"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6
My name is Jermaine Jones. I am thirty-nine years old, a native of Yuma Arizona. My family has been involved in church for multiple generations. In 1993, at the early age of nine, my father became a pastor and started a church. That church today is called Church for the City, in Yuma Arizona.
Although, I grew up in church, I did not truly start living for the Lord until I dedicated my life to Him when I was twenty years old. I started serving in Youth Ministry right away. I thoroughly loved teaching the Bible to young people and seeing them get saved and start serving Christ.
Unfortunately, that was not enough to free me from my addiction. At that time, it was not drugs and alcohol that I was addicted to, my addiction was food. By 2008, the year I got married, I was close to 450 pounds. I can remember youth and young adults coming to me with their hurts, hang-ups and disfunctions, asking me why God was not helping them. I did not know how to answer them knowing that I could not even get past my eating addiction.
I was losing my faith fast. At this point in my life, I decided to move to the Pacific Northwest to go to Bible College. My wife and I moved to Portland, only to find out I would not be able to attend college as planned. I used that as an excuse to give up on God. Within a few short years the addiction to food, moved to alcohol, cocaine, and women. In 2018 I left my wife. My addictions were out of control. In my heart I knew I would never get my life in order and did not want to ruin my wife’s life any longer.
My life was in complete shambles. Burning bridges everywhere I turned. One morning I came to consciousness in a park an hour from where I lived. The sad reality is this was not the first time. I was suicidal. I did not want to live my life this way any longer. In fact, I did not want to live at all. I decided to call my father and see if I could come home and get my life in order. I could only stay clean and sober for a brief time. It wasn’t long until I returned to the vomit.
Although, I grew up in church, I did not truly start living for the Lord until I dedicated my life to Him when I was twenty years old. I started serving in Youth Ministry right away. I thoroughly loved teaching the Bible to young people and seeing them get saved and start serving Christ.
Unfortunately, that was not enough to free me from my addiction. At that time, it was not drugs and alcohol that I was addicted to, my addiction was food. By 2008, the year I got married, I was close to 450 pounds. I can remember youth and young adults coming to me with their hurts, hang-ups and disfunctions, asking me why God was not helping them. I did not know how to answer them knowing that I could not even get past my eating addiction.
I was losing my faith fast. At this point in my life, I decided to move to the Pacific Northwest to go to Bible College. My wife and I moved to Portland, only to find out I would not be able to attend college as planned. I used that as an excuse to give up on God. Within a few short years the addiction to food, moved to alcohol, cocaine, and women. In 2018 I left my wife. My addictions were out of control. In my heart I knew I would never get my life in order and did not want to ruin my wife’s life any longer.
My life was in complete shambles. Burning bridges everywhere I turned. One morning I came to consciousness in a park an hour from where I lived. The sad reality is this was not the first time. I was suicidal. I did not want to live my life this way any longer. In fact, I did not want to live at all. I decided to call my father and see if I could come home and get my life in order. I could only stay clean and sober for a brief time. It wasn’t long until I returned to the vomit.
