April 25, 2025 • 29 mins
"Have you ever seen challenges in someone’s life become a turning point for discovering deeper purpose? Today, former NFL quarterback Dr. Gary Cuozzo shares how faith, loss, and relationships led him from football glory to Spirit filled and impactful ministry beyond the game."
What does it take for an NFL quarterback to find deeper meaning beyond the game? In this captivating conversation with Dr. Gary Cuozzo, we discover how a professional football career intersected with a profound spiritual awakening. Gary takes us through his journey from backing up Johnny Unitas on the Baltimore Colts to playing alongside the legendary Purple People Eaters with the Minnesota Vikings during football's golden era. But beyond the highlight reels and stadium roars, Gary's story reveals something more valuable—how meaningful relationships with Christ-following teammates sparked questions about faith that would transform his life.
The contrast between yesterday's NFL and today's game becomes strikingly clear as Gary shares memories from an era when professional athletes often worked off-season jobs to make ends meet. His signed contract with the Vikings for $65,000 (after being traded for two first-round draft picks) highlights how dramatically the professional sports landscape has shifted in terms of compensation, player loyalty, and personal conduct on the field.
Most compelling is Gary's vulnerability in sharing his evolution from legalistic religion to grace-filled faith, and how personal tragedy became the catalyst for his most impactful ministry years. After losing his son in 1990, Gary found himself speaking in schools throughout New Jersey, using his platform to reach young people with both anti-drug messages and spiritual truth. His instrumental role in establishing the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in New Jersey from humble beginnings in his orthodontic office has led to a ministry now spanning approximately 150 high school chapters.
Whether you're a sports enthusiast, a person of faith, or someone seeking meaning beyond professional success, this conversation offers wisdom from a life well-lived at the intersection of athletic achievement and spiritual purpose. Join us for this powerful exploration of finding true victory beyond the scoreboard.
Fellowship Of Christian Athletes - FCA: https://www.fca.org/
Gary Cuozzo Truth In Sports: https://truthinsports.org/gary_cuozzo/
Does any of today's podcast resonate with you? Let us know here:
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lord, you know you will now listen to Plays on Word
Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's the best.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
We'll be right back.
You're the only name.
You're the only name.
You're the only name.
Hello and welcome to Plays onWord Radio, where we discuss,
(01:04):
analyze, work and play on theWord of God.
Thank you for joining us onthis excursion.
Today let's join Pastor Teddy,also known as Fred David Kenny
Jr, the founder of Plays on WordTheater, as he does a deep dive
into the Word of God.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
And good afternoon everybody.
How are you today?
I've been waiting to say thatfor so long.
Those of you that know you guysknow, yeah, I stole that from
Mike and the Mad Dog from backin the day.
Today is our sports edition.
Welcome everyone to Plays onWord Radio special sports
(01:46):
edition.
And thank you very much, katieKenney for that intro, and Josh
Taylor, we got something specialfor you today, man, when you
say this is a get, this is a getman.
One of our early supporterswe're going to interview and
this guy is somebody that isvery special to me and to many
(02:07):
of you listening.
It is mr gary quazo, that'sright.
And garrett, some of you oldheads are going oh, what?
Yeah, gary quazo, he played, uh, with the colts.
He backed up johnny you.
Yeah, he backed up johnny you.
(02:31):
Yeah, johnny unitas, come onnow.
He backed up johnny unitas, uh,when the saints that's my
brother ben's favorite team, orused to be, when the saints were
an expansion team.
He was there, I guess, theirfirst year.
And then get this he playedwith the uh, minnesota vikings
and, yeah, he played at the samesame time as the purple people
eaters.
(02:51):
Oh, one of my cousins is goingnuts right now, because he
that's his team and that's hisera.
He loved them, man.
I think that's what made himlove, uh, the minnesota vikings.
But most important of all of allthe accolades I could give this
, but most important of all ofall the accolades I could give
this guy.
Like, out of all the things Icould say about this guy and I
(03:13):
could continue, there's manythings I could say, but the most
important is that he is a manof God.
Since I have known him, he is aman of God that loves Jesus.
So check it out.
We're going to check out GaryQuazo right now.
I love it.
Thank you so much for doingthis.
This is absolutely a majorblessing for us, and welcome to
(03:38):
Plays on Word Radio, mr GaryQuazo.
I have often said when I grow up, I want to be like you.
Yeah, so when I grow up, amen.
For those that might not knowGary, gary is well.
Let me say this first andforemost, Gary is one of the.
(04:00):
He's an early supporter ofPlays on Word.
He's helped us out when wereally needed help and we are so
grateful for your advice, yourcontributions.
You came down when we were overat the church in Tom's River.
You came and did our men'sretreat for us and you came to
one of the plays we did overthere in Tom's River.
(04:21):
We did our Pete play Yep theboat and I did our Pete play Yep
the boat and I think up untilthat point you only knew me as,
like, an athlete.
You're right and I'll neverforget it as long as I live.
You came up to me and said wow,ted, I didn't know you could
beat up on the piano like that.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Oh, that's back for Vic Caboo, huh, Right right,
right.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So yeah, that's a while back.
Do you remember any of thatplay?
Did anything stick out to youwhen we did that or that, when
you had the boat and you're inthe boat and all that.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah, I do remember that, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
We went through the I guess you could say it's the
gospel according to Peter.
Now, those that don't know you,I started to say you know, I've
always known you as a man ofGod.
When I was a little kid in theseventies, I went to Shore
Christian Center.
I think that's where we firstmet Shore Christian Center.
I was one of those kids runningaround and I remember hearing
(05:14):
the name Gary Quazo, gary Quazo.
Then I come to find out thatyou are an NFL player.
You played in the NFL.
Now, was it from 62 to 73?
Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (05:26):
I think it was 63 to 72.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
63 to 72.
Okay, I'm a little bitbackwards.
Wow, you played when it was.
That was real men back thenplaying man.
I mean, you didn't have a lotof these in the grasp rules.
Sure, different things that wehave today.
I had the privilege of watchinga Super Bowl with you a few
(05:49):
years back.
I believe Tom Brady was in it,and let me tell you, watching
the Super Bowl with you, thatwas one of the highlights of my
viewing any football games ever,because of your insight.
I remember you saying watch howhe's throwing the ball, notice
how he's throwing the ball high.
You noticed all these differentthings and I played football,
(06:13):
but you just had it at the levelthat you played in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Well, for Tom Brady.
Tom Brady was a little yeah,but I was.
