October 6, 2025 • 36 mins
Pastor Lee and Erica sit with Brittany Spivey to trace a winding road from church pews to rebellion, from suicide and addiction to a quiet surrender in a car ride home. The thread through it all is preservation—God’s hand shielding, guiding, and finally planting her in a church family where truth and love take root.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_03 (00:08):
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, everybody.
I'm Pastor Lee, and I'm Pastorof Christ Family Outreach
Church, located in Amelia,Virginia.
Today in studio, we've got acouple people, but first I'm
going to introduce my wife,Erica.
Erica, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_00 (00:23):
I am doing great.
Thank you so much for having meon again.
SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
Absolutely.
It's an honor.
And Erica, today you and I aregoing to be interviewing someone
special in our hearts and in ourministry at CFO Church.
She is the leader of our ladies'ministry as well as what we like
to call toddler time.
Toddler Time is a ministry wherethe parents and toddlers get
together.
They have biblical lessons, theyhave fun together in the class,
and as well as exploring outsidethe classroom, outside the
(00:48):
building, uh taking field tripsas well.
So here at the table, joiningErica and myself is Brittany
Spivey.
Sister Brittany, how are youdoing?
SPEAKER_01 (00:56):
I am good.
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_03 (00:58):
Amen.
Brittany, as I mentioned, youyou lead the ladies' ministry as
well as toddler time.
And since you've been coming toCFO Church, your faith in Jesus
Christ has just exploded.
It's grown tremendously.
And we are grateful for that.
We're proud of you for that inseeking the Lord.
And we give God all the honor,glory, credit, and praise for
that.
Amen.
SPEAKER_01 (01:15):
Amen.
SPEAKER_03 (01:16):
But the truth is it didn't start out like that,
right?
Uh so you went through some verydifficult times, many of which,
like the rest of us, wereself-inflicted, right?
And so I've asked you to comeonto the podcast to share your
testimony, not to glorify thesin or the ugliness, but that is
a part of it.
And we've got to get throughthat to see the refining piece
at the end, to see theredemption hand of the Lord.
(01:37):
So we've got to push through theugly.
We're going to go there.
But again, it's all to point toJesus Christ and say, look what
God did, right?
Those but God moments.
SPEAKER_02 (01:44):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (01:44):
Those I got picked up by the hand of the Lord and I
got.
Thank you for it.
Yes.
Amen.
And so we do that becausethere's people out there that
may still be in the gutter.
They may still be at the bottomof the barrel, and they need to
hear this testimony.
But, you know, they they need tounderstand that they do have a
very real hope out there, andhis name is Jesus Christ.
Just like that hope was real foryou.
(02:05):
It was real for Erica.
It was real for me.
So we're going to get right intoit.
Uh, Brittany, you grew up in aChristian household, and you can
remember going to church everySunday.
Talk to the listeners for amoment about how often your
family attended churchthroughout the week.
How regular was the attendancewith your family?
SPEAKER_01 (02:23):
So my mom would say that I cut my teeth on the pews.
We were very much active inchurch Sunday morning, Sunday
night, Wednesday afternoon.
If they had extra curricularsthey were doing, we were there.
She was a Sunday school teacher.
She did things with youth, youngadults.
She has been very active in thechurch.
SPEAKER_03 (02:44):
So if the doors were open, you guys were in the
house.
SPEAKER_01 (02:46):
We were there.
SPEAKER_03 (02:47):
Yeah.
We were there.
So one would think, man, y'allwere in it so much that you guys
just had it going on in yourhouse.
And that's just not always thecase for us, is it?
SPEAKER_01 (02:56):
No, no.
SPEAKER_03 (02:57):
So your your family, you're active in church life.
But as your testimony goes, Iread it, it's really good.
And I appreciate you beingwilling to share it today.
Um when you hit your teenageyears, you begin to rebel.
Yes.
And I'm sure a lot of peoplelistening currently have a
teenager or a college-age childrebelling right now at this
moment.
Or if they don't, they knowsomeone who does.
(03:18):
Right.
So talk for a moment, yourreasons for rebelling.
What did the enemy use to getyou away from the teaching that
you were learning in the church?
SPEAKER_01 (03:28):
So I could remember again, we were in church all the
time.
But the enemy just kept tellingme and kept pushing, and you
don't want to do that.
Here, let's do something elsethat's fun.
Here, try this in the world.
Do this, do that, all of thethings in the world.
And I gave into the temptation.
(03:49):
And so that's what I really gaveinto ultimately at the end of
it.
But I started hanging out withthe wrong people, and it started
with my crowd.
And I know that you always sayyour circle, your circle
matters, and it's absolutelytrue.
SPEAKER_03 (04:02):
Yeah, absolutely.
The room matters, and so doesyour circle, right?
Absolutely.
So you you started hanging outwith the wrong crowds and in the
eighth grade.
So this happened young for you.
Yes.
In in the eighth grade, yourated the medicine cabinet at
home because you thought theworld was better off without
Britney.
And so praise God, the suicideattempt failed.
Amen.
Praise a lot of people.
(04:22):
Amen.
And we give God the glory forthat.
And and and today, this issomething that I've been talking
about with a few guys that thatI do a small group with.
Um we see more and more suicidesin in our society today.
It's it's it's just it'smind-blowing how it's just
coming up left and right.
(04:43):
Someone told me the other daythat that they that they have
heard of, I think it was five orsix all in the month of
September.
Just just in the month ofSeptember.
So I just I look at that and I'mlike, man, there is a very real
enemy that is looking to steal,kill, and destroy.
Jesus tells us that inscripture.
But but praise God, your attemptfails.
(05:03):
And so right off the bat, we seethe hand of God is even sparing
you right there.
Take a moment and share withsomeone out there right now,
Brittany, who needs to hear ifthey are contemplating suicide,
why they shouldn't.
Because looking back, you havethe benefit to be able to look
back and see how God had a planfor your life the entire time.
So if you could encouragesomeone not to do it, uh what
(05:26):
would you tell them?
SPEAKER_01 (05:28):
Absolutely.
I would definitely tell themthat look, no matter where you
think you are right now, theLord does have a plan for you.
And it may not look like whatyou think it's gonna look like
in the end, but keep pushing.
You are loved and you are verymuch wanted, and you are here
for a purpose and a plan.
And the enemy cannot have you ordestroy you.
(05:51):
So stand firm and just know thatGod loves you and he sent his
son to die on a cross for you.
Amen.
And that means that you wereworth it.
You were worth being loved.
So he has something so great instore for you.
If you can just lay it down athis feet and just let him take
it and let him take off theanxiety or the depression or
(06:11):
whatever mental bondage that youmight be in, he can absolutely
take it, change it, and turnevery single situation situation
around for his glory.
SPEAKER_03 (06:21):
Amen.
He can he can turn it around forhis good, for his glory.
Yeah, you are worth it.
It was a good word.
You are worth it.
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
I love that, Brittany.
And some of the people that arelistening right now might be
thinking, well, you had a momthat was praying for you.
You had a mom that wasinterceding for you, but I don't
have anyone that's intercedingfor me.
And I just feel alone.
And I just want to give you thescripture, Romans 8, 34.
It says, Who is to condemn?
(06:48):
Christ Jesus is the one who diedmore than that, who was raised,
who is at the right hand of God,and who indeed is interceding
for us.
Listeners, you do have someoneinterceding for you, and his
name is Jesus Christ, King ofKings and Lord of Lords.
And even if you don't have aparent that's interceding, or a
spouse that's interceding, or achild that's interceding for
(07:11):
you, you do have someone thatloves you, and his name is Jesus
Christ, and he wants to be yourLord and Savior.
SPEAKER_03 (07:16):
Come on, that's so good.
Jesus is interceding for us.
That's so good.
And and and Erica, you're soright to the listener out there
that just feels like they don'thave anybody.
Oh, you do.
He's the king of kings and lordof lords.
SPEAKER_01 (07:30):
He's the best one to have.
SPEAKER_03 (07:31):
Yeah, absolutely.
Wouldn't want nobody else by myside right there.
Brittany, at the age of 14, youbegin to sneak out of the house,
being picked up.
Now, this this this kind of likethis this is kind of what I
thought about my walk when I wasyounger.
Uh and Erica, I know yours too.
You hung out with people thatwere older with you than you
(07:51):
were, and and as did I.
But at the age of 14, Brittany,you begin to sneak out of the
house being picked up by peoplewho were 18 and 19 years old.
So that's that's significant,right?
