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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley

Dr. Charles F. Stanley is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta, founder of In Touch Ministries, and a New York Times best-selling author who has written more than fifty books, and has sold more than nine million copies. He demonstrates a keen awareness of people's needs and provides Christ-centered, biblically-based principles for everyday life.

Charles Frazier Stanley was born September 25, 1932, in the small town of Dry Fork, Virginia. The only child of Charley and Rebecca Stanley, Charles came into the world during a time when the entire nation felt the grip of the Great Depression. To make matters worse, just nine months later, his father Charley died at the young age of 29.

However, Charles refused to let the Great Depression or the difficulties of his life define him. Instead, like his father and grandfather before him, he clung to God’s Word and took up the mantle to preach the gospel to whoever would listen.

Dr. Stanley’s motivation is best represented by the truth found in Acts 20:24, “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love.” This is because, as he says, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”

Dr. Stanley’s teachings can be heard weekly at First Baptist Church Atlanta, daily on “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley” radio and television broadcasts on more than 2,800 stations around the world, on the Internet at intouch.org, through the In Touch Messenger, and in the monthly, award-winning In Touch magazine.

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Charles Stanley

A Call to Repentance

2 Corinthians 7:10-11 We learned yesterday that true repentance of our sin includes: - Agreeing with Him that our behavior or thought pattern is ungodly; - Establishing in our thinking that this sinful habit is displeasing to God; - Identifying - with the Spirit's help - what would please God; and -... Read More
Charles Stanley

A Call to Repentance

LUKE 24:44-49 "This time I mean it!" After halfheartedly correcting their sons and daughters several times, parents often react with these words. Children can distinguish the underlying meaning and intuitively know when Mom or Dad is ready to take action. In a similar way, our confession of sin to t... Read More
Charles Stanley

Back to Basics: Our Thoughts

1 Corinthians 2:16 This may come as a surprise to some, but the apostle Paul writes that we have the mind of Christ within us. This does not mean that we are like God in the omnipotent sense. We have a finite ability when it comes to mental perception. God is infinite in His ability and knows all th... Read More
Charles Stanley

Confidence in the Midst of Distress

PSALM 46:1-11 "I'm outta here!" Most of us will feel this way at some point in our lives. When stress in daily living becomes unbearable, we want to escape. We may want out of jobs, relationships, or some other difficult situation. We think we can't handle things the way they are because they are mu... Read More
Charles Stanley

Forgiving One Another

Ephesians 4:29-32 An unforgiving spirit is like an insidious cancer that eats away at a person until it has a devastating impact. But while physical cancer often can’t be seen or felt until it is a real danger, the cancer of unforgiveness often steals a person’s joy for years. Yet there is a sure he... Read More
Charles Stanley

How to Save a Nation

COLOSSIANS 1:3-14 July 4th is the holiday that honors the founding of the United States. The occasion is celebrated in many ways: firework displays with dazzling colors, festive parades showcasing high school bands and armed forces units, and backyard barbecues with family and friends. It is a day f... Read More
Charles Stanley

How To Save A Nation

2 Chronicles 7:14 To our flesh, changing the direction of a nation seems somewhat impossible. With all the other objects or ideals people worship outside of God, it’s no wonder that the thought of seeing an entire nation turn to God seems unlikely, especially when it appears godless men and women ar... Read More
Charles Stanley

Lessons From a Man on the Run

Psalm 139:1-10 In the light of God's omniscience and omnipresence, it is easy to wonder why Christians still attempt to run from Him. Jonah certainly demonstrated that it could not be done, and yet people insist on trying. Why? Sometimes they act out of pure selfishness. It seems that we have an unl... Read More
Charles Stanley

Loved but Lost

JOHN 3:15-17 1. All human beings start life as "lost" people. Since he was the first man, Adam served as representative of the human race. When he sinned against God (Genesis 3), his spirit became one of rebellion and sinfulness. (Romans 5:12) That "sin nature," which is passed along to each generat... Read More
Charles Stanley

Our Helper in Prayer

John 16:5-15 As Jesus neared the time of His death, He frequently referred to the Helper He would be sending. The Holy Spirit was promised to enable and instruct believers. Often called the Comforter, or Parakletos in Greek, He is the one who comes to stand by us and assist in whatever God calls us ... Read More
Charles Stanley

Our Helper in Prayer

John 14:16-18 One of the greatest hindrances to our prayer life is a lack of perseverance. Oftentimes people quit praying too soon. We feel that since we have asked, our answer should immediately be forthcoming or our need should quickly be met. God is not a bellhop, waiting to give us just what we ... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Believer's Security System

2 Peter 2:18-21 While every child of God has a built-in "spiritual security system," some Christians are far more vulnerable than others to spiritual predators. False teachers, or "wolves in sheep's clothing," will seek out young and immature believers and exploit their ignorance. The wolves also hu... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Fear of the Lord

Psalm 112:1-9 As we saw yesterday, the fear of the Lord does not have to do with terror or trepidation, but rather refers to appropriate awe and reverence for who God is. It is a quality that we as Christians should seek and nurture. Though we don't hear the expression often enough today, it should ... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 8:13 People are oftentimes confused by talk that has to do with fearing God. On the one hand, the Scriptures admonishes us to fear the Lord, but at the same time, we are told that God has not given us a spirit of fear. So how are we to understand this phrase? Fearing God does not mean alway... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Nation's Lighthouse

Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus Christ is the "light of the world" and God has commissioned His church to reveal that "light" as clearly and brightly as possible. He expects our individual churches to serve as lighthouses, beaming the truth of Jesus Christ throughout our nation. He calls us as believers to be... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Nation's Lighthouse

MATTHEW 5:14-16 Jesus Christ is the "light of the world," and God has commissioned His church to reveal that "light" as clearly and brightly as possible. He expects our individual churches to serve as lighthouses, beaming the truth of Jesus Christ throughout our nation. He calls us as believers to b... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Struggle of the Flesh

Galatians 5:16-26 One of the most misunderstood concepts in the Christian life is the idea of "the flesh." Exactly what is it? How do we respond to it? Does it refer to just our bodies, or is there a deeper meaning? Today's passage presents in a painfully honest way the results of living by the fles... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Struggle With Guilt

1 John 1:5-9 Many faithful believers struggle daily with the issue of guilt. Some may even believe that guilt is a vital part of the healthy Christian life. This is a dangerous fallacy that we must completely avoid. The difficulty arises in part from a misconception about what guilt is. Basically, i... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Struggle With Jealousy

Psalm 37:4 Is it possible to take control of a jealous attitude? Yes, it certainly is! Knowing that God wants His children to be in charge of these emotions, let's examine some specific things you can do to gain victory. First, confess your jealousy. This emotion will always—always—take your eyes of... Read More
Charles Stanley

The Struggle With Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Temptation is something with which we are all familiar. No matter who you are, where you live, how long you've been a Christian, or what you do for a living, you have been tempted. And you will be tempted again, probably even today. Therefore, let's stop and ask an important qu... Read More

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