He didn't do many things wrong.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I was blessed how you were technically breaking the
game down for me.
That was a major blessing forme.
So tell me something, though Iknow Shore Christian Center.
That's where we first met, andthen, of course, you got
involved with FCA.
Maybe we'll talk about that,but can we go back?
How does Gary Quazo, how doeshe meet Jesus?
(06:43):
What is your story?
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Well, it starts out very little.
When I first heard about Jesus,I certainly believed that he
was who he was and honored himfrom the time I can remember
five, six years old.
But I never understood thegrace gospel.
I was always under a legalistictype of religion where I had to
(07:06):
do this and had to do that andhad to do this.
And then I wound up with theBaltimore Colts in 1963.
And one of the fellows that Iroomed with in training camp not
that year but the next year hehad a Bible and I never, we,
never, we had a Bible in thehouse, but it was a big one that
nobody read and just sat there.
(07:27):
It was, I think, like most ofthe family Bibles you know,
especially the kind of church Iwas in.
The Bible wasn't the mainfeature of any of our teachings
or studies.
So I, somewhere in there, I hada.
We were at a camp in Virginiaand another fellow came along
named Carol Dale.
He played with the Green BayPackers and he carried his Bible
(07:51):
with him.
I was, I don't know.
I went to his room, he had aBible and I think I was rooming
with him.
Yeah, I was rooming with him.
He had a Bible and he wasreading it and I thought, you
know, there's something to this,I guess because both these guys
were different, something tothis, I guess because both these
guys were different.
And I think it was theimpression I had that in pro
athletics you have a lot of theworld, so to speak, as opposed
to the spectrum, and so there'sa contrast to these two guys.
(08:14):
And we got into a prayer circleat this camp.
It was a camp for young kidsand we went downstairs in a
prayer circle to pray and it wascoming around the circle circle
to pray and it was comingaround the circle coming and I
knew it was coming to me and Ihad never prayed in a group out
loud.
I'd kind of always had a veryprivate prayer life, private
spiritual life.
But my turn came and I I'm sureI said something, I don't
(08:36):
remember what, but I, just afterit was over, I was very
convicted that I really didn'tunderstand that as well.
I needed to understand more ofa relationship with God on a
personal level rather than justkind of I can't explain even the
word but it was different.
So I went to the room thatnight with Carol and talked to
him at length until I don't know.
It was maybe 2 o'clock in themorning.
(08:57):
So I had a problem with my wife,was pregnant with our second
child and our first child hadGerman measles and the doctor
recommended that we abort thechild child.
And we weren't going to do thatand so we were going to have
the baby and said, if he pray,he came healthy.
Well, carol said I'll pray foryou.
And oh gosh, that that wassomething that you know.
(09:20):
People say that and I don'tknow if they really mean it all
the time.
And so I was traded from theBaltimore Colts to the New
Orleans Saints that year andafter the season, the Saints
season was over right away, butGreen Bay was already in the
playoffs and I was back inMemphis, tennessee, where I was
going to dental school in theoffseason.
And Carol called the house thatweek.
(09:42):
I wasn't home.
Peggy got the call.
I don't think she evenunderstood why.
I don't know what that wasabout, but she told me he called
and that he was praying and hewanted to.
How the baby was?
The baby was healthy indecember, early december.
But to think that he had prayedall that time wow, it was on
his list or whatever how he didreally impressive.
(10:04):
So that then the bible became apart of my, my quest to
understand salvation.
And trying to put these piecestogether after the fact, ted, is
hard to understand because Iknow it just kept happening.
You know I get the verses inthe Bible that were For by grace
are you saved through faith,that's not of yourself.
Ephesians, god, ephesians 2, 8,and 9.
(10:25):
And in verse 1, john, you canknow you have eternal life, as
opposed to I was always.
You know I will find out if Ihave eternal life after I die.
It was kind of the way I wastaught in the church I was in.
So I think it was such a reliefand a blessing to understand
that you can have eternal life,know it on this earth.
You're saved by grace, notfaith, not what you do, what he
(10:49):
did and to honor God with mylife, which I try to do.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Amen, amen, amen.
To that you certainly have.
I mean, you've influenced justa great number of people.
Even when I was a little kid Isaid I know that guy's a man of
God, I know he's a man of God.
And then I got to know you evenbetter as an adult and, like I
said, when I grow up I want tobe like Gary Quazo man.
That was like the goal.
And then I had the privilege ofactually going to the Four Winds
(11:18):
Farm and seeing you on yourtractor and I was like this guy
he's the Marlboro man.
I mean, wow, I couldn't believeit, man.
I was so amazed because hereyou are on your tractor and you
were like I don't, I would havethought if I didn't know, I
would have thought you were inyour thirties at the time.
(11:39):
I'm like this guy's unstoppable.
I don't know where he gets theenergy from.
Amen, I, you know, I sayMaranatha every day.
Lord, please, please, come back.
You know that's a great storyhow the Lord was working in your
life and how he used peoplethat were close to you, yes, and
(11:59):
the way they lived, you know,was just their testimony of
their faith, was how they were.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
They were just men.
Their whole value system wasspiritually oriented, as opposed
to the worldly.
It's what the Bible talks about.
You're not of the world, but ofthe spirit To have heavenly
visions of why we're here andwhat we need to do with it.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
And you could see it just night and day difference.
I mean you played withthe—weren't the Purple People
leaders on your team?
Speaker 1 (12:26):
You were on their team Vikings?
Yeah, I was.
You were with the vikings, you,you were, uh, with the the colts
, too right with the the coltsstarted with the colts, ted and
uh was backed up, john unitasfor four years, and then I went
to one year with the saints andexpansion, and then back to the
vikings in the uh trade.
Uh was there four years.
Uh started two of them and uh,we won our division for four
(12:49):
years and we had a greatdefensive team too.
You know, we had the, like yousay, the purple people guys.
Yeah, ellen marshall, let's seeit was uh page ellen marshall
and larson.
Yeah, quite a, quite a reallygood player.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Yeah those guys yeah, that that's uh, that's next
level, but it but, but.
The amazing thing that sticksout is how you ended up drawing
closer to the Lord in the midstof playing at the highest levels
.
There I still have yourbaseball card.
It's a football card, but it'sinteresting.
(13:23):
On that card you're gettingsacked or you're getting
pummeled.
Want to explain that?
You know the card, the FCA cardI'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
That's the testimony card that I made.
Yeah, it was kind of just Ithought the word sacked.
I was in a I don't know onetime God impressed upon me that
I needed to have a testimonycard.