Because now we're dealing with ateenager hanging out with young
adults, right?
Legal adults.
And in your testimony, you statethat this is about when the drug
(08:13):
and alcohol abuse began.
So walk us through that stage ofyour life and how the enemy was
working.
SPEAKER_01 (08:21):
So I began to sneak out of the house.
SPEAKER_03 (08:24):
Bad girl.
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
Yeah.
And um, I would actually take amilk jug like that my mom had
outside for decoration.
And when I jumped out of thewindow, I would put it
underneath my window so I wouldbe able to climb back up into
the window to get in, so Ididn't have to go through the
front door.
SPEAKER_02 (08:41):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (08:42):
And um I would get picked up with obviously people
who had already graduated andcould drive and take me all of
the places.
So we would begin to go to theseparties where really I had no
business being at.
SPEAKER_02 (08:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:58):
And I will say that at 14, I didn't look 14.
Um, I could very much easilypass for 18 or 19.
Half the time, nobody knew howold I was, you know, other than
maybe one or two that wouldactually drive to come pick me
up.
Everyone else would just assume,oh, she's around the same age,
(09:18):
not knowing that no, I'm justbarely 14.
SPEAKER_03 (09:23):
Yeah, because most 18 and 19-year-olds don't have
to sneak out of windows.
SPEAKER_00 (09:26):
No.
Yeah.
So during this time, as you'redoing this, do you feel like
there was maybe like a spirit ofrebellion that was coming and
oppressing you?
Because, you know, in 1 Samuel15, 23, it talks about rebellion
and rebellion being as a sin ofdivination.
And I feel like that wants tocome after our our young people,
(09:48):
but even us as adults, right?
That spirit of rebellion.
But it says it's the it's equalas divination, as magic.
SPEAKER_03 (09:55):
I mean witchcraft.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:56):
Yeah.
And I will say, you know, Ireally wanted to rebel against
my parents because we were heldto a higher standard being a
Christian home.
My parents did not let us do allof the things that even our
friends were doing.
SPEAKER_02 (10:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:11):
And so it really became a voice of the enemy.
If they won't let you do it,just do it.
Yeah.
And so that's where it reallybegan to take a root was they
don't want me to have fun, or Ican't do this that my friends
are doing.
So I'm just gonna do it on myown.
Yeah.
And I'm just gonna do it in themiddle of the night while
they're sleeping and nobody'sgonna know.
SPEAKER_03 (10:32):
Yeah, because in the eyes of a young person and even
in adults, we could look at itand say, well, it's not that
bad, right?
It it's not that bad.
But isn't that the disguise thatthe enemy operates under?
SPEAKER_01 (10:44):
Absolutely.
Because sometimes I wouldn't bepicked up and I would actually
walk down the street.
Now, I grew up in the NewportNews, like the Tidewater area.
So we didn't live in thecountry.
This was the city.
SPEAKER_02 (10:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:57):
And I'm here I am 14 at 12, 1 o'clock in the morning,
walking down a main highway.
I mean, I've had people stop andsay, Hey, do you need a ride?
No, I'm good.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (11:07):
By God's grace that you're still here.
SPEAKER_01 (11:09):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (11:10):
So your actions have consequences, right?
They do.
And and the police begin havingto show up at your home.
And I'm sure being a family thatgoes to church regular, that's
not really what mom wants to seeuh come to the door, but but
that's what's happening.
The police are showing up atyour home.
How is the family handling thisat that time?
(11:31):
Because I know in your testimonyit says that the family had made
a huge decis decision in orderto save their daughter.
So what happens next?
How's the family coping with thepolice showing up and you're
just coming off the rails?
SPEAKER_01 (11:43):
So one night I ended up getting picked up by the
military police actually,because I was found on the
Langley Air Force base and wewere not military.
SPEAKER_02 (11:53):
Uh oh.
SPEAKER_01 (11:54):
So I got picked up, one for being out past curfew
because they are on the militarybase.
They have curfews where, youknow, if you're under 18, you
have to be inside at a certaintime.
And because we were notmilitary, they brought me home
in the middle of the night and Ihad to wake my mom up and ask
for my social security numberbecause I had to, and I didn't
(12:16):
know it.
I mean, I'm 14.
Yeah.
So we had to go to court.
And at that point is when I kindof had like a come to myself
realization.
Like, and I was really honest.
And I said, if we do not move, Iwill continue to hang out with
the people I'm hanging out.
I will continue down this path.
And will it go into furtherlegal troubles or, you know, or
(12:39):
worse, you know, will I be onthe side of the road in a ditch
somewhere one night?
You know?
And so it was really a familydecision to say, you know what,
if she has enough sense to say,either we move and get her out
of this, or she knows that shedoesn't have the self-control to
say no and walk away from thosefriends.
So thankfully, um, and again,it's all part of God's plan.
(13:03):
The family was on board.
My mom ended up getting atremendous um raise and a new
job.
And we moved out to the country.
And that definitely was aswitch.
But of course, you know, whenyou're wanting to find trouble,
you'll find it no matter whereyou go.
SPEAKER_03 (13:22):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So you you start off and youguys move and you do embrace the
fresh start with the move,right?
But eventually, as you just kindof alluded to, you're gonna fall
victim to the temptation forhanging around the wrong people
again.
Uh, but this time you actuallyget involved, not just with the
parties and and and things likethat, but you actually get
(13:44):
involved with some same-sexrelationships, right?
And and Satan was really tryingto keep you away from the plan
that God had for your life.
But but here's something I readin your testimony that just
really just jumped off the pageat me.
And you said this, and I quote,Being raised in church, I knew
just enough of the word to makeme completely dangerous.
(14:05):
I thought I had it figured out.
And isn't that the life ofunfortunately so many people who
play the game of church, whetherit be kids, teenagers, young
adults, or grown adults.
So, what did you mean by that?
Share with the listeners whatyour plan was.
SPEAKER_01 (14:21):
Sure.
Um so I knew enough to knowbetter.
I knew the the path and the waythat I was walking down was not
what God had for my life.
I knew that everything that Iwas doing on the side, I knew to
keep it hush-hush because myparents would not embrace that.
They would not accept that.
They would not, it it goesagainst the word of God.
(14:42):
So I knew that I would have tokeep that to myself.
But then I would also lie tomyself and make myself feel
better because, you know, whenyou know better, the can um the
shame, it comes up.
And I would say, I will live formyself now.
And if I make it to the rapture,oh, well, then I'll just accept
(15:03):
Christ in the seven years onearth after everybody's gone.
SPEAKER_03 (15:08):
And that was your game plan right there.
SPEAKER_01 (15:10):
As sad as it is, yes, that was my plan.
Yeah.
That was, yeah, not a good one.
SPEAKER_03 (15:15):
Yeah.
No, I and and I I appreciate youbeing honest because the truth
is there's some people out therethat may have that same game
plan right now.
You know, they just put it offtill later and later and later.
And, you know, well, if Jesusshows up, then I'll then I'll
I'll use that time to get myselfright and just you know, hope
that I that I make it through tothe end.
And and and there's a lot ofpeople that are just trying to
not carry any oil in their lampsright now, uh, but we know what
(15:38):
happens to those types ofpeople.
They're gonna get they're gonnaget left behind.
And and and that piece issomething that we do not want to
be part of.
SPEAKER_01 (15:45):
No.
And you know, knowing better,why would I, now that I know
what I know and knowing God'slove for me, why would I ever
want to settle for that lastlittle bit of just being saved
at the tail end when he has somuch for me here on earth, so
much.
SPEAKER_00 (16:05):
I do want to encourage those moms out there
and those dads, though, um, withthe the scripture of Proverbs
22, 6.
And we all know this, right?
SPEAKER_03 (16:14):
It's a good one.
SPEAKER_00 (16:15):
But it's train up a child in the way he should go,
and even when he is old, he willnot depart from it.
Yes.
And so during those stages ofrebellion, Brittany, could you
completely enjoy that sin?
Because it seems like in theback of your head you knew
really what you wanted.
And even if that meant, okay,I'm gonna make a decision at the
(16:36):
last minute, even if it's like,okay, during the seven-year
tribulation or whatever, therewas almost like you couldn't
enjoy sin completely because youknew what the truth was.
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (16:50):
And not only did you know in the back of your mind
and in your heart that the sinwas wrong, you had a mama that
was praying for you.
Yeah, I'm sure, you know,because I know your mama.
So I'm I'm sure she was praying.
