From Alcohol Dependence To Real Freedom | Justin Lindsey | This is Life

We sit down with Justin Lindsey as he tells the truth about alcohol, ambition, and the moment he stopped being a fan of Jesus and started living surrendered. He shares how baptism, rehab, and a veteran-focused faith program reshaped his identity and led him into 410 days of sobriety and a new calling. 

Justin Email: cptjustinlindsey@gmail.com

Mighty Oaks: https://www.mightyoaksprograms.org/

• Justin’s path from on-and-off church attendance to a spontaneous baptism 
• Growing up around drinking, isolation, and unresolved anger after his parents split 
• Building a high-performing career while hiding a collapsing inner life 
• Alcohol as a constant coping tool for stress, celebration, and pain 
• Losing a job, starting marriage counseling, and resisting the label of alcoholism 
• Entering a 45-day recovery program, hitting the point of surrender, and praying for Jesus to take it 
• Learning to live by one command, obey 
• Finding purpose through Mighty Oaks Foundation and serving others in recovery 
• Practical warnings for “I can handle it” thinking and the cost of waiting 
• What sobriety looks like now, going back to school, and becoming a history teacher 

You can jump on the app, click share my story, fill out the form, and then we'll be in contact with you. 

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Transcript

Cold Open And Share Your Story

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Oh, that was abrupt. What in the world? And so I apologize for that. Maybe it's been because I'm a little rusty with the board here. And so well, here we are in the podcast room with uh Justin uh on This Is Life, and so we're excited about having you with us, bro. And uh, you know, all the kind of things. And man, I tell you, uh, if you've um if you've been thinking through, if you're listening, obviously you're processing, like, should I share my story? You should. And you can jump on the app, click share my story, fill out the form, and then we'll be in contact with you. But we would love uh for people to be encouraged uh by what God has done through your life. And so like everybody has a story, and that story is worth telling. And uh your story uh is gonna make a difference in somebody's life. And so it's good to have Justin with us uh this afternoon.

Meet Justin And The Baptism Night

SPEAKER_01 1:09

And so, Justin, could you just kind of introduce yourself a little bit? Tell us how long you've been coming to church, introduce your family, uh, why you started coming here, all those kind of things.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Yeah, so uh my name's Justin Lindsey. Um I have my wife is Melissa and we have three kids. We've been coming here for this is probably about 2017, on and off. Um not really real active until probably the last year or so. That's awesome. And yeah, we've we've always you know, we've we've been coming and we've always enjoyed it, but we just never really kind of completely jumped all the way in. Um you know that kind of changed about, I mean, for me it changed back in January 4th of 2025.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Sure. Um what happened January 4th, 2025?

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Baptized.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Um awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

That was it was um dark and stormy.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Was that one of the was that one of the spontaneous or no? Yeah, I was it scheduled.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Uh I don't I'm I've been told that it was spontaneous.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Yeah, no, I think that was the spontaneous baptism. Yeah, you know, the start of the year where Pastor had we had like 20 some people, I think.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Yeah, I was I was sitting in the back and that's awesome. I had, you know, I had been struggling with alcohol for a long time, and I um was you know, I was got to a place where I was just trying to find the right answer. Yeah, you know, and I I had been a fan of Jesus for a long time, which I is wrong. Like I've I knew about him, but I didn't have a relationship. And but I knew that I was in trouble, and I knew that if you don't know what to do, go back to the right thing. And and I heard that here many times. And so I knew just we just need to keep going to church, and something is going to manifest. And um so I was sitting there.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

What was different about that night?

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Well, we had a huge snowstorm coming in the next day.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Yeah, so a Saturday night service, we even have service that Sunday. I remember that. Yeah, um, and so that night I was actually watching V online because I was not able to be there.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

And so Yeah, I mean, it was freezing outside. Yeah, and and so I was there and yeah, I was struggling. I had had tried to quit drinking multiple times.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

And Jamie was he got up to the end of service and he started talking about the dunk take that was up there. And he said, um, and he was talking about baptism and why and the importance and the significance of it, and just how over the next few weeks we're gonna be doing baptisms. And in the back of my in in my mind, I hear, you know, the little voice says to me, You need to go down there.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Well, I don't want to do that. So I um I sat there and Jamie kept a little voice.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Can we say it was the Holy Spirit probably?

