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?
  • Adoption/Foster Care Children Special Needs

    A VERY SPECIAL FAMILY

    You could say our house is a little busy. We adopted five children from China, all with special needs, after having four biological children. Scripture says to take care of the widows and the orphans, and this is a passion the Lord has given us. My husband and I felt we needed to do something beyond just living a comfortable lifestyle in the suburbs. He has a good job and we wanted to extend that blessing and share the love of Christ. Two of our kids require blood transfusions every three weeks to keep alive, but you'd never know it by the way they run around all over the place. Two other children have spina bifida and one just had his leg amputated to prepare him for a life with a prosthetic. But we tackle these problems one day at a time and as a loving family. Adopting these beautiful children has helped our biological kids learn how to care for others, to sacrifice. When one child is going through something serious, it affects the eight other kids. It's teaching all of us that we are not called to a life of "me". Some people wonder why we adopt children with special needs. I don't think a large family is as scared raising a child with special needs because they have dealt with kids being sick and having issues. We realize no one is perfect. Adoption comes out of brokenness and loss, so every child who is adopted has had to deal with some type of trauma, even if they are perfectly healthy. Having… Read More

    December 22, 2017
  • Labor Verbalizing the Gospel

    STUDYING WHAT IS IMPORTANT

    As early as the first grade, I remember hating school. While my older brothers were studying and succeeding in their academic endeavors, I was staring at the classroom clock, waiting for the bell to ring. As I approached the end of high school, I opted to study auto mechanics at a vocational school instead of the regular school classes and prayed for school to be over so I could start doing manual work. Graduation marked the end of my schooling and I started a job where I helped build airplanes. During this time, I became a true believer and began reading and studying the Bible, as well as attending Bible studies. I thought it ironic that I struggled to pay attention and follow teachers throughout school, but the Bible was written in a way that I could understand. I worked with all sorts of people at the aircraft company, and was thankful for the coworkers who allowed me to listen to Bible study tapes and sermons while we worked. They were coworkers who had troubled and difficult pasts, and I was amazed by the way God worked through my simple tapes to speak to them. My humble, blue collar jobs led to many other opportunities to love and share the Gospel with others. I spent most of my working years in road construction and worked alongside men from all walks of life. During this time, God gave me the ability to speak to coworkers about faith, forgiveness, and reconciliation in marriage. Since I have retired, God has continued to give me opportunities to… Read More

    December 19, 2017
  • 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

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 39
Children 166
Church Activities 61
Financial Help 18
Food 42
Homeless 36
Hospital 50
Labor 180
Loss Of Loved One 50
Loving Your Neighbor 73
Mentoring 52
Mission Work 52
Other 14
Overcoming Obstacles 141
Prayer 62
Prison Ministry 13
Recovery 59
Senior Citizens 23
Special Needs 50
Unique Ministries 180
Verbalizing the Gospel 84
Submit a Story
Listen To Our Podcast
Support The Christian Heart
Sign Up For Our Inspiring Newsletter
X