Stories - Page 66 of 83 - 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 Church Activities Mentoring
GETTING INVOLVED IN THEIR LIVES

As a father of three, my life is pretty busy. My evenings are filled with volleyball games, track meets, and dance recitals as I work to be the best dad I can be. Wednesdays nights, though, are my sacred time. Those are the evenings I spend as the Royal Ranger Commander at my church. When my son turned six, he joined our local Royal Rangers program. Since I wanted to spend time with him, I decided to become the leader of his age group. Each Wednesday evening, I work with a group of boys teaching them life skills as well as how to grow into godly men. We go camping a few times each year, memorize scripture together, and learn about the importance of giving back to the community. What started as a simple way for me to spend time with my son has grown into something much bigger than I imagined. My son is now 20, and I am so proud of the man he has become. He is kind and generous, thoughtful and strong. But I am also proud of the dozens of other young men I have worked with over the years through this program. Some of my boys come from broken homes full of pain. I have prayed with them, fed them, brought them clothes, and mostly, just loved them as a father should love his son. These young men have brought so much joy to me. I know I am much more blessed as their Royal Ranger commander than I could ever bless them. I… Read More

March 6, 2018
Children Hospital Overcoming Obstacles Unique Ministries
THE KIDNEY PILLOW

When she was six years old, my daughter, Erin, was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease: FSGS. Her disease causes her immune system to attack her kidneys, and slowly, they fail. She is nine now, and we remain hopeful and have faith that God is able to sustain her. But, it isn't always easy. When Erin was first diagnosed during one of her early hospital stays, a sweet child life therapist saw her struggling and feeling down. She asked Erin what she would do if she could do anything in the hospital that day. Erin told her she would like to make a pillow that looked like a kidney. Armed with a t-shirt, hot glue, and stuffing, that's what they did. This strange looking pillow ended up being a comfort to Erin---so much so that she asked if we could start making kidney pillows for other kids going through the same ordeal. But, we hesitated. Then, in 2017, Erin went through a rough time and the pillow idea came back up again. This time, we went for it. We started making kits that come with all the materials a child needs to make a silly kidney pillow. In just a short time, it grew in popularity. It blossomed from taking pillow kits to our local hospital to sending them to other countries. My daughter and I have a heart for kidney kids, so it began as a way to offer encouragement and hope to other families struggling with the diagnosis. As a believer, I wanted to give them a little more to help them… Read More

March 2, 2018
Church Activities
THE CHURCH PIANIST

I've played the piano and organ in churches for the last 50 years. I began playing piano at my church when I was about 15 and have continued doing so ever since. Every Sunday, I have found great joy behind the keys at my church. I spend hours pouring over music for Sunday's service. Each week is a wonderful challenge in finding just the right songs to encourage and inspire the congregation. In college, I discovered an even deeper love for music when I was introduced to the organ. I decided to study music and spent almost every waking moment between those two instruments, learning new arrangements for old hymns. I would then try them out on a local congregation I played for throughout college. It was a wonderful time. Since then, each Sunday finds me behind an instrument at two different churches in my community. Because both churches are very small, there just isn't anyone in the congregation who can play any music. Thankfully, the two services have times different enough to allow me to attend both churches. I have served the congregations of these two churches for over 30 years and have loved every minute. Each week when my fingers hit the keys, I look up to see the faces in the audience as their voices belt out praise to God. It truly is a privilege to be used by God to praise His name each week. My prayer is that someone younger will be inspired by the music and begin her own journey in church music, giving God all the… Read More

February 27, 2018
Labor Prison Ministry Recovery
CHANGING THE HEARTS OF INMATES

35 years. That's how long I was dependent on drugs and alcohol. My story is one of addiction and ugliness, that God turned into beauty and a message of redemption. I was sexually abused from five-years-old by three different men until age 14. I was nine when I learned that drugs could numb the pain. I tried to commit suicide at 26, but the Lord intervened. I accepted Jesus Christ and was baptized. But even with a relentless desire to change after accepting Jesus, I couldn't stay clean. I ended up in prison in 2010 to serve an 18-month sentence. But what Satan tried to use to harm me, God used to heal me. I studied every self-help, recovery and psychology book I could find in prison. But God spoke to me in my cell and said, "The only thing that will change the old mindset is the Word of God. Memorize a scripture a day". So, for two hours every day I studied and memorized scripture. This became my tool to freedom. As I began to heal in prison, I found many others had been through these same experiences and faced the same issues. The Lord nudged me in Luke 4:18 to help "set the captives free". While in prison, I started a class for my fellow inmates where I’d help them grow in their faith. We’d talk about the things that happened to them. And I could understand, because I had been there. The Lord gave me a prayer sheet for the ladies and I even sent it to other prisons. It… Read More

February 23, 2018
Children Labor Mentoring
KEEPING KENYAN KIDS OUT OF GANGS

Growing up with an absent father took a great toll on me, my siblings and my mother. I survived one struggle after another, but through God's mercy, I was able to finalize my studies. After school, life was still hard, as I searched for jobs to support my family. But through all these struggles, I met Jesus Christ. My life has never been the same again. I moved from my home in the Western part of Kenya, and settled in Central Kenya, in Mwea. This area is dangerous with a lot of gang activity. Young people all around are jobless and staying idle. I saw how people in my church were helping get these troubled youths out of the gangs and into God's Word. This was a great encouragement to me and I wanted to take part in this wonderful outreach. I have been training in martial arts since primary school. I thought I could encourage the youth in my area to join my gym that I had opened, and I could connect with them through martial arts. Over time, the number of youths at my gym increased, and I got that opportunity to preach to them, sharing the importance of salvation in their lives. In return, they have gained discipline, crime came down at an unbelievable rate in the region, and they are part of my project to reach out to even more youths. Just recently, I initiated a project to help those transformed youths engage in a farming venture on a small scale by growing vegetables and selling them for their upkeep. It… Read More

February 19, 2018
Children Church Activities Prayer
VERY SPECIAL QUILTS

I started teaching the three-year-old Sunday School class when I was only 16. For the last fifty years I have seen countless children come into my classroom. Some were scared and cried for their parents for weeks. Others marched in ready to play. Some came from wonderful homes where the peace of God permeates all members of the family. Others came from broken homes and lived in turmoil. Some from wealthy families where all their needs were met. Others came to me hungry and dirty wearing ill-fitting shoes. All were in need of love, compassion, and God's grace. More than that, though, each of these little ones needed prayer. So, for the last 30+ years, I have spent my evenings making quilts for each one of my students. As I sew, I bring the child's name before the throne of God asking him to guide that little one for the rest of his life. Then, when it is finished, I present that quilt to the child and his parents letting them know how much God loves that child and that He has a great plan for his life. I lost count of the number of quilts I've made over the years, but I know it's got to be close to a thousand. A thousand children who have been loved, prayed for, and taught the ways of the Lord. Some of those children are now grown. Some have become missionaries and pastors. Others have become teachers or leaders in business. I've even had some of their children come through my class. It's so… Read More

February 16, 2018

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 119

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 47

Unique Ministries 170

Verbalizing the Gospel 77

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