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Dec 12, 2025 06:00am

What Happens When You Give?

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What happens when you hear that someone’s life has been changed? Does it touch your heart? What if that someone was your friend or your family member? What if that someone was you?

For years, Noel Hulguin’s life was marked by alcohol and cigarettes. Every night he stumbled home drunk, arguments with his wife would erupt, and their shouting disturbed the whole neighborhood. Money that could have provided for his family slipped away on bottles and cigarette packs, leaving only regret and brokenness behind.

Then, something unexpected happened. While turning the dial on his radio, Noel landed on a local Lifeword FM station in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental. At first it was just music, but then came the preaching of God’s Word. He kept listening for weeks. Slowly but surely, something began to shift in Noel’s heart.

The man who once couldn’t go a day without drinking or smoking suddenly found the strength to let both go. His wife, stunned by the change, wondered what had happened to her husband. The answer became clear one Sunday morning when Noel looked at her and said, “Let’s go to church.”

Together, they walked into Grace Baptist Church, where the Lifeword FM station broadcasts from, and together they walked into a new life. Noel and his wife both received Christ as their Savior, were baptized, and now worship faithfully side by side every week.

Noel’s story is more than just personal change—it’s proof of the power of the Gospel. Thanks to the prayers of believers who faithfully gave and partnered with Lifeword, Noel’s family is now impacting other lives. The same Jesus who rescued him is still reaching into broken homes and weary hearts today.

If God could take a life lost in addiction and turn it into a life full of hope and peace—what might He want to do in yours?

This was a story shared with us from Pastor Pete Etabag in the Philippines. This man’s life was changed because of Jesus. How did he hear about Jesus? Through the media ministry of Lifeword.

Often people ask, “What is my money going toward when I give to Lifeword?” It’s used to share the good news of Jesus Christ in the heart languages of people around the world.

2 Corinthians 8:1–5
“Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in His kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.”

Paul wrote this letter to the believers at Corinth from Macedonia. In this portion of the letter, he gives them the news of the generous giving from the church in Macedonia. He hoped it would encourage the Corinthians to be generous in their giving.

He shared with them that giving came because of abundant joy overflowing in their lives. They were seeing their lives and others’ lives changed by Jesus, and they wanted the ministry to continue. It didn’t come only from those who were wealthy. They were poor and still gave. Their giving was cheerful—it came from the heart and wasn’t forced. They freely gave.

Their giving had an expectant result. They knew the money would be used wisely to further the Gospel so that others could be saved. They trusted the Lord to use it as needed. And their giving wasn’t just monetary. They gave of themselves. They surrendered their lives to serve the Lord. As they were blessed, they turned and blessed others.

Paul’s encouragement is also for us today. How has the Lord blessed you? How can you give generously from the heart to bless others? How can you share the life-changing message of Jesus?

If you’d like to join us in speaking to the billions of people in this world, in their heart language, to give them the greatest gift they could ever receive, I invite you to prayerfully consider financially supporting Lifeword.

This is about lives being changed. Lives like Noel and his family. Lives like the Macedonians. Lives like the Corinthians. Lives like yours.

Go to WeTellTheStory.com to learn more.

And if you’re interested in learning more about Jesus and what it means to follow Him, go to follow.lifeword.org.