Behind the Badge: Andy Anthony's Testimony of True Surrender

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Well, good morning and welcome to Real Truth for today. Pastor Jeff Schrieve here wanted to read to you from Romans, chapter eight. the Bible says this beginning in verse five. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. Because the mindset on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Well, it was, a week or so ago that, I was at a retirement reception for an officer in our church, Krish King. And, I talked, to different ones there after the ceremony was over. And one of the guys I talked to was my friend Andy Anthony. I've known Andy for a long time. He served, as a sergeant and tapd Texarkana Arkansas Police Department. And then he retired, but they hired him back and now he's serving as operations coordinator for Texarkana Arkansas Police Department. And Andy said something that kind of surprised me. He said, hey, I just want you to know I got saved just recently. And, I said, well, tell me about that. And he told me his story, just in a nutshell. But I thought to myself, this would make for a great sit down because Andy is, like so many others, kind of a cultural Christian, grew up in a Christian home. But, it wasn't real in his heart until about the last year, a

Speaker C: couple years, a year and a half.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. So I wanted him to share his story. And so, Andy, welcome to Real Truth for today. You. Thank you for Being well. Okay, so, I've known your mom and dad. Your dad's in heaven now. But your m. Sweet mom has been a great supporter of. From His Heart ministries for so many years. Went with us on a trip to Israel. And, So I knew her before I knew you. And, so you grew up in a Christian home, Only child. Is that right?

Speaker C: Yes.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. Only child. And, learned about Jesus, went to church. Your parents took you to church. So tell. Tell us about those growing up years.

Speaker C: from Texarkana. you know, we really didn't go to church a whole lot. as they got a little bit older and we moved out of one neighborhood into another, then we kind of started getting back into going to church. my mother's, father was a Baptist preacher, but I think there was some, hard times having that, and I think that kind of might have pushed her away a little bit. But we ended up. She found her way back. We all found her way back. And, that's been that way for quite some time.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. Okay. So, did you make a decision for Jesus when you were a kid?

Speaker C: I did. my senior year, I was going to church, with a family, a very good Christian family. I saw how a Christian family, treats each other, and, I really. At that time, I was like, this is. This is something I want. And, I believed in God. And, I went through the motions is what I try to say. And I was baptized, and I went down front, and I lived my life through that late, like 17, 18 into my 20s. But after I got a little bit older and 21, then it's like I kind of left that stuff behind. And. And, I kept thinking, well, I'm okay. I'm a good guy. And really, I wasn't.

: Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. So, looking at you, you're very athletic, obviously. Lift a lot of weights. that's good. In the profession of law enforcement, to be strong rather than weak. but I'm assuming you were a jock in high school.

Speaker C: Yes. Played football, baseball, all the sports.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay, so I know for me now I'm older than you are, Andy. but the jocks all kind of drank and caroused, and that was what happened on weekends. So you played hard, but you liked to party, too.

Speaker C: Yes. Did all those things that you shouldn't do.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. but you're thinking, I can live this kind of life because I've been baptized and I'm good.

Speaker C: Yeah, I thought that.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. Okay, so fast forward a little Bit. When did you meet your wife?

Speaker C: we met in 2006. And, you're how old? Excuse me? Not 2006. It was 2005. 2005.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: 2005. You're how old?

Speaker C: I'm 51 now.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: No, then that.

Speaker C: I was 28. Nine.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. Where did y' all meet?

Speaker C: We met at a club. We met at a bar.

: Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: and you'd never been married? She'd never been married.

Speaker C: Neither one of us. She had actually had just graduated nursing school, and she didn't even live here. She lived in, the DFW area.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And I just met her here in Texas.

Speaker C: She had came in for some friend of theirs birthday party, something like that. And that's how we met.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Was it love at first sight for you?

Speaker C: for me, it was because I saw her and I was like, who is that? I don't recognize her. So, yeah, that's how it started. I mean, I walked up to her and asked her if I could dance with her. It kind of went from there.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And she was interested right off the bat?

Speaker C: No, she was not. I think she was, kind of apprehensive. Just, I don't want to be involved with someone from Texarkana. Yeah, that's kind of how I feel. But,

Pastor Jeff Schreve: so long distance relationship?

Speaker C: Well, a few conversations over the phone. Ask her if she wanted ice cream, and then I think that's where I kind of set the hook on her.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay, so you were making the trip to Dallas?