Just I give them out.
Now I have a new one.
Now it's a little I'm not quitegetting knocked over like that,
but the I was getting knockedhit by somebody and I was going
(13:51):
and I titled it sacked and itwas just the idea that life is
about you know when you, whenyou get down, where you turn,
you know getting up and you knowget up again and it's only God
uses everything that.
I've had some moments whereyou've been beat.
Your playoff game we got beatby the 49ers and I was really
(14:13):
discouraged.
But that's sports, I think.
Looking back, I think I couldhandle a lot better now with the
brain I have now than I didthen.
I was in dental and orthodoxschool in the offseason and
these guys today they trainyear-round, which I would have
loved to have done that becauseI think physically it was a
better way to play, but in myday and era we didn't make
(14:34):
anywhere near the money theseguys make.
I mean, I signed, I was drafted.
I was traded for two number onedraft picks, which you could
imagine.
What I would have gotten intoday's salary, oh man.
But I think I signed with theVikings for vikings for like 65
000.
I mean it sounds crazy like the.
I think the ball boys the ballboys probably get better money,
(14:55):
you know, yeah, but it was a lotthen.
Yeah, of course it was a lotmore in terms of spendable money
, but it just was so differentuh in terms of world yeah, the
millions and all that stuff.
For you know, quarterbacks isjust I don't know it's probably
a good.
Quarterbacks is just I don'tknow it's probably a good thing.
I never did because I don'tthink I would have got a dental
school.
My life would have beendifferent.
Right, I don't know abouthandling that much money at that
(15:17):
young age.
This NIL stuff with high schoolplayers and college players now
is a little dangerous.
To get these kids a whole bunchof money before they've done
life much, it can really killtheir incentive.
Plus, the loyalty to a team isjust forget about it now it's
gone.
It's gone, totally gone.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I remember my uncle told me that and I almost didn't
believe him.
He told me this in the early80s, late 70s maybe.
He said you know a lot of theNFL players.
They'll have like a job in theoffseason, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Most of them.
That's amazing.
Like the thought of that todayI can't imagine, because you
have backups of backups that aremaking all kinds of money you
know, making a decent living.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
It was a different game.
I venture to say it wasprobably a more violent game.
It was.
You know, you had real menplaying the purple people eaters
.
I mean, come on, I'm notknocking today's players, but
the era that you came up in, itjust seems so much harder.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Well, I think another thing is kind of you know, as
you watch and you look back, youremember a guy would score a
touchdown and hand the ball tothe ref.
You don't act like you've beenthere before.
All the celebrating and stuffthat's going on, it takes away.
I think from here's a badexample.
I don't know, I don't like it,to tell you the truth.
(16:42):
I'd probably be a part of it ifI was there then, but I don't
think it's a good thing.
First they ruled it out.
Remember in college I thinkthey had ruled it out and and
then, but then they started.
You know, I don't, can'timagine during the week they, if
we score, we'll get down andwe'll pretend we're rowing or
something.
I I don't know how did they dothat, but grant was a coach of
(17:04):
mine in minnesota man, he wouldhave never put up with that
stuff, I don't think.
Or Don Shuler was my, and thenLombardi and I was in that era.
They had control to where stufflike that would never have
happened.
But as soon as I guess we hadthe sack dance kind of stuff
started I guess it was Gastineauin.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
New York, yeah, yeah, the New York Sack Exchange.
That was the 82, 83, I think.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
That started the celebrating stuff.
I don't know, it got out ofhand, I think, but it's what it
is.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Wait, let me think those that are listening
probably will.
I can feel them sending anemail.
You had Billy White ShoesJohnson before that, remember?
So Billy White Shoes Johnson,he did that funny dance in the
end zone, but it was few and farbetween.
It wasn't like it is todayEvery game, every player doing
something.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
It's very like look at me kind of stuff which is
probably not the healthiestthing for kids.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I think you said it, though I guess I don't know if
it's to blame free agency, butif you the the loyalty to the
team, it doesn't seem to you,don't see, guys?
Speaker 1 (18:18):
coaches don't have it either.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Coaches lose and I don't know.
I don't know where that comesfrom.
But the team aspect and theloyalty to the team, I don't
know, it just seems like there'sthis flashiness.
Look at me, look at me, look atme and you know you have the
well to the team.
I don't know, it just seemslike there's this flashiness.
Look at me, look at me, look atme and you know you have the
Well and the following.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
You know, the following, the internet stuff,
how many followers you get, andthat's really key to the NIL
stuff.
You know there's a special.
I watched on LSU how these guysget the most followers.
Then they get the most money onNIL because then they get the
most advertising.
Advertising and I gosh, it waslike I don't know how many
(18:53):
thousands of the young girlthat's a gymnast in LSU.
She's made a fortune justbecause of her following.
You know, I mean that's, and soI think the dancing around
stuff is to to say, here, lookat me and so I can get more
following you.
So unhealthy sports kind ofthing.
Right, being old, being old.
It sounds like it's bitterness,but I don't think so.
I think it takes away from thegame.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Yeah, I will defer to your assessment of that.
So you have been on the Lord'steam as long as I've known.
You Tell me about Fellowship ofChristian Athletes, because we
plan to get Harry on here atsome point.
Oh good, but tell me, how didyou get involved with that?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
it started with um, I think raymond might have gotten
me, uh, invited to an fca campin colorado.
I don't know how I got outthere, but I was there and, uh,
you know, the gospel was addedclearly.
Uh, and it's still at the timeI was thinking, why did they
talk about?
Why you just go to church, youknow, it was like, and I kind of
struggled through why everybodywas so public about their faith
(19:49):
, which I think I think peoplethat watch this, if you know,
it's very I, I not that I didn'tbelieve, it's just that I
didn't know if I, you know,talking about it and then not
understanding grace either.
At that time I was verylegalistic about had to make
every, you know, every eventthat the church told me to do.
But then I, I got involved withFCA.
Then I came back to New Jerseyin 1973 to start my orthodontic
(20:14):
practice.
A pastor from I had signed afootball card for a kid in my
office and he showed it to apastor, a local pastor, and he
came into my office Is thereanything you would like to do?
I said, well, I've got all thisFCA stuff in this drawer.
I've been really busy startingmy practice, learning, but I
really would like to get the FCAstarted in New Jersey.
So we got the national officecontacted and a fellow named
(20:39):
Winn Lembright who just passedaway.
I went to his funeral a couplemonths ago.
He came out and we brought inBruce Kozman, who you know, ted.
