This is the Truth Network. Welcome to "If Not for God," stories of hopelessness that turn to hope. Here is your host, Mike Zwicky. If not for God, with Mike Zwicky, I've got my friend Troy Bone, and so, you know, it's funny. I Troy, there were a couple of people that I really remember from my radio history, and I've been doing this since 2019.
And the first guy was a guy named Todd Harrison. I still have him on the show sometimes, and and one of the things that Todd does is you know, Todd was my first. He donated money to my show, and this and that and the other, and now. But when I came back on the radio back in twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four, and I'm trying to remember the exact date, Troy Bone was my first first person who actually donated. And Troy, you've got a couple of restaurants, is that right?
Yes, I do. Tell us about that.
So we have our our baby Americano Steakhouse, which is located in Roan Mountain, Tennessee. It's the 14th stop off the Appalachian Trail that takes you from Georgia up to Maine in Little Old Grown Mountain, a town of 800 people. That's where our first restaurant was born about five years ago. And then you got a newer one where you guys are doing concerts and all that stuff. But it's what is it in Jonesboro, Tennessee?
That's right.
So Jonesboro is the oldest city in Tennessee, founded in the seventeen seventies, actually before our country was formed. And we opened a restaurant called Jackson's Prime. Was Andrew Jackson was a huge figure in that city back in the day. He was a went to law school and became a lawyer and became a federal judge actually in Jonesboro.
So we named the restaurant after him. And we have a fine dining steakhouse there, so it's like a Capital Grill, Roost Chris, something like that on that level, but we buy all of our beef local. All of our sauces are created fresh in house, and we've got a great little restaurant right there in downtown Jonesboro. Yeah, man, and so you're you were in the military, is that right? I was in the military.
I served in the U.S. Air Force.
Well, thank you for your service. And and what was that like, man? I've heard so many people talk about it. Oh man, it was so long ago, Mike, but. You know, it.
My father served in the Air Force. My older brother served in the Air Force.
So when I was getting ready to graduate high school, it's sort of what I guess I was just was supposed to do. You know, so I went in and served. I served four years, and the military teaches you structure, respect, and I think it's a mate. It's a it's an awesome. Critical step for a young person to go into, as you're leaving a family where you've had rules and structure and discipline, and at least you get to go into a new environment that also has rules and structure and discipline to get you ready.
For the real world, instead of just going into college where there are no rules, there's very loose structure, and it becomes nothing but a big frat party. The military, you know, gives people the opportunity to serve their country and learn some real structure and and and life. You know, just things that get you ready to and prepare you for for life, life in general, outside of being told what to do by your mom and dad. And I just think military is a critical part of our country. The people that serve in our country, whether they serve two years, four years, or twenty years or more, it's an integral part of our society.
And I love our vets and I love our military. Yeah, I do too. And I think I'm noticing nowadays that there is a lack of respect for the American flag. There's a lack of respect for our country. Have you seen that?
Yeah, I have seen that. I mean, if you if you watch the you know the news in general, we live. Jonesboro is, I think it's pretty conservative, even though it it can be sort of liberal leaning. But that's where I think if you go in the military, the military teaches you that that structure and stuff that you don't get. In our indoctrinated school system, right?
You actually get to serve in our country and find out what it's like to be boots on the ground. And I'm not talking about serving wartime, but actually serving our country and serving the citizens of this country. It teaches you respect of our flag and of people in general. A lot of things actually, you don't learn in school anymore.
Sometimes you don't even learn these things, and the family structure of our broken homes. That's true, and so so this is it. It kind of taught you a lot, and then you know, there's a lot of people who were afraid to kind of go out there and and and take a risk and take a chance. But what you did before you started a started your own restaurant is you were actually in the restaurant business for a while. Is that right?
Oh, for for quite a long time, over thirty years. Oh my goodness, man! And so did you? I guess you waited tables. You were bartending.
You did it all, right? Correct. I I served in Tampa, Florida. After I went through tech school and and and all that type of stuff, so I served in Tampa, Tampa, Florida, MacDill Air Force Base. Actually, during Desert Shield and Desert Storm with General Schwarzkopf.
I don't know if that name rings a bell with anybody. It does. Back in the day, and so so like a SAC base, real powerful base, but actually in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida. And I was there when Outback was actually launching and being created. And worked for some really good restaurants, and actually worked for a gentleman who created Bonefish Grill.
