Stories - Page 71 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?

Hospital Overcoming Obstacles Prayer
GROWING IN THE VALLEY

When I found out I had ovarian cancer, I had been a believer for 10 years and was the leader of our Sunday school for children. My doctors told me I would need to have surgery followed by chemotherapy. I learned what it meant to struggle with weakness, pain and worry on a daily basis. Our other Sunday school teachers created a schedule for visiting me and taking care of me. Our Sunday school kids drew pictures of me being healthy again and sent them to me. I finished the chemotherapy treatment but half a year later, the cancer came back. While I was getting treatment, I had moments where I grew very afraid. At one of those moments, I called a friend from my church. She was driving in a car with other believers and they stopped the car to pray for me over the phone. And God gave her a word: “There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). When I heard those words, I found myself praying, “God, forgive me for not having perfect love. If I had perfect love, I would not be able to feel fear.” And I saw a vision of Jesus coming down from a large staircase. I experienced so much peace and joy at that moment. When God finally cured me of my illness, I self-published a book about my trial by fire, and even printed some copies in my native language. Now, I frequently give a copy… Read More

December 15, 2017
Loss Of Loved One Mentoring Unique Ministries
HELPING THE HEARTBROKEN

My wife and I are blessed to have experienced the amazing miracle of childbirth three times. But sometimes the joy quickly turns to heartbreak. When our oldest son, Maddux, was just two days old, the nurse noticed his fingers weren't getting the blood flow needed. She called a heart specialist to evaluate him. Up to this point, everything had gone smoothly with no indications of the news we were to receive. The specialist said Maddux needed to be taken to UAB immediately for further examination. Tests revealed Maddux was born with a one-in-a-million heart defect, and would need surgery. There were only three places in the world that perform that heart surgery: Paris, Toronto or Boston. So on his fifth day of life, we were on a MedJet plane to Boston. Maddux had open heart surgery by one of the world's finest pediatric surgeons. During his road to recovery, I would read the Bible to him every night, rubbing the side of his head because that was about the only place he didn't have tubes. Maddux had a few complications but made enough progress that we could return to UAB. He struggled to gain weight, but he was a fighter and after a few weeks, we got to take him home---one of the best days of our lives. But one day when he was four months old, he was not himself. We took him to Children's Hospital and were devastated to hear he had contracted a staph infection. His little body could not fight it, and a short time later, our beloved son passed… Read More

December 12, 2017
Children Mentoring Unique Ministries
MENTORING

I've known about the Mentor Upstate program for years, but I became passionate about it once I lived it. Mentor Upstate started in Greenville by a faith-driven couple who saw the need for healthy adult influence in the lives of kids of Greenville's inner city. Mentor Upstate works to pair a child in need of some adult encouragement through partnerships between schools, businesses, and churches. It is a great program, but unfortunately, there was not a program in our area. My family fostered children, and walking through the fostering experience quickly revealed how much I take mentorship for granted. My children have church leaders, family friends, and coaches who pour into their lives and provide them much needed guidance. But, many children do not have adults who consistently encourage them and help them grow. The kids we fostered did not have these adult figures in their lives or people who spoke to them about life choices. Even if children have loving parents or adults who care, some come in and out of their lives without consistency. And, then there are kids who come from difficult places that may have never had an adult encourage them or even listen to them. Seeing it firsthand led me to contact Mentor Upstate to see how I could help bring the program to my county. At this time, I am working with schools, area businesses and churches to recruit, train, and equip mentors to make a difference in the lives of children. Mentors meet with their student just once a week for… Read More

December 8, 2017
Homeless Mission Work Unique Ministries
SERVING THE HOMELESS IN ISRAEL

My husband and I live in Ashkelon, Israel. We serve the homeless, the drug addicts and prostitutes in the streets of Tel Aviv. These young men and women don't know God when they first come in. They don't know that God can change lives. My own relationship with Jesus started when I was in a car accident back in Ukraine in 1993. I heard the doctors say I would be crippled for the rest of my life and, in my despair, I prayed for the first time, "God, if you exist, help me recover so I do not have to be physically dependent on other people." Immediately, I felt someone in that hospital room with me. I sensed His presence. Once I had gotten better, I started attending a church in Ukraine. The first time I came, they had a Christian music group visiting that was called by the same name as my first name---I knew it was a sign that was where God wanted me to grow. Eventually, God led me to immigrate to New York City. I was there on September 11th, helping people who had run out of the burning towers, praying with them as they tried to make sense of this senseless tragedy. I met my husband on a trip to Israel. He was once a prisoner of drug addiction and had even been in jail, but God transformed his life. The two of us received a word from God. It's from Matthew 10:6-8: "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim… Read More

December 5, 2017
Hospital Labor
‘BUT IF IT DIES, IT BEARS MUCH FRUIT’

I am in awe of the way the Lord orchestrates our lives so they glorify Him. My mother and I share the same birthday, and since she passed away, I’m often bitter on that day each year because she isn’t with me. Earlier in my life, this bitterness led me to only superficially care for those around me; I wasn’t able to see the larger vision the Lord had for me. After feeling unfulfilled in my advertising career, I turned to my mother’s profession and enrolled in nursing school. It was there that I realized the practice of caring for others as a whole is just what the Lord does. Now as a pediatric nurse, my vision and love for others has expanded immensely as I care for not just their physical needs, but also their emotional and spiritual ones. I’ve been able to share my story with patients, and pray with them if they ask me. Nursing has given me the opportunity to love and empathize with others on a level I never experienced. In John 12, Jesus says, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Just as the Lord gave His life for us so we may have eternal life, we should die to our selfish and negative ways and in turn, serve and love others as the Lord intended. I now see that suffering is not a curse, but a way to find the Lord in every situation. I have fallen in love… Read More

December 1, 2017
Children Mission Work
BRINGING LIGHT TO AFRICA

In the same year that I accepted Christ as Lord over my life and returned to church, I started having dreams. I was dreaming of children that had no shoes and little clothing, children who looked at me with a hunger that was both physical and spiritual. Surprisingly, I had never even heard about mission trips at the time. These dreams continued so I felt I needed to experience a mission trip. I signed up for a short one to Cuba. I led worship there through dance and got to share the gospel with hundreds of Cubans. Cuba revealed a whole new world to me; I returned knowing that I was meant to do this, that God had designed me to bring His love and His word to all kinds of people. While I was attending school and working, I tried to follow the phrase: “make your home your mission field.” But I knew I would be traveling somewhere. Eventually, I went to Slavic Missionary Bible School in Florida. After preparation and prayer, I was sent to Tanzania, Africa, which had been my first choice from the very beginning. I had marked off different countries but inside, I was thinking: Tanzania. We stayed in Tanzania for five months. We worked in orphanages, we visited leprosy camps, we went from house to house talking about Jesus and handing out food. We visited medical clinics and prayed for the healing of people in the waiting room. God directed us in many ways, big and small. We ended our mission with a short trip to Israel but… Read More

November 28, 2017

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 124

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 48

Unique Ministries 174

Verbalizing the Gospel 78

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