Sometimes when we are in the midst of trials we start to wonder: Lord, will it ever end? In case you haven't noticed, it doesn't.

But the good news is that with each faith-testing experience, our ability to deal with these trials and tribulations becomes better and our faith grows stronger!

In scripture, God compares our faith to a most precious and beautiful metal: gold. But when mined, this precious metal doesn't look very precious! It's dirty looking and black.

How does gold become beautiful? A refiner takes the gold and carefully melts it in a melting pot, slowly raising the temperature, but never to the point where it boils. As it melts, slowly the impurities rise to the surface and he will scoop away the dross leaving a beautiful pot of gold, ready to become your next ring or bracelet.

Here's the amazing part. The refiner knows his job is done when he can look into the melting pot and see a reflection of himself...

Our sister ministry, The Christian Heart, highlights what people do in their everyday life to show their love for Jesus. Our mission is to encourage Christians to put their faith into action. Here is one of our stories....

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My wife and I have run a local food bank for over 20 years. We are both 80 years old and I’m on oxygen, but the Lord hasn’t told us to stop, so we just keep going. The Love In Action food bank is not just about the food; it’s really about showing and spreading the love of Jesus. It’s become a pretty big operation that is all a labor of love since no one takes a dime. Our food bank helps people going through a difficult stretch in their lives—someone that lost a job or came down with an illness....