00:47:43] Andrew Jones: Like,

[00:47:44] Scott DeLuzio: like I’d take a bullet for my kids.

[00:47:46] Like

[00:47:46] Andrew Jones: Like,

[00:47:46] Scott DeLuzio: I wouldn’t even think about it. Like it’s just, I would, I would do that, you know? And,

[00:47:50] Andrew Jones: and

[00:47:51] Scott DeLuzio: they haven’t done anything necessarily to deserve that. Like, they didn’t earn me taking a bullet, you know, like there’s no, there’s nothing they could do [00:48:00] to earn it.

[00:48:00] Andrew Jones: it,

[00:48:01] Scott DeLuzio: You know, for, for me to,

[00:48:03] Andrew Jones: to,

[00:48:03] Scott DeLuzio: have that desire, not, not desire that I, I want to take a bullet for them, but that I would do that willingly, willingly.

[00:48:10] I, I mean there, there’s nothing that they could do ever that would

[00:48:14] Andrew Jones: would

[00:48:14] Scott DeLuzio: create that desire inside me, but I have it like it’s there. And, and so in, in a way, it, it’s very similar. It’s like, you know,

[00:48:22] Andrew Jones: you know,

[00:48:23] Scott DeLuzio: yeah, Jesus died on the cross for you and. You know, you’re just gonna like throw that all away, like

[00:48:32] Andrew Jones: Right.

[00:48:33] Scott DeLuzio: it’s pretty.

[00:48:34] Pretty big thing that he did for you there, you know, and it’s like,

[00:48:36] Andrew Jones: like,

[00:48:37] Scott DeLuzio: let’s, let’s maybe you know, take a second and, and,

[00:48:39] Andrew Jones: and, and,

[00:48:40] Scott DeLuzio: you know, be appreciative of it, of it, but, you know, he was gonna do that for you

[00:48:43] Andrew Jones: you

[00:48:43] Scott DeLuzio: matter what it was that you did all the, all the bad things that you might’ve, might’ve done in your life.

[00:48:48] You know, whether it was, you know, drinking or drugs or, you know, maybe, maybe you know, failed marriages or all the things that that.

[00:48:55] Andrew Jones: that

[00:48:56] Scott DeLuzio: You’re looking at in, in, in someone’s background and, and they’re, they’re sitting there [00:49:00] thinking like, I’ve done all these bad things, or, you know, yeah, I, I, I was maybe not the best person in, in the world, but

[00:49:06] Andrew Jones: but

[00:49:07] Scott DeLuzio: that doesn’t matter.

[00:49:08] It’s not like you’re

[00:49:09] Andrew Jones: you’re

[00:49:09] Scott DeLuzio: like, like you could have done anything that would’ve made him change his mind.

[00:49:14] Andrew Jones: right.

[00:49:15] Scott DeLuzio: Oh, it’s like, oh, you know what? Yeah, because, because you drank a little bit too much. You know what, maybe I’m not gonna go, you know, die on the cross for you. It’s like, that’s not, that’s not the, the thing, you know, but,

[00:49:26] Andrew Jones: but

[00:49:26] Scott DeLuzio: you know, it, it, it’s, it happened regardless, and, and maybe in spite of all the things that you might have done

[00:49:32] Andrew Jones: done.

[00:49:32] Scott DeLuzio: and

[00:49:33] Andrew Jones: that, that’s the, that great message of the cross.

[00:49:35] There’s, there’s not enough good I could ever do to deserve

[00:49:38] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[00:49:39] Andrew Jones: and there’s not enough bad I could do to not be able to receive it.

[00:49:44] Scott DeLuzio: Sure. Yeah.

[00:49:45] Andrew Jones: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:49:46] Scott DeLuzio: And that, that’s, you know, a great way of, of, of looking at it,

[00:49:49] Andrew Jones: it

[00:49:49] Scott DeLuzio: And knowing that

[00:49:50] Andrew Jones: that

[00:49:50] Scott DeLuzio: no, maybe you didn’t do anything necessary to deserve it, but hey, you got it. And it’s here anyways.

[00:49:57] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:49:58] Scott DeLuzio: Do something with it.

[00:49:59] Andrew Jones: it.[00:50:00]

[00:50:00] Scott DeLuzio: Take it, and, and do something good with that, you know?

[00:50:03] Andrew Jones: That’s that, that, that free gift of grace and

[00:50:05] Scott DeLuzio: yeah.

[00:50:06] Andrew Jones: you know, it, it’s definitely one of the things that, that helps keep him, helps keep me appreciative in it, is that it’s a free gift of grace that he’s given me to receive and have eternal life with him. And now it’s like joining the Marine Corps, right? I, I joined the Marine Corps. Great. And now there’s a mission.

[00:50:22] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:50:23] Andrew Jones: now there’s, there is an expectation on my life to, to, to be a certain way, to live a certain way. To speak a certain way. You know, it, it’s not it’s not uncommon that people can pick a marine out of a crowd just because of the way that they stand, the

[00:50:37] Scott DeLuzio: Okay.

[00:50:37] Andrew Jones: they look, the way that they speak, you know? And, and gotta show me the same thing in, as a Christian, people should be able to. Know that I am a man of God, not because I wear a cross, not because I say holy, holy, holy, you know, God Almighty. But because of the way that, that I present myself, because of my character because of the way that I speak and the, the honor [00:51:00] that, that I show that that fruit in my life, that that shows the, the character of Christ. You know, and, and, and that’s where, where it comes. So it is, it’s a free gift of grace.

[00:51:08] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:51:09] Andrew Jones: I get to receive no matter what. And now that I’m in the body of Christ, God’s saying, okay, we got some work to do. You know, it’s, it’s not the works that got me into the body, but now that I’m in the body, God’s saying we got some work to do.

[00:51:24] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, exactly. So

[00:51:25] Andrew Jones: So that, I

[00:51:27] Scott DeLuzio: that, I mean, this has, this has been a, you know, I, I think a great conversation and, and it has a lot of a lot of great messages.

[00:51:33] Andrew Jones: messages.

[00:51:34] Scott DeLuzio: Hope for, for folks who might be sitting there feeling hopeless, feeling like.

[00:51:38] Andrew Jones: like

[00:51:38] Scott DeLuzio: You might have felt you know, a few years ago and, you know, feeling like, what’s the point?

[00:51:44] You know, even, you know, to

[00:51:45] Andrew Jones: to

[00:51:46] Scott DeLuzio: wake up tomorrow. What,

[00:51:47] Andrew Jones: What,

[00:51:47] Scott DeLuzio: what difference does it make if I do or don’t? And you know, hopefully this, this is helping people kind of move in that direction.

[00:51:53] Andrew Jones: direction

[00:51:54] Scott DeLuzio: To find their, find their faith, find, find God, find Jesus, and, and, and[00:52:00]

[00:52:00] Andrew Jones: Yeah,

[00:52:00] Scott DeLuzio: make those changes. Be receptive to those, those changes.

[00:52:04] And I know, you know, through your, your podcast again locked and loaded faith is. You know, helping to spread that message. And, and I’m, I’m sure you, you, you have some,

[00:52:14] Andrew Jones: some

[00:52:14] Scott DeLuzio: You know, different resources or, or folks that you talk to on, on the show that,

[00:52:17] Andrew Jones: that,

[00:52:17] Scott DeLuzio: you know, that, that can help folks out who, who want to kind of explore that a little bit,

[00:52:22] Andrew Jones: bit,

[00:52:22] Scott DeLuzio: little bit more on their own.

[00:52:23] Andrew Jones: own. So.

[00:52:24] Scott DeLuzio: so. Definitely you know, for the listeners, go, go check out that podcast. I’ll, I’ll have the link in the the show notes there for you.

[00:52:31] Andrew Jones: you.

[00:52:31] Scott DeLuzio: But yeah, check, check it out because that that might just be the thing that you’re missing, you know, in your life. You know, may, maybe that’s the thing that, that piece that’s gonna hold the whole puzzle together and.

[00:52:41] Andrew Jones: And.

[00:52:42] Scott DeLuzio: That’s the glue for, for the whole thing. And you know, if you,

[00:52:45] Andrew Jones: if

[00:52:45] Scott DeLuzio: if you’re missing that one piece, the, the whole thing’s gonna start feeling crumbly and, and like a runaway machine gun that, that’s just not gonna get on target, you know?

[00:52:54] Andrew Jones: know?

[00:52:54] Yeah.

[00:52:54] Scott DeLuzio: And, and so I, I, I do first off, appreciate you coming on the show and, and sharing your, your [00:53:00] story and your insights and,

[00:53:01] Andrew Jones: and

[00:53:01] Scott DeLuzio: and, and your, your faith with us.

[00:53:03] And, and also for. The support that you, you give to fellow veterans. I, I think it’s definitely an important work and, and I thank you for, for all the work that you do.

[00:53:11] Andrew Jones: Yeah. God is good. Thank you again for the opportunity.

[00:53:13] This has been awesome. I, I love these kind of conversations. I can have ’em all day long, so just any chance to talk about Jesus, I’ll take it.

[00:53:20] Scott DeLuzio: Excellent. Well, thanks so much. Take care.

[00:53:22] Andrew Jones: Take care. All right.

[00:53:31] This is great, man. Thank you so much.

[00:53:32] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, you

[00:53:33] bet. Before we get into, you know, the whole story and kind of everything about you and everything like that and, and kind of what we’re gonna talk about today, but could you tell us a little bit about yourself, your time in the Marine Corps, stuff like that, things that you experienced maybe even at, during your transition out of the military and, you know, kind of a little background information on, on who you are for any of the guests who maybe aren’t familiar with you.

[00:53:52] Andrew Jones: you. Yeah, absolutely. So my name is Andrew Jones. I’m a Marine Corps combat veteran. Served as an oh 3 51, which is a anti-tank consultant. I was in the [00:54:00] infantry, deployed to Iraq back in 2003 with the first Marine Division when everything first kicked off.

