1300+ Christian Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. If you’re looking for the best Christian short stories, whether they’re funny, didactic, or inspirational, this page is for you.

🏆 Winning stories

“10 Ways to Explain Your Husband's Death to Your Son” by Zack Powell

🏆 Winner of Contest #163

Content warning: Themes of death***1. Tell the truthBe gentle but honest. This is your son's first time experiencing death, his only rodeo.He is five years old, wild-eyed and sugar-crazed and baby-toothed. A sweet boy. He doesn't complain about going to church or preschool. He picks up the toy cars in his room without being asked, lowers the seat after using the toilet. Some days you feel as though you've won the lottery.At night, he helps y...

253 likes 185 comments 185

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“THIS IS THE DAY WE DIE” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

🏆 Winner of Contest #103

THIS IS THE DAY WE DIEDepression sounded like a half-witted song, one that couldn’t be sung at home or school or the church. It was something so ephemeral that it seemed to have lost its meaning. It was unlikely that one of the children would somehow become infected with the virus. Life with the Bishop was simple: mornings with prayers and a plate of fried bananas; afternoons with Jesus and rosaries and seashells; evenings with stories and hymns. There was no way a child living with Bishop would end up being contaminated...

362 likes 200 comments 200

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⭐️ Recommended stories

“A Touch of Heaven” by Stephanie Redieske

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #213

“Look around you,” Grandpa whispered as he gently rested his left hand on my right shoulder, and waved out in front of us with his right. “This is what I see every day now.” I looked out over rolling emerald hills, towering, snow covered mountains in the distance, and glistening, white-capped waves crashing into the sandy coast. I had never seen so much natural beauty in one glimpse. I thought to take a picture,...

24 likes 13 comments 13

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“A Simple Act of Kindness” by Murray Burns

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #195

A Simple Act of Kindness“The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.”-Amelia EarhartRule #1- Four downs to get the ball across the goal line (telephone pole); no first downs.Rule #2- Pass rusher must count three “Mississippies” before rushing the quarterback. (No cheating.)Rule #3- No catching the ball on a bounce off the side or roof of a ...

38 likes 28 comments 28

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“A Raw Deal with the Devil” by Augustine Maddox

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #188

(Story contains allusions to torture, but no actual depictions of it) “So, what’s the catch?” The demon hesitated. The sulfurous smoke billowing from his form dissipated slightly as his concentration wavered. His wings drooped. The arm he had been holding out lowered; the contract in hand, written in red ink on shining golden paper, dimmed. “The…catch?” He rumbled, bemused. “I t...

22 likes 3 comments 3

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✍️ All stories

“The Ups And Downs of Life And Love” by Brian Underwood

Submitted to Contest #246

The frozen gate latch to the entrance of the chain link fence was a torturous testament to all that had changed. The icy grip on its internal mechanism was a wry reminder of both a painful past, and the pernicious present that lie ahead.  A final pent-up blast of energy to the lever shattered the frozen crystals into a hundred shards, paling in comparison the thousand pieces of her heart that he left on the floor months before. The metal barrier separating their past and present now vanquished, there was no going back. Now, only the sea...

3 likes 0 comments 0

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“Clouds from Both Sides Now” by Nick Baldino

Submitted to Contest #246

Mary Beth likes the feeling of everything nowadays. Her head has found a home in the crux of her boyfriend’s collarbone, and her new tennis shoes are just the right size, and the sky is open and blue as a robin’s egg. A blade of grass tickles the back of her neck as she traces a finger up above. “It’s a beautiful day,” she whispers. “Not as beautiful as you,” Farley tells her. He moves his hand from her waist to her breast. She is just sweet enough and just dumb enough to believe him. Mary Beth scoots her head up and looks at him. He has a...

12 likes 0 comments 0

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“Secret Crush” by Serena Vigil

Submitted to Contest #246

Eddie Ray, star pitcher at the local high school, popular and charismatic. But he had a secret. The most popular guy in school had a crush on the least popular girl in school. Selena Wilson was a wallflower, the picture of grace and beauty but not unto the naked eye. She was president of the debate team, loved dissecting things in biology and her favorite topic to talk about was her relationship with God.  One day, Selena was walking home from school when a beautiful lightning blue mustang pulled up beside her. As her eyes focused on th...

4 likes 0 comments 0

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“Diversity!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #246

There he lay, naked as the day he was born to the planet. In all that hot, searing sunshine, a veil of flies surrounded his remains. As the red dust hung over the thirsty drought season of Old Hometown, the local policeman gazed at the ex-husband ,sleeping forever in the gutter by the road.Roscoe pushed back his policing hat, wondering at the barbed wire fence of the front garden. He leaned down and examined the stiff, and the inadequate plastic Band Aids that barely covered the body's blistered genitalia. Roscoe hauled up this incriminatin...

10 likes 2 comments 2

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“Star's End” by Paul Hellyer

Submitted to Contest #245

Three camels trotted languidly across a sweeping red desert. Upon these peculiar beasts, sat three wizened men, with rich dark skin, dressed in flowing purple and gold robes. They were a solemn procession, tracking softly through the endless sands, and had travelled in silence for the last few hours.In the fullness of time, one of them spoke, his voice cutting into the meditative quiet.‘Asuma, do you think they will think us mad?’The man who had been addressed held his peace for a few moments, perhaps considering what been said, before reply...

