Stories - The Christian Heart

How Everyday People Live Out Their Christian Faith

Illustrating how men and women display their love for Jesus in their day-to-day lives.
Little things that may have an eternal impact. Might these stories motivate you to use your talents?

Children Mentoring Verbalizing the Gospel
UNKNOWINGLY PLANTING SEEDS

My life has been a journey of mundane moments, mountaintops, valleys, and soaring times, all shaped by my hope in the Lord. I recall my youth, weary and stumbling, but also how God continually renewed my strength. His loving guidance, like a constant presence over me, has been my anchor (Psalm 32:8). Even in the mundane, I’ve witnessed His hand, especially during my high school years. In the 1980s, my days were filled with music, Bible quizzing, art, and babysitting—seemingly ordinary, but deeply significant. I was passionate about studying Scripture for Bible quizzing, memorizing verses from the New Testament, and reciting them perfectly. During lunch, I would visit my band director's office to recite Scripture, oblivious to the fact that he wasn’t a believer at the time. I remember his room stinking with his infamous onion sandwiches, but I continued showing up every day, faithfully quoting God’s Word. By the time I graduated, I had earned several music scholarships and declared that I would be a band director in ten years. Remarkably, that vision came true. Fast forward to my adult life as a band director, I found myself at a music festival where my old band director was still teaching. After the event, he asked if we could have lunch the next day. At lunch, he revealed something I had never imagined: he thanked me for quoting Scripture to him all those years ago. He told me my unwavering faith had inspired him to learn more about God. He had become a Christian, married a believer, and raised a family in the faith. My heart… Read More

March 26, 2025
Overcoming Obstacles Unique Ministries Verbalizing the Gospel
TRULY OVERCOMING HIS DISABILITY

George Dennehy was born without arms in a Romanian orphanage. The workers there neglected him and he was severely malnourished. At 16 months old, he weighed just nine pounds. A Romanian doctor hung a death certificate on his crib, telling the nurses to fill in the date when the time came. But his life changed dramatically when he was adopted at 18 months by a family in Connecticut who believed in giving orphans a chance at a good life. And that family didn’t stop with George. He now has 12 siblings, and nine have been adopted from six different countries. His parents loved him and nursed him to health. They also challenged him to overcome his disability. His older siblings were taking music lessons. When George was eight, his parents noticed that George was playing instruments with his toes and seemed to have an ear for music. His parents approached the children’s music teacher, Jennifer Petry, to see if she would try giving George some cello lessons. Jennifer went above and beyond to make this happen. She actually taught herself to play the cello with her feet so she could give George proper instruction. In later years, George would admit that this put some added incentive for him to learn the cello: “I no longer had an excuse if Jennifer could do it. What a life lesson that she taught herself to do that to help me.” Learning the cello was extremely difficult. Practices caused a lot of pain to his toes, as he tried to move them freely and smoothly. But his parents and teacher pushed… Read More

March 19, 2025
Loving Your Neighbor Prison Ministry
UNCUFFED

Though most people can sympathize with those in prison, I also have empathy. When I was much younger, I got into racketeering and bank fraud. Being incarcerated for five and a half years in federal prison was rough, but it could have been much worse. I was lucky enough to get into a drug and alcohol program and got out early for good behavior. I did not like being in jail, but it did help to change my whole thought process. Before I went to jail, I was a lukewarm Christian, but when you get knocked down and have your roughest moments, you find Jesus. I gave my life to Christ while I was in middle school, but I didn’t truly walk in the fullness of what God had for me until I went to jail. Uncuffed was started in 2006 but was a very basic ministry back then. We were going to the county detention center. In 2008 I was a volunteer for Uncuffed, and I took over in 2015. We now have eleven facilities with over 70 volunteers. Most prison ministries just hand out a Bible and there’s not much more interaction afterwards. We go beyond that to form a relationship that continues after they get released. Our ministry asks important questions, and we let them know why we are there to help. We want to share their walk whether they are incarcerated for one day or for several years. In Baltimore, you get free college if you graduate high school, so we encourage them to get an education and get… Read More

