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?
  • Food Unique Ministries

    DUCKS ON A MISSION

    You could say Ducks on a Mission began ten years ago with a single turkey. I saw a Facebook post; someone needed help with Thanksgiving, and I thought, “Sure, I can buy a turkey.” It was an easy, quick way to meet a tangible need in the name of Jesus. It was love in action, just like in 1 John 3:18. What I didn’t know then was that God would take that one “yes” and multiply it. The next year, God showed me that more families were struggling to fill their tables for the holidays. I owned a small cell phone repair shop near a grocery store, and I decided to use that little bit of influence for good. I offered a $10 discount for donations of canned goods. In year three, I wanted to decorate my kayak for a race, so I asked people for rubber ducks and for every 75 ducks, I sponsored a child to receive a bike and attend a program to learn how to ride it. They were Ducks on a Mission. I would later learn the name for this kind of ministry: servant evangelism—meeting practical needs in the name of Jesus so people can experience His love up close. It’s the way Jesus cared for people throughout the Gospels: feeding, healing, helping, and then speaking to the deeper, spiritual needs of the heart. Over the last decade, I’ve seen God grow Ducks on a Mission, but He’s also grown me. This ministry has stretched my faith, revealed my strengths, and taught me God loves to work through… Read More

  • Food Loving Your Neighbor

    THE PRAYER ON THE PORCH

    I don’t think anyone ever teaches you how to pray when your faith feels thin. I always pictured strong, confident Christians lifting their hands and declaring Scripture. Not someone like me, standing on a worn-out porch with bills piled on the kitchen table and a fear so heavy it made my chest tighten. But that’s exactly where I found myself one afternoon: job lost, fridge nearly empty, and my kids quietly watching me like they were trying to figure out whether they should worry too. I stepped outside so they wouldn’t see me cry. I sat on the porch steps, closed my eyes, and whispered the only prayer I could get out: “Lord, I don’t know what to do. Please help me.” It wasn’t eloquent. It wasn’t long. It didn’t feel powerful, but it was honest. Not even ten minutes later, I heard footsteps coming up the driveway. It was my elderly neighbor, a woman I’d spoken to maybe twice since moving in. She was holding two grocery bags so full I thought the handles would snap. “God put you on my heart today,” she said simply. “I hope you don’t mind.” I just stared at her, stunned because the exact things we needed were in those bags. Bread, fruit, peanut butter, and chicken. Even a pack of toilet paper I’d been rationing without telling the kids. I tried to hold myself together, but the tears gave me away. She gave me a gentle hug and said, “You’re not alone, sweetheart. God sees you.” After she left, I sat back down on those same porch steps, but this time the weight on my chest … Read More

  • Labor Mission Work Unique Ministries

    A DREAM TO SERVE

    My family had acquired the American dream. A large house in a golf community in North Carolina. All the toys, a motorcycle, a golf cart, and great vehicles. We had good jobs, and our kids were thriving. Then, on January 17, 2017, my husband, Gary, and I both lost our jobs within an hour of each other. That’s when we knew God was up to something. We felt a tug and knew He was asking us to become “pastors” for missionaries in Haiti, although there was one minor issue: We had never set foot in Haiti. In the spring of that year, we both cried as the airplane wheels landed in Haiti for our first visit. We knew we were in the right place. Yet, God would soon reveal that His timing was different than ours. We came home and waited for our house to sell. It would be two years before that would happen. In the meantime, all doors to Haiti closed firmly. The U.S. government informed us that if we went, we would be on our own due to the deterioration of Haiti’s fragile government and increasing hostage situations. Our home sold a few weeks before the Covid shutdown in 2020. We knew God had asked us to move, but we weren’t sure where to go. One evening, Gary sat me down and said, “I think maybe God wants us to leave North Carolina”. We ended up buying a house sight unseen in Anniston, Alabama. Several months later, our daughters moved closer and suggested I open a coffee shop. I still felt called… Read More