Speaker C: Actually, she was one of those that worked so many days during the week and was kind of off a lot more than I was at that particular time. I worked for the highway patrol and I was working split shifts, and I was only off like Tuesday, Wednesday during the week. So she would come down from DFW and stay with me whenever she could. And I'd say every other week or something. But yeah, it was kind of a long distance relationship.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay, so neither one of you are pursuing the Lord at this time. Right.

Speaker C: my wife, I believe she was a Christian. she was young. I was. I'm six years, almost seven years older than she is.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay.

Speaker C: and I was just living and, some things came up with us that was outside being married. We. We had a foul in our daughter. She got. Jennifer got pregnant and we had a beautiful daughter.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah.

Speaker C: it led to a lot of stress because we weren't married. She moved in my house with me. She moved down from Dallas down here. That was very stressful for her. She gave up a really good job. And DFW is a new nurse there in a really big hospital. They come to Texture Canada, where she didn't want to be nine, months pregnant, had a baby, moved in, and then we're building a family, but we still weren't married. And looking back, there was a lot of stress because you're not living the way you need to be.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: So are her parents Christians?

Speaker C: Yes.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. So they probably didn't like that.

Speaker C: I would assume that they probably didn't. I've never asked them. her parents are very loving, very helpful, very there. They've been there the whole time as my parents were. they never said anything cross to me about it. But, I would assume being a father of a daughter, I would. I would be disappointed as well, so I can understand that.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. So Fallon comes into your. Your life. When did you get married?

Speaker C: We didn't get married for, three years later.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Fallon's three. When you get married.

Speaker C: She had, just turned three, and then we got married.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: What. What was the impetus for you to get married?

Speaker C: funny you asked that. my wife was like, are we ever going to get married? And I was. I don't know where I was at in my own mind. I just thought. I'd never thought I would ever be someone who got married. I never thought I'd be someone actually had kids, and it just happened. And, she had been going to nursing school and got out, and then she had done critical care, and she was wanting to go back to school to do anesthesia.

Speaker C: And she got accepted, and she said, either we're getting married or I'm moving back to Dallas with Fallon. Either way, I'm going to go to Dallas. We're not going to be married, and I'm not going through all this. So I asked her to marry me, she said yes, and then we were married.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Did you feel pressured to do that, or did you want to do it?

Speaker C: I think that I needed to be. I wouldn't say I needed to be pressured. I needed to be kicked off the stump. Make a decision, be a man. Make a decision. And I, wasn't being a man. I wasn't being a Christian. I think that's a lot of the problem. I, was trying to live in Andy's life, not worrying about so many other people, but I worried about myself too much.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Right. Okay. Andy, I know you and I talked about this before, but alcohol played a big part, in your life for a long time.

Speaker C: Yes.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And that started in high school where you started drinking?

Speaker C: yes, I did drink some in high school. It wasn't like an every weekend thing. But did you have beer? just whatever. Alcohol, if it might be vodka or whatever it was, anything that, you know, somebody had it, then we drank it. I never did any drugs or anything like that. But, alcohol is a drug. don't let people fool you. It is.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Right. I would say, you know, with, not to get too off topic, but with you and law enforcement for so many years, you've probably seen more damage from alcohol than anything else.

Speaker C: Oh, absolutely.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Wrecking homes.

Speaker C: And it starts at the younger ages and continues to. You know, people are very, very old. And it's readily available anywhere you go, right? Yeah. I mean, you can pick it up anywhere.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: So when you and Jennifer got together, did you feel like you had a drinking issue?

Speaker C: I don't think I did right then. but as we were together and even after we got married, then it seemed like it got worse. And it wasn't just drinking a few beers here and there. at one point, I was probably drinking, a half gallon or two a week.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Wow.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And able to function, as best

Speaker C: as I thought I was functioning. Yes.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. So as a law enforcement officer, you're. You're not going to work inebriated?

Speaker C: No, no.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: But you. After work, you're going to be hitting it hard.

Speaker C: Yes. Every. Every afternoon after work, I would drink four or five cups.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Is that right?

Speaker C: Of alcohol? Straight. Sometimes just straight alcohol.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. And you build up a tolerance for that, but at first you're not. So you're getting sloppy drunk at that point.

Speaker C: I was getting sloppy drunk. And then it got to a point where, my wife actually said something to me one day. She was. She goes, I can smell that from over here. And she goes, what's sad is that you've had two or three of those cups, Andy, and you don't even act like you've had one.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Oh, wow.

Speaker C: And that was. That was a big eye opener to me.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: How long ago was that?

Speaker C: That was. Gosh, that's been years and years ago.

