TESTIMONY: Devin Sheehan

For many years I grew up as a Roman Catholic. I attended CCD and church every Sunday. At the time, church was just something I did with my family; I didn’t really understand the sermon or why I was even there. As I grew older and went off to college. Church was just something I went too during Christmas and Easter services. During this time in my life I didn’t know Jesus or if God was even real. I just sort of went through the motions and to be frank, I thought people who read the Bible were just plain weird.

Before my parents moved to Rhode Island they began attending a small Christian Church in Up-State New York. This is what eventually lead them to attending New Life Church, now called Legacy Church, after their move. Around this time I had just finished college and I continued to work as a bartender in Newport. This had always been my summer gig throughout my years at URI. I made a lot of money and loved the attention from all the women.

I remember my parents asking me to attend church with them for the first time, I agreed. I think it was easier to get me there because I never was against church it was just something that was not a part of my life at the time. I felt very uncomfortable my first service. I was in a room full of people raising their hands and worshiping “God”. I thought to myself, this looks nothing like the church I attended growing up as a kid. However, what I found very interesting was that for the first time I was engaged with the sermon and could understand what was being preached.

After my first week I continued to attend church each Sunday. As I would drive home I would begin weeping and crying uncontrollably. One service, I remember Pastor Ron bringing me down to the altar and praying over me with other leaders in the church. From that day on my life was never the same. I was no longer excited to bartend, every time I walked in the front door I could feel the weight of sin. I couldn't talk about women in the same way as I used to with my friends.  I no longer watched porn and it was as if my world did a 180, and it really did.

I was in church for about 6 months before I met Julia who is now my beautiful wife. We started dating and I immediately fell back into sin. I knew better at this point in my Christian walk. About a year into our relationship I looked Julia in the face and told her I could not longer compromise in my new found faith. This was obviously a huge shock to her.  She thought I was getting ready to break up with her - lol. To make a long story short we both experienced Jesus together in a powerful new way. And from from that day on until we were married August 19th, 2019 we obeyed God’s word and went cold turkey for 4 years.  It was a beautiful gift we gave each other at marriage. Our story exemplifies the power of Jesus and what chains He can break off of you.