He was our first FCA director.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Really.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Started the.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
FCA there.
That was right around, you know, early 70s, wow, I'm not sure
of the exact dates, but I doremember doing that pretty early
in my dental career and Brucedid a great job.
We just couldn't raise moneyvery well.
It was a real problem.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
And so we actually.
That's a problem with manyministries.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Okay, we went into this thing called the red zone
and they took away our you knowour, whatever they have, you
know what you know, as far asyou're connected to the national
.
They said another fell out, bobAtkins, and he was there for a
while and then Harry became uh,I talked to Harry somewhere in
there where Bob was kind ofwavering and going to somewhere
else, and we got Harry startedand it's a story.
(21:36):
After that he's got about 150chapters, I think in high school
in New Jersey and he's just areal man of God that does a
wonderful job.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
So it's blossomed in New Jersey really, yeah, and
it's amazing it started'sblossomed in New Jersey, really
yeah, and it's amazing itstarted right there in your
dentist office.
Basically, I mean.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
It did, it did yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
And look you, look at the lives touch I've actually
had the privilege of doing acamp with, with Bruce and Vinnie
Whitehead and and Harry Right,you know Harry was one, he
directed it.
But you know, all these guysare guys that I've I've looked
up to and I'm so grateful tohave had them in my life.
I wish, I wish I would have hadyou guys in my life when I was
(22:17):
a teenager.
I would have had you guys in mylife when I was a teenager.
It would have saved me a wholeworld of extracurricular hurt
and nonsense.
But there are many young peoplethat have been impacted there,
sure is.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Through the ministry of Fellowship of Grand Athletes.
I'm down here in Florida nowand we've just got a wonderful
ministry going here, fca-wise inCollier County, multiple high
schools.
We got a director down here,charlie Weatherby, who coached
the Naval Academy, yeah, andhe's our full-time director and
he's one of my closest friendsand we have got this since he
(22:54):
got here.
He has.
I don't know how many chapterswe've increased, but I'll just
give you a financial increase.
We went from about $150,000 toover a million dollars in budget
.
Amen.
Banquet-wise, we've hadeverybody here to speak Mr Dow,
let's see Dabo and Tebow and hercousins.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Our banquets have been just great Well let me know
when you're going to haveanother one.
I'm going to see if I can get aticket to that.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
You got one coming up with Tony Dungy in Jersey.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Oh well, see, I'm not in Jersey anymore, but Tony
Dungy is going to be at this onethis year.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
In Jersey.
Yes, oh wow, we had Tony herealso.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Oh wow, we had Tony here also.
Oh my goodness, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
We draw about 700 people Tony Dungy or anybody.
We've got some 700 or 600.
We draw a lot of people to ourbanquets.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
What a blessing.
I mean.
So much good has come from thatministry.
If I was to ask you and this isprobably a tough question to
get around can you think of whatmight be your top couple or top
ministry experience?
If I said, tell me somethingthat really impacted you, top of
(24:11):
your list?
I'll give you an example Me, Iwent into the prison and we did
one of our plays in the prisonand at the end of the play the
genesis joe play what you stillneed to see we got to find a way
to do that for you.
The genesis joe play and and abunch of the inmates were, they
gave their life to the lordright at the end of it and that
was, that was a highlight ofministry for me.
Do you have anything that youcan think of?
Speaker 1 (24:33):
that was just special and really uh well, I the
hardest, and you know, I imagineyou might remember, after my
son was killed in 1990, and Iwas involved in a drug kind of
thing and the whole thing.
And I wound up getting a bunchof letters that he had written
to me in his room at the college, where he never mailed them to
me and after the funeral I hadprayed the night I had to go
(24:55):
down to identify his body inFlorida that God would use his
life in some way and I didn'tunderstand how I even prayed
that.
I just believe the Spirit ledme to think that I just wanted
to be reassured that he was aChristian and reassured that God
would use his life, because Iwas devastated.
From that point on I spokeprobably for the next seven or
(25:16):
eight years in the high schoolsin New Jersey all over
everywhere, sharing the gospeleverywhere, because I had no
other answers for them aboutdrugs.
But they wanted me to come totalk about the drugs thing.
So they would invite me forthat but they didn't want to
hear about the gospel.
But I didn't want to, Iwouldn't go, they would give a
disclaimer.
But then that came to an endaround 2000 when I went
(25:37):
back-to-back schools, schools,and they were a junior high and
a senior high and they canceledme out.
If I remember exactly, theycanceled me out to senior high.
They just didn't want you.
You know, mentioning Jesus in apublic school was rather,
really difficult in 1993, 4, 5and all that.
Not that it's any easier now,but so that was, that, would say
, would be the highlights of myministry life.
(25:59):
And then pretty much, you know,I'd talk with the kids
afterwards, just stay and talkto them without any of the
teachers there, and I reallyopened my eyes to what was going
on in this world with kids.
And you know, nowadays it'sprobably worse because of the
Internet, but God used that inmy life for the crisis.
(26:19):
Everything about it was was sobad, but I it made me so sad
sometimes when I was speakingabout it in fact I'm speaking
about a week and a half at achurch down here, um, about you
know simpler, you know basicallymy testimony, but really what
god has used that in my life totruly change.
And and then Bruce, when Brucecame back to start a church, we
(26:42):
started a church in Four Winds.
Four Winds, right, ted.
I was on the phone with Bruce.
He was in ministry school inCalifornia with Chuck Smith
Because Bruce was there as anSCA guy and we were really close
friends.
And I was talking to himbecause I'd been down to
Charlottesville, virginia, to aPCA church.
That was really just a reallygreat place for me to be to see
(27:05):
how a church was really reachingkids.
And I asked Bruce about wouldhe ever come back and start a
church in Jersey?
I was a little frustrated withthe way the churches had been
that I'd been to, even thoughI'm sure many people came to the
Lord through them, but I justthought it wasn't.
I don't know I liked when thenthe Calvary Chapel movement I
didn't know anything about.
(27:26):
Matter of fact, Greg Lurie'sfather, oscar, was a friend of
mine.
He was a lawyer and he actuallyhelped us with SCA and he told
me I met him outside my officeone day and he said you know, my
son led me to the Lord and Ididn't know who Greg Lurie was.
Wow, that was before I evenever heard of Calvary Chapel.
(27:47):
And so then, when Bruce cameback, he put us through a thing
called Shepherd School.
You know, we started the churchand we had two years of
Shepherd School, which enabledus to, you know, get a pastorate
.
You know, we were becamepastors and had ministry, uh,
and it was a great time ofstudying the bible.