[00:54:06] So it was part of that initial wave initial push into Baghdad. In the very beginning of operation Iraqi Freedom and. You know, definitely experienced everything that that war has to offer during that time. And you know, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I was a kid, you know, I was 21 years old, just a young marine corporal and you.

[00:54:23] know, just doing what I signed up to do and what I had trained to do and

[00:54:26] ended up experiencing some things that I wasn’t really ready for.

[00:54:29] And

[00:54:30] I don’t think anybody really is,

[00:54:32] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:54:33] Andrew Jones: you go through it, you don’t

[00:54:34] really know what you’re about to go through. And so I remember it being a very surreal time for me. Almost like I was in a movie sometimes and when I came home and it, it, it took some time, but my mind started I think, trying to process everything and it all kind of dumped everything out at once.

[00:54:52] And I started experiencing nightmares. A lot of post-traumatic stress, a lot of anxiety, depression even to the extent of [00:55:00] visual and audio hallucinations of things and. just really didn’t know what was going on in my head and just felt like I was going crazy and spent a few years like that.

[00:55:10] And it took me down a road of alcohol drugs, depression suicidal behavior you know, pretty much the whole gambit. Right.

[00:55:17] You know, I’ve talked to a lot of veterans who’ve gone through it

[00:55:20] and we kind of checked all the boxes, you know, divorce, jail, drugs, alcohol, violence,

[00:55:25] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:55:26] Andrew Jones: You know, and, and I went through it all. Broken relationships within my family and just really went into a deep darkness and wanted nothing more than to die after a while, whether it was by my own hand or you know, I’ve seen this term recently coined passive suicide which was something that, you know, I definitely had. Had experience where I’d go to bed and just hope that I would

[00:55:48] die, you know, and not necessarily doing anything to bring it

[00:55:51] on, but if it happens, I’m well with it.

[00:55:53] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[00:55:54] Andrew Jones: I’m, done here. And that was my mentality for a long time until right around [00:56:00] 2011 I met my wife Chelsea. And she started to seeing what I was going through. You know, I, I remember the first time I woke up screaming in the middle of the night. She launched outta bed. She’s trying to figure out what’s going on.

[00:56:12] I’m trying to explain to her what, what the situation is. But ultimately she helped me find Christ. She, she started explaining who Jesus was and I should talk to him and I should pray. And, You know, I’m like, if there’s a real God, he doesn’t love me, like my life is, you know, he wants nothing to do with me.

[00:56:27] And so it was a big back and forth for a while until one day I finally, you know, I was in a place where I was gonna drive my car off a cliff and I thought, where do I have to lose? So, God, if you’re there, you know, I dropped to my knees in a place of surrender, called out to him, and I experienced an encounter with Jesus and he saved me, and I’ve been serving him ever since.

[00:56:48] You know, in a nutshell, that’s pretty much what that looked like. you know, and so my life is dedicated to Christ and being able to. Speak on how he has helped me through that PTSD and overcome the, the depression, [00:57:00] overcome suicidal thoughts, find new life again. And so going from Marine Corps combat

[00:57:04] veteran to suicidal to man of God serving Christ,

[00:57:08] it’s

[00:57:08] been a, a

[00:57:09] wonderful journey.

[00:57:10] Scott DeLuzio: You know, it’s an interesting thing. You’re not the first person that I’ve, I’ve talked to who have has mentioned.

[00:57:17] A, a scenario similar to what you just described, where

[00:57:21] let’s just call it a you know, kind of rock bottom moment where it’s like things can’t get any worse than this. And, and hey, what, what else do I have to lose?

[00:57:28] And they

[00:57:30] basically

[00:57:31] call out, cry out, pray, whatever it is that you, you want to say.

[00:57:35] And they have this, this kind of.

[00:57:39] Moment this interaction as you, you called it some, something that

[00:57:43] just kind of clicks

[00:57:44] in inside of them

[00:57:46] and.

[00:57:47] Lets them know that, hey, you know, maybe it’s not o not everything’s maybe not okay right now, but it’s gonna be fine.

[00:57:54] You know, like just,

[00:57:55] you know, trust in,

[00:57:57] You know, what,

[00:57:57] Andrew Jones: what,

[00:57:58] Scott DeLuzio: what, what’s going on? [00:58:00] And, and you know, you’ll be okay. And,

[00:58:02] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[00:58:02] Scott DeLuzio: You know, they have completely turned things around in their lives and it, and it just.

[00:58:09] It, it’s hard to describe. I think you know,

[00:58:12] maybe you could do a better job than I can, but it’s hard.

[00:58:14] I think it’s hard to describe to someone who maybe just hasn’t,

[00:58:17] Had that kind of experience before where they, they’ve had that,

[00:58:21] Maybe a sense of calm or peace or whatever it is that, that you experienced,

[00:58:25] To know that that type of thing

[00:58:26] does exist. It, it can happen to anybody if, you know,

[00:58:32] if they are, are willing to accept it, right.

[00:58:36] Andrew Jones: Absolutely. No, I was

[00:58:37] I was one of the most stubborn, you know, I just, again, wanted

[00:58:40] nothing to do with God.

[00:58:42] You know,

[00:58:42] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:58:43] Andrew Jones: he, if he is real, then he must not want me, you know, like, and so I was definitely one of the most stubborn, and I believe God knew that. And it would take a pretty extreme encounter with him to turn that. for

[00:58:56] my life, you know, and the Bible talks about our hearts being [00:59:00] hard and God softening our hearts talks

[00:59:01] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[00:59:02] Andrew Jones: bones and God breathing life into those dry bones.

[00:59:04] And how before, you know, before Christ is in us, we were dead, you know, to sin and all these things that showing that before Christ comes into our life, we’re in this place of just death. We’re in a place

[00:59:16] of, of, just, of just despair and darkness. And then,

[00:59:20] you know, Christ comes on board and there’s life.

[00:59:22] Scott DeLuzio: Hmm.

[00:59:23] Andrew Jones: know, like you said, the light, the, the switch turns on. and I know for, for me, it was a, a, a situation where I dropped to my knees. I called out to God because I had nothing left to lose, you know, if I’m gonna drive my car off a cliff, it was like, I literally heard God’s voice before I even did this, where it I heard this voice come over me that said, if you’re gonna do this. Okay, but first exhaust every option that’s been given to you, and I knew the last thing I had truly left to do was to cry out to God and

[00:59:54] ask him for help. I had yet to do that with a

[00:59:58] sincere surrender in my [01:00:00] heart.

[01:00:00] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[01:00:01] Andrew Jones: and so what do I have to lose? So I drop to my knees and do it, and I felt God’s presence with me.

[01:00:09] I felt joy come over me. I felt what, what, what I can only describe as his arms wrap around my body and lift me to my feet. And I felt like my father in heaven hugged me and told me I love you. gonna be okay. Everything’s gonna be fine. You’re exactly where I need you to be and everything’s gonna be okay. And all of that pain and despair and depression and hopelessness in that moment was lifted from me and I felt true joy and peace. And so going from as stubborn as I was to having this moment, this encounter with God, I knew that I couldn’t, I couldn’t deny or

[01:00:50] doubt what I had experienced. So, all

[01:00:54] right, Lord, you must be real.

[01:00:56] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[01:00:57] Andrew Jones: you’re real and I experienced this, [01:01:00] my life is yours. And so going forward, even no matter the hardships, no matter any doubts I may end up having from this point forward, I know this moment happened. I know my father in heaven hugged me and told me I love you and it’s gonna be okay. So it’s gonna be okay. And, and, and I’ve gone forward from that moment with such a different outlook on life and such a, a change in my life. And I remember calling Chelsea after that happened because I was at this Veteran’s retreat program in Payson Arizona. Right. And I called her and I said, you won’t believe what just happened.

[01:01:33] Right? I knew she was gonna be excited, and she didn’t even recognize who was on the phone. She’s like, like, she’s like, who, who is this with this joy in his voice, right? With this piece? Like, and, and, and so she was ecstatic when I explained to her what happened. I remember I went, I got off the phone with her.

[01:01:50] I left the, the, the room that, that I was in. And I went to go meet up with some other veterans that were there, and I walk into a room and they looked at me and, and they were like, what happened to you? [01:02:00] Like, where’s that mean mug? Where’s that, that, that, that, that, that, that that mean, man, that, that we saw come, come up here.

[01:02:07] Who are you? Like

[01:02:08] there was an immediate change in everything about me because I had hope.

[01:02:13] Again,

[01:02:13] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:02:14] Andrew Jones: and, and I think that’s

[01:02:14] Scott DeLuzio: Right,

[01:02:15] Andrew Jones: thing to look for is just to know that there’s hope. And, and that’s one of the things that God has put on my heart to share the most with men. I come across with

[01:02:23] especially hardheaded, stubborn veterans.

[01:02:27] is still hope.

[01:02:29] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[01:02:29] Andrew Jones: even though it may not look great Right. now. There’s hope and if my life can be a testament to that, you know, then he can do it to me. He can do it with anybody. Because anybody who knew me back then knew me as someone who was too far gone out of the reach of God. Hope. Hopeless and there’s no hope for this guy. He’s, you know, there’s nothing that’s ever gonna help him. We just, you know, hope that he doesn’t, you know, take himself out. Like that was everybody’s outlook on me. And to go from that to a man

[01:02:59] of [01:03:00] God serving in the kingdom of the Lord, like it’s, if God can do it here, he can do

[01:03:03] it anywhere, I’m telling you.

[01:03:05] Scott DeLuzio: Right. Yeah. And

[01:03:06] Andrew Jones: And

[01:03:06] Scott DeLuzio: I, I think that’s the, the same kind of sentiment that I hear from other folks who have had similar experiences

[01:03:13] Andrew Jones: experiences.

