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?
  • Food Homeless

    LOOKING TO SERVE OTHERS

    I battled a couple different types of cancer several years ago, and it sure underscored the limited amount of time we have here on earth. It also made me realize that I needed to give more of myself. One Sunday, I went down with a group of people to a men's homeless shelter to help serve dinner. And I was hooked. Now, a couple times a month, we not only help with the meal but also lead the guys in a worship service. We spend time with the men there. Let's face it, we are all flawed. We need to connect with others, and sometimes it makes a world of difference to people when they know you care about them.

  • Labor

    NOT HELD BACK BY MY LIMITED SKILLS

    I'm not a builder. I don't know much about hammers, screw drivers or other tools. But when my company was putting together a group of volunteers to help clean and build with Habitat for Humanity, I felt that was something I could do. I certainly could clean out flower beds, cut shrubs, and with some instruction, may even be able to use a hammer. The point was, I wanted to be used by the Lord to show others who He is. People who have fallen on tough times--emotionally, spiritually, financially, physically--they need someone to invest in them. Meeting them where they are, encouraging them with scripture, using my physical abilities to show them the love of Jesus. Words are meaningless without action. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35  

  • Homeless Loving Your Neighbor

    SIMPLY TAKING TIME TO TALK

    My wife has Alzheimer's, so every afternoon I drive her through the country and we talk about the "good old days." I'm trying to bring back any remnants of memories she has left. On our way to the country, we always pass the same homeless man on a downtown corner. One day, I decided to stop and talk to him, and now it's become part of our routine. Each time we see Rick, I give him a little money, and he always gives me something in return. The items he gives me aren't as impactful as the stories he tells me, and the hope he has for his future. My wife doesn't remember a lot of what we talk about with him, but I do and every conversation manages to impact me in a powerful way. Rick has a story, as everyone does. He desires love, like everyone does. And he deserves a second chance, just like everyone else. Thank goodness God gives us second chances, sometimes a number of them. I'm excited to see what Rick does with his second chance, and thankful he reminds me of the hope God gives all of us for the future.

  • Church Activities Labor

    CLEANING UP OUR SCHOOLS

    I love to serve and help others. A few years ago, I became the "Community Missions Coach" at my church. I wanted us to get involved in the schools around our area. I began looking for volunteers to help around the low income schools within our community. And now, we do yard clean-up, painting, washing the playground equipment and planting flowers. We've even purchased new trash cans to go in front of the school. Our focus is to support the school staff and help the students have a school they can be proud of, all in the name of Jesus. People would ask, "Why are you doing this?" My answer is always the same. "I love Jesus and I love others."

  • Children Labor Prayer

    PRAYING FOR EACH PATIENT

    I work in the NICU at a large hospital in the heart of the city. When children are born with deficiencies, they are sent to my unit. It is here that I take their vitals, feed them, change them, give them medicine, and most importantly, love on them and pray for them each day. Some of these children have parents who stop by regularly, and some have parents that are out of the picture. I see both happy and sad situations as well as outcomes every day. Regardless of the circumstance, I treat each child as if he or she were my very own. I believe nursing is what I was called to do, and to love on these children and pray for them daily is an absolute privilege. Our God is a loving and sovereign God. I want these children to feel my prayers as I take care of them, and to know that they are loved.

  • Children Mission Work

    THESE KIDS CHANGED MY LIFE

    A few years ago, I accompanied my husband to a meeting about Vapor Ministries which helps bring major changes to third-world communities immersed in extreme poverty. I am a retired paramedic and teach at a community college, so I thought I was going just to provide moral support to him. Little did I know that I would become so involved with this ministry. I began by volunteering at their thrift store, and then became coordinator of one of their ministries. It's a child sponsorship program that aims to break the cycle of poverty through assisting the poorest of the poor educationally, economically and spiritually. Our family now sponsors a number of children. I have even traveled to Haiti and Kenya on their mission trips. Traveling out of the country with this program has changed my life completely.

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