I had never studied the bible.
I really had.
I didn't know it very well, Iknew some, I knew this and that,
but we uh, chuck smith hastapes on the entire bible, yeah,
(28:11):
and we had to listen to themand you know, verse by verse, um
, and so it was just I.
I was really impressed with thecalvary chapel movement.
You know, it's really affecteda lot of a lot of America
non-denominational churches, andmy son, jeff, as you know, is a
Calvary pastor.
Yeah, he works with JoelRosenberg over in Israel and
he's in England too.
(28:32):
Yeah, but if you're talkingabout the highlight moments.
I would think that was thehighlights, yeah amen, Amen,
Amen.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Mr Gary Quaso, hey, we're going to continue this as
we go on and talk a little bitmore.
We're going to continue thisnext week if the Lord tarries.
So until next time, may theLord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shineupon you and be gracious to you
.
May the Lord lift up Hiscountenance upon you and give
(29:01):
you peace.
Come on.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
This program was made possible by the Plays on Word
family of supporters.
To find out more, check out ourwebsite at playsonwordorg.
Lord, you know you will now listen to Plays on Word
Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's the best.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
We'll be right back.
You're the only name.
You're the only name.
You're the only name.
Hello and welcome to Plays onWord Radio, where we discuss,
(01:04):
analyze, work and play on theWord of God.
Thank you for joining us onthis excursion.
Today let's join Pastor Teddy,also known as Fred David Kenny
Jr, the founder of Plays on WordTheater, as he does a deep dive
into the Word of God.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
And good afternoon everybody.
How are you today?
I've been waiting to say thatfor so long.
Those of you that know you guysknow, yeah, I stole that from
Mike and the Mad Dog from backin the day.
Today is our sports edition.
Welcome everyone to Plays onWord Radio special sports
(01:46):
edition.
And thank you very much, katieKenney for that intro, and Josh
Taylor, we got something specialfor you today, man, when you
say this is a get, this is a getman.
One of our early supporterswe're going to interview and
this guy is somebody that isvery special to me and to many
(02:07):
of you listening.
It is mr gary quazo, that'sright.
And garrett, some of you oldheads are going oh, what?
Yeah, gary quazo, he played, uh, with the colts.
He backed up johnny you.
Yeah, he backed up johnny you.
(02:31):
Yeah, johnny unitas, come onnow.
He backed up johnny unitas, uh,when the saints that's my
brother ben's favorite team, orused to be, when the saints were
an expansion team.
He was there, I guess, theirfirst year.
And then get this he playedwith the uh, minnesota vikings
and, yeah, he played at the samesame time as the purple people
eaters.
(02:51):
Oh, one of my cousins is goingnuts right now, because he
that's his team and that's hisera.
He loved them, man.
I think that's what made himlove, uh, the minnesota vikings.
But most important of all of allthe accolades I could give this
, but most important of all ofall the accolades I could give
this guy.
Like, out of all the things Icould say about this guy and I
(03:13):
could continue, there's manythings I could say, but the most
important is that he is a manof God.
Since I have known him, he is aman of God that loves Jesus.
So check it out.
We're going to check out GaryQuazo right now.
I love it.
Thank you so much for doingthis.
This is absolutely a majorblessing for us, and welcome to
(03:38):
Plays on Word Radio, mr GaryQuazo.
I have often said when I grow up, I want to be like you.
Yeah, so when I grow up, amen.
For those that might not knowGary, gary is well.
Let me say this first andforemost, Gary is one of the.
(04:00):
He's an early supporter ofPlays on Word.
He's helped us out when wereally needed help and we are so
grateful for your advice, yourcontributions.
You came down when we were overat the church in Tom's River.
You came and did our men'sretreat for us and you came to
one of the plays we did overthere in Tom's River.
(04:21):
We did our Pete play Yep theboat and I did our Pete play Yep
the boat and I think up untilthat point you only knew me as,
like, an athlete.
You're right and I'll neverforget it as long as I live.
You came up to me and said wow,ted, I didn't know you could
beat up on the piano like that.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Oh, that's back for Vic Caboo, huh, Right right,
right.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So yeah, that's a while back.
Do you remember any of thatplay?
Did anything stick out to youwhen we did that or that, when
you had the boat and you're inthe boat and all that.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah, I do remember that, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
We went through the I guess you could say it's the
gospel according to Peter.
Now, those that don't know you,I started to say you know, I've
always known you as a man ofGod.
When I was a little kid in theseventies, I went to Shore
Christian Center.
I think that's where we firstmet Shore Christian Center.
I was one of those kids runningaround and I remember hearing
(05:14):
the name Gary Quazo, gary Quazo.
Then I come to find out thatyou are an NFL player.
You played in the NFL.
Now, was it from 62 to 73?
Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (05:26):
I think it was 63 to 72.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
63 to 72.
Okay, I'm a little bitbackwards.
Wow, you played when it was.
That was real men back thenplaying man.
I mean, you didn't have a lotof these in the grasp rules.
Sure, different things that wehave today.
I had the privilege of watchinga Super Bowl with you a few
(05:49):
years back.
I believe Tom Brady was in it,and let me tell you, watching
the Super Bowl with you, thatwas one of the highlights of my
viewing any football games ever,because of your insight.
I remember you saying watch howhe's throwing the ball, notice
how he's throwing the ball high.
You noticed all these differentthings and I played football,
(06:13):
but you just had it at the levelthat you played in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Well, for Tom Brady.
Tom Brady was a little yeah,but I was.
He didn't do many things wrong.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I was blessed how you were technically breaking the
game down for me.
That was a major blessing forme.
So tell me something, though Iknow Shore Christian Center.
That's where we first met, andthen, of course, you got
involved with FCA.
Maybe we'll talk about that,but can we go back?
How does Gary Quazo, how doeshe meet Jesus?
(06:43):
What is your story?
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Well, it starts out very little.
When I first heard about Jesus,I certainly believed that he
was who he was and honored himfrom the time I can remember
five, six years old.
But I never understood thegrace gospel.
I was always under a legalistictype of religion where I had to
(07:06):
do this and had to do that andhad to do this.
And then I wound up with theBaltimore Colts in 1963.
And one of the fellows that Iroomed with in training camp not
that year but the next year hehad a Bible and I never, we,
never, we had a Bible in thehouse, but it was a big one that
nobody read and just sat there.
(07:27):
It was, I think, like most ofthe family Bibles you know,
especially the kind of church Iwas in.
The Bible wasn't the mainfeature of any of our teachings
or studies.