[01:03:14] Scott DeLuzio: where they, they just feel like

[01:03:16] I. There, there’s nothing, there’s no hope, there’s nothing left for me. And,

[01:03:22] You know, I don’t necessarily want to die,

[01:03:25] but they don’t wanna keep living either, if that makes sense.

[01:03:27] and,

[01:03:27] and and then when they, they experience something like this,

[01:03:31] it’s like,

[01:03:32] Andrew Jones: like, it,

[01:03:33] Scott DeLuzio: it,

[01:03:33] it’s almost like, just like a whole new world just opens up in front of them and, and they, they realize like,

[01:03:39] Andrew Jones: like,

[01:03:39] Scott DeLuzio: oh my gosh, there, there is some.

[01:03:41] Some good stuff that can actually happen here. Yeah, sure. A lot of bad things might, might have happened

[01:03:46] in the past, but

[01:03:46] Andrew Jones: but

[01:03:47] Scott DeLuzio: the future is yours to make what you, you will with it and, and to,

[01:03:52] you know, follow,

[01:03:53] Follow God and, and do all those, those things.

[01:03:57] You’re able to

[01:03:59] really just [01:04:00]

[01:04:01] make a whole new better life and not be

[01:04:05] stuck in this.

[01:04:07] Sadness and despair and misery. You don’t have to be stuck in that, that place. And that’s, I think, kind of the, the message that I’m hoping to get across here to folks is that,

[01:04:16] You know, for the, the folks who feel hopeless and like, there’s, there’s nothing

[01:04:20] good going on in their lives.

[01:04:22] They, they feel,

[01:04:23] Well,

[01:04:24] there are good things and, and you just, you just need to be open and, and receptive to receiving those.

[01:04:31] And

[01:04:31] I, I think you, you mentioned something earlier,

[01:04:33] That,

[01:04:34] You know when, when you cried out it’s like.

[01:04:36] Andrew Jones: it’s like

[01:04:37] Scott DeLuzio: you

[01:04:37] did it with a sincere heart and like sincerely wanted a you know, some sort of response as opposed to someone who might say like, oh, hey, God, if you’re real, you know, make that light flicker or something and, and it doesn’t flick.

[01:04:50] And they’re like, oh, well that’s proof. God doesn’t exist. And it’s like, didn’t really want it to happen anyways. So,

[01:04:56] Andrew Jones: You know,

[01:04:57] Scott DeLuzio: you know, it’s, it’s kind of not the same thing. [01:05:00] You, you know, I, I think that’s, that’s my, my takeaway anyways, of kind of what you were saying from, from all that. Right.

[01:05:05] Andrew Jones: Yeah, absolutely. And you know, even at that time that, that

[01:05:07] all this happened with me, I knew nothing about scripture.

[01:05:10] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[01:05:11] Andrew Jones: about what it meant to submit, surrender to God. I knew nothing about any of it. It was just what was, what was in me to do because it, it, it seemed to be what made sense. If I’m gonna, if I’m gonna seriously ask. God who

[01:05:24] people are telling me about for help, well then I

[01:05:28] should, I should do it the best way that I

[01:05:30] Scott DeLuzio: Sure.

[01:05:31] Andrew Jones: And so even dropping to my knees was more just mimicking what I’ve seen on TV or heard people, you know, do you, you pray on your knees, you know, you call to God on your knees. And so even

[01:05:41] that was more of just like, well,

[01:05:43] I, okay, let me

[01:05:45] do that because it’ll show I’m

[01:05:46] serious, you

[01:05:47] Scott DeLuzio: Sure.

[01:05:48] Okay.

[01:05:49] Andrew Jones: and and it really was.

[01:05:49] It was, it was a place where I knew in that moment, either I’m going to from God or I’m going to go get in my car and drive it off a cliff that I’ve [01:06:00] already scouted out. Like I knew where I was going so either I’m gonna die or God’s gonna show up. those were my two options. so there

[01:06:11] was just such a surrender in that moment.

[01:06:14] Like you said,

[01:06:14] it’s not that I really wanted to die. I

[01:06:17] was just tired of what I was going through and

[01:06:19] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:06:20] Andrew Jones: I

[01:06:20] was such a burden to people in my life that it would be

[01:06:23] better off if I did die.

[01:06:25] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:06:26] Andrew Jones: it, those are my options on the table. Die

[01:06:29] or

[01:06:29] truly call out to God and see if he’s really there

[01:06:31] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:06:32] Andrew Jones: man, he showed up

[01:06:34] Scott DeLuzio: and and that’s, you know, thank,

[01:06:36] thankfully he did. Right? Because, you know, the, the alternative was you are, you were planning on arranging a meeting one way or the other. And, and it, you know, luckily it turned out the way it did, right? So,

[01:06:47] Andrew Jones: yeah.

[01:06:47] Scott DeLuzio: You know, so, so you’ve taken this kind of a step further and, and you’ve, you’ve kind of,

[01:06:51] Andrew Jones: of,

[01:06:52] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, sure.

[01:06:53] You know, you, you got yourself squared away and that, that’s good. And, and that’s obviously the desired outcome of, you know, what we’re looking for here. But [01:07:00] you,

[01:07:00] Andrew Jones: you,

[01:07:00] Scott DeLuzio: started a podcast as well locked in, loaded faith as well, right? And,

[01:07:04] You, you’re talking about.

[01:07:05] Maybe some biblical principles and

[01:07:08] Andrew Jones: and

[01:07:08] Scott DeLuzio: maybe,

[01:07:08] thrown in a little bit of a Marine Corps grit in, in the

[01:07:11] In the topic in, in the subject of the show as well.

[01:07:14] So

[01:07:15] Andrew Jones: so

[01:07:15] Scott DeLuzio: talk to us about the show and kind of like how these,

[01:07:18] Kind of

[01:07:18] two

[01:07:18] Andrew Jones: of two

[01:07:19] Scott DeLuzio: pieces of your, your life kind of

[01:07:21] Andrew Jones: of

[01:07:21] Scott DeLuzio: go together in and go hand in hand.

[01:07:24] Andrew Jones: Yeah, for sure. Thanks. Yeah. so the podcast is fairly new for me. I’m about 20 or so episodes into it. You know, it’s just kind of something I got off the ground back in, in May in June. And, but for years prior to that, I’ve spent a lot of time in our veteran community here in Arizona. And, and within my church and men’s group working with men, working with veterans. And for a long time those two, those two parts of my life were kind of separate. I was going to church and I was leading a men’s group and I was focused on church.

[01:07:51] And then outside of that I was running a nonprofit. That was focused on military veterans and suicide prevention in the veteran community. And these were like two [01:08:00] separate entities. And I would always find myself at odds when I would go speak on behalf of the, of the nonprofit because I, I’d get into this place where I, like, I’m wanting to talk about God and my testimony, I’m, I’m

[01:08:11] starting to preach. And then, you know, people are like, you can’t do that

[01:08:15] with this, you know, I’m like, ah,

[01:08:17] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right.

[01:08:18] Andrew Jones: and, and, it was, it was causing this like this, this, this tug of war.

[01:08:21] And. But God, he’s been so incredible in showing me how. The

[01:08:27] Scott DeLuzio: Okay.

[01:08:27] Andrew Jones: how his word, how spiritual warfare, how, you know, just everything in the kingdom of God, how it can line up with all these things that I knew and was really good at in the Marine Corps when it came to, to, to battlefield tactics and strategies and combat and fighting and leadership and all these things that the Marine Corps taught me.

[01:08:45] God’s like, it’s here in my word too. Like it all comes together and, and so. You know, he really led me down this path to eventually get where I’m at now, where it’s merging the two where, you know, he, he’s given me this voice to be able to call [01:09:00] out to, to, to Christian men, specifically men who are in the church, men who who claim to be Christians, you know, to, to to, to lead their families, to rise up and look in the word.

[01:09:09] What does the word say about being a man of God? What does it say about being a husband, being a father? Like what does God say about this? And then let’s do that. And to be able to present it in a way that also adds in this warrior mindset that, that, that shows how, you know, in the Marine Corps, I went through this and that, and I was taught this and that, and it lines up with being a man of God and trying to kind of maybe give some excitement to some. To, some men who might be struggling with seeing the church or being a man of God as a weak thing. I think that there’s a stigma behind men in church that there’s a softness about you or that you know, you can’t be a real man if you’re in the church and. man, God has shown me the complete opposite of that.

[01:09:53] Like, no men of God we’re warriors, like we’re fighters, like we’re meant to lead our families. And, and there’s so [01:10:00] much to that. And so it’s been this this eye-opening freedom almost that as God has brought me into this place of this podcast, to be able to take these two worlds that have been so meaningful to me and merge ’em together. And present God’s word and, and, and speak to Christian men in a way that I would speak to Marines, right? So in, in a lot of my podcast episodes, I’m taking these topics and I’m having the mindset that I’m in front of a platoon of Marines about to go to

[01:10:29] combat, and this is how I’m speaking to you. You know, like, all Right.

[01:10:32] gentlemen, fall in, let’s go.

[01:10:34] You know,

[01:10:34] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:10:35] Andrew Jones: rise up. And, and, and, and so being able to come at it in that way, I believe that. That, that God is definitely going to open doors for men to hear that in a way to where they’ll receive it. and see that being a man of God is a powerful thing. Being gentle according to scripture is actually a strength and is powerful.

[01:10:55] You know, David in the book of Psalms, he tells God, your gentleness has [01:11:00] made me great. Like, if David can,

[01:11:02] can, can say that his greatness came from God’s gentleness,

[01:11:06] there’s a power to gentleness. Like

[01:11:08] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right.