March 12, 2025
Homeless Overcoming Obstacles Unique Ministries
FROM NEEDING TO LENDING A HELPING HAND

Useless. Sad. Worthless. Those were my emotions when I experienced homelessness for the first time in 2006. Addicted. Uneducated. Criminal. That wasn’t me. I was just a mom who couldn’t afford permanent housing for me and my three children. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced homelessness three times in life because daycare costs for children are expensive, and I wasn’t receiving child support from their father. I also couldn’t afford to pay rent even though I was employed because I made too much money to qualify for government assistance. When I felt useless, sad, and worthless, I had to shield my emotions to protect my children’s mental state and emotions. Experiencing homelessness and not having stability while raising children put me in a vulnerable state. Although vulnerable, I never let my relationship with God waver. I couldn’t afford to pull away from Him. I needed Him more than ever. I needed God’s total protection to trust strangers to help us get out of this situation. I held onto Psalm 91: “The Lord is my refuge”. That’s what He was to me. I’m so blessed He put programs in my life like Love INC and Charlotte Family Housing to be a blessing to me. Love INC blessed me with a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. They were aware of me not having a vehicle, but I didn’t complain. I rode the city bus and did what I had to do. God placed them in my life to help me with transportation. Charlotte Family Housing provided shelter for us so we wouldn’t live on the streets. I’m forever grateful. There were so many… Read More

March 5, 2025
Labor Overcoming Obstacles
RECOVERING FROM TRAUMA

Growing up, my life was filled with instability and pain. My family was trapped in a cycle of generational trauma: alcoholism, domestic abuse, and emotional scars. Chaos and danger were constant companions, and the trauma became the theme of my existence. When I was 18, I found my oldest brother after he had taken his own life. That experience left an indelible mark on my soul. As I got older, I held on to the hope that life could offer something more. This search led me to God, and while faith didn’t immediately erase my PTSD and depression, it gave me a sense of purpose. In 2019, another traumatic event nearly broke me, but I was determined to heal. I threw myself into prayer, counseling, conversations, worship, and a life-changing trip to Israel. Slowly, I began to heal, believing that God had a purpose for my pain. This journey led me to become a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach. My own struggles gave me a deep understanding of trauma and a compassion for others. I am now dedicated to helping people confront their pain head-on, using my experiences and faith to support them. I know firsthand how isolating trauma can be, and I want to remind others that their pain matters. I am passionate about helping people find healing and purpose, guiding them from trauma to freedom.

February 26, 2025
Food Labor Unique Ministries
MAMA SUE’S SOUTHERN KITCHEN

Sue Garrett never set out to make her cooking a business. But God had other plans for her. She had always shared pictures of what she was serving for dinner on her personal Facebook page. Being from the South, she loved to cook and share meal ideas with her friends. In July 2020 and in the middle of the pandemic, some owners of a vegetable farm came to her and asked if they could make a video of Sue preparing some dishes with their vegetables. She did and they put it on their Facebook page. And she put it on her page. To everyone’s amazement, the videos went viral. Thousands of people started following her. Sue's daughter convinced her to make a separate Facebook page where she could share her recipes and cooking tips. And Mama Sue's Southern Kitchen was born. Sue's popularity exploded and people started asking if she had a cookbook. She had made one for her church so she called the company which had published that cookbook. She wanted to order 200 but the publisher told her it would be a more attractive cost per book if she ordered 1,000. So she did. She posted something about the cookbook on Facebook, and she was shocked when she sold 680 in 24 hours. She placed a second order the very next day. She now has four volumes of her cookbook. Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen isn’t about cooking. This is her ministry. Her social media sites on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others now have over one million followers. Not just in the South, but all over… Read More

February 19, 2025

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 38

Church Activities 60

Financial Help 18

Loss Of Loved One 38

Loving Your Neighbor 67

Mission Work 52

Overcoming Obstacles 116

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 47

Unique Ministries 166

Verbalizing the Gospel 76

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