SPEAKER_01 (17:05):
You know she was.
SPEAKER_03 (17:06):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.
And that and that's somethingthat I've told our older son
before.
Like, man, you can never outrunmy prayer.
SPEAKER_01 (17:12):
And you know, thank God she was praying.
Thank God she was, because youknow, like you said, I couldn't
all the way enjoy this endbecause I knew what I was doing
was wrong.
But that's why we just keeprunning back to it because it is
fleeting, you know.
We can't find full umsatisfaction in it, regardless.
SPEAKER_03 (17:29):
Yeah, it quickly leaves you.
So you got to go get it againand get that quick temporary
high.
And that's the problem with it.
That type of pleasure isextremely temporary.
Yes.
So it keeps luring you back intoit to get it for that for that
moment because it is momentarypleasure.
You end up moving out of yourhome as soon as you could,
right?
And there's probably a lot ofpeople listening that live that
(17:50):
life.
Yeah.
But as soon as you can, you youbolt, you're out of there.
And the problem with that isthat you're not looking to
better yourself.
You're embracing the partylifestyle.
You're you're hitting up theclubs, you're doing the whole
nightlife scene.
You even get a job as abartender.
I never knew that about youuntil I read your testimony.
So through all of this, theenemy has tried to end your life
(18:13):
three different times.
Once at the medicine cabinet, wetalked about that.
Share the other two times withthe listeners.
SPEAKER_01 (18:18):
So I had actually taken just a part-time second
job at a gas station.
And I went through my week oftraining, and it was my second
day working by myself, and I wason the night shift, and I was
actually there alone.
So when they scheduled you,because it was so small, they
only scheduled the one person,and that happened to be me.
(18:40):
Well, that night I ended upgetting robbed at gunpoint.
And so he comes in and he has abandana on his face and he
points the gun at me and hesays, Give me all the money.
So I just start emptying.
You want the money?
I'm gonna give you the money.
I mean, hey, I don't want it.
Yeah.
And a bunch of it fell on thefloor.
And I had to bend down and grabit.
(19:03):
And in that moment, I thought tomyself, this is it.
I like this is how I die.
I'm dying right.
He's gonna shoot me.
He's gonna think that I'mpushing some kind of button.
SPEAKER_02 (19:11):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (19:12):
And I just knew that I was gonna die right then and
there at the age of 23.
Luckily, and by the hand of God,yeah.
Um, he doesn't shoot me oranything like that.
Um he leaves, he gets the money,and he turns and he says, Don't
call the cops.
And he runs out of the store.
So of course, pretty pleased.
You're right.
(19:32):
The first thing I do is call thecops.
But this shook me up really,really, really bad.
Yeah.
And this was actually a hand ofGod moment because if that had
never happened, I don't know ifI've ever would have started
thinking more long term aboutwhat I wanted to do with my
career or like, hey, you can'tbe a 50-year-old bartender your
(19:52):
whole life.
You know, you can't work at thegas station your whole life.
And then so that's when I doveinto um like college, like
getting getting back into schooland trying to figure out what I
was gonna do with myself.
So again, God had his hand on meand preserved me in that moment,
the where no harm came, but itdefinitely shook me up enough to
(20:13):
wake me up in that moment.
SPEAKER_03 (20:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Fast forward many years later,you're 31 years old, still
battling anxiety, depression.
In your testimony, you say thatthe anxiety and the depression
was consuming your life.
Um, at this time, you'remarried, you've got three
children, and a lot ishappening.
But God puts someone in yourpath on social media whom you
(20:36):
have never met before, you'venever seen in person, face to
face, you don't know thisindividual.
And eventually, this is gonnachange your life forever.
This is why you're sitting hereat the table.
Absolutely.
If if you don't see this personon social media, do we even know
each other?
Are you at CFO church?
I mean, we just don't know howGod would have worked all this
out, but we do know how heworked it out here, praise God.
(20:57):
Yes.
Uh so walk us through that.
How did this happen?
And what was this woman doing sodifferent on social media that
other people weren't doing andthat you weren't used to seeing
as much?
SPEAKER_01 (21:08):
Yeah.
So at that time, um, I hadalways struggled with anxiety
and depression kind of my wholelife.
Um, and it was just reallyhitting very hard at that time.
Also, that's around the timeCOVID was still floating around.
So life was still just kind ofabnormal.
Postpartum depression wasstarting to creep in, just all
(21:30):
of the life triggers and andstressors, really.
And so I had a moment where Iactually had a cancer scare.
And I said, I'm 31.
Like I have three kids.
I can't have cancer.
And I started to pray.
And I would actually walk up anddown in our bedroom, and I would
(21:54):
just, Lord, this can't be right.
You know, this just can't behappening.
This can't be, I'm 31.
And I start going on socialmedia, and with all of just the
heaviness and just depressionand just all of the things, I
start to see a light on my feed.
(22:16):
And it was just all of thesescriptures and just, you know,
inspirational posts linked backto what God has done.
And I reached out to thisindividual and I said, Look, I
don't know you.
And I am really getting to readyto just dump everything on you.
Like I'm going through a hardtime.
I see your posts, and I'm justgonna unload.
(22:39):
And I really didn't know what toexpect as a response back
because again, I didn't knowher.
And she just met me with just somuch of the love of God.
And she also met me with aninvitation to come to church.
And without hesitation, I said,Yeah, I want to come because you
know, I had already startedgetting back into praying and I
(22:59):
have all of these things goingon.
I said, No, I want to come.
Just let me know when.
And so I met her there Sunday atchurch, me and um my youngest.
She was still a baby, she wasn'teven walking yet.
We walked through the door, shepulled me, she said, Hey, nice
to meet you.
We hugged and uh she prayed forme that Sunday at the altar.
And I never stopped coming afterthat.
(23:20):
I actually dove into Wednesdaynights and it was actually
coming home from a Wednesdaynight service.
This was before they were onThursdays.
And I was just praying in thecar.
It was just me.
None of the kids were with me.
And I was praying and reallyjust pouring it out because, you
know, at that time, up untilthat point, I kept praying, but
(23:40):
I wasn't hearing anything.
And and I said, God, you know, II need you.
Like I can't do any of thiswithout you.
I'm tired of running.
I'm tired of living, like I'mliving, I'm tired of the
anxiety, I'm tired of thedepression, like I'm just I'm
tired of it all.
And I asked him to come into mylife right there in the car on
the way home.
(24:01):
And I took a deep breath and Ican still remember it.
And I heard him say, This isjust the beginning.
Wow.
And when I exhaled everything,the whole weight just completely
went away with it.
And I was like, Well, it justhappened because something
happened.
There was definitely a change,and you know, and I clicked in
(24:22):
the car on the way home, just meand him talking it out, driving
down the road.
And the next day I called my momand I said, or I sent her a text
and I said, you know, I thinksomething changed, and I'm
pretty sure that I just gotsaved.
SPEAKER_03 (24:38):
That's like the second testimony I've heard in a
few months where someone trulygot saved in the vehicle riding
down the road, just crying outto God.
Yeah.
For the listener that'sthinking, oh, well, you know,
that's because, you know, youryour life was more put together
than mine was.
They've they've got tounderstand some things
throughout this, and you yougetting ready to come up to
(25:01):
church for the first time in along time.
Um, you know, you're you'rebattling some postpartum
depression.
Your your daughter Bailey wasborn, you become a stay-at-home
mom.
Uh, your testimony says thatyou're drowning in self
self-medicating marijuana druguse, and uh you've got bills
piling up, finances uh are notbeing met, things are things are
just piling up one on top of theother of another.
(25:22):
And and as you alluded toearlier, just to kind of top it
all off, there's this breastcancer scare, right?
Yeah.
So at that moment, you had youhad just mentioned that you were
you were kind of just pacing thebedroom floor praying, and
really in your testimony, yousay it like this that you
swallowed your pride and youbegan to pray.
There's a point in yourtestimony that says this I
(25:44):
turned back to the way I wasraised.
And I think that that is soimportant for people to hear
because as parents, it's soimportant that we raise our
children in church so that wegive them something to turn back
to.
God forbid that they stray away,right?
Erica, you you've alreadymentioned the verse, you've
referenced Proverbs 22, 6.
(26:05):
Yeah.
I'm gonna read it again.
Train up a child in the way heshould go.
Even when he is old, he will notdepart from it.
I love that.
Even when, even when he is old,he will not depart from it.
So just kind of walk us through.
You you you mentioned Brittanythat you call your mom.