[01:11:09] Andrew Jones: much to it. And so it, it, it, it, it’s been something that I’ve been so happy to, to merge those two things together where I can go out into the military veteran community and impact these veterans that I’ve had a relationship with and these organizations that I’ve built a, a, a network with, but now come at it with a freedom. To say, I’m coming at this from my faith and I’m sharing Jesus with, you know, the mix of the Marine Corps grit

[01:11:35] and the word of God. And I think it’s been a wonderful, a wonderful journey so

[01:11:39] far. And I’m excited where God’s gonna take it.

[01:11:41] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. And you know, like you said, you’re just, just getting started. So I’m, I’m excited to see kind of where, where, where it ends up as well because,

[01:11:48] You know,

[01:11:48] Andrew Jones: you know,

[01:11:49] Scott DeLuzio: I know thinking back to when I started this show not having a clue what I was doing when I started, and, and not having, not knowing like, how, how long would I do this for?

[01:11:58] Would I make it six episodes, [01:12:00] 10 episodes, 20 maybe? You know, I, I had no idea

[01:12:03] and.

[01:12:03] Andrew Jones: And,

[01:12:04] Scott DeLuzio: And here I am years later, still, still doing the same thing and

[01:12:07] Andrew Jones: and

[01:12:08] Scott DeLuzio: You know, just continuing to help,

[01:12:10] help out veterans out there in,

[01:12:12] You know, any way that I can. You obviously have your, your focus and I’m, I’m kind of,

[01:12:15] We’re,

[01:12:16] you know, maybe doing, doing things a little bit differently, but really the same message, getting across, trying to help people you know, with, with the struggles that they have.

[01:12:23] And,

[01:12:23] and one of the things that you, you were talking about that I, I want to just kinda circle back to

[01:12:28] You, you said how, how this gave you like this,

[01:12:31] I,

[01:12:31] think the quote that you said was an eye-opening freedom.

[01:12:34] Right. And,

[01:12:34] Andrew Jones: And,

[01:12:34] Scott DeLuzio: You know, for, for folks who maybe are

[01:12:38] not really following along, like with

[01:12:40] what that, that really means, is that,

[01:12:41] Andrew Jones: that

[01:12:42] Scott DeLuzio: You still got that, that gritty side, that Marine Corps

[01:12:45] toughness. The, The,

[01:12:46] Andrew Jones: the

[01:12:46] Scott DeLuzio: stuff that you did in the, the Marine Corps. No one’s taken that away from you just because you go to church, right? Like you, you still have that. You can, you can turn that switch on if you, if you wanted to or if you needed to, right?

[01:12:56] Like that’s still there.

[01:12:58] You also have [01:13:00]

[01:13:00] like this sense of peace and, and

[01:13:02] calm about you too. You know, I, I could tell, you know, we just started talking, you know, 20, 25 minutes ago or whatever it was when we started talking. I could tell like, you’re,

[01:13:10] you’re, you’re a man who’s, who’s kind of at peace and calm and, and not.

[01:13:15] Not,

[01:13:16] You know, this ball of nerves and, and just totally amped up, ready to go kicking doors and, you know,

[01:13:21] Andrew Jones: know,

[01:13:22] Scott DeLuzio: blast the bad guys away and all, all the, the things like that. Like,

[01:13:25] Andrew Jones: Like,

[01:13:25] Scott DeLuzio: Like, like you might think of a, a typical Marine Marine Corps infantryman.

[01:13:29] You know, but

[01:13:30] you have that side of you that that can be turned on if, if it need to be.

[01:13:34] But

[01:13:35] but gosh, can you imagine.

[01:13:36] Having to walk around with that all the time, where that’s just your default mode is, is always

[01:13:42] turned on in that, that way.

[01:13:44] And

[01:13:45] a lot of people do, a lot of people do walk around like that and,

[01:13:48] You know, and so to your point that there’s that freedom

[01:13:51] that hey.

[01:13:52] Andrew Jones: hey,

[01:13:53] Scott DeLuzio: I don’t have to

[01:13:54] walk around with,

[01:13:56] with this

[01:13:57] ball of energy ready to go constantly every, [01:14:00] every single minute of every single day.

[01:14:02] Like, you know, a lot of, a lot of you know, infantry guys might, might be,

[01:14:05] I’m talking as a, an army infantryman, so I, I’m, I’m kinda making the, the generic you know, leap there that, you know, a lot of infantry guys have some similar qualities regardless of the branch,

[01:14:15] but,

[01:14:15] but

[01:14:16] Andrew Jones: but

[01:14:16] Scott DeLuzio: you don’t, you don’t have to.

[01:14:17] And so you have that freedom of being able to

[01:14:21] turn it on if you want, but also keeping it off if, if you don’t want it to be on. And that’s,

[01:14:26] I think, a great thing. And, and knowing that,

[01:14:28] Andrew Jones: You

[01:14:29] Scott DeLuzio: You

[01:14:29] know, it doesn’t go away just ’cause you’ve turned it off,

[01:14:31] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:14:32] Scott DeLuzio: know, you still can turn it on if you need to. Right.

[01:14:34] Andrew Jones: right? Yep, absolutely. Yeah. There’s I forget the name of the author, but he’s a guy that I met back when I first started speaking to the veteran

[01:14:40] community. But there’s a book it’s called

[01:14:42] Off Switch. And he kind of, you know, speaks

[01:14:45] to that, you

[01:14:45] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:14:46] Andrew Jones: how you just can’t turn it off,

[01:14:47] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:14:48] Andrew Jones: And, and so, and, and that’s how it was. I was one of those men that

[01:14:51] would walk around constantly just on, ready to go, ready to fight, ready to to pick a fight, ready to yell at somebody, just ready to be [01:15:00] upset, just constantly. In a state of just anger and, and, and overall depression that really just show, like, it, it, one of the things my, my wife actually helped me

[01:15:10] see is that it was more of a sadness really that

[01:15:13] displayed itself as anger and rage.

[01:15:16] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:15:17] Andrew Jones: And, and that’s what I was really walking around with, was the sadness that displayed itself in, in anger and rage and wanting to fight all the time. But yeah, you know, one, one of the coolest things I think that. That helped me as a man of God was when I started seeing Jesus as a man’s man, as a warrior. Not as someone soft, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m learning about this Jesus who’s flipping tables. This Jesus who’s stepping up the Pharisees and calling him out. You know, this Jesus, who’s bold in the way that he speaks, you know, when he speaks, it says, you know, that, that they were just in awe over how he

[01:15:51] would talk. And, and it it reminded me of like a drill instructor,

[01:15:54] the way that they would speak with authority.

[01:15:56] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:15:57] Andrew Jones: is doing it in, in, in a way that that is [01:16:00] also. Showing love and

[01:16:01] showing compassion, but he speaks with a boldness and an authority,

[01:16:05] and I’m like, I want to do that. You

[01:16:07] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:16:08] Andrew Jones: I, I, God gave me a very powerful voice and, and, and I used it for many years to intimidate and to frighten and to just yell at marines all the time. And, and it’s something I had to get in a prayer about with God. Like, if you gave me this booming voice and he used to scare people, take it from me. ’cause I don’t want to do that anymore. And he told me, no, I’m gonna teach you to

[01:16:28] use it for, for my word, for for my kingdom. So, okay,

[01:16:31] well teach me how to speak like that then.

[01:16:33] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:16:34] Andrew Jones: know, and just showing that side of spiritual warfare, you know, as a marine, you know, you’re, you’re focused on the enemy and how to take out the enemy and learning about the enemy and, and

[01:16:43] everything about him and God’s like all of that now, now do it with the devil.

[01:16:46] Learn about him. You know, learn his

[01:16:48] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:16:49] Andrew Jones: how he fights, get into spiritual warfare.

[01:16:51] Read in Ephesians about, you know, how your fight is not with people, but is in the spirit with these demonic principalities and spirits and forces. And, [01:17:00] and, and learn that, you know, your, your weapons of warfare are not carnal, they’re spiritual. And learn how to be, you know, good with those weapons. You know, I, I use the a small mark, 1 53 rocket Launcher. Right.

[01:17:11] in the Marine court you know, M sixteens, there’s machine guns and mortars and I got really proficient with them. And God’s going now. Get proficient with prayer. Get proficient with intercession. Get proficient with leading your family. Get proficient with fasting. Get proficient with reading my word, and, and be that. That Marine

[01:17:28] who’s ready to fight a man of God,

[01:17:32] ready to pray for your family.

[01:17:34] Scott DeLuzio: Sure. Yeah.

[01:17:35] Andrew Jones: you know, one of the, the, the examples that, that I love to use is that as a

[01:17:39] man, if somebody were to kick in the front door of your house and come

[01:17:42] after your family, you would fight

[01:17:45] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[01:17:45] Andrew Jones: there would be

[01:17:46] a, a, a, you know, ripping body parts off kind of fight

[01:17:49] going on.

[01:17:50] You’re not getting my family

[01:17:51] Scott DeLuzio: Right? Mm-hmm.

[01:17:52] Andrew Jones: I do that spiritually? If my wife is dealing with depression, will I get into prayer for her? Will I [01:18:00] fast for my family? Like, am I willing to fight spiritually the same way that I would physically if somebody grabbed my

[01:18:07] 3-year-old daughter and try to run off with her?

[01:18:10] mean,

[01:18:11] the, that marine would kick in, Right,

[01:18:13] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right,

[01:18:14] Andrew Jones: and,

[01:18:14] that would not look good for that person.

[01:18:16] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[01:18:17] Andrew Jones: I willing to do that spiritually and fight with that same kind of aggression in my prayer time, in my time of worship, in my time of, of getting into the word of God. And so there’s still that fire, there’s still that aggression.

[01:18:30] There’s still that, that that fighter, that

[01:18:32] warrior in me, but now it’s focused on the

[01:18:35] right enemy.