Speaker C: but I just continued on doing whatever I thought I wanted to do.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Well, okay. So I guess you lie to yourself, thinking, I can handle this because I'm able to go through. I'm still able to work, and so I can. But, what do you think was causing you to drink? Just for the feeling of getting that buzz.

Speaker C: you know, I've never really thought of it. You know, just super Serious. But it seems like it was just a combination of many things. one, being sinful. in. In my marriage, doing whatever I wanted to do, if you name it, you take sin in itself and you start thinking about the things that you've done. I think I was trying to mask and dull.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: For shame.

Speaker C: For shame and everything else that I knew what I was doing.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Right. And, So Jennifer has really put up with a lot.

Speaker C: Yes, yes.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Because she's not a drinker and not really. Yeah. and then Fallon knew, later

Speaker C: on, I think she. She knew.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: She never said anything to you about it?

Speaker C: No.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. but none of the guys at the. On the force knew that you were doing this, or did they know?

Speaker C: I think they knew that I was drink, but I don't think they had a clue of how much and how often.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: So were you doing that mostly by yourself or were you doing a lot

Speaker C: of it was by myself.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Wow. Okay. Well, that's a story in itself. And, as we're going to get into this, after the break, God, took that away and miraculously, because that doesn't normally happen and normally it's a constant battle, but for your life and the way the Lord chose to work in your life, that did get taken away. And so we're talking to Andy Anthony. He has retired as a sergeant in the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department. And, he was in law enforcement. Has been in law enforcement for 27 years. You were retired for a month?

Speaker C: three weeks.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Three weeks. And they called you back and now you're operations coordinator for that same department, Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department. We have a lot of different police entities and law enforcement entities here in the Texarkana area. But, Andy's on the Arkansas side and he's been a good friend for many, many years. What a great testimony. And so you're listening to Real Truth for today. Pastor Jeff Schrieve here. And you don't want to miss more of Andy Anthony as he shares how the Lord totally changed his life just about a year and a half, two years ago. We'll be right back.

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: This is real truth for today. Podcasts of the program are available on the podcast [email protected] now back to Pastor Jeff Schrieve.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Welcome back to the program. Pastor Jeff here talking to my friend Andy Anthony. And we're talking about how God has changed his life just in the last year and a half to two years. Going from just being a cultural Christian, thinking he's okay involved in church, coming to church, but living a life of sin on the side and it not being real. So, Andy, here you are. you're married now. You and Jennifer are married. Fallon is beautiful little girl. Growing up in your home. You have a good job. you're doing things good for the community. You're arresting the bad guys, fighting crime and corruption. as a friend of mine used like to say that worked for the Harris County Sheriff's Department. And there has to be a sense of, I'm, making a difference. I'm doing something good with my life. And, you know, for somebody that's a cultural Christian, you would think, well, that's got to count for something. God is pleased with my work. That kind of deal. Did that play into your mind? Some, like, well, maybe I'm okay. Maybe this is balancing the scales.

Speaker C: I guess that kind of makes sense when you say it like that. but on top of that, it was just, you know, I was going through the motions. I was coming to church. I believed in God. I knew he was real.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Right.

Speaker C: but in the same sense, I would come into church and I would. And I. And I believed everything that I was listening to. But then I would immediately leave and go right back into the world of what I wanted to do and things that I, you know, I felt like were, you know, more important, and they weren't right.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: okay, so what is. What was the turning point? How did, how did that play out in your life?

Speaker C: Well, many, many factors led up to, many years of just the drinking and the, the arguments and just the, the disgruntledness at home.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And was Jennifer ever reaching her breaking point?

Speaker C: I believe she was, yeah. and you could see it on her face a lot.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. but now you didn't want to say, I don't want to be married to you anymore, right?

Speaker C: No, no, I never had that idea that I didn't want to. You know, and I say that, when you're drinking like that and you get, frustrated and you're living in your own life, you just think of everything else that you could do just to be away from all of it.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. okay, so with people that drink and domestic disputes and things like that, I would think that there would be a lot of arguments. none of it turned physical or anything like that, but a lot of yelling.

Speaker C: There were times there would be yelling, just total. When you're in a situation like that, it's not just the arguments over the drinking. It's arguments that, you know. Well, I don't. I would just check out. I don't care. Yeah, they would. She would say something, whatever. I don't care.

Speaker C: Well, you know, when you're married, you need to, you need to care.

: Right?

Speaker C: You need to care. You need to worry about certain things. And they may be this small snippet of nothingness to me, even at that time, but now, I mean, it's like, let's just talk about and get it, get it behind us. Let's figure the solution out and move forward. Forward.

