Stories - Page 59 of 85 - 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 Loss Of Loved One Mentoring Unique Ministries
A MINISTRY I NEVER WANTED

I thought I knew what it meant to follow Christ and to take up my cross. But, over the years, I have learned that God often gives us ministry opportunities that we've never asked for and certainly never wanted. When my heart was broken as a young single woman, God gave me a ministry I never wanted. He gave me a group of women with broken hearts to come alongside. Ministering to other single women was incredibly rewarding but also vulnerable and painful. Years later, God called me to a new ministry in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. I never imagined spending nine months in a hospital with my very sick son. I remember holding him and thinking that once again, God had given me a ministry I never wished for. I can't say I did this unwanted ministry well on most days. But, I have a few select memories of God working through my presence in this unlikely mission field. I held a mom as her son's heart rate fell to zero and the code alarm sounded. I prayed for so many heart babies whom I would never have known without this season. I prayed for my own son and sang songs to him about our big God and told him about heaven. This was my ministry. I wouldn't trade this previously unwanted mission field for the world, no matter how painful. Now that we have lost our son, I find myself in a new ministry. I never wanted to be in the "I lost a child" club, nor did any of its… Read More

September 10, 2018
Mission Work Verbalizing the Gospel
A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION

Before Jesus, I was a bit of a rebel. I was a lone wolf who lived a “Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll” lifestyle. My heart was hardened, and I hid my pain by being the life of the party. Four years ago, I hit rock bottom and did not want to live anymore. I gave my life to God in a jail cell and was a completely new man walking out of captivity. Despite my wretched situation, I had overwhelming peace when I got released. Months later, God showed His love, mercy, and grace when I received a very light punishment in court. Now, I am a man after God’s own heart. I love Jesus, other people, and even myself. My heart is to share Jesus with everyone through the example of my life. I recently returned from a year traveling to eleven countries to share the Gospel and basically live out what we read in the book of Acts. It was a year of incredible adventure and deep intimacy with the Lord. I knew I didn’t want to stop sharing His love when I returned home, so I am traveling across the United States sharing Jesus, while relying on God’s provision for absolutely everything. No matter what I am doing, I want to reflect Jesus wherever I am. I look at each day as a mission trip where I encounter new people to share the Good News of Jesus. Knowing the difference in who I was and who I am in Jesus lights a fire in my heart to rely on Him… Read More

September 7, 2018
Children Church Activities Mentoring Verbalizing the Gospel
THE SUMMER CAMP COUNSELOR

I kind of stumbled upon being a camp counselor. As a teacher, I have my summers pretty free which I treasured. I usually traveled, took some time off, and prepared for the upcoming school year. A few years ago, our pastor said we had a bunch of kids that wanted to go to summer camp, but couldn't because each church had to send a counselor for every so many kids. Apparently, no one could take a week to go. I didn't even pray about it. I had the time, I am good with kids, and I know the Lord sometimes just drops these opportunities in our laps to embrace. That began what has become part of my summer schedule. Each year, I take a group of kids to camp and watch as the Lord impacts their lives. And we have a blast while that change happens! Some of these kids have been coming to camp with me for years. I've gotten to know them so well. I get to see some of them in the hallways at school. And I see almost all of them each week at church. I love when they run up to me telling me what new Scripture they've learned or about something that's going on in their life. I love the opportunity to spend not only an entire week with these kids, but then continue to impact their lives throughout the year. I simply can't imagine a better way to spend a week of my summer. It is the highlight of my year.

September 4, 2018
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

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 38

Church Activities 60

Financial Help 18

Loss Of Loved One 42

Loving Your Neighbor 67

Mission Work 52

Overcoming Obstacles 125

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 48

Unique Ministries 174

Verbalizing the Gospel 78

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