Our guest speaker tonight was Stephen Ryan. He stopped by our Belmont home to compare DAP’s power washing prices with his prices that he charge. After discovering that he was formerly addicted to drugs, we invited him to share his testimony with the guys.
At the age of 5, Stephen’s parents taught him about Jesus. He decided then that he was going to heaven. He loved learning about Jesus. He was homeschooled and had a good childhood.
At the age of 19, hanging with the wrong crowd, he was introduced to alcohol, pain pills, and marijuana. He even sold drugs. This landed him in jail several times.
At the age of 24, he was introduced to ‘meth ‘ wanting to see what the hard drugs were really like. Needless to say, he got ‘hooked’ and his life spiraled down to rock bottom.
He got himself together and stayed ‘clean’ for three years. He got married to an alcoholic and the marriage lasted only two years.
- He spent five months in Thailand as a Coast Guard. Returning to the states, he started using heroin and was addicted immediately. He went to jail several times including a charge for assaulting a police officer. While incarcerated, he made a decision to turn his life around. His friend introduced him to Jesus and his life has not been the same since.
Although he owns a home, he has chosen to live with his parents until he gets married. His fiancé lives in Nashville and they will be setting the date soon.
He assured the guys that they cannot live a good wholesome life and do drugs. It’s either drugs or Christ. Although he has his own business, his ministry is helping the homeless, having been homeless himself. He finds great satisfaction in making a difference in their lives. He encouraged the men to make ‘service to others’ a priority in their lives when they leave these doors.
Personal testimonies are just as powerful as Bible doctrines. Why not share your story to help somebody.
Stephen Ryan