SPEAKER_00 3:59

I'm gonna say it was the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Yeah, the Holy Spirit's like, hey, it's time for you to surrender.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Yep, time to surrender. Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

Of course I said no. Um, I had no interest in doing that. And so I said, Well, you know, if Jamie talks for another few minutes, two minutes, then I'm gonna go down.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Well, he did. Um so I said, Well, you know, he's he's wrapping it up. So it's gonna be awful.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

You're coming with every excuse you can.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm I'm not going down there. Right. And so he keeps talking, and so I said, Okay, another two minutes, then I'll go down. And he wouldn't stop talking about it. He just kept going, it's almost like he was on a loop. And so finally I was like, Well, you know, he's gonna wrap it up any second. I'm just gonna go stand down there in the front of the stage, and then he'll wrap it up, I can walk out, it'll it'll be fine. Um, so I get up, I go down, and um in my mind, I'm just gonna go stand kind of where Kelly is at. Yeah, off to the side. Off to the side.

SPEAKER_03 4:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

And um, and I gotta say, I have never, even to this day, I have maybe said three words to Kelly.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Um, but I got down to where she was at, and she turned and looked at me, and like she knew the entire plan.

SPEAKER_01 5:15

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

I mean, because she looked at me and she did that thing that all wives can do where they can summon the attention.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

And um, she looked at me and she looked at Jamie, and he I remember him like, Justin.

unknown 5:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

And I said, I've got to get in the water tonight.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Come on. And were you the first baptism? Are you the first person to get baptized that night?

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Got you. Um, so he had not yet the invitation had not yet come. But obviously, you know, you didn't sign, you didn't come to sign up, but you're like, I'm getting baptized tonight.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Yeah. He was like, Do you want to change your clothes? Again, it's three degrees outside.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

And I'm like, no.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Yeah, I remember you were like, I've didn't even change.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

I've got to get in right now. Right. And um, he brought me up. I got dunked. That's incredible. And um, you know, I, you know, I was like, this is it. This is this is the moment where you know everything is gonna turn around.

unknown 6:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

And um Yeah, no, it's good.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Yeah, and so I, you know, think, hey, this is it. And of course, the next day another voice came into my head, which is hey, it's time to drink. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:25

Well, let's back up real quick before we we get beyond baptism. You know, let's

Growing Up Around Drinking And Anger

SPEAKER_01 6:29

look at you know, life before baptism. Yeah. So talk to me about, you know, uh how can I ask how old you are? I am 45. 45, yep. And so uh let's talk about the drinking thing. Is this been a part of like as a teenager, young adult, uh adult? Like, what was what was the drinking all about?

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Well, I grew up around it. Like when I grew up, my dad, um, he was Air Force guy. Sure. Um, hard standards discipline. Um, all of his buddies were, you know, you know, very in shape, did a lot of drinking. We did a lot of they did a lot of road trips together.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

I got to go with them. So I got to see, you know, drinking, I got to see um doing things outside of marriage where they're not supposed to be doing.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

And I they taught me at a really early age, like um, so it didn't grow up in church.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

No. Didn't grow up, no, no church, no church involvement, no Christ, none of that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

We we we we prayed. Sure. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

When you needed something kind of thing, or like there's something big going on in life. You it's not like you didn't believe in a God, you weren't living surrendered to Christ stuff.