Speaker C: Well, you just check out on everything, right? All your word about, you know, drinking and just, you know, being numb to everything. Like, I don't, I don't care to talk about it.

Speaker C: So, you know, and then you become distant from each other, and those situations, it just widens. And, you know, could I see us probably having reached being divorced? Yes. I mean, I would be stupid not to think that, you know, we both, at one point were probably like, I don't care. And she's all like, I can't live like this, or vice versa. Right. Just. It was one of those situations where, you know, you, you, you, you just get another drink and forget about it, you know.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Now are you drinking at home or are you drinking?

Speaker C: I'm just drinking at home, not going

Pastor Jeff Schreve: to the bars or anything like that.

Speaker C: Not really.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. How much of that was fueled by, hey, I'm a police officer. I can't really be out here getting hammered?

Speaker C: Well, well, first of all, a great deal, because I knew how much I was going to drink, and if I could, if I was making a drink. 1. I knew if I drank that drink, I'd be over legal limit. I knew it. So when I'm drinking three or four huge cups.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: you're not driving.

Speaker C: I'm not driving, no.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. Okay.

Speaker C: I'm just sitting on the couch.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. So you were smart enough to know I'm not going to put myself in a position where I could lose my job and that kind of thing. Okay. So did Jennifer issue you an ultimatum?

Speaker C: I want to say there was a situation one time. She was just like, this is getting old. and I really don't remember exactly what we talked about at that time, but it was like, you know, it had to deal with the situation where I was drinking earlier about, hey, I can smell that from over here. and I would say, yes, that is kind of ultimatum. Like, what are you doing? You know, you need to start thinking about not only your health, but there were some other things, factors coming in. You know, my dad had started getting sick.

Speaker C: he had dementia. And, I saw what he had done most his life, which was a lot of drinking.

Speaker C: I know he was a Christian and I believe that. but he, he supplemented, I think, because he had been in the military and he'd saw a lot of things. Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And I knew your mom a lot better than I knew your dad, so I got to know George pretty much toward the end. but super guy. He was coming in church with your mom and.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay, so here you are. I have a drinking problem. You probably didn't want to admit that you had a drinking problem, right?

Speaker C: No, you don't want to admit it,

Pastor Jeff Schreve: but you knew it deeper.

Speaker C: You knew. You knew you have one.

Speaker C: When you're. When you're going through half count of whiskey in a couple days, you know. You know there's a problem.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. So you're always drinking to get drunk.

Speaker C: You know, I don't. I don't know that I would. Just drinking to get drunk. I just drank to drink, just to be drinking.

Speaker C: Yeah. And because it would. It was not that I felt like I was intoxicated. I know I was. Legally, I was intoxicated. It. But, I felt like it just. It just. It was like the camouflage. It was just hiding me. It was hiding what I knew was going on in my mind with everything else I'd been doing. Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. And. And Jennifer knew about all the. All the stuff that was going on?

Speaker C: No, not at that time. No. It was many years later. It. Like we had spoken before. when you do something, it's going to come out.

Speaker C: And it came out, and I didn't have a choice but just lay it all on the line. I was just like, I'm. This is a done deal. In my mind, it was a done deal.

Speaker C: So I was like, I need to. I need to be honest, just, you know, say everything I've been doing. And I did. And that was the same time that my dad had been getting really sick and he was on hospice.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And was she surprised or did she sense that?

Speaker C: I think she was surprised, but I think in the back of her mind, she sensed it.

Speaker C: I really don't know. I never really asked her.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: This is just running around, that kind of stuff. Yes. Okay. Now she never did that.

Speaker C: No.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. well, okay. So she was willing to say, okay, I'll stay with you, even though these things are. Have been happening.

Speaker C: There was a. There was a long period of time that, you know, that went by that we, you know, I moved out of the house. I, was gone for several months. and then she asked me to come back, but she wanted to talk and wanted to go to counseling. And I started going to counseling. not for the drinking, but just for. In general, just for everything.

Speaker C: And I. But I spoke about that in. In counseling, a little bit of the bricks starting to come off, right. I can feel them like, okay, this is out, Right. I can, I can breathe now,

Pastor Jeff Schreve: like dancing a boil or something like that.

Speaker C: You can start to breathe a little bit. And I'm like, what. What else do I need to do? You know? And about that same time, I really wouldn't had paid attention to, a lot of co workers at work. I mean, I had friends, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to their faith. and I knew some of them had a lot stronger faith than some. and then I started really. I said, why. Why are these certain guys.