His name was Chris Parker, and I learned a lot from him. And I learned a lot from very powerful, influential people that actually helped form some of the restaurants that you know were very, very popular for twenty or thirty years: Outback, Harabas, Flemings, Hop's Grill and Bar, Bonefish. A lot of those restaurants that became like national chains that I worked for, when they had one or two restaurants, and a lot of those restaurants now have two, three, four, five, six hundred restaurants. Yeah, and so you said you you learn the restaurant business, you learn from the best because at some point in our lives, it comes from a point of having the head knowledge to saying, "Hey, I'm going to take a chance, I'm going to take a risk." And and when you started the restaurant, it's it's again Americano. What is it called?
Americano Steakhouse. Americano Steakhouse. I mean, there was some risk involved. Is that right? Oh, absolutely.
We were actually building the restaurant as COVID nineteen took shape and had to delay even opening. I was blessed actually find a partner, and hopefully, I'll give a shout out to Bradley Mc Murray at Twin City Rebar in Winston Salem, who helped back me and helped me get Americano off the ground. But we were actually opening Americano and open the doors. As the masks were coming off and people started feeling comfortable to actually go back out and eat again, yeah, yeah, and so and so, you took a risk, you took a chance. You know what made you, I guess, jump in the water?
What what made you say, "Hey, I'm ready to do this"? After serving and and and being a manager and I've part owned restaurants before years ago.
Some people, I think, like myself, need to work for themselves.
So I've I've learned a lot, but I'm very type A, and and and I know what I want. I've I've I was blessed to serve on boards while I was serving in the restaurant industry for for national chains, and you know, working with CEOs and vice presidents and directors, and working with franchisees and franchisors.
So it It taught me a lot. You know, I'm far from perfect, but but I had a lot of exposure to a lot of different moving pieces of the restaurant business, and I love the restaurant business because it allows you to be able to serve people, and every day is different, and you never know who's going to be walking through that door. But allows you to serve, and and and and and you have to have a servant heart, I think, to be someone who. Puts the customer first, and understands that restaurants are the hospitality business. We're the we're in the entertainment business.
We're in the we're in the business of making you feel special. The food has got to be good, but if you have great food and bad service, I promise you, you're not going to go back. But if you can relate to your customers and make them feel special and make them remember a great time, they're going to come back. And you can also create that for your staff as well. Yeah, and and one of the things, and one of the reasons why I like to you know help talk to people who are entrepreneurs or people who are willing to go out there is because that's you know people who want to be missionaries, people who want to share Jesus with people, you know you're taking a risk.
You know we go out on Saturday mornings to Walmart and we we pass out tracks and we you know pray for people and all of that, but you know every time that we do that, there's always one or two who, and I'll put it this mildly, don't like what we're doing. You know what I'm saying, and so yes, you're taking a risk. But without taking that risk, I'm never gonna I'm never gonna see that reward. And I've heard people say they say in the Bible, you know, you talk about what is faith? Faith is stepping out.
Faith is believing something that you haven't seen. Because you're right. I mean, like when you started this Americana restaurant, you didn't know. You didn't have the results in mind. You didn't know.
But but you had a vision, and you you had a plan. I mean, Can you tell me about that? Yes, I think you have to have a vision, right? You have to have that mindset of you're going to be successful. I don't think anyone opens a business.
I don't think anyone runs for political office. Unless you're trying to be the butt of a joke, I don't think you go on American Idol and don't think you're going to win, right? I mean, you go into it to be a winner. You go into it because you think you're going to achieve something great, and you're going to make it work, right? But you have to stay grounded, and you have to keep that same mindset of you know you're going to succeed, right?
And it's very easy for the devil. Or, or the world to make you feel like you know this isn't going to work. This isn't going to work. And a lot of times that can be people very close to you, Michael. And I know that you know that as well.
Whether it's family members, that that's it's not going to work. It's not going to work. It's not going to work. And you you have to pray, and you've got to believe, and you have to have that faith, and you have to have the vision to know that you know you are going to succeed. You are going to do well.
You are going to make it work. That's good, and so you know it's funny because I know I think you've been married before. You've you know been through some stuff. I've been through some stuff before, and and the Bible says that a righteous man falls down seven times, but he said, but seven times they rise again. And so the Lord, you know, has brought you through.
You know, I guess the divorce. The Lord has brought me through the divorce. The Lord has brought you through. You know, some other things in life, but the Lord brought you a new wife. Is that right?
Yeah. Wow. That hit hard. Yeah. Absolutely.
Sure did. And when you're not looking for that, I was blessed with that. When I was not looking, God showed up and and gave me someone who I could have never found had I been looking for it on my own. Right. Right.