Like I I can't even imagine likewhat she is feeling like on the
(26:28):
other end of that phone.
I mean, without getting toopersonal, can you just kind of
describe what that was likecoming from her?
SPEAKER_01 (26:34):
Yeah.
And at first, you know, I don'tknow if she could fully say,
like, oh yeah, she is saved.
You know, I think for a momentshe was like, wait a minute.
SPEAKER_03 (26:44):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
Yeah, what's going on here?
SPEAKER_03 (26:46):
Yeah, yeah.
And then what church are yougoing to?
SPEAKER_01 (26:48):
Right.
But I pulled up in our drivewayand I had Christian music on,
and I heard her say, she didn'tsay it directly to me, but she
just said it out loud.
She said, She has Christianmusic on.
And, you know, I think that thatmoment it really sank in that
no, my daughter accepted and andasked the Lord to come into her
life.
And man, I just jumped headfirstinto church and she was so
(27:12):
excited.
She would call my aunts and, youknow, oh, she's going up there
to the church tonight.
You know, yeah, she's reallydiving on it.
And you could really feel howproud she was in that moment
that I decided enough's enough.
That's enough is enough.
SPEAKER_00 (27:29):
Yes.
And when you were coming tochurch, it wasn't a religious
thing, like, oh, I need to comeX amount of times because I was
so bad and now I want to be sogood.
It was because you loved Christso much.
It was it it reminds me of thescripture of um, we were talking
actually about this scriptureSunday, me and you, about the
(27:51):
one who owes the bigger debt,who would love Christ more, the
one who owes the bigger debt.
The and so that kind of remindsme a little bit of of your
testimony.
SPEAKER_03 (28:01):
Absolutely.
I I know that you startedattending church that last
Sunday in January of 2022.
Yes, right, cold winter month.
And here you find yourselfriding home one night and just
truly have this wake-upexperience with Jesus.
Talk about how God has used CFOchurch to change your life and
(28:27):
why it's important for people toattend a good Bible teaching,
God-honoring, God-fearingchurch.
Because maybe there's somepeople out there right now that
they believe in God, but theydon't understand the importance,
they don't believe the purposeof attending a good church.
SPEAKER_01 (28:44):
I would tell them to get into a good growing Bible
teaching church, one, becauseyou you need the community.
SPEAKER_02 (28:52):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (28:53):
Especially a baby Christian, just someone coming
in and just getting saved, youknow, the enemy, he's gonna,
he's gonna want you back andhe's gonna throw things and
temptations at your way.
And you need somebody in a goodfriend circle to be able to pick
up the phone and say, hey, I'mreally struggling with this.
You know, can you just pray forme or encourage me?
(29:14):
And you really need the family.
You you truly do.
And then to go and to know thatyou're getting the truth being
taught.
SPEAKER_02 (29:22):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:22):
That is the game changer.
It's the truth, the word of Godthat is being taught, because it
gives you something one tangiblyto hold on to when you go home
and you read your Bible.
But then you start seeing, okay,my mom used to say this to me.
And then it starts just startsconnecting, you know, all of the
dots just start connecting andthe authority and the promises
(29:45):
that we can stand on.
Even now for my own kids, youknow, I pray for them just like
my mom prayed for me.
I'm bringing them up in churchjust like she did me.
So good.
And I don't know what path theywill end up taking, but I know
one thing.
Will know who to call when theyneed to call on and Brittany.
SPEAKER_00 (30:05):
I just remember you coming and still coming into
church.
You've got three children underthe age of five, six, your
oldest just turned six.
And it's not easy.
It's not easy coming in onSundays.
You try to get there onThursdays when they don't have
different events.
And it's not easy coming in withthree children and going up to
(30:25):
the altar to pray or to praywith other people or to get
there and greet.
But you do it because you lovethe Lord and you're like, this
is a decision I'm making, andthe Lord has radically changed
me and I'm serving him.
And even though it's not easy,even though it's not
comfortable, I'm getting thekids up.
We're going to church.
Yeah.
And he's worthy to be praised.
We're going to be there.
SPEAKER_03 (30:46):
Yeah.
Yes.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (30:48):
You know, one thing that I always come back to is
that night on the road when Idid got, you know, I got saved,
everything, how everything justwent away.
The weight just completelymelted away.
And I remind myself of that somuch because why would I ever
want to go back to that?
You know, God has so many goodthings.
(31:09):
And even if he doesn't doanything else for me, I mean, he
has had his hand on me my wholeentire life.
Even if he doesn't do anythingelse, he's so worthy.
He's so worthy of me to continueto praise and to continue to
thank him and just be obedientand do what he has for me.
SPEAKER_00 (31:26):
But I wanted to share this with the listeners
for the moms or the dads thatare out there that have a
Britney that hasn't turned yetback to Christ, right?
Um and we had talked about onour last podcast just
proclaiming the word and theimportance of proclaiming his
word, because his word is truth,right?
And so I just wanted to sharethe scripture with the parents
(31:51):
to proclaim this over theirchild while while maybe they're
running and that they will comeback to the Lord.
If you raised your child up inthe way that he should go or she
should go, they will not departfrom it.
And you claim that.
But it's in Jeremiah, and it'sJeremiah 24, verse 4, and it's
talking about Israel being sentcaptive in captivity to Babylon.
(32:14):
And in their captivity, the Lordjust wanted them to turn their
hearts back to him, right?
But they had to go to captivitybecause they weren't living for
her for him.
So it says here, then the wordof the Lord came to me.
This is what the Lord, the Godof Israel, says Like these good
figs, and those good figsrepresent Israel.
(32:35):
I regard as good the exiles fromJudah, whom I sent away from
this place to the land of theBabylonians.
My eyes will watch over them fortheir good, and I will bring
them back to this land.
I will build them up and nottear them down, I will plant
them and not uproot them.
I will give them a heart to knowme that I am the Lord.
They will be my people and Iwill be their God, for they will
(32:57):
return to me with all theirheart.
And that was you, Brittany,right?
Yes.
Even though you went through allof those things, getting hit by
a truck, being robbed by, youknow, when you were in the gas
station, all of these things,the Lord had his hand of
protection over you, and that hebrought you back to him.
(33:18):
When he brought you back to him,you return to him with your
entire heart.
Yes.
And so that is my prayer foranyone who had maybe has a
prodigal right now that you haveraised in the word and to love
the Lord, that you would justdeclare that verse over them,
that they would return to theLord with their entire heart.
SPEAKER_03 (33:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (33:39):
And just to kind of piggyback off of that, we were
talking the other day, andsomething that the Lord just
completely laid on my heart,it's actually in Joshua, and
it's verse 17, and it says, Forit is the Lord our God who
brought us and our fathers upfrom the land of Egypt out of
the house of slavery, and whodid those great signs in our
sight and preserved us in allthe way that we went and among
(34:02):
all the peoples through whom wepassed.
And, you know, I've been prayingover this podcast and of course
my just my testimony in general.
And that is what he did.
He preserved me.
He had his hand over top of meand he preserved me.
And so just to piggyback off ofthat for the encouragement, just
know that, you know, as you'repraying for your son or your
(34:22):
daughter, your spouse or familymembers or friends, whoever, the
Lord will preserve them.
SPEAKER_03 (34:28):
Amen.
Yeah.
Amen.
For such a time as this.
Yes.
When he is ready.
Yes.
He is ready.
Well, Britney, we thank you forcoming on.
We thank you for being real andbeing willing to share the work
that God has done, but also, youknow, God is still working and
He's not finished yet.
No.
He's not finished.
So we we are excited.
So let's pray together.
(34:48):
Father, we thank you so much forour sister.
She is dear to us, and we aregrateful that you are using her
uh here within our ministry atCFO Church.
Father, I pray that what she hasshared today has touched the
lives of many.
And we trust, Father, that thatthose who have received it will
share the link and they willpass it on and be an
encouragement.
Lord, we lift up those that maybe struggling with suicidal
(35:10):
thoughts.
Father, that in the name of theblood of Jesus, Father, I just I
pray that they would receivepeace and comfort from you, that
they would receive a touch oflove from you at this very
moment, that your Holy Spiritwould minister to them.
And in the name of the blood ofJesus, we just rebuke any and
all enemies that would be thereto try to cause them to believe
(35:31):
in any lies whatsoever.
But Father, we just pray thatyour will be done.
In the name of the blood ofJesus Christ, we ask all these
things, and everybody said,Amen.
Amen.
Amen and amen.