SPEAKER_00 7:36

We were we were fans. We were fans.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

No, good way to put it.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Yeah. And but we didn't have that relationship.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Right.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

And so I grew up thinking like this is how you have fun, this is how you blow steam off, like this, these are the things that that men do. And so all the way through college, you know, my my parents split when I was about 15. Um, and I was really mad at my dad. Sure. And, you know, everything I did after that point was, you know, I didn't talk, you know, I didn't talk to my mom. I didn't talk to counselors, I didn't go to a church. I internalized everything.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

I can deal with it on my own. Um, you know, I'm gonna get the revenge, I'm gonna do better than my dad. I'm gonna be everything that he wasn't. Um, and that's what fueled me through college. It fueled me through the military. Um, I eventually left the military. I went into real estate in Florida. I'm I'm from Northwest Florida originally, and did great there. Um, I got Florida Newcomer of the Year, Florida Realtors of the Year.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

Wow, you're succeeding.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Yes, succeeding.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Um still drinking, but like not, would you say, were you an alcoholic or was it just social drinking?

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Like, I well, I think the alcoholic part, like there's an like there's that thing that gets passed on. Like the the conditions were set up for it. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

Like I had As and from your father.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

From my father, yeah. I mean, you you internalize, you don't, you isolate, you do all of those things. It just hadn't connected yet.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

Um and so I had established myself as somebody who, you know, the ends justify the means in pretty much all aspects of my life.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Like, you know, I knew the Ten Commandments, but I gotta get this stuff done. And, you know, that resulted in me having the skills to be successful, but not the character to stay there.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Wow. And what a great statement. Yeah, I mean the skills to be successful, but not the character to stay there. What a great statement.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

And so it's like in real estate, I would re climb that mountain and then crash. Crash.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

And then 'cause of character?

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Because of character, because eventually, you know, you can only get so big in anything. And then eventually, unless you can have some humility and say, Hey, I need some help in these places, it's not sustainable.

unknown 10:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

And I couldn't do that. Um, my wife wanted to move to Illinois from Florida. She

Success Without Character And The Crash

SPEAKER_00 10:12

wanted to come home. And, you know, I had grown up.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

But this wasn't home for you, right? It was home for her.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Yes, this is home for you. You guys met at college or you met weird enough, my dad introduced us.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Yeah, when I was in the army. Uh he and I have had a kind of an on and off relationship for a long time. Yeah. But he introduced us. Um, we got married when I was in the army. She stuck with me through some pretty serious deployment. Wow. Um, and you know, she she wanted to go home. And so I said, of course. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

You know, and at this point, like, what's the career like in Florida? Like, are you you are are you excelling and you're like you're just giving it up, or are you kind of like, you know, crashing and like I'm ready to move on?

SPEAKER_00 10:52

I well, I had made it to the luxury market. So I went and started out in the short sales, I made it to the luxury beachfront.

SPEAKER_01 10:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

But then I crashed.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

And so it's coming down. She wants to move. I say, Great, I'll just start. Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Start over. And got up here. And I mean, I'll I mean, Illinois is a I mean, there's a drinking culture here.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

Um, and I I fell right into it. Sure. Um, I got a great job. You know, I ended up leaving real estate, got into the insurance world.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Um, you know, was excelled there, probably. Excelled there. Character didn't keep you where you needed to be though.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Right. I got I got to the all-star, all American levels. Wow. Um, but then as soon as I touched that ceiling, this came right back down. It was like as soon as I peaked.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

Was that exhausting? Wore you out? Like how did it affect your marriage?

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Oh, it it I mean, it was exhausting, but like I like the battle. You know, like I enjoy the and I remember saying many times, once I reached that level, like I don't have a I don't have a war to fight anymore.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Wow. And but the war, right? There's a war though going on inside of you, like you in regards to like you would climb, climb, climb, climb, climb, and then you would fall, right? Because you're not falling because you're you don't know how to do your job. You're falling because of how you're made inside. Right. Right. And so like was that in itself exhausting?

SPEAKER_00 12:19

Yeah, it was very exhausting. Because I mean, I I I it it's uh all or none. Right. Like the my mind functions a hundred percent or zero.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

And so I was either going to be working late, going in early, answering calls, you know, on Christmas or, you know, Thanksgiving, any of the holidays, like this is the only way to do it, and anything else just won't work. My my battle rhythm has to be a certain way.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

All on. All in. Yeah, hundred per 110%.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Yep. And the idea of turning my phone off, taking a break is just insanity.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Yeah. Um so is it the alcohol how you coped with this type of lifestyle? Yep. Like this is why I mean, obviously it's probably part of the probably part of the environment a little bit. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

You know, but the sales world is all about socializing and networking and that and I'm sure.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Not about alcohol, but socializing, networking, alcohol.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

Yep, yep, it's a piece of clue that keeps the relationships together.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

And um, you know, and to be honest, at this point, alcohol is like my best friend.

