#15 Abel Delgadillo

In this conversation, Abel Delgadillo and I explore the transformative journey of faith, the challenges of fatherhood, and the importance of community support through small groups. We discuss the significance of patience, the impact of toxic masculinity, and the revival of spiritual awakening in today's society. Abel shares insights on evangelism, fasting, and the call to serve the community, emphasizing the need for men to support one another in their faith journeys. Abel is the leader of the small group, 'Saved by Grace'. 

Takeaways

• Abel's journey to faith was transformative and personal.
• Fatherhood has deepened Abel's understanding of faith and responsibility.
• Community support through small groups is vital for spiritual growth.
• Patience is a key virtue that is often tested in life.
• Men's groups provide a safe space for sharing struggles and experiences.
• Toxic masculinity is a challenge that men face today.
• There is a revival of faith among younger generations.
• Evangelism is essential for spreading the message of Christ.
• Fasting can lead to spiritual growth and deeper connection with God.
• Serving the community is a fundamental aspect of living out one's faith.

Saved by Grace Instagram: @saved_by_grace_925

Abel Delgadillo Instagram: @abel___13.7

Instagram and TikTok: @pespinoza.cyc

X: @pespinoza_cyc

YouTube: @CarryYourCrossStudios

Chapters

• 0:31 Journey to Faith
• 3:17 The Role of Fatherhood in Spiritual Growth
• 6:27 Navigating Trials and Building Patience
• 9:05 The Importance of Community and Brotherhood
• 12:11 Understanding Masculinity in Today's Society
• 15:10 Revival and the Next Generation of Believers
• 24:50 Counterfeit Culture and Spiritual Readiness
• 28:32 Community and Support in Faith
• 30:26 Evangelism and Outreach to the Homeless
• 35:11 Expanding the Reach of 'Saved by Grace'

Transcript

Pedro Espinoza (00:00)
My brother, we made it.

Abel  Delgadillo (00:01)
Yes, yes, thank you for having me,

Pedro Espinoza (00:03)
Yeah, of course. It's an honor to have you as the first official guest for Carrier Cross. been looking forward to this episode and I'm sure you have a lot of insight and a lot of knowledge for the kingdom. want to get started and just talk about a few things. So your journey to faith.

Abel  Delgadillo (00:22)
Absolute.

Pedro Espinoza (00:27)
your testimony, what you're doing for the community, your small group, of that nature. ⁓ yeah, I guess we can just kick it off by

hopefully sharing your journey to faith, your testimony, and what that looks like.

Abel  Delgadillo (00:44)
Absolutely. Well, first and foremost, man, thank you. Thank you so much for having me on here, The kind of watch where you've come from and what you're doing now, man, is truly a gift from God, And it's a blessing to be on here, especially as your first guest, man. So I look forward to it and I'm excited to see where this goes, So, ⁓ you know, it's...

This journey is one of those things that you never regret, no matter what you're doing. And sometimes part of life, you have to sink to some low places to kind of find the rock that you're supposed to be on, right? And that rock is Jesus. A few years ago, I've always had that foundation of Jesus in my life and I grew up Catholic. So I grew up with being baptized and...

the confirmation and first communion and all that stuff, but it never felt like it was mine. You know, and I'm very thankful for my parents for establishing that foundation with me. But as I got into my twenties and thirties, right, I decided to take my own route. In other words, feeling like I can do it myself. Right. you get into that world where

This world can be very defeating at times if you let it, right? I think kind of learning through these experiences that I've gone through and having a son and being a father, ⁓ being a son to my parents, being a friend, being a partner to who I would, when I was with somebody. There's all these different roles that you play in life, that you have all the answers in the Bible, right? So for me,

I'm only two years, two and a half years into this walk. And prior to getting to it, I hit a really low place in my life where I lost a lot of...

Understanding what my what my what my role is right and just like I explained that being a being a dad ⁓ I lost I got out of a relationship that was very Very important to me and it got me to a place where I found Jesus and because of that it it I Ended up going to fellowship right and it was the service. You know how it works man. You go to that one service

Pedro Espinoza (03:22)
Yeah.

Abel  Delgadillo (03:23)
feels

it's meant for you. Like, how can this be speaking to me on so many different levels? And it kind of just got a hold of me. Pastor Sean talked about, you know, baptism coming up and by September, I think that was in August of 22, 23. Yeah, 23. And by September I was already baptized.