Amen.
Until next time on BeyondSunday, God bless you.
Stay in His word and make sureto go to a good Bible teaching,
God honoring, God fearingchurch.
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, everybody.
I'm Pastor Lee, and I'm Pastorof Christ Family Outreach
Church, located in Amelia,Virginia.
Today in studio, we've got acouple people, but first I'm
going to introduce my wife,Erica.
Erica, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_00 (00:23):
I am doing great.
Thank you so much for having meon again.
SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
Absolutely.
It's an honor.
And Erica, today you and I aregoing to be interviewing someone
special in our hearts and in ourministry at CFO Church.
She is the leader of our ladies'ministry as well as what we like
to call toddler time.
Toddler Time is a ministry wherethe parents and toddlers get
together.
They have biblical lessons, theyhave fun together in the class,
and as well as exploring outsidethe classroom, outside the
(00:48):
building, uh taking field tripsas well.
So here at the table, joiningErica and myself is Brittany
Spivey.
Sister Brittany, how are youdoing?
SPEAKER_01 (00:56):
I am good.
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_03 (00:58):
Amen.
Brittany, as I mentioned, youyou lead the ladies' ministry as
well as toddler time.
And since you've been coming toCFO Church, your faith in Jesus
Christ has just exploded.
It's grown tremendously.
And we are grateful for that.
We're proud of you for that inseeking the Lord.
And we give God all the honor,glory, credit, and praise for
that.
Amen.
SPEAKER_01 (01:15):
Amen.
SPEAKER_03 (01:16):
But the truth is it didn't start out like that,
right?
Uh so you went through some verydifficult times, many of which,
like the rest of us, wereself-inflicted, right?
And so I've asked you to comeonto the podcast to share your
testimony, not to glorify thesin or the ugliness, but that is
a part of it.
And we've got to get throughthat to see the refining piece
at the end, to see theredemption hand of the Lord.
(01:37):
So we've got to push through theugly.
We're going to go there.
But again, it's all to point toJesus Christ and say, look what
God did, right?
Those but God moments.
SPEAKER_02 (01:44):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (01:44):
Those I got picked up by the hand of the Lord and I
got.
Thank you for it.
Yes.
Amen.
And so we do that becausethere's people out there that
may still be in the gutter.
They may still be at the bottomof the barrel, and they need to
hear this testimony.
But, you know, they they need tounderstand that they do have a
very real hope out there, andhis name is Jesus Christ.
Just like that hope was real foryou.
(02:05):
It was real for Erica.
It was real for me.
So we're going to get right intoit.
Uh, Brittany, you grew up in aChristian household, and you can
remember going to church everySunday.
Talk to the listeners for amoment about how often your
family attended churchthroughout the week.
How regular was the attendancewith your family?
SPEAKER_01 (02:23):
So my mom would say that I cut my teeth on the pews.
We were very much active inchurch Sunday morning, Sunday
night, Wednesday afternoon.
If they had extra curricularsthey were doing, we were there.
She was a Sunday school teacher.
She did things with youth, youngadults.
She has been very active in thechurch.
SPEAKER_03 (02:44):
So if the doors were open, you guys were in the
house.
SPEAKER_01 (02:46):
We were there.
SPEAKER_03 (02:47):
Yeah.
We were there.
So one would think, man, y'allwere in it so much that you guys
just had it going on in yourhouse.
And that's just not always thecase for us, is it?
SPEAKER_01 (02:56):
No, no.
SPEAKER_03 (02:57):
So your your family, you're active in church life.
But as your testimony goes, Iread it, it's really good.
And I appreciate you beingwilling to share it today.
Um when you hit your teenageyears, you begin to rebel.
Yes.
And I'm sure a lot of peoplelistening currently have a
teenager or a college-age childrebelling right now at this
moment.
Or if they don't, they knowsomeone who does.
(03:18):
Right.
So talk for a moment, yourreasons for rebelling.
What did the enemy use to getyou away from the teaching that
you were learning in the church?
SPEAKER_01 (03:28):
So I could remember again, we were in church all the
time.
But the enemy just kept tellingme and kept pushing, and you
don't want to do that.
Here, let's do something elsethat's fun.
Here, try this in the world.
Do this, do that, all of thethings in the world.
And I gave into the temptation.
(03:49):
And so that's what I really gaveinto ultimately at the end of
it.
But I started hanging out withthe wrong people, and it started
with my crowd.
And I know that you always sayyour circle, your circle
matters, and it's absolutelytrue.
SPEAKER_03 (04:02):
Yeah, absolutely.
The room matters, and so doesyour circle, right?
Absolutely.
So you you started hanging outwith the wrong crowds and in the
eighth grade.
So this happened young for you.
Yes.
In in the eighth grade, yourated the medicine cabinet at
home because you thought theworld was better off without
Britney.
And so praise God, the suicideattempt failed.
Amen.
Praise a lot of people.
(04:22):
Amen.
And we give God the glory forthat.
And and and today, this issomething that I've been talking
about with a few guys that thatI do a small group with.
Um we see more and more suicidesin in our society today.
It's it's it's just it'smind-blowing how it's just
coming up left and right.
(04:43):
Someone told me the other daythat that they that they have
heard of, I think it was five orsix all in the month of
September.
Just just in the month ofSeptember.
So I just I look at that and I'mlike, man, there is a very real
enemy that is looking to steal,kill, and destroy.
Jesus tells us that inscripture.
But but praise God, your attemptfails.
(05:03):
And so right off the bat, we seethe hand of God is even sparing
you right there.
Take a moment and share withsomeone out there right now,
Brittany, who needs to hear ifthey are contemplating suicide,
why they shouldn't.
Because looking back, you havethe benefit to be able to look
back and see how God had a planfor your life the entire time.
So if you could encouragesomeone not to do it, uh what
(05:26):
would you tell them?
SPEAKER_01 (05:28):
Absolutely.
I would definitely tell themthat look, no matter where you
think you are right now, theLord does have a plan for you.
And it may not look like whatyou think it's gonna look like
in the end, but keep pushing.
You are loved and you are verymuch wanted, and you are here
for a purpose and a plan.
And the enemy cannot have you ordestroy you.
(05:51):
So stand firm and just know thatGod loves you and he sent his
son to die on a cross for you.
Amen.
And that means that you wereworth it.
You were worth being loved.
So he has something so great instore for you.
If you can just lay it down athis feet and just let him take
it and let him take off theanxiety or the depression or
(06:11):
whatever mental bondage that youmight be in, he can absolutely
take it, change it, and turnevery single situation situation
around for his glory.
SPEAKER_03 (06:21):
Amen.
He can he can turn it around forhis good, for his glory.
Yeah, you are worth it.
It was a good word.
You are worth it.
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
I love that, Brittany.
And some of the people that arelistening right now might be
thinking, well, you had a momthat was praying for you.
You had a mom that wasinterceding for you, but I don't
have anyone that's intercedingfor me.
And I just feel alone.
And I just want to give you thescripture, Romans 8, 34.
It says, Who is to condemn?
(06:48):
Christ Jesus is the one who diedmore than that, who was raised,
who is at the right hand of God,and who indeed is interceding
for us.
Listeners, you do have someoneinterceding for you, and his
name is Jesus Christ, King ofKings and Lord of Lords.
And even if you don't have aparent that's interceding, or a
spouse that's interceding, or achild that's interceding for
(07:11):
you, you do have someone thatloves you, and his name is Jesus
Christ, and he wants to be yourLord and Savior.
SPEAKER_03 (07:16):
Come on, that's so good.
Jesus is interceding for us.
That's so good.
And and and Erica, you're soright to the listener out there
that just feels like they don'thave anybody.
Oh, you do.
He's the king of kings and lordof lords.
SPEAKER_01 (07:30):
He's the best one to have.
SPEAKER_03 (07:31):
Yeah, absolutely.
Wouldn't want nobody else by myside right there.
Brittany, at the age of 14, youbegin to sneak out of the house,
being picked up.
Now, this this this kind of likethis this is kind of what I
thought about my walk when I wasyounger.
Uh and Erica, I know yours too.
You hung out with people thatwere older with you than you
(07:51):
were, and and as did I.
But at the age of 14, Brittany,you begin to sneak out of the
house being picked up by peoplewho were 18 and 19 years old.
So that's that's significant,right?
Because now we're dealing with ateenager hanging out with young
adults, right?
Legal adults.
And in your testimony, you statethat this is about when the drug
(08:13):
and alcohol abuse began.