9 likes 2 comments 2

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“Madame, the Mystic.” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #245

Jade stood gazing at her reflection. Beautiful bride, white satin, a veil of lace, stylish shoes, her face aglow. Then she paused, it as still her fantasy. Jade had bought her wedding gown years ago, as a teenager. She had chosen her veil and shoes, designed and stocked all the wedding invitations, imagined her bouquet, her hair style. It was her quite reasonable expectation that she would have been married in that frock, as soon as the handsome suitor proposed. She could visualize him on bended knee, offering his mother's pearl and diamond ...

13 likes 3 comments 3

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“Eclipse Day” by Jennifer Luckett

Submitted to Contest #245

  “Hasn’t it started already?” Randall teetered on the makeshift stand, and the protective glasses slid down his tiny nose.  “Don’t think so, Randy,” his older sister Jessie said, water dribbling from her watering can as she headed toward their mother’s vegetable garden. Intense sunlight dotted her forehead and neck with beads of perspiration. Jessie had abandoned her eyewear for the solar eclipse, dressing in a hurry to begin the morning chores, after their angry voices interrupted her sleep.  “Look, Randy, the...

9 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Photo” by James Butz

Submitted to Contest #244

Samuel reached in his back pocket. He pulled out an aged photo of two girls in front of an old cathedral. One woman had beautiful long black wavy hair. It was the first time he noticed that some of her hair covered her soft lips. The woman with black hair was smiling and had her arm around a younger girl, who also had similar hair, but clearly was much younger. It was his daily reminder of everything he needed. Sam wiped his dirty forehead and put the photo back in his pocket, satisfied. He turned to his next job, as was heading over he caug...

7 likes 3 comments 3

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“Three Smiles from Heaven. ” by Markeda Landrum

Submitted to Contest #244

I was so excited to see my cousin at church last Sunday. We are a very close-knit family so he's more like a brother to me. We hugged each other so tight because it seemed like it's been forever since I last saw him. His daughter dropped his Bible on accident and a few photos fell out.  I immediately helped her pick them up, but I could help but notice two particular pictures I don't even remember taking. "Deon" I asked my cousin. "When did we take these pictures?"   He said he couldn't remember but we were all there! I couldn't ho...

6 likes 0 comments 0

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“Because He Lives” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #244

Because He LivesMarch 31, 2024I received a picture today. I immediately shared it with all my relatives and contacts on my social media page. It had already been recognized as a viral photograph. If any photo qualified to deserve to be repeated enough times to be considered viral this one most certainly does. It sends a vital and timeless message.Simple and understated the scene speaks volumes. The mostly sepia colored photo depicts a view from inside a cave-like entrance looking back out towards the early morning sunrise. To the lower left ...

42 likes 33 comments 33

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“Be Profitable & Multiply” by Ayanna Burns

Submitted to Contest #243

"Trust me,” the Creator said. “Be fruitful and multiply. Exercise the gifts, skills, and abilities I gave you. Don’t sit on them." Having heard the Creator’s mandate, the three cohorts met to discuss The Entrepreneur’s dilemma but the meeting soon turned contentious as each one argued about who was the greatest and most important to The Entrepreneur. Each one wanted to have the best seat in The Entrepreneur’s business. The first cohort stated its case. “Well, I capitalize on The Entrepreneur’s creativity so that it has first-mover advan...

4 likes 2 comments 2

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“The General's Freedom ” by Wren Moon

Submitted to Contest #243

General Tenebris had once gazed upon the faces of thousands of fearful humans as he lowered their star-spangled flag and raised up his own empire’s banner. But now, all he could do was stare at the large crack in the yellowed popcorn ceiling above him.  January first was when he had been bedridden. He had been drilling some fresh new troops in a little suburban town, when he had started to feel light-headed. He had returned to his hotel room to get some rest, and, three months later, had never stepped foot out of that hotel room. Anytim...

3 likes 1 comment 1

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“Dragonfly” by Jeffrey McDonald

Submitted to Contest #243

“Dragonfly come in, Dragonfly we read catastrophic failures in the crew deck, propulsion, life support, and guidance, do you read?” The crackly voice asks.Mission control has lost communication only a week after leaving the lunar surface on its way to Mars. The first manned rocket with solar sails that give it the look of a Dragonfly had performed flawlessly on numerous missions, until now. Sirens blare, and warnings sound. Inside the ship, debris floats aimlessly here and there bumping into panels and a member of the crew floats motionless ...

5 likes 0 comments 0

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“This Tale Continues....” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #243

So, Easter in Jerusalem was cancelled. Time was different here. It was really a typical sign of the times. Democracy was failing, freedoms were falling. This tale required unique attention, as the battle ahead threatened all life with total annihilation. Hexual One was gathering his scarily ordinary human tribes. They allowed their characters to absorb the dark side of midnight. Conflicts swirled around hot spots on the never tranquil planet. No one on Earth could predict the hour or day for anything. Not one soul alive could see into the mu...

8 likes 1 comment 1

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“Aliens on the Mend” by Pete Gautchier

Submitted to Contest #243

Aliens on the MendI did not grow up in Roswell, NM. I was not enticed by the alien aura that permeates the atmosphere of this fine town. I am a guy who needs visual evidence to support any theories or special scientific mumbo-jumbo. Many years ago, I bought a few remote, parcels of land throughout Chaves County. My hook was farming. Farming peppers (hot, and I mean hot like ghost peppers). Sounds strange, but I had this sixth sense that peppers would become popular in the coming age with all this “culinary finessed” eating. So, I moved my hu...

11 likes 1 comment 1

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