[01:18:36] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, no, absolutely. And there just kind of an example of what you’re, you’re talking about. So, a few years ago I was, I was walking in our, our neighborhood and, and there were, there were kids who were walking to school.

[01:18:48] Andrew Jones: to

[01:18:48] Scott DeLuzio: There’s a school in our, you know, not far from our house. And

[01:18:51] Andrew Jones: And

[01:18:51] Scott DeLuzio: so there are kids who are, who are walking to school and

[01:18:53] Andrew Jones: and,

[01:18:53] Scott DeLuzio: and a fight started breaking out amongst some of these kids.

[01:18:56] And I was, I was a little distance away. I was maybe a hundred yards or so [01:19:00] away from, from where these kids were,

[01:19:01] but I saw this fight breaking out

[01:19:03] and

[01:19:04] I I, turned on, I, like, I, I,

[01:19:07] Andrew Jones: I,

[01:19:07] Scott DeLuzio: jokingly call it to my, my wife, Sergeant Scott, voice. And you know, I, I, I just had this booming voice.

[01:19:13] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:19:15] Scott DeLuzio: I, kid you not, I had kids apologizing who weren’t even involved in the fight.

[01:19:19] Andrew Jones: Wow.

[01:19:20] Scott DeLuzio: They were, you know, so like that can be turned on. Like, that’s not my default. I’m not constantly screaming and, and

[01:19:27] you know, but hey, it was a tool that I used and I, I helped break up a fight and the kids went on their way and, you know, who knows? Maybe they.

[01:19:34] Andrew Jones: maybe they

[01:19:34] Scott DeLuzio: Started another fight somewhere else so that, you know, when they went around the corner.

[01:19:37] But,

[01:19:37] Andrew Jones: But

[01:19:37] Scott DeLuzio: you know, it,

[01:19:38] I, you know, I, I helped,

[01:19:40] you know, diffuse that situation by using a tool that was available to me. And,

[01:19:45] you know,

[01:19:45] Andrew Jones: You know,

[01:19:45] Scott DeLuzio: had that tool not worked, I would’ve found something else and I, I would’ve continued until I, I figured out how to,

[01:19:52] You know, diffuse that situation, you know, to the best of my ability.

[01:19:54] But.

[01:19:55] Andrew Jones: but,

[01:19:55] Scott DeLuzio: but.

[01:19:56] it, you know, for, for the, the folks who are out there and it’s like, you know, Hey, I don’t want to, [01:20:00] I don’t want to get soft. Like you, you were talking about, I don’t wanna get soft and,

[01:20:03] Andrew Jones: and,

[01:20:03] Scott DeLuzio: Lose that, that ability, you’re not gonna lose anything that, that ability is stuck with you. I don’t care. The Marine Corps, the army, the, you know, whatever branch you were in that, that, that guy drilled into, that’s why they’ve call ’em drill sergeants

[01:20:14] or drill instructors.

[01:20:15] They, they drill that stuff into you.

[01:20:16] Andrew Jones: you.

[01:20:17] Scott DeLuzio: That like that, that’s not going anywhere.

[01:20:19] And so,

[01:20:20] you know, I, I think,

[01:20:21] You know, that, that it’s kind of a big scary thing. It’s like, Hey, I don’t wanna lose any of that stuff. ’cause hey, you know what? That stuff kept you safe when you needed it.

[01:20:28] Right? Well, you, you don’t need that right now.

[01:20:30] You know, I, I don’t, I don’t need to go,

[01:20:32] you know,

[01:20:32] Andrew Jones: you know,

[01:20:33] Scott DeLuzio: bash those kids’ heads in because they were starting a fight, you know, like,

[01:20:36] Andrew Jones: Like,

[01:20:36] Scott DeLuzio: could I, yeah, but that would be a stupid thing to do. Like, why would I do something like that?

[01:20:41] You know, I just, I just used something just to, you know, I thought that was gonna help.

[01:20:45] And so, yeah, I yelled and.

[01:20:46] Boom,

[01:20:47] problem was solved, and, and they, they went about their day.

[01:20:50] You know, but I, I think, you know, another issue that, that a lot of, a lot of veterans have especially,

[01:20:55] You know, during that transition period you know, getting outta the military, it’s like, Hey, I, I was this before [01:21:00] I was, I was a soldier, a, a, a Marine, a, you know, an airman, whoever.

[01:21:04] Now I’m not. Now what am I? And

[01:21:06] You start to lose that sense of purpose and meaning and, and direction. Maybe just feeling dis disconnected all altogether because,

[01:21:14] you know, there was that life that you lived before and now there’s this other life that, that you have going on.

[01:21:18] And, and so sometimes it’s just a struggle to find

[01:21:22] direction or, or meaning, purpose, whatever you wanna call it.

[01:21:26] Andrew Jones: it.

[01:21:26] Scott DeLuzio: Have you, have you found that.

[01:21:28] Andrew Jones: that.

[01:21:28] Scott DeLuzio: This, this newfound faith in, in your life has helped you in any way with that?

[01:21:33] Andrew Jones: that? Oh Yeah.

[01:21:34] absolutely. You know, I went through a similar thing when I got out and, and for, for years I would actually, I, I, I wouldn’t want to tell people I was a Marine. And, and I would actually

[01:21:45] kind of get away from that.

[01:21:46] And if my family ever said anything about it, I,

[01:21:49] you know, would tell ’em, just stop. Like, I don’t, I don’t wanna talk

[01:21:51] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:21:51] Andrew Jones: want to even deal with that. And, but I didn’t know who I was though, but there was just this identity kind of thing going on of like, I don’t, I’m not gonna associate with that [01:22:00] anymore because I don’t feel like it’s a, it’s a part of me.

[01:22:02] And I, I truly didn’t feel worthy of being called a Marine anymore because I had gone down such a deep spiral, know who I was. And so, Yeah.

[01:22:10] definitely went through this, this time of just, I don’t know who I am, I have no identity, I’m just gonna do whatever. And, and really just, just careless about things and. Finding my identity in Christ is pulled me outta that. It saved me From that, it helped me understand just who I am God, not just who I am in Christ, but the specific purpose that he has for my life, the, the mission that he has for me. So as, as a veteran you know, as a, a Marine, anyone, you know, in the infantry a combat, MOS. You’re very much just built up and developed to be on a mission. You’re preparing for a mission. You’re in a mission. You’re debriefing a mission like you’re always doing and training for something. And so God was able to show me this is who you are to me [01:23:00] and in my kingdom, and here is the, the purpose and the mission that I have for you.

[01:23:05] And when I can connect with that. Now that

[01:23:08] identity crisis is, is gone.

[01:23:10] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:23:11] Andrew Jones: who I am. I’m a child of the most high God. I’m a mighty man of valor because God says I am. You know, all these different things that God says I am. And then getting into His word and seeing what God has called me to do. You know at at its at its core, every one of us are called to go out and preach the gospel, to go out and tell people about who Jesus is. even if I don’t know my specific purpose, I at least know that part of it, Right.

[01:23:36] I kind of see the only, see that as like being like a, a basic rifleman in the kingdom of God. You know, in the Marine Corps they say every marine is a rifleman, right? You can sign up for a

[01:23:45] computer job, but before you go to that computer school, you’re gonna

[01:23:48] learn to be a rifleman first. Then

[01:23:51] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:23:51] Andrew Jones: go learn how to do computers. And so, you know, in the Kingdom of God, I look at it as soon as you receive Christ and you’re a

[01:23:57] Christian, like you’re a basic rifleman in the

[01:23:59] kingdom of God, [01:24:00] go preach the

[01:24:00] gospel. Go tell people who, who Jesus is.

[01:24:02] Scott DeLuzio: Right,

[01:24:03] Andrew Jones: you can at least do that.

[01:24:04] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[01:24:05] Andrew Jones: then, you know, God’s gonna show you your specific purpose, what he is, what he’s molding you into, what he’s creating you to do specifically in the body of Christ for you.

[01:24:15] You know, because. That’s the thing that, that, that really helped me out a lot is God showing me that we are all, you know, part of the body of Christ and we’re all, we all have a calling for something specific. And so he’s calling us all to something. He’s gifting us all in a certain way to do something specific for the Kingdom of God. And once I could grab a hold of that, all of that identity stuff went, went, went out the window. I knew who I was. I knew what my mission was, I knew what my purpose was, and now it’s like, it’s like life is back. Like I’m back now. I know what I’m doing. I’m, you know, just, it is like, like a runaway machine gun all of a sudden just, you know, I’m that I was a running a runaway machine gun and God was able to get, get, get ahold of me, get me

[01:24:56] back on target, you know, put the right ammo in me, [01:25:00] lock me in,

[01:25:00] and start pulling that trigger again.

[01:25:01] Scott DeLuzio: Sure, sure. I, I like that analogy actually, that, that,

[01:25:05] because sometimes it feels that way, like you’re,

[01:25:08] life just seems like it’s just getting away from you. It’s like,

[01:25:10] like

[01:25:11] sometimes days, weeks, months.

[01:25:15] Sometimes

[01:25:15] years even pass. And you’re like, what, what am I doing with my life? And, and what’s the, what’s the point, what’s the purpose?

[01:25:21] And I could see how,

[01:25:22] you know,

[01:25:23] Andrew Jones: know,

[01:25:23] Scott DeLuzio: you know, when, when you were talking before about just being at that point where it’s like, what’s the point anymore? Like, it just, just seems like hopeless at, at that point.

[01:25:32] Like, I, I get it. Like that, that makes, makes a ton of sense because,

[01:25:36] you know, you’re.

[01:25:36] you’re

[01:25:36] Andrew Jones: you’re

[01:25:38] Scott DeLuzio: A runaway machine gun, you know, like you’re, you’re, you’re not,

[01:25:41] you’re not on target, you’re not focused on, on where you need to be.

