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 Loving Your Neighbor Prayer Unique Ministries

    MEETING THEIR BASIC NEEDS

    People often think about meeting others' needs when it comes to housing, food, and clothing. But, people tend to forget about other basic needs, such as the ability to do laundry. Coming from a social worker background, I spent time working with families in low income communities where I saw how people struggled to clean their clothes each week, or how many children who have aged out of foster care don't know how to wash clothes. So, when someone in my church's ladies group mentioned a laundry ministry in nearby Knoxville, I thought it was something I'd like to be involved in. In August 2016, our group from First Christian Church started the Rogersville Laundry Ministry, which provides everything but the dirty laundry! We started doing it one night a month for two hours. The people bring their dirty laundry, and we pay for the machines and provide all the laundry supplies. In the beginning, it was rather slow. However, once another church joined us, the ministry just ballooned! More community volunteers have joined us, and we have expanded to two separate locations one night a week. We had one evening in September 2017 where we provided clean laundry for 78 people. We begin and end each evening of washing with a prayer. But, in the meantime, we just spend time with the people. We have a sign-in that asks if they have prayer requests, and the guests know we will pray for them that evening, or take their prayer requests to the church's prayer team. The Lord has blessed the ministry, and it is… Read More

    July 9, 2018
  • Church Activities Unique Ministries

    THE HEART OF WORSHIP

    I used to wonder how God would ever use a simple girl like me for His own good purpose. But that became abundantly clear when I realized the musical gifts He gave me. Ever since I was young, music brought me great joy, and God put an unquenchable desire in my heart to keep improving and learning to play new instruments. I started with the tambourines, but God prompted my heart to take on one instrument after another, including the guitar, the bass, the drums, and the keyboard. I now have the priceless privilege of leading my church into His beautiful presence through playing musical instruments during our praise and worship time. As the years have passed and our small church has grown, I found the Lord fulfilling His greater purpose for me---to teach and impart this God-given talent to our youth and our church’s leaders. I am humbled to have served not just the Lord but also the church, so they too can glorify God and experience the anointing that flows through worship music, bringing the worshipper to the foot of His throne. But more than just teaching the proper way to play the instruments, it is emphasizing that a sincere heart of worship is what truly brings genuine music before the holy presence of God---a sweet and an acceptable offering permeating right into His very own heart. Life may have thrown challenges at me, but I will never stop becoming God's living instrument in helping others see the face of the Lord Jesus and experience the fullness of His presence.… Read More

    July 6, 2018
  • Other Prayer

    NEVER STOP PRAYING FOR THEM

    Sometimes, the hardest battles we fight as Christians are the spiritual one within our own family. That is certainly the case with me growing up in the Philippines. My mom was a born-again Christian and all the kids followed in her footsteps. But my dad was an unbeliever and that created a very uncomfortable situation in our family. I would go to church or family gatherings feeling joyful but incomplete without my father. We grew up committing ourselves to the ministry, and our dad didn't like that one bit. Our house was like a military training camp with my father being the commander. His every word was an order that needed an immediate call to action or else there would be a skirmish. But then, it was a blessing in disguise because it made us grow spiritually responsible. Even though we were young, we knew our dad needed Jesus in his life and just like gold, our faith was tested. We witnessed a major struggle in their marriage when my father committed adultery. It was chaos but this persecution made us dwell more in prayer and in worship. In the midst of this trial, we grew deeper on our faith. The Lord taught us to trust Him completely as we prayed for our family's restoration. During this painful period, God's grace filled our hearts with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And then, after eight years of intercession, my dad had a change of heart. He started to join us in our family camp and even… Read More

    July 2, 2018
  • Church Activities Food

    SERVING THE CHURCH VOLUNTEERS

    I am a people person. It’s just the way God made me. Growing up, I was always in trouble in class for talking and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t stop. Now I know why: It’s how God made me. I attend a very large church and struggled to find a place to connect. I am not a Bible scholar, so teaching Sunday School wasn’t a great fit. I’m a bit too scatter-brained to teach children. But, I can serve those who serve. That is my life’s mission. We have hundreds of people each week who sacrifice their time and energy to serve in all sorts of ministries. I decided it was time to serve them. Each Sunday morning, I get up super early to drive to church so I can set out simple breakfast items and coffee for those who will serving. Some of these wonderful people will be at the church from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, so around noon, I'll set out snacks and soft drinks. As the volunteers make their way to the room, I greet them with a big smile and thank them for their service. Sometimes folks want to talk for a few minutes, sometimes they need a bit of prayer, sometimes they need a word of encouragement. I see myself as the church’s cheerleader, cheering the team on to victory in Jesus each week. I know it may seem small and insignificant, and maybe it is. But I believe the work I am doing matters. It matters to the volunteers who are hungry,… Read More

    June 29, 2018
  • Loving Your Neighbor Prayer Unique Ministries

    PRAYING FOR REFUGEE FAMILIES

    As a seminary professor, my days are filled with theological questions, biblical languages, and the deep study of scripture. It's a wonderful occupation and I love it. However, it is what I do outside of work that gives me the greatest joy. Each week, I spend two evenings with Congolese refugee families that have settled in our community. I bring them items they need, help them find work, and get them plugged into English language centers. But really what I do is simply listen. I listen to their stories of their homeland. I listen as they share about the horrors of war. I listen to their difficulties as they try to navigate life in the United States. I simply listen. And then, as the Holy Spirit prompts me, I ask them if I can pray with them. There are no great theological discussions. I just ask them if I can pray and when they respond positively, I pray. I pray with them for jobs and health. I pray with them for family left back in Congo. It's nothing profound or earth-shattering. But those prayers are meaningful. Those prayers bond us together. Those prayers lead to eternal significance as I demonstrate the love of Christ. Those prayers lead to Congolese refugees finding Christ in the midst of their tumultuous life. It's simple really. I just love these refugees. I think that's what God wants us to do with all people on earth.

    June 26, 2018
  • Adoption/Foster Care Children Mission Work

    ESTABLISHING A GIRL’S HOME

    It is said that history often repeats itself. Twenty years ago, my daughter spent Christmas break ministering in an Indian orphanage. She met four orphans who would drastically impact her life. Some fifteen years later, she was able to reconnect with one of those children. She learned that he was now a seminary student and had a strong desire to see a children's home open in Pune, India. Feeling the pull of the Lord on our lives, my husband and I went on a short-term mission trip last year to India to meet this young man and his wife. Once there, we were shocked to learn some staggering statistics about life in India. Some 53% of girls are illiterate and 50% are malnourished. Each year, one million girls die before their first birthday. Ten million girls have been aborted in the past 20 years just for being female. Two million children between the ages of 5 and 15 are victims of sex trafficking each year. This grim reality in India was astonishing. As a result, we felt a call by the Holy Spirit to start a girls' home, and shortly thereafter the Straight Arrows Foundation was created. We now provide small group homes to girls who are true orphans, victims of sex trafficking, and those involved in child labor. We do not run an orphanage, as we desire that they be "orphans no more". Instead, we offer homes with a family unit where each girl can grow up in a nurturing and loving environment. We want to… Read More

    June 21, 2018

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 38
Children 157
Church Activities 60
Financial Help 18
Food 41
Homeless 34
Hospital 44
Labor 167
Loss Of Loved One 38
Loving Your Neighbor 66
Mentoring 48
Mission Work 52
Other 12
Overcoming Obstacles 115
Prayer 57
Prison Ministry 11
Recovery 46
Senior Citizens 22
Special Needs 47
Unique Ministries 165
Verbalizing the Gospel 74
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