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?
  • Labor Mission Work

    I ALWAYS KNEW I’D BE A MISSIONARY

    I have always loved missions. I attribute a lot of that love to my mother. From a young age, she encouraged my brothers and me to go on short-term mission trips. I was in 6th grade when I took my first trip to Slovakia where we had the opportunity to build foundations for a campground at a local church. After Slovakia, I spent summer after summer going on more trips. I was hooked. My parents used to say if any of their children were to leave the U.S. for the mission field, it would most definitely be me. As the years passed, my passion for missions grew and my heart burned for the lost around the world. I desperately wanted to bring the hope of Christ to those who needed Him most. I refused to let go of the passion and the dream to one day serve on the mission field. There were trials that came my way delaying my departure. At the age of 16, I lost my beloved mother, the very one who had inspired and encouraged me in my love for missions. Then in 2010, I was in a terrible accident, completely crushing my leg, resulting in years of physical therapy and multiple surgeries. At the time, it was so tempting to give up on the dream I had always had, but I knew God had called me, so how could I do anything but persevere to answer that call. I always knew I would be a missionary, and despite trials and obstacles, I now have the… Read More

    September 30, 2019
  • Mentoring Overcoming Obstacles Unique Ministries

    THE BATON PASS

    I was set free in one conversation while drinking a milkshake. A few years earlier, my soul and body had been traumatized. From that day, I would cry and wonder how I could ever have a healthy marriage. Would the panic attacks ever go away? Would I ever sleep through the night again? Over that milkshake, a new friend shared her story and how she made it through a similar horrific event in her life. Her words were a lifeline for me. Her life was a sign of hope for tomorrow. God had made her whole which meant He could do the same for me. This experience was like a runner passing the baton to a teammate in a race. She completes the loop and then hands it off to the next runner. My friend passed her baton of hope by sharing her story. She was vulnerable and bold enough to reach down in the pit and help pull me out. Today, I get the honor of passing the baton again and again to others who have been in the pit of despair. Our ministry, The Baton Pass, exists so that others can be seen and known in their quiet desperation. They can know they are not alone in their journey. This all happens at community-based events, online, and in one-to-one connections with ministry ambassadors. We are empowering women to overcome and to be restored through the hope found in Jesus. I want to give other people the experience of the cycle of healing. My story (and your… Read More

    September 23, 2019
  • Church Activities Verbalizing the Gospel

    SERVING ON THE FRONT LINE

    Bourbon Street, New Orleans. Before my first visit, I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't prepared for the "conveyor belt" of humanity when I first stepped out onto the corner of Bourbon and St. Peters. In 2007, I connected with RAVEN Ministries to do street evangelism on the most chaotic dark street, possibly in all of America. Week after week, we take the light and love of the Gospel to Bourbon Street, which brings in an average of 50,000 people on a non-event weekend. We literally have the opportunity to "go unto all the world," without having to board a plane. People from every nation flock in droves to see the infamous "Big Easy." I have had a lot of great conversations with people, and have seen demoniacs being set free as well as men and women come to salvation. But the ministry we do on Bourbon Street is not for the faint of heart. There have been many times we've been cursed at and mocked. I've also been physically assaulted by a self-professing witch, so we experience both extremes. Preaching truth to sinners is always an offensive thing, yet the Lord has turned my heart toward these very people. I have come to realize that rather than being a part of the crowd, every single person out there is looking for answers and desires to know the truth about the world they live in; they just need to humble themselves and look to the creator of the heavens and the earth: Jesus Christ. Ministry like this can at times be challenging, but… Read More