And having that moment where you're making that decision for yourself versus feeling like you have to do it because it's part of you. Like in Catholic, being Catholic, you feel like you have to do it. This felt really special to me. And I haven't regretted it ever since, You grow so much and you find out who you are.

Pedro Espinoza (04:16)
I've known you on and off for like the past decade and a half, but it's nice to even see like even in those moments where we have known each other, there's obviously ⁓ a clear difference in you ⁓ and that's all attributed to God, right? And nothing against the Catholic upbringing. I think they have a really solid very solid doctrine.

Abel  Delgadillo (04:19)
Yes, man.

Pedro Espinoza (04:41)
you know, when it gets into all the sacraments and whatnot and what you have to do, it's very work based. ⁓ But on the, I guess on the Protestant side, if you will, it's sure it is works, but works is byproduct of giving your life to Jesus and, and, having faith and understanding that grace is a gift, but we have to believe it, right? We, have to believe that God has given, given us the

Abel  Delgadillo (04:46)
Yes.

Yes.

Pedro Espinoza (05:08)
gift of grace. And because of that what follows is just naturally you want to do good for other people. You want to love on others. You want to do good for your community and even for yourself. So I think that's great. And you said you your your your son. How many kids do you have?

Abel  Delgadillo (05:30)
I have one, it's my only son and he's ⁓ And it's, you know, as you kind of do begin this walk, you kind of figure out who you, like I said, you kind of figure out who you are, right? You have to carry in a manner where you have to control your emotions in this walk, right? You have to not lead by your feelings. And sometimes as a dad, as being a single parent, right, where I have my son full time,

Pedro Espinoza (05:32)
Ahem.

Abel  Delgadillo (05:59)
It definitely tests you in a lot of different ways, just because you're carrying a lot of the weight of being a parent. ⁓ And, you know, kind of figuring out how to navigate through those storms that a teenage son brings. ⁓ Getting into the Word has really helped me. One, just be there for him more and show him more of ⁓ what a godly man needs to be with composure, with...

with listening, with grace, with forgiveness, which is by far one of the most important ones and yet the hardest to do on a regular basis. So it's been a real blessing to kind of show him how his dad's changed and how he's doing all these different things not to be part of the world, so to speak.

Pedro Espinoza (06:55)
recently became a new father myself. you know, actually the famous comedian Dave Chappelle said this, said, having kids not only changed my perspective on love, it changed my capacity for love. And I think that rings true for myself and for every parent, ⁓ mother or father, I think it's true. I think that kids are our

Abel  Delgadillo (07:13)
Yes.

Pedro Espinoza (07:24)
greatest teachers, but it comes with a great responsibility, right? Proverbs, what is it? 22 six raise up a child in the way they should go because when they grow older, they will not depart from it. So being a parent, right? Sure. It comes with all the great fruits, but I'm to go ⁓ geek mode for a second the movie Spider-Man with, great power comes great responsibility. And that's exactly what being a parent is and what it entails.

Abel  Delgadillo (07:33)
Where's?

you

Yeah.

Pedro Espinoza (07:54)
So I mean, like, do you feel like having kids has also opened the door to a different perspective of faith in Christ?

Abel  Delgadillo (08:05)
Well, it definitely allows you to be grateful for the blessing that he gives you, right? Because having a child is a real blessing and it's a gift from God, right? So you're trying to do everything in your powers at that particular moment, whether you're in a walk or not, just trying to do the best you can. And I think the thing that it's taught me the most and the most important one is patience.

And it's funny in the men's group that we have, we were talking about kind of what you pray for. And I remember telling, or in the season, I pray for a lot of patients, right? And as you walk in it, you expect to be, you get it. ⁓ I'm praying for patients, I'm gonna get it right away. But what I ended up finding out that it's not that you get it.

It's that you are placed in situations to show patience. And I remember the first six times I would just fail in those moments and then be upset, Go, well, what's going on? What am I doing wrong? And I kid you not Pedro, one day I'm just driving into work and it hits me like a ton of bricks. He's testing you, man. He's going, hey,

Pedro Espinoza (09:08)
That's very true.

Abel  Delgadillo (09:29)
Here, you want an opportunity to be patient? Here it is. And I failed every single time. And it's not that he's not willing to give it to you. It's like he's going, hey, are you ready for this? Because I'm going to put you in these positions to be patient. And you've got to show it because you're going to grow from this. And man, it was really an understanding of how great he is and how he loves you.

and it's so unconditional.