  • Hospital Prayer Recovery

    CARRIED THROUGH EVERY MOMENT

    I never expected my life to change so quickly. One week after giving birth to my daughter, Lily, everything shifted. When the stroke began, my first thoughts weren’t about myself—they were about my two older kids. I knew they would be confused and scared, and all I could do was pray that they wouldn’t worry about me. God answered that prayer quickly. My family stepped in and surrounded them with comfort, play, and reassurance. I wasn’t afraid for myself. I just wanted my children to be okay. The hardest moment came when I was transferred to the inpatient rehabilitation facility. That was when the reality finally settled in. I remember thinking, “This is real; now I have to figure out how to live with whatever comes next.” It was also the first time since the stroke that I was truly alone. Family and friends visited during the day, but at night, it was just me and the quiet. I gave myself a short time to grieve the life I had before—the certainty, the plans—and then I knew it was time to move forward. If God had allowed me to still be here, then He had a purpose for it. Through it all, I felt God’s presence so clearly. I had a deep peace even in the scariest moments. I knew God was with me, and that even if I was paralyzed, He would carry me through. I saw His love in every person who stepped in to help—those who sat with me in the hospital, watched my kids, brought food, prayed, encouraged,… Read More

  • Children Mentoring Unique Ministries

    LEAVING A LEGACY

    We are only on this earth for a short period of time, so what can we leave as a legacy for those we love? Since I’m 71 years old, that thought has been on my mind a lot more. I wanted to leave a lasting impression on my grandkids. I noticed my oldest grandson had a coach, Trey Beathard, who was trying to share his Christian beliefs with his players. I saw my grandson was taking somewhat of an interest. So that’s when the thought came to me. I decided I’d try to record the whole Bible in my voice and give it to each of my grandchildren. Not only would they have God’s Word, but they’d be able to hear my voice forever. I started on January 1, 2025. I recorded several chapters every day and kept on track by using a “Bible in a Year” reading plan. I put each day’s recordings on an MP3 file. There were some challenges. Some days, I just didn’t feel like doing it, and other days when I was just really busy. But I set a goal of completing it by Christmas, so I knew I had to be disciplined and just do it. When I was done, I loaded the MP3 files onto flash drives, wrapped them, and gave them to my Goddaughter and our four grandchildren on Christmas Day. They absolutely loved the gift. My Goddaughter filmed the reaction of the kids opening their present, and put it on Facebook. The story went viral. The 700 Club heard about it, and featured the story on their news channel. In my younger days, I always wanted to be famous. I can now see that was a… Read More

  • Children Labor Unique Ministries

    THE MAN WHO FIXES BIKES

    After I retired, I didn’t know what to do with myself. My days felt long, and my house felt quiet in a way I wasn’t used to. Then one afternoon, a neighborhood kid knocked on my door, holding a bike with a bent wheel. “Can you fix it?” he asked. I said yes. Word got around. Soon, kids started showing up after school with bikes in worse shape than the last. Chains off, brakes shot and tires flat. I never charged them. Most of them didn’t have the money anyway. I grew up rough, no dad, and not much supervision. I remember how much it meant when an adult noticed me without judging me. I think that’s when Jesus first got my attention, not through sermons, but through people who showed up. So now, I keep my garage door open. While I work, kids talk. About school, about parents, and about fights. About things they don’t know how to say out loud anywhere else. I don’t lecture, I don’t correct, I just listen. One boy told me, “When my bike works, I feel normal.” That stuck with me. Jesus restored people where they were: physically, emotionally and socially. I think fixing a bike does a little of that. It gives a kid dignity; it gives them movement. It gives them something that works when so much else feels broken. I don’t know what most of these kids believe. I don’t ask. I just pray quietly while I tighten bolts and oil chains, asking God to keep them safe. Sometimes the miracle isn’t dramatic. Sometimes it’s a kid riding away smiling, knowing someone cared enough to fix what… Read More

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