And I think they came from prayers of other people, you know, for me and for my future. Yeah, and and you guys you guys get along. You're, I guess, what they call a blended family, and um, and and the Bible says that God gave God gave Adam Eve to be a helper to him, and so that's what you've got in your wife as well, right? That's right, absolutely.
Well. Yeah, yeah.
So, but anyway, so you guys do. You're not just running a restaurant. You're not just you know doing business like everybody else is doing. You have to do that, guys. The Bible says we have to work.
You know, we're gonna we're gonna earn our living by the sweat of our brow, and that's what you're doing. You're taking some chances as a business owner, but you're also looking for opportunities from the Lord. And and so, you guys, what is it, Tenth Avenue North? Tenth Avenue North. Yes, we have a concert actually coming that we're doing November twelfth.
Where we've invited, and Tenth Avenue North will be performing in downtown Jonesboro, just two doors down from my restaurant at the Jackson Theater.
Okay, and you and you invited them. I mean, what gave you the idea to do this?
Well, there's, you know, I'm not Charlie Kirk, right? I'm not Billy Graham, and and even you, Michael. I mean, you know, God's given you the platform. You've got this microphone to to reach hundreds and thousands of people, right? And I'm just a little old restaurant guy running a restaurant, but I do know that it's not just a little restaurant that I that I have a platform, and I have to use that platform wisely.
So I love Christian music. I'm a Christian music junkie. I love Christian concerts. I love Chris Tomlin. I love going to see Zach Williams and stuff perform.
So it gave me the vision to be able. I wanted to put concerts and Christian concerts specifically in downtown Jonesboro.
So. This is an opportunity to bring people together for a really special night in downtown Jonesboro. There's there's something special about seeing a nationally known band in a beautiful intimate venue like the Jackson Theater. I mean, you're not watching from ten thousand seats away. You're like right there, two hundred and seventy seats, intimate.
You know, face to face with a national recording artist who. Mike Daultrey is just a powerful man of God too, and they're great performers, and they and they have great music. And a lot of people grew up listening to 10th Avenue North.
So Thursday, November 12th is going to be the one of those nights where Downtown Jonesboro just feels alive. Response has been incredible, and I love the community. And one of my goals is to keep bringing these experiences here to give people another reason to come to downtown, have dinner, see a show, and and maybe just maybe. It'll touch somebody like you touch people, and have no idea how you touch them from your interviews or from your talks. And maybe this interview or this concert might be one way just to have somebody get saved.
Amen, brother. Amen to that. And so, you know, I know we we have to spend a lot of time in prayer. That's important. We have to spend time, you know, reading the word, and and we have to spend time, you know, with other Christians and all of that.
But I think one of the things that I've I've learned later on in life that I think a lot of times gets ignored is we have to spend time praising God. You know the Bible says to let everything that has breath praise the Lord, praise ye the Lord. And so I I remember an older lady, she's probably gone by now, but she she told me something. I was selling insurance to her, and I left her house, and she said, Mike. She said, "When bless when praises go up, blessings come down." And and I tell you what, when I wake up in the morning, the first thing that I do is I I put on some worship music and I start singing.
And it's like you know sometimes when the blues set in, and you know we all have circumstances. You know what I mean, Troy? We all have we all have stuff that goes against us. But it's like when I start to praise the Lord, it it changes the atmosphere. Have you seen that?
Absolutely, man. I mean, I've walked through more valleys than I've than I've had mountain tops, Mike. You know, and but when I have an opportunity to praise him, whether it's in a church or or being able to serve others or bringing people together through music, I I try to take that opportunity to take it, and I think as brothers in Christ. And and living in that life and surrounding yourself with with the right people, he shows you how that can be a blessing to your life. Right when others do that, that that it's replicatable, it's duplicatable to praise and to praise God.
And and and when and when you see the fruits of the success from other people, you can see how powerful it is and how God rewards those who are faithful. He does reward those who are faithful, and like you said, he rewarded you for a wife when you weren't even looking for one, man. It's funny, man, and I've seen this before in my life. It's like when I try to when I try to focus on what I'm looking for in the world, whether it was a a wife or a girlfriend. It's like I didn't get it, but it's like when I focused on the Lord, when I started to pray and praise, it's like all of a sudden these blessings come out of nowhere, and I'm like, God, where did this come from?
You know, one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is he. says, you know, you look through through the Christians in history, whether it was the early Christians who were martyred or the you know the the Christians people don't talk about this enough, but Christians were the ones who were responsible for ending the slave trade in America and over in Europe. But it was the Christians who who got involved in that, and it was the Christians who, you know, who got involved in the civil rights movement. A lot of people don't talk about that.