Pedro Espinoza (10:01)
James 1, 2 through 4, right? Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because the testing of your faith produces perseverance. So you're right. I patience is a, I mean, the testing of your patience is going to bring forth that perseverance. And I think in so many areas of life, we face adversity. ⁓ And I think the enemy is very conniving.

Abel  Delgadillo (10:03)
Yeah.

Pedro Espinoza (10:30)
super crafty so he knows where to test us. He knows where to push our buttons. But that it's it's it's almost like I know that pastor Sean says this a lot. It's it's it's all about like that Wi-Fi connection. You have to be close to the source to be fully connected. And who is the source? It's God, right? Through his son, Jesus Christ. And so we constantly have to be connected so that where we're constantly wearing the armor of God and just ready for battle.

Abel  Delgadillo (10:32)
Very.

Mm-hmm.

⁓

Bye.

Pedro Espinoza (11:00)
right? Spiritually.

Abel  Delgadillo (11:01)
Absolutely. Absolutely. And to add onto that, right, it's...

It's always, you know, the more, the closer you do get into it, the more you feel attacked and the more you're gonna get attacked. And it's in silly ways, right? You know, for example, you know, when you're in prayer and I don't know if you can relate to this, right? I can be deep in prayer and I start off incredibly strong. And all of a sudden I'll get a thought and it might not be a correct thought. And then I feel guilty.

But I realize it's the enemy going, hey, here's this thought. And then you think about it you're not so strong in your prayer. And then as you, as you try to correct yourself to get back into prayer, you start to feel guilty. So it's almost like he's going to throw you that thought and then go, Ooh, look at you. You're going to feel bad for that. And it's, and it's really sneaky the way he works. And I kind of find that as the closer that I get into the word, the closer that I get into, you know, kind of showing my fruits, it's.

It's an attack on either my job. It's an attack on something with my son. It's an attack on myself. And to your point, man, we always have to stay armored up, you know, and that's part of the journey. And it tests your faith. And that's where it really matters.

Pedro Espinoza (12:30)
Certainly. enemy is the father of lies. He is known for for implanting intrusive thoughts. And it's that verse in Romans. I don't know it verbatim, but it's like I do the things that I don't want to do I focus on doing the things, but I know that I shouldn't be doing those things, yet I do them. So I think that couldn't be any more true. Right. And we're all

dealing with it, especially as men, right? And I think this is a good time to talk about your men's small group because from the beginning of time in the garden, enemy was after Adam. And he knew that if he could tear the man down, he could then tear down multiple generations from there on out. And I think like even in today's modern world, right? enemy is still working. still attacking men.

Abel  Delgadillo (13:20)
you

Pedro Espinoza (13:25)
I mean, we see ⁓ an increase in broken marriages. There's less men in the labor force. Toxic masculinity is on the rise. As men, almost led to believe false power and possessions is our purpose, right? And I feel like we're heavily influenced by media and culture.

shed some light on this situation and this predicament that us men find ourselves in and maybe some ways that you see this improving.

Abel  Delgadillo (14:04)
Well, I think I've you know, I did freedom last year and I was able to meet some really genuine brothers in there That have similar backgrounds so there's a lot of there was a lot of connection in that and Mind you when when I first finished the freedom one of the brothers that I did it with

just on a whim said, hey, it's my brother Jonathan and my brother Bernie. My brother Jonathan said to me and Bernie, he said, hey, you guys are gonna lead the next freedom, right? And just threw it on us. Man, I panicked. I said, this isn't for me, I'm not ready. How am I gonna lead all these other men to forgiving themselves, right? And who am I? I'm not anybody.

I'm just beginning on this walk. So we ended up doing Leading of Freedom. And I think what I found in that is that we created an environment for men from all over the world, from different backgrounds, different pasts, different chains that are holding them down, and created an environment for them to be able to speak on what they're going through without any judgment. Because I think as men,

We need that opportunity to kind of voice out, right? And it's not that we're weak. I don't think we're weak in any way because we show those, those emotions, but we need an avenue and a platform to kind of talk about it. I mean, we have, we have people in our group that have come from drug problems, drinking problems, multiple divorces. We're talking about children that have, that their children have died and they're just releasing a lot of these things. And it's great to see a lot of these men kind of

believe in the word and understand how these small groups can get us to this next step, right? And I think about it like a table, right? You have four legs, but if you remove one, then it becomes unstable. But if you have 60 legs on a table and one kind of loses its grip, it's still gonna be sturdy. And I think we're there to uplift all these brothers that are kind of going through these seasons, because we're never not in a season.

