NW Valley Times

Charlie Murphy had been out of jail for only two days when he received a call that would change his life. Today, more than 10 years later, Charlie serves as a police officer in some of the toughest areas of his community. Before arriving at Arizona Christian University (ACU), he saw himself as a broken man.

“My dad had anger issues. He and my mom fought a lot,” he recalled. “I told myself, I don’t want to have the issues my dad has.” As a teenager, he remembers feeling intimidated by others. “I was down about myself,” he said. “I would find ways to hurt others, just to feel good about myself.”

“One day my buddy and I had a fight outside my house, and 10 minutes later the cops arrived.” With tears in his eyes, he continued, “just seeing the look on my mom’s face, I knew something had to change. I felt broken. I wanted to be the kind of person who helped others, but instead, I let everybody down.”

At his lowest point, Charlie knew that he needed help. “I had never really prayed before,” he remembers. “But I looked up and said, ‘I don’t know you God, but please help me.’”

Two days after being released from jail, a football coach from ACU reached out to him. Charlie had been attending a local junior college and planning to play for that school, but the ACU coach asked if he might consider joining the Firestorm. “The minute I heard the words Arizona Christian University, I knew this was God’s answer to my prayer,” he stated.

After arriving at ACU the next semester, Charlie quickly realized he was there for more than football. “My coaches and professors taught me about life and showed me ways to overcome difficult times through a relationship with God,” he said. “I felt this huge transformation.”

“Coach Bowen became a father figure . . . to help me be the person God wanted me to be,” Charlie continued. “He saw potential in me and invited me to attend a leadership retreat. During the retreat a pastor invited me to be baptized. My life started over again.”

At his baptism, Charlie gained a new perspective on how to deal with his anger. He made a promise that whenever he got mad at someone, he would remember what Jesus did for him. “Jesus died for my sins to forgive me,” he reflected. “So through him, I can forgive others as well.”

While at ACU, Charlie majored in political science in order to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a police officer. He took courses in law enforcement with Dr. Travis Meadows from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), who facilitated an internship with the department for him.

Today, Charlie fulfills his childhood dream as a patrol officer for the Gila River Police Department while living out ACU's mission of transforming culture with truth.

“My supervisor knows I have a soft spot for kids so he sends me to neighborhoods with troubled youth,” Charlie recounts. “I tell them I struggled as a kid...that they matter and they can do great things in their life.”

ACU also left an impression on Charlie’s personal life—he met his wife Amanda during his sophomore year at university.

As he has walked in obedience to Christ, Charlie’s relationship with his father has begun to change as well. After not seeing his father for almost 10 years, they recently reestablished contact.

Charlie’s journey is a testimony to what he describes as "the transformational work of Jesus Christ" in his life.

“I didn’t have purpose in life growing up,” he said. “I struggled in school and felt I wouldn’t do well in life. That all has changed."

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