Speaker C: That are married, they don't have any of these issues, and they seem to be the happiest out of everyone up here. Right. you know, there's. Every day has a different day when you work at a police department, but these guys had a different kind of happiness. And, when I really looked, it didn't take much to look, but when you looked, you could see every one of them had Jesus. Every one of them.

Speaker C: Whether it was Krish King. There's several more.

Speaker C: Kyle Cottle, Tanner Freeman. There's been several of these guys that, started paying more attention to, and some of them. They mimicked some of the same things. I did one or two. And they had left all that behind, and it just seemed like, man, their life is just kind of straightened out. It looks so much nicer. Yeah. And I was like, man, I want a piece of that.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So you realize they have something I don't have.

Speaker C: Yes.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Okay. So I know we talked about the book by Kyle Idleman. Are you a fan or fan or follower or whatever it's called? Tell me about getting introduced to that book.

Speaker C: I was actually introduced to that book after the fact of, making a decision to really follow Christ. Yeah. I had. I was actually. I was at home. And I'll back up just a little bit. I was at home one afternoon and I'd already moved back in the house, and I was. I was hiding. Drinking. I was hiding it.

Speaker C: Not a lot. I wasn't back to drinking like I was, but I was. I was still drinking some. And. And I know I'm gonna get emotional about this. but I'd gone outside and made a drink, and I came back in the house and I started drinking it and I. And I'm talking to myself and I'm like, what are you doing, man? You know, you're. You're back here. You need to make a decision. Are you going to be a husband and a dad? Are you going to be a drunk? Yeah. Which one are you going to want to be? And, I started crying, and I set the drink down, and I could show you the exact place in my living room. And I got as close to the floor as I could. And I beg God, I said, I gotta have you. I can't do it without you anymore. And he showed up.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: M. Yeah.

Speaker C: And I'm so thankful. Yeah, he showed a big time.

Speaker C: Not to say that there wasn't some challenges.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Sure.

Speaker C: But right then, I say right then, within the next day or so, you know, I would. There was that. And I want. And I tell people this too, whenever they're having going through issues. And they. And when I knew, I knew right then that God accepted my apologies. And I asked him, I said, I know I've said some of these things before, but I didn't really mean them. I mean, with all my heart, now I need you. But, I guess I'm trying to. My mind's just going crazy. I'm trying to think all the things. But, over the next few days, it was almost like. Because at that time, right before then, the devil. I say this devil had his hand around my throat, and he was just dragging me around wherever he wanted, and you could feel it. But, I was outside, in my shop, and someone was like. You could almost hear him as clearly as I can hear the Lord now speak to me sometimes. And he was there going, just get one drink. It won't hurt. No one's here. One. And this was maybe a week or two weeks after that in the living room situation. So I had something in my shop that had hid. So I had got a drink out, and I took a swallow, and I was like, man, that's the best drink I've had forever. And I hadn't had a drink in a week or two. And I sat it down, I started crying again. I said, please don't let me drink this, God.

Speaker C: And I took one more sip of it, and I couldn't swallow it.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: And I knew right then he had taken that away.

Speaker C: He had taken it away.

Speaker C: And I poured it out, and I hadn't been back.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. And that was how long ago, Andy?

Speaker C: That's been about a year and a half, two years ago.

Speaker C: And every day now, it's just. It's. My life's been so much more clear.

Speaker C: Happier. I can't believe how unbelievably happy I am in life now. M. And that's not just the Lord working on me. He's. He's. He's worked on my wife, softened her heart. He's worked on my mom. He's worked. He's worked on everyone that's around me, and he's got people around me now that I can go and speak with that have, like, ideas instead of the other.

Speaker C: So.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: But with your life, it's not like you were, you know, I'm stepping out on my wife. I'm with my buddies. We're gonna go drink and chase girls. And. Because you were mostly by yourself doing that, right. You didn't really want to involve other people in that.

Speaker C: No. you. I felt like I would just try to hide everything I could.

Speaker C: The thing about being in police work is that you're. You. You. You're chasing a. A high all the time.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Right. Adrenaline rush.

Speaker C: You're having an adrenaline rush, so you can be a normal day of just patrolling, and then your insulin and all this other stuff spikes. Adrenaline spikes, because you're going to a call of shots fired or whatever the case may be.

Speaker C: So when you're off, you want to chase that High, huh?

Speaker C: And you'll, you'll substitute it for whatever you can find.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Do you think police officers, because of that, they may be more susceptible to alcohol, maybe drugs even?

