Stories - Page 52 of 84 - 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?

Loving Your Neighbor Unique Ministries Verbalizing the Gospel
OUR INNER CITY OUTREACH

Inner city ministry was something that I wasn’t searching for; in a sense, it found me. It started when my wife and I moved in with my brother. It was a temporary move, so we could find a place to live. My brother lived in a rough part of town. Most of the buildings were unkempt and crime was a daily occurrence. It took a little time to get used to it; waking up in the night to gunfire was not a comforting situation. One of the main reasons my brother chose to live in this rough location was to join an outreach ministry. This was something I admired and was curious about as well. The vision to love your neighbor and love your community attracted me. It wasn’t long before my wife and I fell in love with the people of the neighborhood. We began to feel God calling us to pour into the hurting people that surrounded us. What opened my eyes is the understanding that you can love and care for someone, but only God can truly change that person. I discovered depending on my fellow believer was vital to living in a challenging area. It’s a common occurrence that one of us would awaken in the middle of the night to pray. Then we’d be informed the next morning there was an attempted break-in to one of our friends’ apartments. The whole experience is eye-opening. My wife and I decided to stay in the inner city with the outreach group. The heart… Read More

March 29, 2019
Labor Senior Citizens Unique Ministries
HELPING WITH TAXES

I was playing Contract Bridge after I had retired in early 2005, and one of the players was an AARP volunteer who helped people submit their federal tax returns for free at the local senior center. I had always done my own tax returns and had a good idea of what was involved in reporting one's taxes, so when she asked if I might be interested in helping, I said yes. After attending training classes and passing a series of tax tests, I started volunteering in 2006 using a pen and calculator to figure out the returns; now we use computers. We help all ages from February through mid-March and you don't even have to be a member of AARP to come to us. I was an engineer during my career; in retirement, I missed working with technical issues. Income tax law is a very complicated thing. It provides challenges in interpreting the law, and every year we need to be re-certified to cover new tax laws and refresh our memories on existing laws. But beyond that, it's the sincere appreciation and thanks from our clients that gives me the most satisfaction. It's fun meeting new people and helping them accomplish something they find very confusing. Every day, we have someone saying, "You people do such a great job, thanks." I would guess about 80% of our clients came to us the year before. It's like seeing a friend once a year in many cases. Our growth in clients, I believe, is a friend telling a friend that we do tax returns and it's free. My Christian faith and upbringing has taught me to help others. Volunteering to… Read More

March 22, 2019
Labor Recovery Unique Ministries
HELPING THEM OVERCOME ADDICTION

There are an overwhelming number of women who have had their children, lives, and freedom taken from them due to drug addictions. Many have professed a Christian faith but still face suicidal thoughts and a deficit of hope. After facing my own addiction with alcoholism and restoring my life in Christ, I knew He was prompting me to help these women reach a place of stability. I began my response to His call by sponsoring young women through AA, and then went on to receive training for Christian counseling. In 2018, I began volunteering to counsel young women regularly at a rehabilitation center. I currently provide Christian counseling to three to five women a week. Most of these women have been to prison and have a lot of work to do to rebuild their lives. In our weekly sessions, we help them identify the root cause of their addiction. This journey often involves a lot of shame, rejection, and other humbling emotions. We remind them what they mean to Jesus and that they are significant. We help them learn what healthy relationships and friendships should look like. Most importantly, we pray and facilitate the restoration of their hope in life through Jesus Christ. We work to help them restore their faith and progress toward facing a life free from the chains of addictions. I have been humbled and honored to see many of their lives changed. Watching these women week after week as their mind, body, and faith are restored is breath-taking. It is not always a happy ending, but most women… Read More

March 12, 2019
Children Food Unique Ministries
ENCOURAGING NOTES FOR YOUR KIDS

I've been writing notes on a napkin and putting them in my kids' lunchboxes for years. Some are funny, some are serious. But to me, it's just a way to tell them I love them and to make them smile, think, laugh or blush at the school lunch table. One day, I took a picture of a napkin I thought was clever, and posted it on my Instagram account to share with my buddies. I had no thought of it going viral, but it did. Apparently, it reminded people of things their family used to do to make their day brighter. So I continued to post my napkins each morning and they continued to get very heartwarming reactions. The number of followers kept growing. I came up with a name for them: Napkinisms. Someone at the Chick-fil-A Foundation heard about these napkins. Since they provide free lunches every week to needy kids in the inner city of Atlanta, they asked if I could create a napkin to be placed in each free lunch. A few years later, our local Children's Hospital asked if I could provide one each day for every kid staying in the hospital. So that's what I'm doing. I’m not trying to change the world through Napkinisms. I just hope I can change someone’s day, and let kids know somebody thinks they’re special. I know how significant that can be. If I've been gifted by God with certain talents, then it's my responsibility to use these gifts. And I believe God has directed me to pursue this.… Read More

March 5, 2019
Labor Loving Your Neighbor
HELPING THOSE AROUND ME

I served in the disaster relief ministry, one of the most intense and demanding times of my life, both spiritually and physically. This helped stretch me in ways I didn't even realize. But now, I am focusing my efforts to help those around me. I want to use the gifts that God has given me in compassion, wisdom, and discernment. After a lot of prayer, I feel God is directing me to pursue a formal bible college education, particularly in the area of biblical counseling, so I can grow more and use my gifts to more effectively serve the body of Christ. My prayer is to draw those outside of the faith into a loving and meaningful relationship with the one true God, through the Son. I want to use my technical experience along with the wisdom that God has placed in me to serve the Body---not only physically, but also spiritually, by discipling those who may be younger in their faith or possibly even brand new in the faith. God gives gifts to His people so they may bless the world, bless the Body, and ultimately give all the glory for such a gift back to the giver, Himself!

February 27, 2019
Church Activities Loving Your Neighbor Recovery Unique Ministries
BRINGS FURNITURE TO THOSE IN NEED

If you were to see me in passing, you'd notice nothing different about me compared to my fellow man. God has blessed me with a job in which I work a 40-hour week. I come home to a wonderful family and spend the remaining hours of the day with them, before it's time to do it all over again. However, there was a voice which began to awaken my spirit. The same voice that told Peter to, "Feed my sheep," was calling me to do the same. God began to open my eyes to the needs of my city. You cannot enter the city limits without being greeted by a homeless person on the street corner. How could I who has been given much, not give in return? Reading through the Scriptures, I was reminded of James who said, "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" My church offers a variety of outreach programs, and I found one that served the needy. Every Saturday, people come together to collect and deliver furniture. It's a program designed to help those who are trying to get back on their feet. It ranges from people coming off the streets into an apartment to refugees arriving in the States. Being part of this program really opened my eyes. I would come into tiny apartments where the lights were off because they couldn't afford to pay their electric bill.… Read More

February 18, 2019

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 38

Church Activities 60

Financial Help 18

Loss Of Loved One 40

Loving Your Neighbor 67

Mission Work 52

Overcoming Obstacles 120

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 47

Unique Ministries 171

Verbalizing the Gospel 77

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