So I, somewhere in there, I hada.
We were at a camp in Virginiaand another fellow came along
named Carol Dale.
He played with the Green BayPackers and he carried his Bible
(07:51):
with him.
I was, I don't know.
I went to his room, he had aBible and I think I was rooming
with him.
Yeah, I was rooming with him.
He had a Bible and he wasreading it and I thought, you
know, there's something to this,I guess because both these guys
were different, something tothis, I guess because both these
guys were different.
And I think it was theimpression I had that in pro
athletics you have a lot of theworld, so to speak, as opposed
to the spectrum, and so there'sa contrast to these two guys.
(08:14):
And we got into a prayer circleat this camp.
It was a camp for young kidsand we went downstairs in a
prayer circle to pray and it wascoming around the circle circle
to pray and it was comingaround the circle coming and I
knew it was coming to me and Ihad never prayed in a group out
loud.
I'd kind of always had a veryprivate prayer life, private
spiritual life.
But my turn came and I I'm sureI said something, I don't
(08:36):
remember what, but I, just afterit was over, I was very
convicted that I really didn'tunderstand that as well.
I needed to understand more ofa relationship with God on a
personal level rather than justkind of I can't explain even the
word but it was different.
So I went to the room thatnight with Carol and talked to
him at length until I don't know.
It was maybe 2 o'clock in themorning.
(08:57):
So I had a problem with my wife,was pregnant with our second
child and our first child hadGerman measles and the doctor
recommended that we abort thechild child.
And we weren't going to do thatand so we were going to have
the baby and said, if he pray,he came healthy.
Well, carol said I'll pray foryou.
And oh gosh, that that wassomething that you know.
(09:20):
People say that and I don'tknow if they really mean it all
the time.
And so I was traded from theBaltimore Colts to the New
Orleans Saints that year andafter the season, the Saints
season was over right away, butGreen Bay was already in the
playoffs and I was back inMemphis, tennessee, where I was
going to dental school in theoffseason.
And Carol called the house thatweek.
(09:42):
I wasn't home.
Peggy got the call.
I don't think she evenunderstood why.
I don't know what that wasabout, but she told me he called
and that he was praying and hewanted to.
How the baby was?
The baby was healthy indecember, early december.
But to think that he had prayedall that time wow, it was on
his list or whatever how he didreally impressive.
(10:04):
So that then the bible became apart of my, my quest to
understand salvation.
And trying to put these piecestogether after the fact, ted, is
hard to understand because Iknow it just kept happening.
You know I get the verses inthe Bible that were For by grace
are you saved through faith,that's not of yourself.
Ephesians, god, ephesians 2, 8,and 9.
(10:25):
And in verse 1, john, you canknow you have eternal life, as
opposed to I was always.
You know I will find out if Ihave eternal life after I die.
It was kind of the way I wastaught in the church I was in.
So I think it was such a reliefand a blessing to understand
that you can have eternal life,know it on this earth.
You're saved by grace, notfaith, not what you do, what he
(10:49):
did and to honor God with mylife, which I try to do.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Amen, amen, amen.
To that you certainly have.
I mean, you've influenced justa great number of people.
Even when I was a little kid Isaid I know that guy's a man of
God, I know he's a man of God.
And then I got to know you evenbetter as an adult and, like I
said, when I grow up I want tobe like Gary Quazo man.
That was like the goal.
And then I had the privilege ofactually going to the Four Winds
(11:18):
Farm and seeing you on yourtractor and I was like this guy
he's the Marlboro man.
I mean, wow, I couldn't believeit, man.
I was so amazed because hereyou are on your tractor and you
were like I don't, I would havethought if I didn't know, I
would have thought you were inyour thirties at the time.
(11:39):
I'm like this guy's unstoppable.
I don't know where he gets theenergy from.
Amen, I, you know, I sayMaranatha every day.
Lord, please, please, come back.
You know that's a great storyhow the Lord was working in your
life and how he used peoplethat were close to you, yes, and
(11:59):
the way they lived, you know,was just their testimony of
their faith, was how they were.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
They were just men.
Their whole value system wasspiritually oriented, as opposed
to the worldly.
It's what the Bible talks about.
You're not of the world, but ofthe spirit To have heavenly
visions of why we're here andwhat we need to do with it.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
And you could see it just night and day difference.
I mean you played withthe—weren't the Purple People
leaders on your team?
Speaker 1 (12:26):
You were on their team Vikings?
Yeah, I was.
You were with the vikings, you,you were, uh, with the the colts
, too right with the the coltsstarted with the colts, ted and
uh was backed up, john unitasfor four years, and then I went
to one year with the saints andexpansion, and then back to the
vikings in the uh trade.
Uh was there four years.
Uh started two of them and uh,we won our division for four
(12:49):
years and we had a greatdefensive team too.
You know, we had the, like yousay, the purple people guys.
Yeah, ellen marshall, let's seeit was uh page ellen marshall
and larson.
Yeah, quite a, quite a reallygood player.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Yeah those guys yeah, that that's uh, that's next
level, but it but, but.
The amazing thing that sticksout is how you ended up drawing
closer to the Lord in the midstof playing at the highest levels
.
There I still have yourbaseball card.
It's a football card, but it'sinteresting.
(13:23):
On that card you're gettingsacked or you're getting
pummeled.
Want to explain that?
You know the card, the FCA cardI'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
That's the testimony card that I made.
Yeah, it was kind of just Ithought the word sacked.
I was in a I don't know onetime God impressed upon me that
I needed to have a testimonycard.
Just I give them out.
Now I have a new one.
Now it's a little I'm not quitegetting knocked over like that,
but the I was getting knockedhit by somebody and I was going
(13:51):
and I titled it sacked and itwas just the idea that life is
about you know when you, whenyou get down, where you turn,
you know getting up and you knowget up again and it's only God
uses everything that.
I've had some moments whereyou've been beat.
Your playoff game we got beatby the 49ers and I was really
(14:13):
discouraged.
But that's sports, I think.
Looking back, I think I couldhandle a lot better now with the
brain I have now than I didthen.
I was in dental and orthodoxschool in the offseason and
these guys today they trainyear-round, which I would have
loved to have done that becauseI think physically it was a
better way to play, but in myday and era we didn't make
(14:34):
anywhere near the money theseguys make.
I mean, I signed, I was drafted.
I was traded for two number onedraft picks, which you could
imagine.
What I would have gotten intoday's salary, oh man.
But I think I signed with theVikings for vikings for like 65
000.