    September 16, 2019
  • Food Homeless Verbalizing the Gospel

    IT COULD EASILY BE ME

    Nine years ago, my friend, Justin, and I were feeling an extreme passion to serve God. Justin felt the need to bring awareness to the homelessness issue in our small town in North Carolina. While we prayed and dreamed, we pulled more people together to figure out how to serve the homeless in our area and beyond. One time, we gathered at the local soup kitchen and asked for folks to drop off supplies while we pulled an all-nighter out in the cold to bring awareness to the growing problem. We didn't really have a plan for what we would do with what was donated because we were just trying to obey God one step at a time. The next day, my friend went into the city and spoke with some police officers to learn more, and they told him where the best place would be to share the supplies. Ever since that day more than eight years ago, we've been setting up every two weeks where the highest concentration of homeless people are to share donated supplies, bring awareness, and build relationships. We have seen so many people in the Body come together from all different backgrounds and churches to share the love of Christ. Sometimes, people ask me why we keep doing this year after year. For me, it's all about the great commission. We're called to go out into the world and love others. Yes, I could share about my own homelessness, about how many times I've been close to homelessness in my life, or how I… Read More

    September 9, 2019
  • Children Loss Of Loved One Unique Ministries

    ANGELS IN WAITING 91:4

    I have been a Neonatal ICU nurse since 2010. I am also on the bereavement committee, and part of my job includes dressing babies once they pass on to Heaven. God had been speaking to me about finding someone to help sew gowns small enough to fit our premature patients, and in turn, assist grieving families through the bereavement process. As always, God had already paved the way. At a small group meeting through our church, I met a new friend. She had delivered a baby boy in 1985 who was only on this earth for a few hours, then delivered beautiful twin girls who were born sleeping in 1993. God had also placed it on her heart to help other grieving mothers. After meeting at small group, and through several conversations and confirmations, we both decided to say yes to the Lord, and Angels In Waiting 91:4 was birthed. The Lord gave us Psalm 91:4 as a reminder that He will and does cover us with His wings, and under His wings, we find refuge. We wanted to share this verse with the families for them to hold onto during their time of grieving. Angels In Waiting 91:4 takes donated wedding dresses and transforms them into beautiful Angel Gowns for an infant’s journey to meet our Lord and Savior. Several ladies have now joined us on our mission. Though they initially thought they were only there to sew, they have encountered Jesus in mighty ways, and many hearts have been transformed. We meet every Tuesday to transform donated wedding dresses into gowns. We… Read More

    September 3, 2019
  • Adoption/Foster Care Children Special Needs

    ADOPTION IS NOT PLAN B

    Even before we were married, my husband and I knew we wanted to grow our family through adoption first. I initially felt a need to adopt when I was in high school and saw the orphan crisis up close through one of my trips abroad. It wasn’t a magical spiritual moment or a lightbulb that went off or a verse that jumped off the page. I just realized I didn’t have that strong need to carry and birth a child the way my friends did. Instead, I had an overwhelming desire to see orphans grow up in the security of a family. Family is what psychologically grounds us in so many ways. It’s where we develop a sense of belonging. It is the first community a person ever experiences. Our first words are usually mom or dad. When we first started the adoption process, we were looking for a healthy girl under the age of four. But during the first year of paperwork and red tape, we saw so many faces of kids waiting for families who didn’t meet our criteria. They were slightly older; some had Cerebral Palsy, others Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Many had histories of trauma or medical needs that would mean weekly therapies and possible surgeries. Slowly, the Lord began to change our hearts toward these children. It was truly only Him. There was nothing we did. Over time, He softened and molded us until we were ready to say yes to our Ben. Adopting Ben meant learning sign language and figuring out how to parent a… Read More

    August 26, 2019

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 38
Children 158
Church Activities 60
Financial Help 18
Food 41
Homeless 34
Hospital 44
Labor 169
Loss Of Loved One 39
Loving Your Neighbor 67
Mentoring 50
Mission Work 52
Other 13
Overcoming Obstacles 118
Prayer 57
Prison Ministry 12
Recovery 46
Senior Citizens 22
Special Needs 47
Unique Ministries 169
Verbalizing the Gospel 77
Submit a Story
Listen To Our Podcast
Support The Christian Heart
Sign Up For Our Inspiring Newsletter
X