It was the Chris. It was people who followed the Lord Jesus Christ who said, "Oh no." No, this is not right, and it's Christians this fall, this November, starting October fifteenth here in North Carolina, who need to get out and vote. Would you agree? That's right, one hundred percent. That's right.
Yeah, I mean, because if we don't vote, then then we know what happens, and we've seen what happened under. That's right, Mike, and a lot. You know, a lot of people, sadly, even in the church, want you to not. Talk about the impact of politics. And they they try to shun you from doing that.
And I've been so encouraged by people like Josh Howerton or Philip Anthony Mitchell, those pastors, by their boldness and speaking about their faith. And they've reminded me that that we're not called to be quiet, right, about what God has done in our lives. We're called to stand firm, love people, serve, and not be ashamed to God. And and that includes talking about politics. And and if if we're not going to talk about it, the unrighteous will.
I guarantee you. Yeah, that's right. I mean, and and so, and if we don't vote, if we don't talk about it, if we don't share the message, then nobody's going to hear it. But you know, I love what you're doing, man. You're you're running a couple of restaurants.
The the one you're running in Jonesboro, Tennessee, we've talked about it, man. But I I think I'm going to come up there pretty soon. I may come to this concert, and you said that there was a plan where I may be able to, you know, set up a show and and do something there. But it's uh, you know, the the Lord blesses you, man. And when when you really bless the Lord and you you praise Him and you give Him thanks and and you have a church you go to on Sundays, right?
Yeah, I go to Grace Meadows Church. I've got some friends that actually founded that church just in Jonesboro, where they have a Grace Meadows Farms, fantastic Christian church, right in Jonesboro. Yeah, man, and so you you spend time praising the Lord, and and and you're you know it's like I've got my little daughter right here. I you know I want my children to grow up and praise the Lord, and I want my children to follow the Lord, and I want to bring as many people to heaven with me as possible. But you know, I think sometimes, Troy, that people think that hey, you know, following the Lord or whatever, or or really serving the Lord, that's for the preacher, and the preacher gets up there on Sunday, or the missionary who's in Africa or whatever, but But it sounds like you're serving the Lord as you do your work.
I I try. I'm I'm I'm I'm far from, uh, you know. Just I think yeah, I stumble with stuff, right, Mike? As far as it's you know when you when you know the the past or the brokenness you've had, it's amazing that God. Uses you through all the wrongs you've done and all of the people you've probably hurt.
But when people see other people that aren't quote unquote on a platform, right? Because people just think they're just righteous and they're they're they're they're so perfect, which we're not. But when when when God uses people, maybe like myself or or you or or people that have been in trouble with the law, right? We have we all have examples. Right.
That's when I think people can relate to. Wow, God can do that with you. Maybe just maybe He can save me too. Amen. Amen, amen.
And we've all made our mistakes. I, you know, it's funny though. The one of the things that I've learned over the years is if I've made a mistake and if I've repented of it. I don't need to dwell on it because a lot of times I'll beat myself up for making the same mistake. And this was something I might have done twenty years ago.
And I sit there and I think to myself, I said, "Mike, that's over with. God has already forgiven you of that. Why do you keep bringing that up? Why do you? Why does it keep running over in your mind?
Have you ever? Have you ever done that or experienced that?" Absolutely, and and I was just like I was supposed to do a podcast the other day, and I'm I'm I'm sure you maybe had days, Mike, where maybe you've done an interview and and then you you finish and you go, man, I I blew it. Yes, and I didn't I didn't I didn't say this or I didn't ask that, but and that's the devil creeping in, right? But but and you have no idea what one person. You've touched, or the person you that comes up to you right afterward goes, "Man, I heard your your podcast, and Mike, God just spoke to me, and and here you were thinking, I blew it, I blew it, but you you don't blow it.
You might go into the podcast or go into the the the mission field or your night thinking you're going to do this, but just as we talked, you had this plan. God has His. And and and he changes it from your planning, from your from your notes, from your bullet points going into your podcast, and you go, man, I didn't even talk about half of that stuff. But God morphs it, right? God's going to morph it into what He wants and what He wants to achieve out of out of your message.
So, yeah, I think we all struggle with that, whether it's you, whether it's me. I mean, whether it's whether it's a powerful pastor who who reaches a lot of people. I think that we all struggle with, you know, did I do a good job? Did I did I did I give my best right and and and and did you know did I did I did I ask the right questions? But I think a lot of times God's going to use no matter what you say, if your heart's in the right spot, He's going to use it for His glory.