We're always going to be in the season because we're always in it's either going to be a season of perfection or a season of correction. And as we're going through these things, we have to be there to uplift these brothers that are going through these hard times. And I think, you know, we call the group saved by grace. And because God has been able to show us all this grace through this love of unconditional love. And it's great to see these men not only want to give back to the community,

you know, feed the homeless, give to cancer ⁓ fundraisers or, you know, or make a mark into the community. Not for us, because we're those vessels that are supposed to go get those lost sheep. That's our job to be the obedient ones. And, you know, to continue, which I'm still waiting for you to come, my man. I'm hoping you come one day, you know, and come.

Pedro Espinoza (17:13)
Amen.

It's in the making.

Abel  Delgadillo (17:25)
always, you right now we're in the book of Ephesians and Ephesians is by far one of my favorite books because it shows you from chapters one through three how it was changed for all of us to experience this. Right. And from four to six, it shows you what we're supposed to be as men to our wives, to our families, how we're supposed to carry ourselves. Right. And it's going so deep into what we're supposed to be.

that all these men that had no idea what this book was about, as short as it is, it's only six chapters. But the impact that it makes on every man that goes into this group is amazing because they're getting a different perspective on what our roles are versus just feeling like we have to be the macho ones. We can't show emotions or we lead by what the world says, right?

very different from what the masculinity is that the world shows versus the masculinity that the book shows, the word shows. We're supposed to be servants. And as servants, we put ourselves last, right? To our wives, to our kids, to our friends, whatever they need, we're serving them. So, you know, it's opened up a lot of doors, Pedro. It's allowed us to, you know,

We have a softball team on Friday nights that we play in Brentwood. And again, it's to go out there and play. We pray in and at the end of every game, we get the opposing team to come pray with us out on the field. Right. And it's what do you guys need? Are you guys going through anything and we just throw out prayer, invite them to what we're doing. Some come, some don't, but when the time's right. And that's all because God's will has allowed us to do that.

Pedro Espinoza (19:21)
not about, you know, playing each other and being at war with each other. And I think, I think that that alone, like those events on Fridays, it's a, it's a micro example of what's going on in the macro or what should happen in the macro. And that's you guys come together. Sure. You guys are playing each other in softball, but the idea is that you come together, you, you, you share the same experience. And at the end of it,

Abel  Delgadillo (19:38)
.

Pedro Espinoza (19:51)
you pray it out, right? Because at the end of the day, we're supposed to be there for each other. But yeah,

Abel  Delgadillo (19:54)
Good.

Pedro Espinoza (19:56)
no, society, ⁓ telling you, man, from the moment in the garden, up until modern day, men have been beaten down to think, OK, this is what I'm supposed to be as a man. You have all these figures like Andrew Tate, Myron Gaines, all these red pill community leaders that are prescribing this.

this like red pill toxic masculinity and like that dating and marriages, it's all off the rails. Like what I think true masculinity is, self-sacrifice. I think toxic masculinity is self-preservation.

Abel  Delgadillo (20:38)
Absolutely, amen to that.

Pedro Espinoza (20:40)
Right. And I need more leaders in the community like yourself who are holding these spaces for men to come together and speak out

about their problems and, you know, share their testimonies, their experiences. And we really need others like other men's shoulders to lean on. I feel like it's just a safe space because

Abel  Delgadillo (21:02)
Absolutely.

Pedro Espinoza (21:07)
In today's society, can't do any of that.

Abel  Delgadillo (21:10)
Right, right and it's beautiful to see because we have we have you know people who are we'll say from 25 all the way to like 65 year olds in the group and it's really good to see those young guys that are just starting their adulthood into really finding their their footing into this into their faith That's that's beautiful to me. And I wish I would have done that when I was 20 something

But to see these guys go and repent for their sins and what they've caused damage to themselves to go, this is the new me. I'm like, man, you guys are gonna be great in 10 years. Like you guys are the next future. Go get more people that are young. That's so amazing to me.

Pedro Espinoza (21:57)
Absolutely. I've noticed that like in the last, man, two to five years, there's been a ⁓ revival happening. I don't know if you feel it. And not only with men, like just the church in general, like there's an outpouring of God's Spirit that has really been circulating the culture and the modern day.