SPEAKER_02 13:26

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

You know, like it's there on the when I'm celebrating, it's there when I'm sad, it's there on a good day. I mean, it's it's my best friend. And you know, whenever things got bad, it was always there calling out to me. And you know, when I started struggling a lot, it was sure happy to throw it, you know, to help help out some more. Yeah. Um until

Alcohol Becomes A Best Friend

SPEAKER_00 13:52

eventually it cost me my job. Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

And explain that, like cost you your job like you weren't showing up to work, like you weren't getting the job done.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

So I wasn't getting it done. You know, I I was drinking pretty much from 3 a.m. until midnight.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Wow. So when work was done.

SPEAKER_00 14:12

Oh, I would drink at work.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Okay, so it's just like drinking water at this point.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

At this point, I'm Did other people notice?

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Like, were you able to hide it?

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Like I mean, all alcoholics think they can hide it. I'm sure somebody thinks I'm sure people noticed.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Um, but you know, it eventually and I ended up losing my job. Um, you know, I got baptized on January 4th.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Yep. I asked And up that at that point, up to January 4th, are you still drinking this heavy?

SPEAKER_00 14:38

I'm trying to, I'm trying hard to get out of it.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

To get out of it.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

Okay, I can't do it.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

And so I surrendered. I was like, you know, I need to help.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

I can't do this anymore. I need help. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

And, you know, I go back to work, I'm, you know, doing I'm feeling better. January 20th, I lose my job. So it's almost like, you know, God has to come in and like carve out all of the rot that's in my life.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

And um, you know, and one of those things was me losing my job. Um,

Job Loss Counseling And Denial

SPEAKER_00 15:15

my wife and I start going to marriage counseling.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

And the really cool thing here is like the marriage counselor, she called it right on right out right out the gate, like, you have a drinking problem.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

How did you respond to that when she said to you you have a drinking problem?

SPEAKER_00 15:28

That's a bunch of crap. I'm fine. My my problem is I have PTSD. I see what you're saying. And so if you know, I it it got her off the scent, I thought.

SPEAKER_03 15:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Um, and but she leaned into it. She was like, okay, if that's what you want to get help with, then let's go that direction. Let's go that direction. And um we she tried we started working with the VA to get me into a facility. Um my mom who lives in Florida, she's she watches all of our services, by the way. She's a huge fan.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Come on, mom, all right.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

She is a huge fan.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

Um, she comes up to visit, she's always here.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

That's great.

SPEAKER_00 16:07

But um, you know, she finds this program called the Mighty Oaks Foundation for Veterans with PTSD. Okay. She's trying to get me into that. Um, but they they can't get me in for a long time. Um, you know, and ultimately the VA comes in and they get me into a facility for 45 days. And um I end up saying, okay, I'll go for my PTSD.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

You know, because I don't have a drinking problem. Um and so I get there and I'm surrounded by alcoholics and crackheads and meth addicts and all these people. I'm just like, I don't belong here. And you know, eventually it kind of kind of settled in that okay, maybe I do have a problem. Yep. And one of the things that they talked about for the entire time, and I was this is three days in when I realized this that like AA and AA, if you're familiar with it, they talk about the higher power a lot.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Gotcha. I've heard that. I'm not familiar with the program.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

I'm a celebrate recovery guy, but um but so they were talking about you have to surrender. Like you have to turn everything over. Um, and I remember on the third day that I was there, I realized that unless I do something like dr like drastic, like I'm gonna lose my three kids. Wow. I'm gonna lose my wife.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

She was done at this point. She's like, We're you're getting help, we're getting help, or or you're gone. You're gone. And so you're not just losing a job potentially, you're losing everything.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Right. And you know, for an alcoholic who copes with alcohol, I'm not just losing my three kids and my wife. I'm going to drink myself to death.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