Speaker C: I would say whatever their. Is going to get, their device is that gets them that way.

Speaker C: and after, you know, looking into it, you know, there's many, there's all kind of things which, whether it's sexual immorality or the alcohol or pornography or whatever the case may be, there someone's going to find a way to put meet that high. Not all of them. I'm not saying that every police officer does that. I'm speaking from myself.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. just curious too. We got about a minute before the break, but, how many. Because you've been in it a long time and before the days of video cameras, body cameras and things like that, how many, how many cops like to be. I like being a cop because I'm gonna kind of overpower you and, be kind of rough with you.

Speaker C: You know, I've never witnessed anyone that I've worked at work with do anything like that. not to say that, you know, you haven't seen those videos online or something in some big city somewhere, but,

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Because a power trip could fit into being a police officer. Officer, Absolutely. That would be a draw to the.

: Yeah.

Speaker C: But I, you know, for the most part, I'd say most of the people I've worked with, because when you get into law enforcement, it's, it's not a job, it is actually a calling. Yeah. Otherwise you're not going to make it.

Speaker C: You'll self implode on yourself.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: We're listening to Real Truth for today. Pastor Jeff Schrieve here talking to Andy Anthony about his testimony and how he came to know Christ in a real way and it totally changed his life. We'll be right back.

: If you'd like to contact Pastor Jeff, email pastor jeffromhisheart.org now back to Real Truth for today with Pastor Jeff Schrieve.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Welcome back to Real Truth for today. Pastor Jeff Schrieve here talking to Andy Anthony, talking about how he came to know Christ in a real way. And Andy, you know, one of the things that really, spoke to my heart when we, when we talked at Krish King's retirement party was the fact that your story speaks to so many people. Because we have a lot of people in church. They're church members, they've been baptized, they maybe prayed a prayer or whatever, but they never really gave their life to Jesus. And that's what it means to be a Christian. You give your life to Jesus, he gives his life to you. And so, as it says in Romans 8, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And he says, however, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. And you are living your life with the spirit of Christ, not be in there. Andy was on the throne. Andy did whatever Andy wanted to do and kind of played the game and lied, to himself that he was okay. so since you received Christ, how have things changed?

Speaker C: Man, it's just been. It's just like night and day. It really is. situations that I would really worry about. They're. They're really not anything to worry about at all. because one, I'm, I'm living for him now.

: Yeah.

Speaker C: And, the situations that I had to worry about. Hiding. I don't have to hide anything. Yeah. Nothing.

Speaker C: Nothing has to be hidden when you have Christ.

Speaker C: And that is such that to me, that alone has brought me so much happiness because I can just. I can be me, but I can work through. He works through me for me to be what he wants me to be.

Speaker C: If that makes sense.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: well, you had told me about the book that we had mentioned, the fan or follower, and that you realized, hey, I'm just a fan. I'm not a real follower. And so how did that kind of unfold for you?

Speaker C: and again, when I asked Lord coming to my life, and I meant it in my heart. And then through the weeks that went through that, there's just a. I could feel the change inside of me. and one of our captains, at work, I'd spoke with Zach White. he brought the book and gave me, I'm not a fan. And I find this. And I tell people this all the time not to be funny, but I've never read a book cover to cover. Not one time. But I read that book cover to cover.

Speaker C: And, And I read it for me, I thought pretty fast. It might have taken me a week or so. It's not a very big book. But I. I will say it's a good book. It is a great book. And it has some, testimonies at the end of the chapters that really hit home. just. Just in. Man, it just filled my heart reading that book. And I'm like. And as I read it, I've looked at it. And I'm like, that was me to a T. I was a fan. I believed in God. I knew he was real.

Speaker C: But what. What am I doing to follow Him?

Speaker C: And I wasn't doing anything. And again, I was coming to church and, m. I was tithing and sitting in the pew and singing the songs and then leaving and doing whatever put me right back in the world. And I didn't want to do that anymore. And, every day since then has been a blessing. 100%.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: How has Jennifer responded to this?

Speaker C: Oh, she's. She has been elated. Yes. And I think she's happy for me.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. Yeah. How about Fallon, your daughter?

Speaker C: Same. Same. Because, I sat them both down. this has been months and months ago. And I just told him, I said, I know I haven't been the husband or the dad I needed to be, but I'm gonna do everything I can to make up for.

Speaker C: And, Yeah, I just, I kicked myself in the butt that I didn't do it so much I didn't do a long time ago. Yeah. And I mentioned that to someone else, and they said, God did it, let it happen. Right. When he needed you, knew he needed you.