I mean it sounds crazy like the.
I think the ball boys the ballboys probably get better money,
(14:55):
you know, yeah, but it was a lotthen.
Yeah, of course it was a lotmore in terms of spendable money
, but it just was so differentuh in terms of world yeah, the
millions and all that stuff.
For you know, quarterbacks isjust I don't know it's probably
a good.
Quarterbacks is just I don'tknow it's probably a good thing.
I never did because I don'tthink I would have got a dental
school.
My life would have beendifferent.
Right, I don't know abouthandling that much money at that
(15:17):
young age.
This NIL stuff with high schoolplayers and college players now
is a little dangerous.
To get these kids a whole bunchof money before they've done
life much, it can really killtheir incentive.
Plus, the loyalty to a team isjust forget about it now it's
gone.
It's gone, totally gone.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I remember my uncle told me that and I almost didn't
believe him.
He told me this in the early80s, late 70s maybe.
He said you know a lot of theNFL players.
They'll have like a job in theoffseason, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Most of them.
That's amazing.
Like the thought of that todayI can't imagine, because you
have backups of backups that aremaking all kinds of money you
know, making a decent living.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
It was a different game.
I venture to say it wasprobably a more violent game.
It was.
You know, you had real menplaying the purple people eaters
.
I mean, come on, I'm notknocking today's players, but
the era that you came up in, itjust seems so much harder.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Well, I think another thing is kind of you know, as
you watch and you look back, youremember a guy would score a
touchdown and hand the ball tothe ref.
You don't act like you've beenthere before.
All the celebrating and stuffthat's going on, it takes away.
I think from here's a badexample.
I don't know, I don't like it,to tell you the truth.
(16:42):
I'd probably be a part of it ifI was there then, but I don't
think it's a good thing.
First they ruled it out.
Remember in college I thinkthey had ruled it out and and
then, but then they started.
You know, I don't, can'timagine during the week they, if
we score, we'll get down andwe'll pretend we're rowing or
something.
I I don't know how did they dothat, but grant was a coach of
(17:04):
mine in minnesota man, he wouldhave never put up with that
stuff, I don't think.
Or Don Shuler was my, and thenLombardi and I was in that era.
They had control to where stufflike that would never have
happened.
But as soon as I guess we hadthe sack dance kind of stuff
started I guess it was Gastineauin.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
New York, yeah, yeah, the New York Sack Exchange.
That was the 82, 83, I think.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
That started the celebrating stuff.
I don't know, it got out ofhand, I think, but it's what it
is.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Wait, let me think those that are listening
probably will.
I can feel them sending anemail.
You had Billy White ShoesJohnson before that, remember?
So Billy White Shoes Johnson,he did that funny dance in the
end zone, but it was few and farbetween.
It wasn't like it is todayEvery game, every player doing
something.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
It's very like look at me kind of stuff which is
probably not the healthiestthing for kids.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I think you said it, though I guess I don't know if
it's to blame free agency, butif you the the loyalty to the
team, it doesn't seem to you,don't see, guys?
Speaker 1 (18:18):
coaches don't have it either.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Coaches lose and I don't know.
I don't know where that comesfrom.
But the team aspect and theloyalty to the team, I don't
know, it just seems like there'sthis flashiness.
Look at me, look at me, look atme and you know you have the
well to the team.
I don't know, it just seemslike there's this flashiness.
Look at me, look at me, look atme and you know you have the
Well and the following.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
You know, the following, the internet stuff,
how many followers you get, andthat's really key to the NIL
stuff.
You know there's a special.
I watched on LSU how these guysget the most followers.
Then they get the most money onNIL because then they get the
most advertising.
Advertising and I gosh, it waslike I don't know how many
(18:53):
thousands of the young girlthat's a gymnast in LSU.
She's made a fortune justbecause of her following.
You know, I mean that's, and soI think the dancing around
stuff is to to say, here, lookat me and so I can get more
following you.
So unhealthy sports kind ofthing.
Right, being old, being old.
It sounds like it's bitterness,but I don't think so.
I think it takes away from thegame.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Yeah, I will defer to your assessment of that.
So you have been on the Lord'steam as long as I've known.
You Tell me about Fellowship ofChristian Athletes, because we
plan to get Harry on here atsome point.
Oh good, but tell me, how didyou get involved with that?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
it started with um, I think raymond might have gotten
me, uh, invited to an fca campin colorado.
I don't know how I got outthere, but I was there and, uh,
you know, the gospel was addedclearly.
Uh, and it's still at the timeI was thinking, why did they
talk about?
Why you just go to church, youknow, it was like, and I kind of
struggled through why everybodywas so public about their faith
(19:49):
, which I think I think peoplethat watch this, if you know,
it's very I, I not that I didn'tbelieve, it's just that I
didn't know if I, you know,talking about it and then not
understanding grace either.
At that time I was verylegalistic about had to make
every, you know, every eventthat the church told me to do.
But then I, I got involved withFCA.
Then I came back to New Jerseyin 1973 to start my orthodontic
(20:14):
practice.
A pastor from I had signed afootball card for a kid in my
office and he showed it to apastor, a local pastor, and he
came into my office Is thereanything you would like to do?
I said, well, I've got all thisFCA stuff in this drawer.
I've been really busy startingmy practice, learning, but I
really would like to get the FCAstarted in New Jersey.
So we got the national officecontacted and a fellow named
(20:39):
Winn Lembright who just passedaway.
I went to his funeral a couplemonths ago.
He came out and we brought inBruce Kozman, who you know, ted.
He was our first FCA director.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Really.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Started the.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
FCA there.
That was right around, you know, early 70s, wow, I'm not sure
of the exact dates, but I doremember doing that pretty early
in my dental career and Brucedid a great job.
We just couldn't raise moneyvery well.
It was a real problem.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
And so we actually.
That's a problem with manyministries.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Okay, we went into this thing called the red zone
and they took away our you knowour, whatever they have, you
know what you know, as far asyou're connected to the national
.
They said another fell out, bobAtkins, and he was there for a
while and then Harry became uh,I talked to Harry somewhere in
there where Bob was kind ofwavering and going to somewhere
else, and we got Harry startedand it's a story.
(21:36):
After that he's got about 150chapters, I think in high school
in New Jersey and he's just areal man of God that does a
wonderful job.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
So it's blossomed in New Jersey really, yeah, and
it's amazing it started'sblossomed in New Jersey, really
yeah, and it's amazing itstarted right there in your
dentist office.