[01:25:44] And,

[01:25:45] Andrew Jones: And,

[01:25:45] Scott DeLuzio: You know, just like the Marine Corps, you know, every, every Marine’s a rifleman.

[01:25:48] But they, they also have other, other jobs. There’s other things there, right? And so yeah, sure. You, you can find your, your faith, right? And that, that’s, that’s good. And, and that’s

[01:25:58] that’s kind of the, the [01:26:00] foundational level of, of everything, but.

[01:26:03] There may be some other purpose, you know, may, maybe not everybody’s purpose is to start a podcast and, and

[01:26:09] spread a, a message of whatever the, the, the message may be through a podcast.

[01:26:14] Well,

[01:26:14] Andrew Jones: Well,

[01:26:14] Scott DeLuzio: like you said, there might be a computer job, there might be a, you know, a finance job. There might be a something else,

[01:26:20] Where your purpose is more aligned.

[01:26:22] Whatever it is that you were created for, to do what, whatever your purpose is.

[01:26:26] Andrew Jones: is.

[01:26:26] Scott DeLuzio: There, there’s something out there for you.

[01:26:28] Andrew Jones: you.

[01:26:29] Scott DeLuzio: It’s just a matter of figuring out what that is. And, and sometimes the best way to do that, I think is, is to

[01:26:36] be open

[01:26:38] to kind of surrendering everything that you, you thought you knew and,

[01:26:43] You know, kind of

[01:26:43] Andrew Jones: kind of

[01:26:44] Scott DeLuzio: start from scratch.

[01:26:45] And, and that might sound scary to some people, like, well, starting from scratch, like, I’m,

[01:26:48] Andrew Jones: I’m

[01:26:49] Scott DeLuzio: you know.

[01:26:49] 40 something years old and you know, I gotta start from scratch like that. That seems like I’m a little, little too far in the game. But

[01:26:55] Andrew Jones: but,

[01:26:56] Scott DeLuzio: yeah. But

[01:26:56] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:26:56] Scott DeLuzio: if you’re, if you’re miserable and

[01:26:58] like you’re gonna continue [01:27:00] living for,

[01:27:00] you know, however many more years and continue to be miserable, like

[01:27:04] Andrew Jones: like,

[01:27:04] Scott DeLuzio: what do you got to lose, you know?

[01:27:05] Andrew Jones: You know? I think one of the I’d say is a, I’m wanna say it was a quote or just a message I saw recently, and I forget exactly where I even heard it, but it was a question that was presented. If you could do anything for the glory of God and you knew it would be 100% successful. would that thing be?

[01:27:25] And then when you come up with the answer for that, the next

[01:27:27] question is, now why aren’t you doing it?

[01:27:30] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:27:31] Andrew Jones: Right? And so, like, I think in, in our heart, like everyone’s gonna have a different answer to that. You know, when I had that encounter with Christ you know, being the, the Marine, I am after that, that moment of I love you, everything’s gonna be okay. My, my first response to God was,

[01:27:45] okay, now what would you have me do? like, I’m,

[01:27:49] I’m a Marine. Give me a mission. You know?

[01:27:51] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:27:52] Andrew Jones: And, and he gave me two specific things in that moment. One was to marry Chelsea. ’cause we were dating at the time, we were living together, we were playing marriage. [01:28:00] God said, that’s the wife I’ve given you.

[01:28:01] Marry that woman. Okay, awesome. Done. Check. I’m marrying her. Proposed to her within a month we got married, like, all is good. And the second thing he told me was, tell people about me. That there’s hope in me. And so the mission he gave me right off the bat

[01:28:15] was talk about me. Use the voice I’ve given you

[01:28:19] and just go tell people.

[01:28:20] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:28:21] Andrew Jones: you know, the, the, the Bible tells us that our gifts will make room for us, right? And so, okay, God, if you’ve g gifted me with, with a voice and to be able to speak and the confidence to stand in front of people and to talk about you. Then I’m just gonna go start doing it and then see what doors open along the way. so moving in, in just the, the basic mission that God gave me, just go talk about me, son. Just go tell people about me that there’s hope in me. Okay, yes, I’ll go do that. All of a sudden doors are opening there. There’s opportunities to work with nonprofits, there’s opportunities to, to work with politicians to affect change within different bills and Congress and all these things where [01:29:00] I’m like, what’s happening?

[01:29:01] Like, how am I at this table? How am I in this group? How am I speaking to this person? How am I on this phone call with these people? Like there’s no way I could

[01:29:11] could’ve gotten here on my own. so just following that

[01:29:14] specific purpose that God has given me.

[01:29:16] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah,

[01:29:17] Andrew Jones: open the doors for it. And so for

[01:29:19] me, he said, speak, go speak

[01:29:22] for someone

[01:29:22] else.

[01:29:22] He, he may, you know, say, do something else,

[01:29:25] Scott DeLuzio: sure.

[01:29:25] Andrew Jones: we’re all gonna have that specific purpose.

[01:29:27] Scott DeLuzio: Right. And.

[01:29:29] Initially, I, I gotta imagine that stuff like that is, is a little intimidating, right? I’ve, I’ve never gone and spoken to people in this manner before, and

[01:29:36] Andrew Jones: and

[01:29:37] Scott DeLuzio: how am I gonna start doing that? Like, just,

[01:29:39] Andrew Jones: just,

[01:29:39] Scott DeLuzio: just start like, I don’t know. I guess, I guess that’s how you do it, right? And you just start, right?

[01:29:43] But when, when you start doing that

[01:29:45] Andrew Jones: that.

[01:29:46] Scott DeLuzio: because you’re the one who’s doing the talking and you’re, you’re out there speaking to people and you’re, you’re spreading a message,

[01:29:53] however it is that you’re, you’re doing it.

[01:29:55] Andrew Jones: it,

[01:29:55] Scott DeLuzio: People are, are listening to you and they’re, they’re forming opinions as they’re listening to [01:30:00] you.

[01:30:00] Andrew Jones: you.

[01:30:00] Scott DeLuzio: You know, this, this guy, he’s, he makes a lot of sense. Or, you know, somebody else. If, if you’re not doing a great job of someone like say, Hey, that that guy’s full of crap. And you know, but,

[01:30:09] Andrew Jones: but,

[01:30:09] Scott DeLuzio: but

[01:30:10] you, you start to kind of learn what, what

[01:30:13] it is that you’re supposed to be.

[01:30:14] Andrew Jones: to be.

[01:30:16] Scott DeLuzio: Telling people. And

[01:30:17] Andrew Jones: And

[01:30:17] Scott DeLuzio: it, when you, when you’ve got that dialed in

[01:30:20] and you’ve got that purpose and that that mission focused and, and you’re on target, you know, going back to that analogy,

[01:30:26] You’re gonna be the, the one who people are looking at like, yeah, you know, this guy’s making a lot of sense.

[01:30:31] And,

[01:30:31] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:30:31] Scott DeLuzio: And that’s, that’s where you wanna be. And so, you know, you kind of have to be,

[01:30:36] I think receptive to the,

[01:30:38] To

[01:30:38] the signals that are, are coming to you, the, the,

[01:30:41] you know, whether

[01:30:42] wherever they’re coming from be receptive to those things. ’cause

[01:30:46] You know, you, you may, you may think you know what you’re supposed to be doing, but you, you may not actually know and you know, be, be open to hey, that that might need,

[01:30:54] Andrew Jones: need,

[01:30:55] Scott DeLuzio: you might need to change what it is that you’re doing and, and you know, kinda shift gears a little bit [01:31:00] and,

[01:31:00] That, that’s,

[01:31:01] that’s kind of.

[01:31:02] God guiding you in that right direction, getting you back on target. ’cause you’re, you’re starting to veer a little bit off course and let’s, let’s,

[01:31:08] and, and you know, who knows? Maybe down the line the target changes too, you know? Yeah. You’ve nailed that target and you’ve, you’ve,

[01:31:14] Andrew Jones: you’ve

[01:31:14] Scott DeLuzio: accomplished that mission,

[01:31:16] You know, just like a, a Marine Corps infantryman would do.

[01:31:19] Like, you’re,

[01:31:19] Andrew Jones: you’re, you’re

[01:31:20] Scott DeLuzio: got a mission. Cool, we went out, we, we accomplished that mission.

[01:31:25] What’s next? What’s my next mission? Right? And so,

[01:31:28] you know, go out there and.

[01:31:28] Andrew Jones: and

[01:31:29] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Yeah.

[01:31:30] Go out there and nail that mission and, and do it to the best of your ability. I, I mean,

[01:31:34] Andrew Jones: mean,

[01:31:35] Scott DeLuzio: can’t imagine there was a moment

[01:31:37] e even a single moment where you’re like, you know what?

[01:31:39] I’m gonna go out and, and I’m just going to,

[01:31:41] Andrew Jones: gonna,

[01:31:43] Scott DeLuzio: I’m tired today. I’m not, I’m not gonna

[01:31:44] Andrew Jones: gonna

[01:31:45] Scott DeLuzio: put it in a hundred percent effort As, as a, as a,

[01:31:47] Andrew Jones: as a,

[01:31:48] Scott DeLuzio: as a as a Marine. Right. So

[01:31:50] you, you’re,

[01:31:50] Andrew Jones: you,

[01:31:50] Scott DeLuzio: I mean, I, I’m sure you get a, you know.

[01:31:52] Andrew Jones: you know, a,

[01:31:54] Scott DeLuzio: You, you, you’d get taken care of real quick if, if you didn’t. Right.

[01:31:57] You know, so

[01:31:59] [01:32:00] you go out there and you give it a hundred percent and you do the job, you get, you accomplish the mission, and you move on,

[01:32:05] Andrew Jones: on.

[01:32:05] Scott DeLuzio: To, to that next thing.