He does, and it's funny you say that because a lot of times I'll do a show, and afterwards I'm, man, that was horrible. I messed up this and that, the other. But the people, people will send me messages saying, you know, hey, that that show really helped me. That was amazing. You don't know how much it helped me.
And then other times, man, I'll be like, man, I killed it. It was that that was a really good show, and like, and I get crickets, you know.
So it's like, Lord, it's out of my hands. It's in your hands, Lord. You've told me. You said, "Do my very best." You know, one of my favorite passages is from Colossians chapter three, verse twenty-three and twenty-four. It says, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto man, for it is from the Lord that you receive your reward." And in the book of Ecclesiastes, it says, "Whatever you do, do it with your might." He says, "For when you go to the grave, you're not going to be able to work anymore, or you know, even when we go to heaven, you know, we're not going to overcome these obstacles." I've heard it's beautiful.
I've heard, you know, all these things. I don't think anybody knows exactly everything about how good heaven was, or how good it's going to be. And I think that's one of the things that's exciting about it is that we're going to be so surprised about everything that the Lord has in store for us. But while I'm here, man, you know, I'm going to mess up. I'm going to I'm going to do some stuff to screw up.
But I'm going to I want to be able to say at the end of my life, Lord, I messed up. I made mistakes, but I gave it my all. Amen. That's right, brother. Yeah, man.
And so, the twelfth of November.
Now, you said some what's what's going on the eleventh as well, right?
Well, the eleventh just happens to be Veterans Day. It's my birthday, so we planned this concert on a Thursday because a lot of "quote unquote" church people, you know, are busy on Wednesday night, so it's hard to get people into a concert.
So, Thursday night will be the Tenth Avenue North concert in downtown Jonesboro on Thursday, the twelfth of November. Thursday, November twelfth.
Now, do you buy tickets online, or how does this work? You can get tickets by going to thejacksontheater dot com. Thejacksontheater dot com. Tickets are going fast. It's a small venue, and this will sell out.
So, but that's where you get your tickets is at thejacksontheater dot com. And I'm going there now. Thejacksontheater dot com. Now, this isn't the first concert that you've had there, is it? No, we've had JJ Weeks and Weeks' revival, and Neilans have been there, and man, they just raised the roof, and it's been a blessing to see people come and raise their hands in downtown Jolietto to praise God.
Yeah, so that just had tears flow out of my eyes, and I'm really looking forward to what 10th Avenue North is going to bring. Wow, man, I I am too, and so as you're driving, wait. I know you. Every if I hear from Choi, it means you're on the road. Where where are you at now, man?
Well, I pulled over right because you caught me off guard, and I wasn't. This wasn't planned, right? This podcast was not planned, right, Mike? Right. Well, and I'm going to tell you, I'm going to tell you the story about the podcast.
I was sitting here. I'm not kidding. I had just done a show by myself, and I needed to do another show. And I said, "Lord, who do I need to call?" I said, "I can call a few people, and I can get them to do a show." And literally, at the moment that I'm done with my last show, Troy Bone calls me.
Now we don't talk every day, right, Troy? No, no. I mean, I got you. Got tears in my eyes, brother. This was ordained by the Lord, and so if you're listening to this, if you're anywhere close to Tennessee or Jonesboro, Tennessee, are you guys closer to Nashville or Knoxville?
Way closer, way closer to Knoxville. We're about an hour and fifteen minutes away from Sevierville, Jen Forge area. Yeah, and I was just there. We did something down with Henry Schaefer, but I'm gonna come up there if you know. I'm hoping to come up for the concert, but definitely check this out.
You know, I always like to support Christian businesses, and it's called Jackson's Prime. Is that right? That's right, Jackson's Prime, and it's over in Jonesboro, Tennessee. You guys have a Facebook page they can follow. We do.
It's well, you can find it by going on Facebook and searching Jackson's Prime, or we go to JacksonsPrime.net as a website. JacksonsPrime.net, or just find us on Facebook.
Well, Troy, I want to thank a lot. I want to thank you a lot for coming on today. It wasn't I wasn't planning it, but God ordained it and God planned it, man. And so, hopefully, we'll see you go to go to the website. Go to Jackson's.
Was it Jackson? Tell me the the website, Jackson. JacksonsPrime.net, JacksonsPrime.net, JacksonsPrime.net. Check out that. Come to see the show, Tenth Avenue North.
I'm excited. Thanks a lot, Troy. Have a great day, Michael. Thank you, brother. All right.
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