I mean, you have people getting saved at college campuses. You have the spirit breaking out at Walmart stores for crying out loud. You have people getting saved in prisons. You have ⁓ God's spirit breaking out in big city squares. And it's like, I can't remember a time in history where I've ever witnessed this happen, but I'm just so glad that I'm alive to witness it now.

Abel  Delgadillo (22:55)
Absolutely. And even for my son, right, because I get that experience of what the kids are doing in high school and the kind of clubs that they have in high school.

for kids to follow the word and to read the word and to get closer to God is, it's so beautiful to see, Pedro. I'm sure that stuff was around when we were kids, but I don't think it's to this level. I I drop off my son to youth group and the kids that are there, it's hundreds of kids that just wanna be fed. man, that's beautiful, man.

You know?

Pedro Espinoza (23:37)
It is, it is. I think that Satan, like I said, he's very crafty, right? So he's prescribing this counterfeit culture. And I mean, we don't have to get into details. I'm sure you can think of a few examples right off the top. I think that even in scripture, right, it says that in the last days, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. I don't know where you stand on this. I personally believe that we are in the last days. How many more days or years we have, that's not for me to decide.

Abel  Delgadillo (23:58)
Mm-hmm.

Pedro Espinoza (24:08)
It could be 10, 50, 100 more years. But I mean, that's why we always have to be ready and always read up on our scripture, prayed up, ⁓ fasting, and just being there for each other, Loving on others.

Abel  Delgadillo (24:22)
Absolutely. fact, in talking about fasting, man, that's probably one of the most crucial parts of our walk that a lot of people don't do. And it's so crucial to how we get closer to the word, right? Because what happens when we fast? We become our true versions of ourselves, right? We're hungry, we're cranky, we're going through headaches, whatever it is, then that becomes a real, that's who we are.

When you can control that and give it up to God and say hey Lord, I'm going through this You know, whatever it is as I'm fasting But I give it to you and you constantly pray on making sure that you're closer than your priority is you know in the obedience is to give it to him you feel I mean I did a three-day fast with with the freedom group and I kid you not man. That was probably one of the hardest things I have done

Pedro Espinoza (25:11)
Amen.

Abel  Delgadillo (25:16)
And that's just three days.

Pedro Espinoza (25:17)
without a doubt.

Abel  Delgadillo (25:18)
And it was just water, water. It was hard, but I felt so close to God.

Pedro Espinoza (25:26)
You know what? You're going to have to teach me because to this day I have never fasted. I beat myself up for it because I know that's what scripture teaches and I know that you're right. Just like you're saying, my spirit would get closer to him if I only fasted. So I don't know. It's just a personal challenge for me. Maybe you can guide me through those steps, but

Abel  Delgadillo (25:48)
Absolutely.

Amen. I'll tell you what, we're thinking about doing a Daniel fast, which is fruits, I think nuts. I'll send you what it's looking like, but it's gonna be like 21 days where we're eating, but it's just gonna be a specific amount of food. And anytime we do one, man, I would love for you just to jump on. We have a WhatsApp where we can just, hey, brothers, pray for me. I am going through it in this fast. Cool, we'll pray for you. And we uplift each other and...

We're doing it together. it doesn't make it that easy, but it makes it easier to go through it.

Pedro Espinoza (26:26)
Do you have group tomorrow?

Abel  Delgadillo (26:28)
I do have group tomorrow every Tuesday

Pedro Espinoza (26:31)
Do you guys ever go over evangelism?

Abel  Delgadillo (26:35)
We are actually thinking about that. We're actually coming up with, we're thinking about, we don't know where yet. We're kind of praying about it and see where God leads us with that. We want to go do something for the homeless, where it's not just food, but also give them toiletries, hand sanitizers, toothbrushes, toilet paper and stuff like that. But to pray over them and to speak on the word as they come.

I don't know how we're doing it yet, but it'll be in the works. We have an Instagram page where all that stuff will be kind of put out there to just notify the community of what we're doing and just to show what Saved by Grace is about.

Pedro Espinoza (27:17)
That's always had that urge to just to to evangelize and and win souls to Christ. ⁓ A lot of people in my I guess my experience, but also like from what I've read and heard, the reason a lot of people become or I guess don't believe is because they've never been talked into it. So I think that just being spirit led

Abel  Delgadillo (27:43)
All right.