So walk us through that stage ofyour life and how the enemy was
working.
SPEAKER_01 (08:21):
So I began to sneak out of the house.
SPEAKER_03 (08:24):
Bad girl.
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
Yeah.
And um, I would actually take amilk jug like that my mom had
outside for decoration.
And when I jumped out of thewindow, I would put it
underneath my window so I wouldbe able to climb back up into
the window to get in, so Ididn't have to go through the
front door.
SPEAKER_02 (08:41):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (08:42):
And um I would get picked up with obviously people
who had already graduated andcould drive and take me all of
the places.
So we would begin to go to theseparties where really I had no
business being at.
SPEAKER_02 (08:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:58):
And I will say that at 14, I didn't look 14.
Um, I could very much easilypass for 18 or 19.
Half the time, nobody knew howold I was, you know, other than
maybe one or two that wouldactually drive to come pick me
up.
Everyone else would just assume,oh, she's around the same age,
(09:18):
not knowing that no, I'm justbarely 14.
SPEAKER_03 (09:23):
Yeah, because most 18 and 19-year-olds don't have
to sneak out of windows.
SPEAKER_00 (09:26):
No.
Yeah.
So during this time, as you'redoing this, do you feel like
there was maybe like a spirit ofrebellion that was coming and
oppressing you?
Because, you know, in 1 Samuel15, 23, it talks about rebellion
and rebellion being as a sin ofdivination.
And I feel like that wants tocome after our our young people,
(09:48):
but even us as adults, right?
That spirit of rebellion.
But it says it's the it's equalas divination, as magic.
SPEAKER_03 (09:55):
I mean witchcraft.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:56):
Yeah.
And I will say, you know, Ireally wanted to rebel against
my parents because we were heldto a higher standard being a
Christian home.
My parents did not let us do allof the things that even our
friends were doing.
SPEAKER_02 (10:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:11):
And so it really became a voice of the enemy.
If they won't let you do it,just do it.
Yeah.
And so that's where it reallybegan to take a root was they
don't want me to have fun, or Ican't do this that my friends
are doing.
So I'm just gonna do it on myown.
Yeah.
And I'm just gonna do it in themiddle of the night while
they're sleeping and nobody'sgonna know.
SPEAKER_03 (10:32):
Yeah, because in the eyes of a young person and even
in adults, we could look at itand say, well, it's not that
bad, right?
It it's not that bad.
But isn't that the disguise thatthe enemy operates under?
SPEAKER_01 (10:44):
Absolutely.
Because sometimes I wouldn't bepicked up and I would actually
walk down the street.
Now, I grew up in the NewportNews, like the Tidewater area.
So we didn't live in thecountry.
This was the city.
SPEAKER_02 (10:57):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:57):
And I'm here I am 14 at 12, 1 o'clock in the morning,
walking down a main highway.
I mean, I've had people stop andsay, Hey, do you need a ride?
No, I'm good.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (11:07):
By God's grace that you're still here.
SPEAKER_01 (11:09):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (11:10):
So your actions have consequences, right?
They do.
And and the police begin havingto show up at your home.
And I'm sure being a family thatgoes to church regular, that's
not really what mom wants to seeuh come to the door, but but
that's what's happening.
The police are showing up atyour home.
How is the family handling thisat that time?
(11:31):
Because I know in your testimonyit says that the family had made
a huge decis decision in orderto save their daughter.
So what happens next?
How's the family coping with thepolice showing up and you're
just coming off the rails?
SPEAKER_01 (11:43):
So one night I ended up getting picked up by the
military police actually,because I was found on the
Langley Air Force base and wewere not military.
SPEAKER_02 (11:53):
Uh oh.
SPEAKER_01 (11:54):
So I got picked up, one for being out past curfew
because they are on the militarybase.
They have curfews where, youknow, if you're under 18, you
have to be inside at a certaintime.
And because we were notmilitary, they brought me home
in the middle of the night and Ihad to wake my mom up and ask
for my social security numberbecause I had to, and I didn't
(12:16):
know it.
I mean, I'm 14.
Yeah.
So we had to go to court.
And at that point is when I kindof had like a come to myself
realization.
Like, and I was really honest.
And I said, if we do not move, Iwill continue to hang out with
the people I'm hanging out.
I will continue down this path.
And will it go into furtherlegal troubles or, you know, or
(12:39):
worse, you know, will I be onthe side of the road in a ditch
somewhere one night?
You know?
And so it was really a familydecision to say, you know what,
if she has enough sense to say,either we move and get her out
of this, or she knows that shedoesn't have the self-control to
say no and walk away from thosefriends.
So thankfully, um, and again,it's all part of God's plan.
(13:03):
The family was on board.
My mom ended up getting atremendous um raise and a new
job.
And we moved out to the country.
And that definitely was aswitch.
But of course, you know, whenyou're wanting to find trouble,
you'll find it no matter whereyou go.
SPEAKER_03 (13:22):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So you you start off and youguys move and you do embrace the
fresh start with the move,right?
But eventually, as you just kindof alluded to, you're gonna fall
victim to the temptation forhanging around the wrong people
again.
Uh, but this time you actuallyget involved, not just with the
parties and and and things likethat, but you actually get
(13:44):
involved with some same-sexrelationships, right?
And and Satan was really tryingto keep you away from the plan
that God had for your life.
But but here's something I readin your testimony that just
really just jumped off the pageat me.
And you said this, and I quote,Being raised in church, I knew
just enough of the word to makeme completely dangerous.
(14:05):
I thought I had it figured out.
And isn't that the life ofunfortunately so many people who
play the game of church, whetherit be kids, teenagers, young
adults, or grown adults.
So, what did you mean by that?
Share with the listeners whatyour plan was.
SPEAKER_01 (14:21):
Sure.
Um so I knew enough to knowbetter.
I knew the the path and the waythat I was walking down was not
what God had for my life.
I knew that everything that Iwas doing on the side, I knew to
keep it hush-hush because myparents would not embrace that.
They would not accept that.
They would not, it it goesagainst the word of God.
(14:42):
So I knew that I would have tokeep that to myself.
But then I would also lie tomyself and make myself feel
better because, you know, whenyou know better, the can um the
shame, it comes up.
And I would say, I will live formyself now.
And if I make it to the rapture,oh, well, then I'll just accept
(15:03):
Christ in the seven years onearth after everybody's gone.
SPEAKER_03 (15:08):
And that was your game plan right there.
SPEAKER_01 (15:10):
As sad as it is, yes, that was my plan.
Yeah.
That was, yeah, not a good one.
SPEAKER_03 (15:15):
Yeah.
No, I and and I I appreciate youbeing honest because the truth
is there's some people out therethat may have that same game
plan right now.
You know, they just put it offtill later and later and later.
And, you know, well, if Jesusshows up, then I'll then I'll
I'll use that time to get myselfright and just you know, hope
that I that I make it through tothe end.
And and and there's a lot ofpeople that are just trying to
not carry any oil in their lampsright now, uh, but we know what
(15:38):
happens to those types ofpeople.
They're gonna get they're gonnaget left behind.
And and and that piece issomething that we do not want to
be part of.
SPEAKER_01 (15:45):
No.
And you know, knowing better,why would I, now that I know
what I know and knowing God'slove for me, why would I ever
want to settle for that lastlittle bit of just being saved
at the tail end when he has somuch for me here on earth, so
much.
SPEAKER_00 (16:05):
I do want to encourage those moms out there
and those dads, though, um, withthe the scripture of Proverbs
22, 6.
And we all know this, right?
SPEAKER_03 (16:14):
It's a good one.
SPEAKER_00 (16:15):
But it's train up a child in the way he should go,
and even when he is old, he willnot depart from it.
Yes.
And so during those stages ofrebellion, Brittany, could you
completely enjoy that sin?
Because it seems like in theback of your head you knew
really what you wanted.
And even if that meant, okay,I'm gonna make a decision at the
(16:36):
last minute, even if it's like,okay, during the seven-year
tribulation or whatever, therewas almost like you couldn't
enjoy sin completely because youknew what the truth was.
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (16:50):
And not only did you know in the back of your mind
and in your heart that the sinwas wrong, you had a mama that
was praying for you.
Yeah, I'm sure, you know,because I know your mama.
So I'm I'm sure she was praying.
SPEAKER_01 (17:05):
You know she was.
SPEAKER_03 (17:06):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.
And that and that's somethingthat I've told our older son
before.
Like, man, you can never outrunmy prayer.