[01:32:06] And, and that next thing,

[01:32:07] Andrew Jones: thing,

[01:32:08] Scott DeLuzio: you’re saying, like doors are being opened and, and conversations are, are being had and,

[01:32:12] Andrew Jones: and,

[01:32:12] Scott DeLuzio: You know, you kind of follow along those doors,

[01:32:14] That are, that are opening and, and it’ll,

[01:32:16] it’ll,

[01:32:17] Andrew Jones: it’ll

[01:32:17] Scott DeLuzio: Present new opportunities to you. And I, I think that’s,

[01:32:20] You know, kind of a, a, a wonderful thing to, to be able to follow those

[01:32:24] those opportunities, you know?

[01:32:25] Andrew Jones: Yeah. Amen. And there’s always gonna be a next thing. I think that’s the, you know, for, for those who are struggling with, with, with, with following God and with, you know, thinking, is this really for me?

[01:32:35] Or is, is it gonna, what’s it gonna look like? you know?

[01:32:38] you don’t

[01:32:38] always know what it’s gonna look like, but I know who’s guiding

[01:32:40] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[01:32:41] Andrew Jones: I know that, that he has a purpose for me and, and there’s always going to be something. That, That, he’s

[01:32:47] doing, God is always doing something. Either I’m going into something,

[01:32:51] I’m in something or I’m coming outta something.

[01:32:53] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:32:54] Andrew Jones: You know, and there’s always gonna be so many awesome surprises to where you

[01:32:57] can look back and see, oh, okay, God, I [01:33:00] see where you were moving in all of

[01:33:01] this. And where, how I’ve gotten where I’m at and,

[01:33:03] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:33:03] Andrew Jones: know, I’ve gone through so many season. Since I, I, I received Christ since I had that encounter. There’s been seasons of, of, of working with nonprofits, seasons of helping to just build the church. Just being focused on my local church and just helping to in ministry and build the church seasons of just, I need to be a father right now. I need to focus on my kids.

[01:33:23] I need to focus on my wife, and I need to just you know, disciple my home. And you know, seasons of, of I’m going out and I’m speaking and I, and I’m, I’m, you know, taking on speaking engagements and things like that. Like, there’s always going to be something that, that God has you doing. And it’s, it, it’s an

[01:33:38] incredible, it’s an incredible journey to be on because

[01:33:42] it’s gonna have things that, that you don’t expect.

[01:33:44] You

[01:33:44] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:33:45] Andrew Jones: I have two little girls one and a half and three and a half years old. And they have brought a something out of me that I didn’t know existed. A gentleness from strength and, and just a, a love that I never thought I would ever [01:34:00] experience, but, but God brought these, you know, little babies into my life and a miraculous way.

[01:34:04] You know, there’s a great testimony me and my wife shared. For over seven years, we were believing for a baby. Doctors told my wife, you can’t have kids you can’t get pregnant. If you did get pregnant, you wouldn’t be able to sustain the pregnancy. We kept praying, praying, praying a little bit over seven years, she’s pregnant.

[01:34:20] Boom, we got two little baby girls, like, God is good. And, and so he brought these miracles into our life and, you know, just, it, it, would not be living the life I’m living now if it wasn’t for that moment of complete surrender. God, if you’re there. Show me, help me because I am broken and I have. Completely destroyed my life. And so I need you to to, to take it and put it back together. And my trust is in you to do that. when we can do that, God’s gonna just bring you down a journey of things that you can’t even imagine. There’s no way over 10 years ago that I could imagine my life being what it is right now. And there’s not a morning [01:35:00] that goes by that I don’t wake up and have a ti have a moment with God of just being grateful and thankful

[01:35:06] and just feeling like I don’t deserve any of this.

[01:35:10] God, thank you. Thank you for my family.

[01:35:12] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:35:13] Andrew Jones: my home. Thank You for the very breath in my lungs today.

[01:35:16] How may I

[01:35:17] glorify you today? and it’s

[01:35:19] a wonderful life to, to,

[01:35:20] be a part of.

[01:35:22] Scott DeLuzio: You know,

[01:35:22] Andrew Jones: know,

[01:35:22] Scott DeLuzio: you just said something right there

[01:35:24] just

[01:35:25] a couple seconds ago that,

[01:35:27] As you were saying it, I was thinking about

[01:35:30] some of the listeners who might be listening to this episode right now.

[01:35:33] And you said, you know, I,

[01:35:35] Andrew Jones: I,

[01:35:35] Scott DeLuzio: I

[01:35:35] don’t deserve it, but I, you know, I’m grateful that I, I have it.

[01:35:38] Andrew Jones: it.

[01:35:38] Scott DeLuzio: And I feel like there, there might be some listeners out there who

[01:35:41] are like, you know what,

[01:35:42] Andrew Jones: what,

[01:35:42] Scott DeLuzio: I don’t even wanna bother because I know, I know I’m just such a broken person. I don’t deserve.

[01:35:49] The, to even have hope or I don’t deserve to have

[01:35:52] these good things that you’re, you know, it’s great, great for you. I’m glad that, that you got all the things that you got going on in your life. You know, you got your [01:36:00] kids, you got your wife, you got,

[01:36:00] Andrew Jones: you got,

[01:36:01] Scott DeLuzio: you know,

[01:36:01] Andrew Jones: you know,

[01:36:03] Scott DeLuzio: all, all those things that you got going on.

[01:36:05] You know,

[01:36:05] that, that’s great, but I, you know, I don’t deserve it.

[01:36:07] Andrew Jones: it,

[01:36:07] Scott DeLuzio: And so

[01:36:09] I’m not even gonna bother,

[01:36:10] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:36:11] Scott DeLuzio: but gosh, that, that’s just not true. Right? I mean,

[01:36:13] there, there was probably a point in time when you, you felt that way too,

[01:36:16] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:36:17] Scott DeLuzio: and.

[01:36:18] And, and felt like,

[01:36:19] Andrew Jones: like,

[01:36:20] Scott DeLuzio: man,

[01:36:21] it’s, I’m a lost cause.

[01:36:23] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:36:23] Scott DeLuzio: But look at you now,

[01:36:24] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:36:25] Scott DeLuzio: And, and what if, just, what if you could Turn that around. you know?

[01:36:30] Andrew Jones: And you know, it’s, it, it, it’s, it, it, it all has to point back to Jesus. It all has to point back to the cross to you know, just the, the, the, the, the

[01:36:38] simple scripture. And I say simple just ’cause most people know?

[01:36:40] it. John three 16,

[01:36:41] right? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten

[01:36:44] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[01:36:44] Andrew Jones: that whoever believes

[01:36:45] in him, when not perish, but have eternal life. And

[01:36:48] that, that whosoever is, is all of us.

[01:36:50] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:36:51] Andrew Jones: hopeless, those who feel like I don’t deserve this.

[01:36:53] Those who feel like I’m

[01:36:54] too gone. You’re the whosoever.

[01:36:56] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right.

[01:36:57] Andrew Jones: scripture says for [01:37:00] whosoever like that’s. Everyone. when Jesus was on the cross and he looked at those Roman soldiers who had nailed him to the cross, who had spat in his face, who had ripped his beard out, scourged his back, you know, nailed him there.

[01:37:13] Like he said, father, forgive him. You know, they know now what they do. There was a forgiveness even for them and. I think the, the most powerful thing that has helped me that, that, I always try to say this in a way to where people don’t take it wrong, but understand the heart behind it is when someone says, you know what, Andrew?

[01:37:31] I just

[01:37:32] don’t deserve it.

[01:37:33] my answer is, you’re Right.

[01:37:35] You don’t,

[01:37:36] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. Right.

[01:37:39] Andrew Jones: you’re not good enough. You don’t deserve what Jesus did on the cross for you, he did it. he loves you. And when he was on the cross, the word says that he saw the joy set before him and that joy set before him was us, he would go through that. [01:38:00] me, for you. Like, and, and not because we deserve it, not because we’re good enough, not because I did anything great. Not because I did enough works. Not because I, I, I said, I love you, Lord. Like none of that matters. It’s, it, it, it’s not my worthiness. It’s not my, it’s not that that I deserve it. that he

[01:38:20] did it because he loves me and he values me.

[01:38:24] To shed his blood for me.

[01:38:25] Scott DeLuzio: Right.

[01:38:26] Andrew Jones: if I can just come to a place to accept that, then I can have that great exchange at the cross of leaving all of my despair and depression and hurt and pain and shame at the cross to receive his great love from my life and to move in his righteousness and, and, and with his power.

[01:38:47] It’s, it, it’s just coming to that place of, of truly going, you know what? I don’t deserve it. really don’t deserve it. I’m in, I’m not worthy for of, of this, but Jesus, you did it for me. So [01:39:00] thank You

[01:39:00] that you would love me enough to do that. And so my

[01:39:04] life, it’s yours.

[01:39:06] Scott DeLuzio: You know, and I, I think the,

[01:39:08] the best way to maybe,

[01:39:09] Kinda explain what you were saying to someone who,

[01:39:12] who

[01:39:13] still is like, you know,

[01:39:14] Andrew Jones: you know,

[01:39:14] Scott DeLuzio: yeah, I don’t deserve it and I’m not gonna bother. You know, like, think of it like

[01:39:18] a parent who like.

[01:39:20] Andrew Jones: like.

[01:39:20] Scott DeLuzio: You’re a father? I’m a father. Like,

[01:39:22] Andrew Jones: Like,

[01:39:23] Scott DeLuzio: like I’d take a bullet for my kids.

[01:39:25] Like

[01:39:25] Andrew Jones: Like,

[01:39:25] Scott DeLuzio: I wouldn’t even think about it. Like it’s just, I would, I would do that, you know? And,

[01:39:29] Andrew Jones: and,

[01:39:30] Scott DeLuzio: They haven’t

[01:39:31] done anything necessarily to deserve that. Like, they didn’t earn

[01:39:35] me taking a bullet, you know, like there’s no,

[01:39:37] there’s nothing they could do to earn it.