Yeah. You know, that's gonna be a bad thing.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Yeah. So I I realized that where that's where we're at. And I went into my room, and this is at the Aviary Recovery Center. I

Rehab Prayer And The Word Obey

SPEAKER_00 18:03

went into my room. Um, I for the first time ever got on my knees in a public place, and I prayed that Jesus will come and I know I got baptized, but I need you to take this.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

And I mean, I hate to say it, it sounds comic booky, but like I didn't just hear the response, I felt it.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

I mean, the room changed.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Yep. And the environment, everything, the atmosphere, everything changed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

And he just said to me, Obey. Wow. You are here. Like you know nothing, you have no opinions, you know nothing at this point. Um, and for the next 45 days, I went all in and I learned everything that they taught me about what's going on with me, my mind. I took my Bible. I took that was one of two books I took with me. Wow. Um, I got into it.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

And when did Mighty Oaks happen? What what time of year? When was that? That was before baptism?

SPEAKER_00 19:07

No, I that Mighty Oaks happened, well, it ended up happening like after I came out of rehab.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

Um, but I applied for it before I went in.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Okay. Um where was this in alignment to the water baptism at Live Community Church?

SPEAKER_00 19:21

The Mighty Oaks? Yes. Oh, this was October.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

So I had applied for it, but they couldn't get me until October.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

So I get through rehab, I do, I'm coming out, I'm going to meetings, I'm doing all the stuff. Wow. And it's working. But after about 90 days, I was like, I'm like a blank piece of paper, right? I'm going to meetings, I'm going to church. Chris Robinson's calling me all the time.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 19:47

He's one of the first people that called me when I got out.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

I didn't even tell him I was going to read. Did you know? Were you in a small group with him? How did you know? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

I was in a small group, but I never said to anybody that I was going to rehab. He knew he called me.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Come on.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

I mean, like he as soon as I got out, he was right there. That's God. That's incredible. Yeah. And I and so I'm like, I don't know what to do now. I don't, I can't go back to sales. What do I do? And

Mighty Oaks And A New Mission

SPEAKER_00 20:15

Mighty Oaks came up. They fly me to California, take me to this ranch with a bunch of other veterans, first responders, um, police officers, and they say to us, Look, you guys have all served and done a mission before. Like all of you know what it's like to go out and face danger, face the worst of humanity. You guys have all done it with a gun, but we're gonna teach you how to do it with a Bible.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Let's go. And with a Bible.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Yes. Like Come on. Like you're on payroll now. Like you're gonna get called to deploy, you're gonna deploy out to help people. You have it, you have a task and purpose when you leave here. Here's how you do it.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

And this program is called Mighty Oaks.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

Yeah, Mighty Oaks Foundation.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Okay. Um, but we'll put a link in the notes for anybody that's interested in the program.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

And I got tons of brushure about it. Yeah, yeah. Um brushures about it. But um, and so it was like I was I was c I was almost cleansed of all of my like I'm ready to receive like the It's like you gave everything out, and then when you go to Matiokes, they put a brand new identity in.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

A soldier of the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

Yep. I mean this is your weapon.

SPEAKER_01 21:32

I mean, like as in the Bible. Obviously, people can't see this, like we're talking about the Bible. Right. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

Um, and you know, and one of my things was like, well, I don't know how to use the Bible. You know, like I know it's a good story, sure. But like, how do you tactically use it? And you know, they're like, you have Google, like what problems are you facing in your life where you can't search Bible verses for this problem?

unknown 21:59

Do

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Do that, read it, reflect on it, pray about it, and then execute. And it was just like mind-blowing. Wow. And so I came home and they say, you know, get go home, find a church. Already had one.

SPEAKER_03 22:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:16

Um, get involved, find a way to serve. Okay. I'm gonna do that. Which I signed up for the safety team here.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Um, you know, get involved with a small group. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:26

Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 22:27

Got that. Call Chris up. When are we meeting? And um, you know, he got me in and you know, been pretty dedicated ever since I've gotten back.