SPEAKER_01 (17:12):
And you know, thank God she was praying.
Thank God she was, because youknow, like you said, I couldn't
all the way enjoy this endbecause I knew what I was doing
was wrong.
But that's why we just keeprunning back to it because it is
fleeting, you know.
We can't find full umsatisfaction in it, regardless.
SPEAKER_03 (17:29):
Yeah, it quickly leaves you.
So you got to go get it againand get that quick temporary
high.
And that's the problem with it.
That type of pleasure isextremely temporary.
Yes.
So it keeps luring you back intoit to get it for that for that
moment because it is momentarypleasure.
You end up moving out of yourhome as soon as you could,
right?
And there's probably a lot ofpeople listening that live that
(17:50):
life.
Yeah.
But as soon as you can, you youbolt, you're out of there.
And the problem with that isthat you're not looking to
better yourself.
You're embracing the partylifestyle.
You're you're hitting up theclubs, you're doing the whole
nightlife scene.
You even get a job as abartender.
I never knew that about youuntil I read your testimony.
So through all of this, theenemy has tried to end your life
(18:13):
three different times.
Once at the medicine cabinet, wetalked about that.
Share the other two times withthe listeners.
SPEAKER_01 (18:18):
So I had actually taken just a part-time second
job at a gas station.
And I went through my week oftraining, and it was my second
day working by myself, and I wason the night shift, and I was
actually there alone.
So when they scheduled you,because it was so small, they
only scheduled the one person,and that happened to be me.
(18:40):
Well, that night I ended upgetting robbed at gunpoint.
And so he comes in and he has abandana on his face and he
points the gun at me and hesays, Give me all the money.
So I just start emptying.
You want the money?
I'm gonna give you the money.
I mean, hey, I don't want it.
Yeah.
And a bunch of it fell on thefloor.
And I had to bend down and grabit.
(19:03):
And in that moment, I thought tomyself, this is it.
I like this is how I die.
I'm dying right.
He's gonna shoot me.
He's gonna think that I'mpushing some kind of button.
SPEAKER_02 (19:11):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (19:12):
And I just knew that I was gonna die right then and
there at the age of 23.
Luckily, and by the hand of God,yeah.
Um, he doesn't shoot me oranything like that.
Um he leaves, he gets the money,and he turns and he says, Don't
call the cops.
And he runs out of the store.
So of course, pretty pleased.
You're right.
(19:32):
The first thing I do is call thecops.
But this shook me up really,really, really bad.
Yeah.
And this was actually a hand ofGod moment because if that had
never happened, I don't know ifI've ever would have started
thinking more long term aboutwhat I wanted to do with my
career or like, hey, you can'tbe a 50-year-old bartender your
(19:52):
whole life.
You know, you can't work at thegas station your whole life.
And then so that's when I doveinto um like college, like
getting getting back into schooland trying to figure out what I
was gonna do with myself.
So again, God had his hand on meand preserved me in that moment,
the where no harm came, but itdefinitely shook me up enough to
(20:13):
wake me up in that moment.
SPEAKER_03 (20:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Fast forward many years later,you're 31 years old, still
battling anxiety, depression.
In your testimony, you say thatthe anxiety and the depression
was consuming your life.
Um, at this time, you'remarried, you've got three
children, and a lot ishappening.
But God puts someone in yourpath on social media whom you
(20:36):
have never met before, you'venever seen in person, face to
face, you don't know thisindividual.
And eventually, this is gonnachange your life forever.
This is why you're sitting hereat the table.
Absolutely.
If if you don't see this personon social media, do we even know
each other?
Are you at CFO church?
I mean, we just don't know howGod would have worked all this
out, but we do know how heworked it out here, praise God.
(20:57):
Yes.
Uh so walk us through that.
How did this happen?
And what was this woman doing sodifferent on social media that
other people weren't doing andthat you weren't used to seeing
as much?
SPEAKER_01 (21:08):
Yeah.
So at that time, um, I hadalways struggled with anxiety
and depression kind of my wholelife.
Um, and it was just reallyhitting very hard at that time.
Also, that's around the timeCOVID was still floating around.
So life was still just kind ofabnormal.
Postpartum depression wasstarting to creep in, just all
(21:30):
of the life triggers and andstressors, really.
And so I had a moment where Iactually had a cancer scare.
And I said, I'm 31.
Like I have three kids.
I can't have cancer.
And I started to pray.
And I would actually walk up anddown in our bedroom, and I would
(21:54):
just, Lord, this can't be right.
You know, this just can't behappening.
This can't be, I'm 31.
And I start going on socialmedia, and with all of just the
heaviness and just depressionand just all of the things, I
start to see a light on my feed.
(22:16):
And it was just all of thesescriptures and just, you know,
inspirational posts linked backto what God has done.
And I reached out to thisindividual and I said, Look, I
don't know you.
And I am really getting to readyto just dump everything on you.
Like I'm going through a hardtime.
I see your posts, and I'm justgonna unload.
(22:39):
And I really didn't know what toexpect as a response back
because again, I didn't knowher.
And she just met me with just somuch of the love of God.
And she also met me with aninvitation to come to church.
And without hesitation, I said,Yeah, I want to come because you
know, I had already startedgetting back into praying and I
(22:59):
have all of these things goingon.
I said, No, I want to come.
Just let me know when.
And so I met her there Sunday atchurch, me and um my youngest.
She was still a baby, she wasn'teven walking yet.
We walked through the door, shepulled me, she said, Hey, nice
to meet you.
We hugged and uh she prayed forme that Sunday at the altar.
And I never stopped coming afterthat.
(23:20):
I actually dove into Wednesdaynights and it was actually
coming home from a Wednesdaynight service.
This was before they were onThursdays.
And I was just praying in thecar.
It was just me.
None of the kids were with me.
And I was praying and reallyjust pouring it out because, you
know, at that time, up untilthat point, I kept praying, but
(23:40):
I wasn't hearing anything.
And and I said, God, you know, II need you.
Like I can't do any of thiswithout you.
I'm tired of running.
I'm tired of living, like I'mliving, I'm tired of the
anxiety, I'm tired of thedepression, like I'm just I'm
tired of it all.
And I asked him to come into mylife right there in the car on
the way home.
(24:01):
And I took a deep breath and Ican still remember it.
And I heard him say, This isjust the beginning.
Wow.
And when I exhaled everything,the whole weight just completely
went away with it.
And I was like, Well, it justhappened because something
happened.
There was definitely a change,and you know, and I clicked in
(24:22):
the car on the way home, just meand him talking it out, driving
down the road.
And the next day I called my momand I said, or I sent her a text
and I said, you know, I thinksomething changed, and I'm
pretty sure that I just gotsaved.
SPEAKER_03 (24:38):
That's like the second testimony I've heard in a
few months where someone trulygot saved in the vehicle riding
down the road, just crying outto God.
Yeah.
For the listener that'sthinking, oh, well, you know,
that's because, you know, youryour life was more put together
than mine was.
They've they've got tounderstand some things
throughout this, and you yougetting ready to come up to
(25:01):
church for the first time in along time.
Um, you know, you're you'rebattling some postpartum
depression.
Your your daughter Bailey wasborn, you become a stay-at-home
mom.
Uh, your testimony says thatyou're drowning in self
self-medicating marijuana druguse, and uh you've got bills
piling up, finances uh are notbeing met, things are things are
just piling up one on top of theother of another.
(25:22):
And and as you alluded toearlier, just to kind of top it
all off, there's this breastcancer scare, right?
Yeah.
So at that moment, you had youhad just mentioned that you were
you were kind of just pacing thebedroom floor praying, and
really in your testimony, yousay it like this that you
swallowed your pride and youbegan to pray.
There's a point in yourtestimony that says this I
(25:44):
turned back to the way I wasraised.
And I think that that is soimportant for people to hear
because as parents, it's soimportant that we raise our
children in church so that wegive them something to turn back
to.
God forbid that they stray away,right?
Erica, you you've alreadymentioned the verse, you've
referenced Proverbs 22, 6.
(26:05):
Yeah.
I'm gonna read it again.
Train up a child in the way heshould go.
Even when he is old, he will notdepart from it.
I love that.
Even when, even when he is old,he will not depart from it.
So just kind of walk us through.
You you you mentioned Brittanythat you call your mom.
Like I I can't even imagine likewhat she is feeling like on the
(26:28):
other end of that phone.
I mean, without getting toopersonal, can you just kind of
describe what that was likecoming from her?