[01:39:39] Andrew Jones: it,

[01:39:40] Scott DeLuzio: You know, for, for me to,

[01:39:42] Andrew Jones: to

[01:39:42] Scott DeLuzio: have that desire, not, not desire that I, I want to take a bullet for them, but

[01:39:46] that I would do that willingly, willingly.

[01:39:49] I I mean there, there’s nothing that they could do

[01:39:51] ever

[01:39:52] that would

[01:39:53] Andrew Jones: would

[01:39:53] Scott DeLuzio: create that desire inside me, but I have it like it’s there.

[01:39:57] And, and so

[01:39:59] in, in, a [01:40:00] way, it, it’s very similar. It’s like, you know,

[01:40:01] Andrew Jones: you know,

[01:40:02] Scott DeLuzio: yeah, Jesus died on the cross

[01:40:03] for you

[01:40:05] and. You know,

[01:40:09] you’re just gonna like throw that all away, like

[01:40:11] Andrew Jones: Right.

[01:40:12] Scott DeLuzio: it’s pretty.

[01:40:13] Pretty big thing that he did for you there, you know, and it’s like,

[01:40:15] Andrew Jones: like,

[01:40:16] Scott DeLuzio: let’s let’s maybe you know, take a second and, and,

[01:40:18] Andrew Jones: and, and,

[01:40:18] Scott DeLuzio: you know, be appreciative of it, of it, but, you know, he was gonna do that for you

[01:40:22] Andrew Jones: you

[01:40:22] Scott DeLuzio: matter what it was that you did all the, all the bad things that you might’ve, might’ve done in your life.

[01:40:27] You know, whether it was,

[01:40:28] you know, drinking or drugs or, you know, maybe, maybe you know, failed marriages or all the things that.

[01:40:34] that

[01:40:34] Andrew Jones: that

[01:40:35] Scott DeLuzio: You’re looking at in, in, in someone’s background and, and they’re, they’re sitting there thinking like, I’ve done all these bad things, or,

[01:40:40] you know, yeah, I, I, I was

[01:40:43] maybe not the best person in, in the world, but

[01:40:45] Andrew Jones: but

[01:40:46] Scott DeLuzio: that doesn’t matter.

[01:40:47] It’s not like you’re

[01:40:48] Andrew Jones: you’re

[01:40:48] Scott DeLuzio: like, like you could have done anything that would’ve

[01:40:52] made him change his mind.

[01:40:54] Andrew Jones: right.

[01:40:54] Scott DeLuzio: Oh, it’s like, oh, you know what? Yeah, because

[01:40:57] because you drank a little bit too much. You know what, maybe I’m not [01:41:00] gonna go, you know, die on the cross for you. It’s like, that’s not, that’s not the, the thing, you know, but,

[01:41:04] Andrew Jones: but,

[01:41:05] Scott DeLuzio: You know, it, it, it’s, it happened regardless,

[01:41:08] and, and,

[01:41:08] maybe in spite of all the things that you might have done

[01:41:11] Andrew Jones: done.

[01:41:11] Scott DeLuzio: and

[01:41:12] Andrew Jones: that that’s, the, that great message of the cross.

[01:41:14] There’s, there’s

[01:41:15] not enough good I could ever do to

[01:41:17] deserve

[01:41:17] Scott DeLuzio: right.

[01:41:18] Andrew Jones: and there’s

[01:41:18] not enough bad

[01:41:19] I could do to not

[01:41:20] be able to receive it.

[01:41:23] Scott DeLuzio: Sure. Yeah.

[01:41:24] Andrew Jones: Yeah. Yeah.

[01:41:25] Scott DeLuzio: And that, that’s, you know, a great way of, of, of looking at it,

[01:41:28] Andrew Jones: it

[01:41:28] Scott DeLuzio: And knowing that

[01:41:29] Andrew Jones: that

[01:41:29] Scott DeLuzio: no, maybe you didn’t do anything necessary to deserve it, but hey, you got it. And it’s here

[01:41:35] anyways.

[01:41:36] Andrew Jones: Yeah.

[01:41:37] Scott DeLuzio: Do something with it.

[01:41:38] Andrew Jones: it.

[01:41:38] Scott DeLuzio: Take it, and, and do something good with that, you know?

[01:41:42] Andrew Jones: That’s that, that, that free gift of grace and

[01:41:44] Scott DeLuzio: yeah.

[01:41:45] Andrew Jones: you know, it, it’s definitely one of the things that, that helps keep him, helps keep me appreciative in it, is that it’s a free gift of grace that he’s given me to receive and have eternal life with him. And now it’s like joining

[01:41:56] the Marine Corps, right? I, I joined the Marine Corps.

[01:41:59] [01:42:00] Great. And now there’s a mission.

[01:42:01] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah.

[01:42:02] Andrew Jones: now there’s, there is an expectation on my life to, to, to be a certain way, to live a certain way. To speak a certain way. You know,

[01:42:10] it, it’s not it’s not uncommon that people can pick a marine out

[01:42:13] of a crowd just because of the way that they stand, the

[01:42:16] Scott DeLuzio: Okay.

[01:42:16] Andrew Jones: they look, the way that they speak, you know? And, and gotta show me the same thing in, as a Christian, people should be able to. Know that I am a man of God, not because I wear a cross, not because I say holy, holy, holy, you know, God Almighty. But because of the way that, that I present myself, because of my character because of the way that I speak and the, the honor that, that I show that that fruit in my life, that that shows the, the character of

[01:42:42] Christ. You know, and, and, and that’s where, where it comes.

[01:42:45] So it is, it’s a free gift of grace.

[01:42:47] Scott DeLuzio: Mm-hmm.

[01:42:48] Andrew Jones: I get to receive no matter what. And now that I’m in the body of Christ, God’s saying, okay, we got some work to do. You know, it’s, it’s not the works that got

[01:42:57] me into the body, but now [01:43:00] that I’m in the body,

[01:43:01] God’s saying we got some work to do.

[01:43:03] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, exactly.

[01:43:04] So

[01:43:04] Andrew Jones: So that, I

[01:43:06] Scott DeLuzio: that, I mean, this has, this has been a, you know, I, I think a great conversation and, and it has a lot of,

[01:43:11] A lot of great messages.

[01:43:12] Andrew Jones: messages.

[01:43:13] Scott DeLuzio: Hope for, for folks who might be sitting there feeling hopeless, feeling like.

[01:43:17] Andrew Jones: like

[01:43:17] Scott DeLuzio: You might have felt you know, a few years ago and, you know, feeling like,

[01:43:22] what’s the point?

[01:43:23] You know, even, you know, to

[01:43:24] Andrew Jones: to

[01:43:25] Scott DeLuzio: wake up tomorrow. What,

[01:43:26] Andrew Jones: What,

[01:43:26] Scott DeLuzio: what difference does it make if I do or don’t? And,

[01:43:28] You know, hopefully this, this is helping,

[01:43:31] People kind of move in that direction

[01:43:32] Andrew Jones: direction

[01:43:33] Scott DeLuzio: To, find their, find their faith, find, find God, find Jesus, and,

[01:43:37] and

[01:43:37] and

[01:43:39] Andrew Jones: Yeah,

[01:43:39] Scott DeLuzio: make those changes. Be receptive to those, those changes.

[01:43:43] And I know, you know, through your, your podcast again locked and loaded faith is. you know,

[01:43:49] helping to spread that message. And, and I’m, I’m sure you, you, you have some

[01:43:52] Andrew Jones: some

[01:43:53] Scott DeLuzio: You know, different resources or, or folks that you talk to on, on the show that,

[01:43:56] Andrew Jones: that,

[01:43:56] Scott DeLuzio: you know, that, that can help folks out who, who want to [01:44:00] kind of explore that a little bit,

[01:44:01] Andrew Jones: bit,

[01:44:01] Scott DeLuzio: little bit more on their own.

[01:44:02] Andrew Jones: own. So.

[01:44:03] Scott DeLuzio: so. Definitely you know, for the listeners, go, go check out that podcast. I’ll, I’ll have the link in the the show notes there for you.

[01:44:10] Andrew Jones: you.

[01:44:10] Scott DeLuzio: But yeah, check, check it out because,

[01:44:12] That that might just be the thing that you’re missing, you know, in your life. You know, may, maybe that’s the thing

[01:44:17] that, that piece that’s gonna hold the whole puzzle together and.

[01:44:20] Andrew Jones: And.

[01:44:21] Scott DeLuzio: that’s

[01:44:21] the glue for, for the whole thing. And,

[01:44:24] You know, if you,

[01:44:24] Andrew Jones: if

[01:44:24] Scott DeLuzio: if you’re missing that one piece, the, the whole thing’s gonna start feeling crumbly and, and like a runaway machine gun that, that’s just not gonna get on target, you know?

[01:44:33] Andrew Jones: know?

[01:44:33] Yeah.

[01:44:33] Scott DeLuzio: And, and so I, I, I do,

[01:44:35] First off, appreciate you coming on the show and, and sharing your, your story and your insights and,

[01:44:40] Andrew Jones: and

[01:44:40] Scott DeLuzio: and and your, your faith with us.

[01:44:42] And, and also for.

[01:44:43] The support that you, you give to fellow veterans. I, I think it’s definitely an important work and, and I thank you for, for all the work that you do.

[01:44:50] Andrew Jones: Yeah. God is good. Thank you again for the opportunity.

[01:44:52] This has been awesome.

[01:44:53] I

[01:44:54] I love these kind of conversations. I can have ’em all day long, so just any

[01:44:57] chance to talk about Jesus, I’ll take it.

[01:44:59] Scott DeLuzio: [01:45:00] Excellent. Well, thanks so much.

[01:45:01] Take care.

[01:45:01] Andrew Jones: Take care. All right.​