EP 35: A Sit Down with John | God Was in the Detours

In this powerful first testimony episode, John shares his journey from feeling lost and directionless to discovering purpose, faith, and resilience.

Growing up in New Jersey, John chased identity through sports, relationships, partying, and college life, only to find himself deeper in confusion and emptiness. After a series of life-altering moments including a near-death experience and unexpected encounters that pointed him toward God, John began searching for meaning beyond the distractions of the world.

That search eventually led him to pursue the Navy SEAL pipeline and later face the crushing disappointment of leaving BUD/S. Through failure, anger, and time in the Phoenix program, John wrestled with identity, purpose, and faith.

But God wasn’t finished with his story.

In this episode, Duke and John talk about:

Growing up chasing identity through sports and relationships
The emptiness of partying, drugs, and temporary escapes
A mysterious encounter that may have saved John’s life
Discovering faith and the slow transformation that followed
The pressure and reality of BUD/S training
The emotional impact of quitting and life in the Phoenix program
Finding purpose again through faith, discipline, and brotherhood
How God redirected John’s path back to San Diego and toward a new mission

John’s story is a reminder that failure does not define you, and that God often works through the detours we never planned.

Sometimes the reset we fear is the very thing that leads us where we were meant to go.

If you want to support Iron Phoenix head to https://www.ironphoenix.org/

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