Speaker C: And, And I. And I hang a lot on that because I wish I'd have done it so much sooner instead of being, you know.

Speaker C: 49, 50 years old. I would been, you know, 18.

Speaker C: When I first did. Did it and stayed that course my whole life. But I didn't.

Speaker C: But absolutely. Both of them know, now where I stand.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Well. Well, okay. I would think, Andy. So with that background, you can see people that were just like you.

Speaker C: Yes.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: That are kind of going through the motions, playing the game, because it's like, that's me. I'm looking in a mirror. You know that I did exactly what you're doing now. So one of the wonderful things about the Lord saving you later, through all the things that you've been through, is that you're quite a testimony to those others. I think about the people listening today or watching online. there are a lot of people in church, as we said, that go through the motions and think they're okay. what would you say to that person?

Speaker C: You need to search yourself. And, I can't define it very well. what I would like to say, being a new Christian still. but when you know for sure, there's just a different feeling about it. You just feel it within. and when you're just. You're Going through the motions, you know, in the back of your mind, you're going through the motions, if that makes sense.

Speaker C: and. And. And I say that because that's what I was doing.

Speaker C: And you. And you lie to yourself as you lie to everyone else.

Speaker C: You really just, And I'll be the first one. I was a hypocrite to a lot of things.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. You know, I would imagine you had, especially with your job, being in dangerous situation situations. The thought of dying would have been pretty frightening for you, or.

Speaker C: No, it wasn't.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: I mean, did you think, I'm going to go to heaven?

Speaker C: You know, I, I think I lied to myself saying that I was.

Speaker C: But now I look back and it should have been the scariest part of my entire life.

Speaker C: because there was. There's been. I'm not saying that I'm some super cop by any means. but there's been several situations where it's gotten pretty hairy.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: It could have gotten shot.

Speaker C: And, you know, you can get hurt or, you know, worse. You just be hurt so bad that, you know you can't do anything.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Right. Right.

Speaker C: But now that I know, when I take my last breath here, I'll take my first in heaven.

Speaker C: And I know that for a fact.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Amen to that. You know, Andy, I heard it said one time. I read this in a book, and it's so true. So, you know, a true Christian is hearing the voice of the Lord. You have the Lord inside. You're not in the flesh, you're in the spirit. That doesn't mean you always walk perfectly. But the Lord, you belong to him. And so it's kind of like a guy that's listening on headphones. We have headphones here. You're listening to music on headphones, and you're tapping your foot to the beat. Well, an unbeliever can copy that. But the difference is they're not hearing the music. They're just going through the motions. And if the music changes and the beat changes, well, they don't. They're not able to change because they don't. All of a sudden it's. Wait a minute. You're not doing it the way you were doing it before. It's because they're not hearing anything. And so you, in your life, you went from hearing nothing to. Now, all of a sudden you hear the voice of the shepherd and it's totally different.

Speaker C: Oh, absolutely. 100%.

Speaker C: there's been certain situations, and I'm going to just Say this one. Just like when we had spoke at, Krish's retirement thing, it was something like, I'm excited to tell people.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah, I could tell that.

Speaker C: and I get emotional. M. Every time.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. That's cool.

Speaker C: But, And I don't know if that'll ever go away, because it's not that I get emotional because I'm sad. I get emotional because I'm so happy.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yes.

Speaker C: but I come to work sometimes. I get to work early, and I have a Bible sits on my desk now. And periodically I'll. I'll pull it because I'm trying to read the whole Bible now.

: Yeah.

Speaker C: so I'll. I'll. Before I do anything, I'll put my hand over it and I pray over the Bible that each letter, every word, fills my cup. And I tell people all the time, I said, I've. I don't have any talents. I can't sing. I can't play an instrument. I can lift weights. But I'm not. I'm, not fast. you know, but I feel like the Lord's blessed me with being able to speak to people because I've had to do it for so long.

Speaker C: And usually it's a situation where most people. It's chaotic. You got to bring people down. And I'm like, well, I can't do anything, but I can. I can talk to folks. Yeah. So I, praying over the Bible, I say, let this help me be able to speak to other people. Using your word. You through me. I said, amen. And that's when my phone went off and it was you.

Speaker C: I mean, immediately.

Speaker C: I say amen. I look down the phone, it's you texting me about doing this today.

Speaker C: Again, I got excited.

Speaker C: For sure. Because I try to tell folks, I'm like, when you are living for the Lord, he's going to put you in some situations.

