175 - U.S. Navy Commander and retired CIA Operations Officer, Mark Merritt Artwork

The Seacoast Podcast: Things You Won't Hear On Sunday

The Seacoast Podcast: Things You Won't Hear On Sunday captures meaningful – and often challenging -- conversations that happen off the stage amongst the people of Seacoast. Hang with us and guests we love to learn from, including authors, artists, pastors, and many others who share their stories of struggle and oftentimes, how God's grace brought about peace and redemption. We hope listening in to our discussions revolving around church, theology, and culture will feel like slowing down and hanging with friends. You'll be encouraged, laugh, find solidarity with someone else's story, or see things from a new point of view. What if listening to other perspectives was the first step in loving people with a different point of view? We're giving it a shot.

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The Seacoast Podcast: Things You Won't Hear On Sunday

175 - U.S. Navy Commander and retired CIA Operations Officer, Mark Merritt

November 11, 2025 • Seacoast Church

0:00 | 1:08:38

On this special Veteran’s Day episode, we’re joined by Mark Merritt — a former U.S. Navy Commander and retired CIA Operations Officer who has trained and mentored Green Berets, Marine Special Operators, and Navy SEALs.

You’ll hear Mark share what serving this country has meant to him, his heart for those in the military, and a few stories from his remarkable career — including how he recruited spies, and whether any of his secretive work ever presented moral dilemmas for him personally.

Most importantly, Mark has a deep passion for his fellow Veterans. He’s actively working to help those who have served by educating them on how to fully capitalize on the many benefits available to them — benefits that many Veterans don’t even know exist.

A special thanks to all of our Veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.

On this Episode:

Mark Merritt | Linkedin | Contact

Pastor Greg Surratt | Welcome

Presidents in order of appearance | the late President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President George W. Bush, the late President Ronald Reagan, and President Barack Obama

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Producer/Editor/host: Joey Svendsen
Sound Engineer/Editor: Katelyn Vandiver