Stories - Page 44 of 82 - 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?

Church Activities Other Verbalizing the Gospel
A TRULY SACRED WEDDING CEREMONY

Every girl dreams of her wedding day, and I was no different. When I got older, I attended a wedding that gave me vision for what I wanted for my wedding. I didn’t walk away from that ceremony adoring the flowers or the bride’s dress; I walked away in awe of how glorious God is. I decided, THAT is how I wanted my wedding to be. A wedding is a once in a lifetime event. It’s the one opportunity you have to gather all the people you love together and share with them, in one ceremony, what your marriage is all about. My husband and I wanted everyone to experience and see that our marriage was about the Lord; it was about demonstrating the love of Christ. We so wanted the name of Jesus to be praised, for it to be evident who this was really all about. We made this our top goal from the beginning of the planning period. We carefully put together a ceremony that placed an emphasis on worship. We chose songs that had deeply ministered to our hearts. When it came to choosing who would lead worship, we wanted to make sure we had a team that knew and loved the Lord and who could cultivate a true atmosphere of praise. The more we planned, the longer the ceremony became. Overall, the ceremony took nearly two hours but we had already decided we didn't care how long it would take. We only get this opportunity once, so we were going to do it the way God was… Read More

January 28, 2020
Children Homeless Unique Ministries
OUR MINIVAN MINISTRY

I spend a lot of time in my van. I am a busy homeschooling mom of three active kids, and a lot of our talks about God happen while on the road. It is important to me to have Jesus as the driving force in our family. When we moved from Kentucky to Nashville, Tennessee, I had no idea how quickly this would unfold. During our adventures driving around a new town, we found a ministry where we could serve together and it has become important to our family. As a parent, I always wanted to give my children the best, but not by giving them things. I wanted to raise kids that have a heart to serve God. Downtown Nashville presents daily opportunities to connect with the homeless. Many carry their lives on their shoulders or pull it in a cart. Looking for unoccupied benches, they try to find a place to sleep at night. My children's hearts, as well as mine and my husband's, were troubled. As we discussed it with our kids, we let them know that these are people just like us. God is not a respecter of persons, and He loves them just as much as anyone, but they have just had some hardship that put them in a bad place. We agreed that helping people is what Jesus would want us to do. Our desire ignited us all to look for ways to do just that. As a family, we determined we could help by making "blessing bags". We gather supplies that these individuals… Read More

January 22, 2020
Children Hospital Verbalizing the Gospel
THE SON STILL RISES

When our son, Isaac, was 17 months old, we were told words that no parent ever wants to hear: “your son has cancer”. I remember feeling numb. And I wanted to run screaming from that room and tell them they were wrong. Instead, I sat there rocking my baby and silently asking God ‘why?’. I remember looking out the windows of the hospital those first days very angry, thinking "how can the sun still shine when we are in such darkness?" Then I realized that the sun is always shining. Even when we can’t see it on cloudy days, it is there; maybe not visible, but present just the same. It was a turning point for my attitude. You see, I realized that just as the sun rises each day, no matter what we might be going through, the Son has risen FOR us. It was no easy journey and people would ask “how do you do it?” And while the simple answer was that we had no choice, we decided to begin to use it as an opportunity to share our faith. One night, a dear friend called and told me she just couldn’t understand why God would do this to us. I told her that if I started asking myself "why us", it would imply that I wanted it to be someone else. Yet, why is a pretty common question we have in times of need. So as I spoke on the phone that night, I told her that maybe she was right, maybe… Read More

January 14, 2020
Children Food Unique Ministries Verbalizing the Gospel
GRACE

One Saturday of every month, I host a prayer breakfast for adults in my home. One day, we noticed a diverse group of children walking up and down my street with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Idle time can create trouble for pre-teens and teenagers, especially without much supervision at home. I prayed and asked God, "Lord, if you want me to start a Bible class for these kids, then send me five to participate. I could hold a class on the other three Saturdays of each month." I chose the number five because of the five letters in the word, Grace. G-R-A-C-E is love in action. Grace is what every man needs, what none can earn, and what God alone can and does freely give. God sent more than five on that first Saturday. In fact, for the past nine years, kids have come for a hot cooked breakfast, Bible study, memorization time, and singing and music time. The kids are sometimes accompanied by adults. The Bible class eventually grew to over 30 kids, three Saturdays a month. It now even includes kids who don't live in the neighborhood. These kids ask to be dropped off, or call for a ride. They want to get here. The kids especially love the music. We play the piano and sing praises to the Lord. Memorization time is spent learning the Ten Commandments and Bible verses. Hebrews 10:25 says "Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as… Read More

December 30, 2019
Children Mentoring Unique Ministries
MENTORING A YOUNG BOY

As a university professor, I spend most of my time with adults. I love mentoring these future leaders. It's very fulfilling work. But twice a month, I spend my lunch hour with an elementary school boy that I met through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. I joined Big Brothers/Big Sisters as a way of showing my students how to give back to the local community. As a father of three adult children, I knew I would enjoy spending time with a little boy, but I had no idea just how much life our relationship would give me. I look forward to these lunches. I know that we'll have interesting conversations and that I'll leave our time not only having invested in a young man who needs a solid male role model, but I'll leave with a heart full of love and a few fun anecdotes to share with my students. This gives me an opportunity to put my Christian faith into real action. My Little Brother has given me so much insight on life, God, teaching, mentoring, and how I see the world. Each week, I am amazed as he shares his young heart with me. My only hope is that I am able to bless him as much has he has blessed me. And I hope this inspires others to look into their own local Big Brother/Big Sister program. Almost everyone can sacrifice a few lunches a month to spend some time with a young person who needs it.

December 9, 2019
Financial Help Prayer Recovery
SOMEHOW PROVIDING FOR MY FAMILY

I was 26 years old when my dad passed away. He was one of my heroes. He battled bipolar disorder, and unfortunately took his own life. It was sudden, not something we saw coming. We were in total anguish, and left with such a void. Yet, in that moment, I cried aloud, "Thank you Jesus." I said it three times. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with a peace that surpassed my understanding. I had truly felt God. In the days that followed, my family and I grieved. On top of that, my mom and little sister couldn't afford to continue living in her home. At the time, I shared an apartment with my brother and knew it would be too small for them to move in. Being the eldest, I wanted to take care of my mom and little sister, but didn't know where to start. I spent my days in prayer, constantly relying on God for strength and guidance. A friend of mine builds homes for a living. He was just about to break ground on a new home, and out of the blue, he came to me and offered it at his cost. Financially, I looked at the numbers and I knew this was God. So I bought it. I wanted the home to be a surprise for my mom. After all, she's the other hero in my life. It would be something she could call her own, with me right upstairs. The day came to unveil my mom's surprise to her. It was a day filled with tears, but… Read More

December 2, 2019

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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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