Speaker C: Where they may be uncomfortable or not. I know. That's what he was like. You asked for it. Yeah. So that's why I said, absolutely, I can do this today. Yeah. And I'm like, it was him all along.

: Right.

Speaker C: But I can't tell you, there's been these situations like that that have came up over the last few years that are same situation. And it's not, It's not a coincidence. I know it's not. It's him.

Speaker C: And sometimes. And there's been a couple times, I can hear him and he'll say something.

Speaker C: It's. It's Just been a blessing.

Speaker C: I know I told you a little story that whenever we were. I was at the gym, and there was a gentleman in there that he. I don't want to say his name. He may not want to speak about it, but he was in the. In the gym. He works for sheriff's office. He was having another child, and he has a child that's, Has had some medical problems. And he was. You could see him just aimlessly walking around the gym. And, go up and I said, hey, are you okay? And he's like, well, my wife's gonna have our second baby today. And I'm like, what are you doing here? He's like, I couldn't sleep. I just. You know, we're scheduled at a certain time. He's gonna work out. So I'm like, man, you're gonna be okay. And, I walk away. And I could hear Lord. And he says, go pray for him. In my mind, I've never done that.

Speaker C: So I'm sitting there, and I'm like. Like, you want me to go? I'm asking him. I'm like, you want me to go pray with him right now? Yeah. He said, go pray for him. And I'm thinking, no. I was about to leave, so I grabbed my bag to leave, and he said, go. Go pray. And I'm like, I'll pray for him in my truck by myself.

Speaker C: As I grab my bag, I take about two or three steps, and I can't walk.

Speaker C: And he said, go now.

Speaker C: Is clear as I'm talking to you right now. He said, go now. but that. And I walked up to him and I put my arm around, said, hey, do you mind if I pray for you? And I did. And, he said, m. Man, I really appreciate you doing this. And I said, well, everything's going to work out because you put your faith in the Lord Jesus, and there are no mistakes. Yeah, everything will be fine. But that wasn't where it ended. As I'm walking out, another gentleman that's in the gym a lot that, I would say most people don't talk to. He's bigger guy. He stays to himself. I didn't really know him, but. And he's. He's big dude. He's just big tall. He's dressed in black a lot. Super nice guy, really. After you get to know people. but as I'm walking out, it's dark. I feel somebody tapped me on the shoulder, and I didn't hear anybody walking behind me. And I turn around and it's him. And he says, hey, the next time you pray, can you pray for me?

Speaker C: And I said, let's do it right now, M. Because I'd already asked the Lord if there's somebody that needs me.

Speaker C: I'm doing it through you.

Speaker C: For you.

Speaker C: And I'm just the vehicle for it.

Speaker C: But whatever you want from now on, I'm going to do it.

Speaker C: And we prayed, and he said, man, no one's ever done that for me.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Oh, wow. Yeah.

Speaker C: And I lost it.

: Yeah.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: You had mentioned that to me. He was all tatted up and kind of a prison background, maybe.

Speaker C: Yeah. He'd been in prison. And, we talked about that. We talked to that later on. And. And I've spoken with him since then about m. The Lord. And, you know, he's. Everyone has their own problems and their own issues.

Speaker C: And I said, oh, that's in the past, man. If you'll look to Jesus.

Speaker C: You know, and I promise you'll fix whatever's wrong.

Speaker C: You just have to put it in faith in Him. Right. Don't hide it. Right. You got to show it.

Speaker C: And, it's just been. It's been a little situations like that that came up.

Speaker C: and I know it wasn't me. None of this is me.

Speaker C: It's. It's Him. And. And, I will continue to pray and ask for him to use me in any way.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Yeah. Give you opportunities.

Speaker C: Give me the opportunity.

Pastor Jeff Schreve: Well, it is. Has been rightly said the best ability is availability. When we're available to the Lord, he can use us in situations like at the gym. Hey, pray for this guy. And then we need to obey. And, And God wasn't going to let you get away without doing that. You know, he's gonna. Hey, Andy, you said you wanted me to use you, and so that is so cool. Well, Andy, thank you so much for M. Being my guest today. And, it is just exciting to see firsthand because, like I said, I've known you for a long time, and just to see the work that God has obviously done in your heart. And, we just want to capitalize on that to, share your story far and wide. So I encourage you, if you know somebody that you sense as a cultural Christian, share this program with them because it could really help them, put their faith and trust in Jesus and really turn their life to him as a. Andy did. So thanks for, listening today. Go out, shine for Christ share what great things the Lord has done for you. And God will use you as his witness. God bless you.