Pediatrician David Cerqueira shares a story of how a dying girl showed his church the honor of serving God:

One Sunday my wife had prepared a lesson on being useful. She taught the children that everyone can be useful—that usefulness is serving God, and that doing so is worthy of honor. The kids quietly soaked up my wife's words, and as the lesson ended, there was a short moment of silence. ...

Luis Palau, the Argentine-born international evangelist, describes how God expanded his ministry:

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And the Lord gave me a verse. It sounds a bit bombastic, sort of big-headed, so I don't like to quote it in public. But to paraphrase, the Lord basically says, "I will open up nations to you." I took it personally, as a word from the Lord, and I wrote in the flyleaf of my Bible, "1966 (February, I ...

Several years ago I was a part of a small group with a friend who was working with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Georgetown University. As we shared prayer requests at the end of one of our meetings, my friend said their ministry needed a computer, and I said I'd pray for him. I started praying that God would provide a computer, and then I felt as if God interrupted me. It's hard to describe ...

"It ought to be possible to live a Christian life without being a Christian," laments Roy Hattersley, a columnist for the U.K. Guardian. An outspoken atheist, Hattersley came to this conclusion after watching the Salvation Army lead several other faith-based organizations in the relief effort after Hurricane Katrina.

"Notable by their absence," he says, were "teams from rationalist societies, free ...

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.

—Frederick Buechner, U.S. writer and preacher (1926–)

I made my pastoral calls in the county hospital and walked back to my car in the parking lot. Just as I reached out to the car door to get inside, I heard, "Go see Bob." Bob was a retired fireman, seriously ill with heart problems and confined to a bed because of his ailment. He had recently made a decision to accept Christ and was making wonderful spiritual progress. I took what I heard to be the ...

Once a month, a group of dedicated professionals ventures into their community to serve those less fortunate than themselves. They're not carrying hammers and nails to build a house, or ladles and pots to work in a soup kitchen. Rather, they're armed with blow-dryers, scissors, and nail polish. Oh yes, and love.

The volunteers of HIM—Hairdressers in the Marketplace, a ministry at Willow Creek ...

The film Amazing Grace chronicles William Wilberforce's (Ioan Gruffedd) efforts to end the British Transatlantic slave trade during his tenure in Parliament in the 19th century.

This scene depicts a dinner party held in Wilberforce's home, at which a group has gathered in an attempt to convince William to take up the challenge of political activism against the slave trade.

Wilberforce asks, "Mr. Equiano ...

We have a sterling silver tea set at home that a family member gave us as a reminder of her love for us. It's quite old and beautifully made, and it sits on a stand in our dining room. There's only one problem: we can't use it. Before she gave it to us, she had it chemically coated so that it wouldn't tarnish. Hot water will ruin the finish.

God's not looking for sterling silver tea sets. He's looking ...

Chiropractor Perry Hefty and his wife, Arlys, wanted to be in what they considered "ministry" for many years. One day when Perry was crying out to God about this deep desire, he heard God speak: "Begin with what you have."

So instead of getting the $2.5 million he would have needed to start a healthcare ministry and retreat center for missionaries, pastors, and other full-time Christian workers, Perry ...