SPEAKER_01 22:37

Um I'm on Well man, you know, we do the um discover life here, obviously, and the four steps that we talk about is the first one is to know God. The second one is discover, uh find freedom, discover purpose, and then make a difference. Right. And I'm seeing those four steps play out for you, right? Like know God, do you went to this thing called uh what was the program called? Uh Mighty Oaks. Mighty Oaks, and uh they're talking about the importance of knowing that book, the Bible, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And then right before that, even you're surrendering, like, okay, God, like I I hear your voice. You say surrender, that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna obey whatever you say. I am now yours, I am not my own, right? And then you're finding freedom in regards to the fact that you're surrounding yourselves around other believers, right, that are speaking that word of God truth, so that you can obey in new ways in your life and find this freedom. And in that, like you are understanding purpose, yeah, and now you're making a difference.

SPEAKER_00 23:31

I am. And you know what?

Serving Others And Hard Truths

SPEAKER_00 23:33

I've been called out. Um, he he has sent me on, you know, the Holy Spirit has put me on some assignments already.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

That's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

I've talked at um rehab, the rehab centers I I was at, to other addicts and alcoholics. I've helped people get into rehab. I've talked to kids about it. I've done interventions.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

That's crazy. Um what would you say to the successful uh businessman, right? Because like we in the in the environment we are in, we're there's a lot of success here. I love your story and the fact that like your skills made you successful. And like there's a lot of very skilled people within a 30-mile radius, obviously, of where we're talking right now, 15 mile radius of what we're talking right now. Um yet at the same time, I would I would uh suspect that a lot of them face that temptation of alcohol for many different reasons in business and be the way they were raised. What would you say to the person that says, I'm not an alcoholic, I can handle this?

SPEAKER_00 24:30

I would say you you know the truth. I mean, like, there's nothing in the world I'm gonna say to somebody who's gonna cause them to flip the switch. I would say that if you're you know. Yeah. And if you know and it hasn't caught up with you yet, it will. Um it's it's not a matter of if but when. That that demon will win.

SPEAKER_01 24:54

Yeah. Um what do you what do you say right now? What would you say right now to the Justin that was um, you know, doing the whole um the up the mountain, down the mountain, up mountain valley, mountain valley, mountain valley, mountain valley. You know, if you could speak to that individual, that Justin, right now, what would you say to him?

SPEAKER_00 25:15

That's a hard one. Um I would say that we've got to we've got to do something. Like we that Justin was smart enough to know that he knew how to manipulate it, he knew how to write it, he knew that it was wrong. I would say the same thing. Like, you've got to get off this pattern. Um because I mean I knew I knew during it that it was I was going to crash.

SPEAKER_03 25:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

I just didn't know how or when. Um I would say that right now, all of the secrets, all of the things that you're trying to cover up, like those things are going to eat you. And it's going to be nasty. The longer you wait, the worse it's gonna get. Um I had no idea how important they were to me until it was almost gone.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 26:23

And I mean, as far as my life goes, there were moments where I mean I was drinking so much my heart, I could feel it.

unknown 26:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:31

I mean, it was not doing what it was supposed to be doing. Um like I was gonna die, I was gonna drink myself to death.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

And you've got to make a dramatic change in what you're doing if you want to if you want to change your life. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

And what is what is what would you say is the key? And I'm kind of setting you up here. And uh, but what what is the key you think to someone that's struggling? They're like, I I hear what you're saying, Justin. I I think that I do battle with alcohol. I think it is a secret in my life. I think it is affecting my family. I have actually lost jobs. I've had my wife say we need to straighten things out. I have not done that yet. What is the one the what is the first step that they need to take?

Give It To God First

SPEAKER_00 27:19

You need to give it to God. That's a great answer. And you well put a seatbelt on.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

Gotcha. What do you mean by that? Put a seatbelt on.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Well, I mean, I asked for God to take over and he took my job. Yeah. Like he was like, okay, I'm gonna clear this up for you. We're gonna take the job away.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

And you're really gonna you're I'm gonna if you're not ready to walk do it a hundred percent, I will help you do it.