Pedro Espinoza (27:46)
and being ⁓ obviously biblically literate and answering their heart questions and just loving them and giving them a ⁓ piece of heaven, right? I think that that's a way that we can win souls to Christ. Yeah, so that's always something that's

Abel  Delgadillo (28:05)
Absolutely.

Pedro Espinoza (28:05)
been on my heart.

Abel  Delgadillo (28:07)
Brother, when we do that, I would love for you to come out, man. When we do that stuff. I would love for you to be there. I would love for you to, just to kind of, I mean, I don't know if you've ever been in that situation where we're giving out food and stuff and kind of giving back to the homeless and stuff.

Pedro Espinoza (28:24)
Well, you know, it's funny you bring that up because I've actually ventured off and I've tried my own version of evangelism and it is typically with the homeless because just at face value, I see that they're the most in need. So I want to go and just give them a piece of heaven and just talk to them, right? Just like we were talking about. So, yeah, I do. I try my best.

Sometimes I don't do it because I get nervous or just intimidated or whatever. So I end up kicking myself at the end of it. But when I do follow through with it and I take that leap of faith, all worth it, man. It's so worth it. It's not even about feeling good for yourself. It's about feeling good because you did it for the kingdom.

Abel  Delgadillo (29:08)
you

Yes.

Pedro Espinoza (29:22)
God is increased and you are decreased. He's elevated and that's the goal.

Abel  Delgadillo (29:29)
It's not who are we to boast, right? We don't And even if it's going to a nursery where they're needed, right? And we've been able to on serve days for the church to kind of go see and get their perspective on how they're struggling, even though they're taken care of and they got a bed to sleep on and food to eat, to hear their stories about.

Pedro Espinoza (29:32)
⁓ exactly.

Abel  Delgadillo (29:58)
family's not coming and how it's so impactful for people just to come and drop off blankets and socks and to pray over them. You really get a sense of how much

God is needed in this world and what our responsibility is as disciples of God. ⁓

Pedro Espinoza (30:21)
Yeah, and I'll share example. Just yesterday in front of Target, I finished purchasing my items and I was walking out and to the right of me there was this man, if you will, know, air quotes, because I think homelessness is a spectrum. So he was, you know, right there in the middle. But anyways, I saw this homeless man and he was asking this individual coming into Target if he could buy him something and

This dude just, you know, straight out rejected him and just kind of ignored him and just walked past him. So I walked up to him and sure enough, he asked me. we got to talking. Long story Target and I brought out the items he wanted. And then, dude, that was the perfect opportunity for me to start talking to him about Christ, about the church, about the purpose in life.

which I did and he was very, very receptive, very receptive. He was asking all kinds of questions and then he asked me, how did you know to come over here? And I said, you know what brother, it was the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit led me to you. And I believe this was a divine appointment. And then,

Abel  Delgadillo (31:33)
Amen.

Pedro Espinoza (31:39)
you know, I asked him if I could pray with him and sure enough, he let me and we finished it out in prayer. And then I said, you know what brother, have a good day.

Abel  Delgadillo (31:40)
Thank you.

Pedro Espinoza (31:48)
just remembering Jesus' name. But I am sharing this because

even in that conversation we had, he said that he just wishes that people noticed him more. He wishes that people acknowledged him, not only his presence, but acknowledged him as a human being.

Abel  Delgadillo (31:57)
⁓

Right. Right.

Pedro Espinoza (32:13)
And

I thought that was powerful. He taught me more than I taught him.

Abel  Delgadillo (32:18)
It gives you that different perspective and as you well alluded to right God placed you there for a reason You know You were able to speak on what was on your heart and what your responsibility was And that's feeling of the heart man. Just like you said That's our job So I think I think that's a beautiful story man, I think that's beautiful

Pedro Espinoza (32:44)
And so with with Saved by Grace, since you'll be doing these outreaches, do you see Saved by Grace getting like having a greater reach, kind of expanding on top of those homeless outreaches and just kind of expanding into different types of areas?

Abel  Delgadillo (33:03)
Absolutely, ⁓ we've talked about, you know, kind of seeing how we can do or what we can do when there's, you know, natural disasters, ⁓ kind of reaching into more of a domestic, what we can do here in our country. ⁓ We know the sky's the limit with what we can, with what God will allow us to do. ⁓ We are kind of letting Him lead us into what's next, right?

I think as humans we kind of get that pompous little, well let's see what we can do. well let's see how far we as men can take it. And we are trying to be very hyper aware of that thought process and not do that. And truly let us, let Him lead us with the Holy Spirit and see where He wants to take us. But we do see it growing for sure. Just where direction I...

