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?
  • 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.

  • Food Loving Your Neighbor

    LOAVES OF BREAD

    Just as Jesus broke bread with his disciples, I enjoy sharing bread with others as a symbol of Christ’s love for us. Wednesday is coined ‘Bread Day’ at our house. It’s a process that takes a couple days, but I actually bake the bread on Wednesday afternoons each week. I make about 12 loaves of bread, and we usually keep a loaf because I always sneak a slice right after it comes out of the oven. I like to take it to friends when they are sick or going through a hard time, but I also give loaves to friends and co-workers as a ‘thank you’ or ‘just because.’ I love seeing the reaction the first time I give a loaf of bread to someone. They think, ‘Why is she giving me this?’ It makes me happy to see that others enjoy it so much, and how such a small act of love can brighten someone’s day.

  • Children Senior Citizens

    OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

    Several years ago I volunteered for the first time at the Operation Christmas Child processing center. As I inspected some of the shoe box gifts, I noticed several didn’t have anything in them except hygiene items and school supplies. I was surprised and heartbroken that I didn’t find any toys in those shoe boxes. There was nothing for children to play with. At that moment, I decided to do something about it. When I returned home, I prayed about what to do. The Lord answered my prayer by giving me a pattern to make dolls. I went to work, and now more than five years later, I’ve made more than 500 dolls to be included in shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and other missionary projects.

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