Basically, I mean.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
It did, it did yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
And look you, look at the lives touch I've actually
had the privilege of doing acamp with, with Bruce and Vinnie
Whitehead and and Harry Right,you know Harry was one, he
directed it.
But you know, all these guysare guys that I've I've looked
up to and I'm so grateful tohave had them in my life.
I wish, I wish I would have hadyou guys in my life when I was
(22:17):
a teenager.
I would have had you guys in mylife when I was a teenager.
It would have saved me a wholeworld of extracurricular hurt
and nonsense.
But there are many young peoplethat have been impacted there,
sure is.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Through the ministry of Fellowship of Grand Athletes.
I'm down here in Florida nowand we've just got a wonderful
ministry going here, fca-wise inCollier County, multiple high
schools.
We got a director down here,charlie Weatherby, who coached
the Naval Academy, yeah, andhe's our full-time director and
he's one of my closest friendsand we have got this since he
(22:54):
got here.
He has.
I don't know how many chapterswe've increased, but I'll just
give you a financial increase.
We went from about $150,000 toover a million dollars in budget
.
Amen.
Banquet-wise, we've hadeverybody here to speak Mr Dow,
let's see Dabo and Tebow and hercousins.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Our banquets have been just great Well let me know
when you're going to haveanother one.
I'm going to see if I can get aticket to that.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
You got one coming up with Tony Dungy in Jersey.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Oh well, see, I'm not in Jersey anymore, but Tony
Dungy is going to be at this onethis year.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
In Jersey.
Yes, oh wow, we had Tony herealso.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Oh wow, we had Tony here also.
Oh my goodness, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
We draw about 700 people Tony Dungy or anybody.
We've got some 700 or 600.
We draw a lot of people to ourbanquets.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
What a blessing.
I mean.
So much good has come from thatministry.
If I was to ask you and this isprobably a tough question to
get around can you think of whatmight be your top couple or top
ministry experience?
If I said, tell me somethingthat really impacted you, top of
(24:11):
your list?
I'll give you an example Me, Iwent into the prison and we did
one of our plays in the prisonand at the end of the play the
genesis joe play what you stillneed to see we got to find a way
to do that for you.
The genesis joe play and and abunch of the inmates were, they
gave their life to the lordright at the end of it and that
was, that was a highlight ofministry for me.
Do you have anything that youcan think of?
Speaker 1 (24:33):
that was just special and really uh well, I the
hardest, and you know, I imagineyou might remember, after my
son was killed in 1990, and Iwas involved in a drug kind of
thing and the whole thing.
And I wound up getting a bunchof letters that he had written
to me in his room at the college, where he never mailed them to
me and after the funeral I hadprayed the night I had to go
(24:55):
down to identify his body inFlorida that God would use his
life in some way and I didn'tunderstand how I even prayed
that.
I just believe the Spirit ledme to think that I just wanted
to be reassured that he was aChristian and reassured that God
would use his life, because Iwas devastated.
From that point on I spokeprobably for the next seven or
(25:16):
eight years in the high schoolsin New Jersey all over
everywhere, sharing the gospeleverywhere, because I had no
other answers for them aboutdrugs.
But they wanted me to come totalk about the drugs thing.
So they would invite me forthat but they didn't want to
hear about the gospel.
But I didn't want to, Iwouldn't go, they would give a
disclaimer.
But then that came to an endaround 2000 when I went
(25:37):
back-to-back schools, schools,and they were a junior high and
a senior high and they canceledme out.
If I remember exactly, theycanceled me out to senior high.
They just didn't want you.
You know, mentioning Jesus in apublic school was rather,
really difficult in 1993, 4, 5and all that.
Not that it's any easier now,but so that was, that, would say
, would be the highlights of myministry life.
(25:59):
And then pretty much, you know,I'd talk with the kids
afterwards, just stay and talkto them without any of the
teachers there, and I reallyopened my eyes to what was going
on in this world with kids.
And you know, nowadays it'sprobably worse because of the
Internet, but God used that inmy life for the crisis.
(26:19):
Everything about it was was sobad, but I it made me so sad
sometimes when I was speakingabout it in fact I'm speaking
about a week and a half at achurch down here, um, about you
know simpler, you know basicallymy testimony, but really what
god has used that in my life totruly change.
And and then Bruce, when Brucecame back to start a church, we
(26:42):
started a church in Four Winds.
Four Winds, right, ted.
I was on the phone with Bruce.
He was in ministry school inCalifornia with Chuck Smith
Because Bruce was there as anSCA guy and we were really close
friends.
And I was talking to himbecause I'd been down to
Charlottesville, virginia, to aPCA church.
That was really just a reallygreat place for me to be to see
(27:05):
how a church was really reachingkids.
And I asked Bruce about wouldhe ever come back and start a
church in Jersey?
I was a little frustrated withthe way the churches had been
that I'd been to, even thoughI'm sure many people came to the
Lord through them, but I justthought it wasn't.
I don't know I liked when thenthe Calvary Chapel movement I
didn't know anything about.
(27:26):
Matter of fact, Greg Lurie'sfather, oscar, was a friend of
mine.
He was a lawyer and he actuallyhelped us with SCA and he told
me I met him outside my officeone day and he said you know, my
son led me to the Lord and Ididn't know who Greg Lurie was.
Wow, that was before I evenever heard of Calvary Chapel.
(27:47):
And so then, when Bruce cameback, he put us through a thing
called Shepherd School.
You know, we started the churchand we had two years of
Shepherd School, which enabledus to, you know, get a pastorate
.
You know, we were becamepastors and had ministry, uh,
and it was a great time ofstudying the bible.
I had never studied the bible.
I really had.
I didn't know it very well, Iknew some, I knew this and that,
but we uh, chuck smith hastapes on the entire bible, yeah,
(28:11):
and we had to listen to themand you know, verse by verse, um
, and so it was just I.
I was really impressed with thecalvary chapel movement.
You know, it's really affecteda lot of a lot of America
non-denominational churches, andmy son, jeff, as you know, is a
Calvary pastor.
Yeah, he works with JoelRosenberg over in Israel and
he's in England too.
(28:32):
Yeah, but if you're talkingabout the highlight moments.
I would think that was thehighlights, yeah amen, Amen,
Amen.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Mr Gary Quaso, hey, we're going to continue this as
we go on and talk a little bitmore.
We're going to continue thisnext week if the Lord tarries.
So until next time, may theLord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shineupon you and be gracious to you
.
May the Lord lift up Hiscountenance upon you and give
(29:01):
you peace.
Come on.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
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