SPEAKER_01 (26:34):
Yeah.
And at first, you know, I don'tknow if she could fully say,
like, oh yeah, she is saved.
You know, I think for a momentshe was like, wait a minute.
SPEAKER_03 (26:44):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
Yeah, what's going on here?
SPEAKER_03 (26:46):
Yeah, yeah.
And then what church are yougoing to?
SPEAKER_01 (26:48):
Right.
But I pulled up in our drivewayand I had Christian music on,
and I heard her say, she didn'tsay it directly to me, but she
just said it out loud.
She said, She has Christianmusic on.
And, you know, I think that thatmoment it really sank in that
no, my daughter accepted and andasked the Lord to come into her
life.
And man, I just jumped headfirstinto church and she was so
(27:12):
excited.
She would call my aunts and, youknow, oh, she's going up there
to the church tonight.
You know, yeah, she's reallydiving on it.
And you could really feel howproud she was in that moment
that I decided enough's enough.
That's enough is enough.
SPEAKER_00 (27:29):
Yes.
And when you were coming tochurch, it wasn't a religious
thing, like, oh, I need to comeX amount of times because I was
so bad and now I want to be sogood.
It was because you loved Christso much.
It was it it reminds me of thescripture of um, we were talking
actually about this scriptureSunday, me and you, about the
(27:51):
one who owes the bigger debt,who would love Christ more, the
one who owes the bigger debt.
The and so that kind of remindsme a little bit of of your
testimony.
SPEAKER_03 (28:01):
Absolutely.
I I know that you startedattending church that last
Sunday in January of 2022.
Yes, right, cold winter month.
And here you find yourselfriding home one night and just
truly have this wake-upexperience with Jesus.
Talk about how God has used CFOchurch to change your life and
(28:27):
why it's important for people toattend a good Bible teaching,
God-honoring, God-fearingchurch.
Because maybe there's somepeople out there right now that
they believe in God, but theydon't understand the importance,
they don't believe the purposeof attending a good church.
SPEAKER_01 (28:44):
I would tell them to get into a good growing Bible
teaching church, one, becauseyou you need the community.
SPEAKER_02 (28:52):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (28:53):
Especially a baby Christian, just someone coming
in and just getting saved, youknow, the enemy, he's gonna,
he's gonna want you back andhe's gonna throw things and
temptations at your way.
And you need somebody in a goodfriend circle to be able to pick
up the phone and say, hey, I'mreally struggling with this.
You know, can you just pray forme or encourage me?
(29:14):
And you really need the family.
You you truly do.
And then to go and to know thatyou're getting the truth being
taught.
SPEAKER_02 (29:22):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:22):
That is the game changer.
It's the truth, the word of Godthat is being taught, because it
gives you something one tangiblyto hold on to when you go home
and you read your Bible.
But then you start seeing, okay,my mom used to say this to me.
And then it starts just startsconnecting, you know, all of the
dots just start connecting andthe authority and the promises
(29:45):
that we can stand on.
Even now for my own kids, youknow, I pray for them just like
my mom prayed for me.
I'm bringing them up in churchjust like she did me.
So good.
And I don't know what path theywill end up taking, but I know
one thing.
Will know who to call when theyneed to call on and Brittany.
SPEAKER_00 (30:05):
I just remember you coming and still coming into
church.
You've got three children underthe age of five, six, your
oldest just turned six.
And it's not easy.
It's not easy coming in onSundays.
You try to get there onThursdays when they don't have
different events.
And it's not easy coming in withthree children and going up to
(30:25):
the altar to pray or to praywith other people or to get
there and greet.
But you do it because you lovethe Lord and you're like, this
is a decision I'm making, andthe Lord has radically changed
me and I'm serving him.
And even though it's not easy,even though it's not
comfortable, I'm getting thekids up.
We're going to church.
Yeah.
And he's worthy to be praised.
We're going to be there.
SPEAKER_03 (30:46):
Yeah.
Yes.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (30:48):
You know, one thing that I always come back to is
that night on the road when Idid got, you know, I got saved,
everything, how everything justwent away.
The weight just completelymelted away.
And I remind myself of that somuch because why would I ever
want to go back to that?
You know, God has so many goodthings.
(31:09):
And even if he doesn't doanything else for me, I mean, he
has had his hand on me my wholeentire life.
Even if he doesn't do anythingelse, he's so worthy.
He's so worthy of me to continueto praise and to continue to
thank him and just be obedientand do what he has for me.
SPEAKER_00 (31:26):
But I wanted to share this with the listeners
for the moms or the dads thatare out there that have a
Britney that hasn't turned yetback to Christ, right?
Um and we had talked about onour last podcast just
proclaiming the word and theimportance of proclaiming his
word, because his word is truth,right?
And so I just wanted to sharethe scripture with the parents
(31:51):
to proclaim this over theirchild while while maybe they're
running and that they will comeback to the Lord.
If you raised your child up inthe way that he should go or she
should go, they will not departfrom it.
And you claim that.
But it's in Jeremiah, and it'sJeremiah 24, verse 4, and it's
talking about Israel being sentcaptive in captivity to Babylon.
(32:14):
And in their captivity, the Lordjust wanted them to turn their
hearts back to him, right?
But they had to go to captivitybecause they weren't living for
her for him.
So it says here, then the wordof the Lord came to me.
This is what the Lord, the Godof Israel, says Like these good
figs, and those good figsrepresent Israel.
(32:35):
I regard as good the exiles fromJudah, whom I sent away from
this place to the land of theBabylonians.
My eyes will watch over them fortheir good, and I will bring
them back to this land.
I will build them up and nottear them down, I will plant
them and not uproot them.
I will give them a heart to knowme that I am the Lord.
They will be my people and Iwill be their God, for they will
(32:57):
return to me with all theirheart.
And that was you, Brittany,right?
Yes.
Even though you went through allof those things, getting hit by
a truck, being robbed by, youknow, when you were in the gas
station, all of these things,the Lord had his hand of
protection over you, and that hebrought you back to him.
(33:18):
When he brought you back to him,you return to him with your
entire heart.
Yes.
And so that is my prayer foranyone who had maybe has a
prodigal right now that you haveraised in the word and to love
the Lord, that you would justdeclare that verse over them,
that they would return to theLord with their entire heart.
SPEAKER_03 (33:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (33:39):
And just to kind of piggyback off of that, we were
talking the other day, andsomething that the Lord just
completely laid on my heart,it's actually in Joshua, and
it's verse 17, and it says, Forit is the Lord our God who
brought us and our fathers upfrom the land of Egypt out of
the house of slavery, and whodid those great signs in our
sight and preserved us in allthe way that we went and among
(34:02):
all the peoples through whom wepassed.
And, you know, I've been prayingover this podcast and of course
my just my testimony in general.
And that is what he did.
He preserved me.
He had his hand over top of meand he preserved me.
And so just to piggyback off ofthat for the encouragement, just
know that, you know, as you'repraying for your son or your
(34:22):
daughter, your spouse or familymembers or friends, whoever, the
Lord will preserve them.
SPEAKER_03 (34:28):
Amen.
Yeah.
Amen.
For such a time as this.
Yes.
When he is ready.
Yes.
He is ready.
Well, Britney, we thank you forcoming on.
We thank you for being real andbeing willing to share the work
that God has done, but also, youknow, God is still working and
He's not finished yet.
No.
He's not finished.
So we we are excited.
So let's pray together.
(34:48):
Father, we thank you so much forour sister.
She is dear to us, and we aregrateful that you are using her
uh here within our ministry atCFO Church.
Father, I pray that what she hasshared today has touched the
lives of many.
And we trust, Father, that thatthose who have received it will
share the link and they willpass it on and be an
encouragement.
Lord, we lift up those that maybe struggling with suicidal
(35:10):
thoughts.
Father, that in the name of theblood of Jesus, Father, I just I
pray that they would receivepeace and comfort from you, that
they would receive a touch oflove from you at this very
moment, that your Holy Spiritwould minister to them.
And in the name of the blood ofJesus, we just rebuke any and
all enemies that would be thereto try to cause them to believe
(35:31):
in any lies whatsoever.
But Father, we just pray thatyour will be done.
In the name of the blood ofJesus Christ, we ask all these
things, and everybody said,Amen.
Amen.
Amen and amen.
Amen.
Until next time on BeyondSunday, God bless you.
Stay in His word and make sureto go to a good Bible teaching,
God honoring, God fearingchurch.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.