Stories - Page 59 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?

Children Prayer Verbalizing the Gospel
PRAYING AT SCHOOL

I've always been taught to not be ashamed of my faith. So going to a public school, I've always considered it my mission field. Exercising my faith and displaying my relationship with Christ all started when I was in 4th grade. Who would've thought that something as small as praying before I ate my lunch would cause so much attention and curiosity? Several of my peers stared at me---some with distaste, others with support. I never let the weird looks shift me away from praying. This continued into 7th grade, when I met a girl who also believed in God but was struggling with her faith. Daily, she would ask me questions about God. Seeing my opportunity to witness, I started bringing my Bible to school. Together, we explored the Bible, finding the answers to her questions. We listened to Christian music, prayed together, and frequently talked about God. In the 8th grade, she told me she truly felt different, like a new and better person. She gave her heart to Christ that year and was baptized. I was in awe of how God was using me. Excited, I continued to display my faith, even on the football field, which is a completely different atmosphere. I remember being partnered with a teammate, who wasn't the nicest guy. I was always praying, before games, before practice or when a teammate got injured. Slowly, I noticed my teammate changing. His behaviors changed and he, too, started to pray. We started praying together, even before lifting weights. Now as a sophomore, I know God is using me to be a light in my school and on… Read More

August 31, 2018
Prayer Senior Citizens
NOW PART OF THE PRAYER MINISTRY

My entire life was spent helping my husband in ministry. As a pastor's wife and mother, my work and ministry were never done. For years, we worked side by side tirelessly to see people come to faith in Christ, and then teach students at a Bible school how to do that very same thing. Now, my dear husband has passed on to his eternal reward, and I am unable to get around like I used to. I thought my days of ministry were behind me. I really wasn't sure what to do with myself now that I am confined to my home. I am so thankful for a church that helped me find a ministry I can do from home: a prayer ministry. Each week, the church sends me prayer cards filled out by members of the congregation. I then spend a few hours each day calling them and praying with them over the phone. Over the last few years, I have prayed for thousands of people and seen the Lord do amazing things. I am so thankful I am still able to be used by the Lord for great and mighty things. Prayer isn't just something to fill my days. Prayer is the true work of ministry to the Body of Christ. I feel what I am doing now is even more vital to the kingdom of God than anything I have done before.

August 29, 2018
Church Activities Labor Verbalizing the Gospel
THE SERVANT PASTOR

To a lot of people, the word "pastor" implies leading without serving. The truth is so much different. We are part of the body of Christ, just like people in our congregation. I felt called to the ministry in 1988. I was a young man attending a retreat in New Mexico, and during the last night, I felt God calling out to me. He said, "come serve me," and He wouldn't let me go until I did. Up until that point in my life, I'd been helping my dad run his air conditioning business. When I left that field to pursue a life in God, I never realized how much He would utilize my previous experience to bring glory to His kingdom. I have chased hard after Christ's will in my life, but not just by preaching and teaching His word on the weekends. To me, fulfilling my call as a pastor is about serving. It's about doing the lowest of the low jobs, not holding any arrogance or pride. Even at fifty years old, I still work as an A/C man for a great company in Austin, Texas. In that, God has given me the opportunity to reach out to my lost coworkers in a way that a Sunday morning sermon couldn't. I've been able to live out Christ's example, even in a regular job. Jesus himself washed his disciples feet. "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as… Read More

August 27, 2018
Children Labor Loving Your Neighbor Unique Ministries
RAISING MEN LAWN CARE SERVICE

I was having a hard time deciding what I was going to do with my life. I prayed that God would use me as His vessel. I didn't hear anything from Him for a while. But in 2015, I was driving my car and saw an elderly man really struggling to cut his grass. So I got out of my car and helped him finish the yard. When I was driving away, I was amazed at how good that felt. And I truly believed God was speaking to me. So as I was finishing up my computer science degree, I would find widows, veterans, disabled or elderly people that needed their grass cut and just do it. For free. I couldn't believe how it touched them. So many of these people had lost a lot of joy in their lives. More than cutting their lawn, I'd spend time listening to their stories. So this was not just about taking care of their yard; it was showing them they matter and that God cares for them. Then I started getting kids in my city involved, encouraging them to take care of yards for people that couldn't do it themselves. We'll even blow leaves in the fall, and shovel snow in the winter. I give them a free t-shirt once they take care of ten yards, and if they do 50 yards, I'll give them a free lawn mower. It was my way of mentoring and training young men to give back to their community. Now it's developed into a ministry called Raising Men Lawn Care Service. We have 244 kids throughout the United States and in five different countries that… Read More

August 22, 2018
Mentoring Recovery Unique Ministries Verbalizing the Gospel
SHARING HOPE WITH OTHER ADDICTS

I was a shell of a human being. By the time I was 20 years old, my drinking progressed to the point where I was emotionally and spiritually isolated from everyone around me. I abandoned my childhood faith and thought if God was real, He wouldn't want anything to do with a person like me. But I was given a beautiful solution to my addiction when I joined a 12-step fellowship and was able to reconnect with God. Recovery has allowed me to regain my family's trust, maintain genuine friendships, graduate from college, have a healthy relationship with my boyfriend, keep a job, and feel a sense of purpose through helping sick and suffering alcoholics and addicts. Recovery has transformed my idea of God and the personal relationship I have with him today. The most transformative, faith-renewing part of this journey has been talking about God with other alcoholics and addicts. No matter what kind of struggles you have overcome, your story can help others. I used to feel so much shame over the things I did, but I know God is using my past to help others in the same situation. The only reason why I'm able to do this is because someone else showed me the way by sharing their experience. I'm so thankful to now be that person for others. My walk with God hasn't been perfect. There have been times where I questioned him, even in sobriety, but I find He always brings me back to the truth. God never turned His back on me when I was stuck… Read More

August 21, 2018
Adoption/Foster Care Children Prayer
BECOMING A FOSTER FAMILY

For years, my ministry revolved around music. I joyfully played the piano every week for worship. And during the week, I taught piano lessons to children in the church with the hope that they, too, would embrace a love of worship of God through music. Most of my time, though, was invested in my family. My three girls became the main focus of my life. I was very content with my music and my little family. But one day, I saw a booth at our local festival for fostering children. As I looked at the pictures of the faces of little children on the brochure, my heart broke. Then, as I looked at the faces of my three not-so-little girls, I realized I had to talk with my husband and daughters about fostering children. Within a few short months, we became licensed foster parents. We prayed each night as a family for the children who would join our family. And one beautiful, scary day, our social worker brought two little children into our home. These little ones became a part of our family. My girls embraced their role as older sisters and took care of them, reading to them, helping me make their food, and playing with them. My husband and I prayed with our new little charges multiple times each day as we worked to bring stability and trust into their young lives. Although I still play each week for worship and teach piano lessons, my true calling, my true ministry, are the little children that social workers bring… Read More

August 16, 2018

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 38

Church Activities 60

Financial Help 18

Loss Of Loved One 41

Loving Your Neighbor 67

Mission Work 52

Overcoming Obstacles 123

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 48

Unique Ministries 174

Verbalizing the Gospel 78

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