God's will, brother. God's will.

Pedro Espinoza (34:07)
Amen. As long as you keep that mindset and just know that it's you're doing the work of God and you're spreading the kingdom and just winning souls to Christ because that's our objective,

Abel  Delgadillo (34:21)
Yes, absolutely. And it's great, man. It's great to be that soldier of God. It's not about me, right? We don't need that plaque that says, look what saved by grace did. We'd rather just fly under the radar and just know that we did it.

We don't need that recognition.

Pedro Espinoza (34:44)
you have any final words and bits of inspiration for the listener who is struggling and going through a hard time and doesn't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel?

Abel  Delgadillo (34:58)
Absolutely. The one thing that I can tell anybody that is struggling in any season and is afraid to make that leap, because it is, it does require to fully submit. And I think we have a tendency, you know, we use this, I use this like a river analogy. You know, we give it to God and we might only be ankle deep, right? But we're still close to the shore to take control. And then some of us might be knee deep. Like, ⁓ we're in the current, but I'm still

my feet are still on the ground, I can still walk back to shore. But I think once you fully submersed into the river and let the river take you, which is God's will, is when the great things happen. And I think you have to get outside of your comfort box to really start experiencing what kind of love he brings, ⁓ the guidance that he's gonna give you, the refuge he's gonna give you through those seasons, and really

make you understand that as you're building your faith, you are building your house on a rock.

Right. And what I tell everybody, it's that analogy of the gym. You make it in through the doors, you never regret a workout once you're in. And I think it's the same way here. You go in one service, you never regret going into a service. It might be uncomfortable because now you're facing some of those demons or your past that has been holding you back. But take it on. Go face up and deal with those things.

Allow yourself to break those chains of what's holding you back, whether it's the past, whether it's generational, break those curses. Break those generational curses so you can be the one that changes the game for not only yourself, but for your family. And for any man that is going through any sort of struggles, understand that there is people that are doing the same, that are going through the same stuff as you. And that if you find brothers in Christ, we're there to uplift you.

They're not come to save by grace, We'll take, we'll be more than happy to have anybody there.

Pedro Espinoza (37:09)
I love it.

Abel  Delgadillo (37:10)
Yeah, brother.

And if you're open to it, bro, I would love to get the guys on here too, maybe on a call.

We'll kind of get their testimony right and kind of their walk and kind of their perspective on what we're doing.

Pedro Espinoza (37:24)
Definitely, definitely like you just kind of like a one-on-one deal or more of like a group call

Abel  Delgadillo (37:30)
We

can do a group, man. Yeah, either or whatever you feel comfortable with or whatever's easier for you.

Pedro Espinoza (37:32)
Either or.

would be solid. think, again, sure I have the podcast, but it's not my voice people need to hear. It's the voice of others and it's all for the kingdom.

Abel  Delgadillo (37:50)
Yes, that's the main thing, bro. And anything that we can do to support you, let us know. And anything that we need to do. We're here for you, Not only as brothers, but as knowing you for over a decade and knowing your brother and your family and stuff like that, Whatever you need, bro, I'm here for you.

Pedro Espinoza (38:04)
Appreciate it.

Appreciate you talk more offline. But Abel, I want to thank you again for coming on and your testimony and sharing the great work you're doing in the community with Save By Grace. Is there a social media handle where people can follow you on or maybe Save By Grace?

Abel  Delgadillo (38:16)
Okay, absolutely.

Yeah, we do have an Instagram. ⁓ It's saved by grace underscore 925. It just kind of puts out pictures of what we're doing. If anybody wants to get ahold of us, it gives us that way out. ⁓ No websites, nothing like that, man. It's just to kind of put it out into the social media of what we're doing, right? And the blessings that we can give on to people and stuff like that. And as we do,

Whether it's a car wash fundraiser or we're giving clothes to women's shelter or homeless, whatever it is, we put it on there to kind of show what God is allowing us to do.

Pedro Espinoza (39:15)
Alright brother, well thanks again for coming People go and follow Abel, go follow Safe by Grace, and go his journey and all the good work he's doing in the community. But thanks again for coming on brother, I appreciate it.

Abel  Delgadillo (39:27)
Pedro, again, man, thank you for having me and it was a true blessing and an honor to be on your podcast. All right, you too, brother. Thank you.

Pedro Espinoza (39:32)
All right, have a good night.