SPEAKER_01 27:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:44

But I'm not gonna use a scapel. Wow. I'm gonna use a hatchet.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

I'm I'm removing things.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Yes. We're amputating.

SPEAKER_01 27:52

That's that's why he said to you, like, hey Justin, from this point on, I just need you to obey.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

Obey.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

Yeah. Like you're I'm gonna speak to you. Yep. You're gonna walk in that direction.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 28:01

And tell me about now, after how many days have you been sober?

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Uh 410,

New Life As A Teacher

SPEAKER_00 28:06

I believe.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

Let's go, man. Congratulations. 410 days sober. What's life look like now?

SPEAKER_00 28:12

Oh, I I'm going back to school. Um, you know, I went to college 20 years ago. I'm going back to be a freaking history teacher.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 28:20

Um, I'm currently a full-time substitute teacher. Okay. Um, which I love. I never thought I would enjoy being a teacher.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

What's motivated you to go well, why did you pick history? Why did you pick to go back into education? Like school?

SPEAKER_00 28:34

Well, I think history is important. Um, you know, I I think that history rhymes. You know, a lot of times by looking at where you've been, you can, you know, sense where you might be going. Yeah. Um, and I think that right now in especially in education, we need we need men who can be teach what manliness is.

SPEAKER_01 28:55

Like we need gospel godly masculinity.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

Godly masculinity.

SPEAKER_01 29:00

I like that. Um Example, be an example of it.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Be an example minimum. Like it's okay to have standards and discipline. It's okay to say stuff is right and wrong. You know, it's okay to to be, you know, super kind. Yeah. You know, and kids are looking for that.

SPEAKER_02 29:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:17

And I think there's a lot of kids that need good male role models. Um and God has blessed me with the second chance. So I'm gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01 29:24

What is that verse on your Bible there? I know it's you've got a Bible, you get a Bible case.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Psalm 144.1. Uh praise be to the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

Why does that on why is that on patch on your Bible?

SPEAKER_00 29:38

Um well, because you know, that that talks pretty much two level, or two different levels of combat. You know, the hands are kind of the big stuff, the uh fingers for battle, little stuff. And so, you know, I think for a lot of times I would go after the big the big wins, and it was the little things that often trip me up.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

But the other thing that this reminds me of is that, you know, I'm not a fan of Jesus. Let's go. I'm on the payroll. And I'm on the payroll. That means it's time to fight. If some if there's something out there where I need to step up and answer that call, then we're doing it. If it's two o'clock in the morning, if it's at school, you know, if he puts me in a position where it's time to it's time to go to f go to go to battle for him.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

Yeah, you when you put everything on the line for him m a handful of years ago, it's still true for you today, in any in any direction that he wants to take you. I'm here to obey.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

I'm here to obey. And um, and that that's that's a soldier's mentality.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

And whether or not you've been a soldier, um, whether or not you've ever put the uniform on, yeah, you still have that, you can still carry that that mentality of like it's time for us to go.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

And Justin. Dude, congratulations. Thank you. Praise the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 30:58

Praise the Lord. It's that's incredible. Well, it's it's incredible, but it's not me. Yeah. It's I mean Praise the Lord. I just I just obey.

SPEAKER_01 31:06

That is incredible. Hey,

Psalm 144 And Closing Prayer

SPEAKER_01 31:08

do you mind closing us out in prayer? Podcast? Wow, yeah. Are you all right with that?

SPEAKER_00 31:12

I know most people are like, whenever you get a chance to talk to the creator of the universe, yeah, you take that.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

You take that.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

I do it, buddy. All right. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for bringing me here with Pastor Sean and letting me tell my story of all the great things you've done in my life and for the my family. Thank you for uh the lives that we've touched. Thank you for um this amazing church body who uh was a open arms, received me when I came back. Thank you for that day um over a year ago on January 4th, 2025. Lord, I pray that we brought you honor today and I'm grateful. In your name I pray.

unknown 32:01

Amen.