Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley

Charles F. Stanley is the founder of In Touch Ministries, and a New York Times best-selling author. He demonstrates a keen awareness of people's needs and provides Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life.

Andy Stanley posts emotional tribute to late father Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. Charles Stanley died on Tuesday at age 90.

Charles Stanley (April-21-2023) Daily Devotional: Personal Holiness.

On our own, we can never be good enough for a perfect God, but He freely gives His goodness to all who believe.

Hebrews 9:11-14 - But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Sometimes comparing ourselves to others leaves us feeling insecure, but other times it stirs up false pride. When we see others being mean, selfish, or lazy, we might think we’re better—and deserving of a place in heaven. In reality, we can always find someone “lesser” to make ourselves feel more holy. But compared to God’s perfect holiness, every person is lacking. 

The truth is, whether or not we go to heaven has little to do with us—and everything to do with our heavenly Father. He was the one who made a way for our righteousness, and it wasn’t in response to our behavior. In fact, God decided long before we were born—before we had the chance to do anything good or bad—that He would offer the gift of salvation. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love).

If you find yourself trying to compare your holiness to that of others, or trying to prove to God that you’re worthy, remember what Paul wrote to the Romans: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us). That’s how you know salvation can only be received.

Please join us in remembering Dr. Charles F. Stanley this weekend. He will lie in repose at First Baptist Atlanta this Saturday from 10 AM – 4 PM.

A TIME TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF OUR FAITHFUL PASTOR
This public viewing service will be held Saturday April 22, 2023 at First Baptist Atlanta, where Dr. Stanley pastored for more than fifty years.

MEMORIAL DETAILS
Dr. Stanley’s family has requested that the memorial service honoring his life be a private, family-only gathering.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the ongoing mission of In Touch Ministries.

Dr. Stanley invested his life in teaching people to know Jesus as their Savior and walk with Him as their Lord. In Touch is committed to continuing Dr. Stanley’s mission—obeying God, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, and instructing believers how to walk in an intimate relationship with the Savior.

Charles Stanley (April-20-2023) Daily Devotional: Full of Justice and Mercy.

Because of His great love for us, God made a way for us to know Him personally.

Romans 3:21-26 - But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Today’s verses and many other Bible passages tell us that God is just. What this communicates is that He’s true to His own principles. It also means that God, who is holy and perfect, cannot be one with a sinner. Instead, “the soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4 - ``Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die). It’s a frightening thought for imperfect people like us, isn’t it? 

That’s why our heavenly Father provided a solution for all mankind. Jesus Christ, who was sinless, took our sin upon Himself and died in our place—so that we could be reunited with our Creator. The Lord continues to be just and holy, and we are declared a righteous child of God. As Paul wrote to the Romans, our Father is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).

Notice that our righteousness and unity with God has nothing to do with our efforts—it was a gracious and merciful decision made by the Lord. Our good works will not earn the Lord’s favor, because every person inevitably sins. But Jesus’ death made it possible for those who believe in Him to have a relationship with the Creator. In the end, it’s because of God’s justice and mercy that we could be reunited with Him.

A Tribute to Dr. Charles Stanley - 3 Lessons We Can Learn From His Life. Dr. Charles Stanley passed away April 18, 2023. Dr. Stanley played a pivotal role in my spiritual growth as a young Christian while in college and beyond. So, I felt compelled to make a video in honor of him citing some life lessons we can learn from him. Charles Stanley, you are loved and you will be missed by many.

Charles Stanley (April-19-2023) Daily Devotional: Worship That Satisfies.

Our ultimate fulfillment is found only in the presence of our heavenly Father.

Romans 1:21-32; Romans 2:1-4 - Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Did you know the Lord created you to worship Him? Many people dedicate their life to worshipping money, popularity, accomplishment, or pleasure but ultimately still feel a vacuum of unfulfillment. 

King Solomon observed this longing in mankind, writing that God “set eternity in [our] heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 - He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end). And hundreds of years later, Jesus Himself confirmed this truth when He said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14 - but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."). Why, you wonder? It’s all because the Lord wants a personal relationship with us.

Unfortunately, we often indulge in sin rather than worship God, and in the first chapter of Romans, Paul surveys the many lesser gods we settle for. He wanted the Romans to know that sin and false gods distract us from our eternal calling of communion with the Father. That’s why repentance is a critical practice in the believer’s life.

Remember, our heavenly Father designed us to find satisfaction in Him alone. And because of His great love for the whole world, He doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity without Him (2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance).

Charles Stanley Said This Before He Died Peacefully.


Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley, the senior pastor at First Baptist Church Atlanta and the founder of In Touch Ministries has died

Buck Lanford has confirmed First Baptist Atlanta Senior Pastor Anthony Georgia that the influential Atlanta faith leader passed away peacefully at his home Tuesday morning.
For more than five decades, the pastor, broadcaster, and author served on the staff of First Baptist Atlanta. He was named Senior Pastor in 1971, becoming the 16th pastor at the historic church that was founded in 1848. Under Stanley’s leadership, the church saw unprecedented growth. In 1997, FBA moved from its Midtown Atlanta location on Peachtree Street to the former Avon property in Dunwoody to accommodate its diverse membership of more than 15,000 from all over the metro area.

Stanley, who was born in Dry Fork, Virginia in 1932 would become a pioneer in religious broadcasting. He founded In Touch Ministries in 1977 to in his words, "Get the truth of the Gospel to as many people as possible". His sermons, podcasts, and devotionals have been seen or heard in more than 115 million homes per week in more than 126 countries around the world. At the time of his death, Dr. Stanley could be heard in every nation on Earth via radio, shortwave, or television broadcasts. In the United States, the In Touch television program could be seen on 204 stations and seven satellite networks, and the In Touch radio program could be heard on 458 stations and via shortwave radio. In 1988, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. As an author, he wrote more than 60 books including several New York Times bestsellers. He also served for two terms as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1980s.

Stanley’s favorite hobby was nature photography. The walls of the In Touch studios are adorned with many of his photos. In fact, one of his pictures, given as a gift to the late Reverend Billy Graham, was hanging on the wall in Graham’s bedroom at the time of his death.
Stanley is survived by two children, his daughter Becky and son Andy, who is the founder and senior pastor at Northpoint Ministries. Andy called his dad a role model for pastors.
"Not just how to preach or how to build a church", said Andy. "But how to get to a finish line with integrity and to be able to look back and be proud of everything that came before, and unfortunately that’s increasingly rare."

Stanley was preceded in death by his former wife, the late Anna Stanley who passed away in 2000.
Dr. Stanley was 90 years old.

Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley Died - God called pastor (1932-2023). Dear In Touch Family, this morning at the age of 90, God called our beloved pastor, Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley, home to heaven. Dr. Stanley lived a faithful life of obedience, dedicated to teaching others how to have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Now he is receiving the joy of his soul—seeing his Savior face-to-face. Please join us in praying for the entire Stanley family.

Dr. Charles Stanley, Leader of In Touch Ministries, Dies at Age 90
Stanley Was Senior Pastor of First Baptist Atlanta for 50 Years
ATLANTA, April 18, 2023—On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, In Touch Ministries announced that beloved pastor Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley had passed away at 7:30 a.m. that morning at age 90.

Known to audiences around the world through his wide-reaching TV and radio broadcasts, Stanley modeled his 65 years of ministry after the apostle Paul’s message 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.”

Born Sept. 25, 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, in Dry Fork, Virginia, Stanley was raised by a single mother after his father died when Stanley was only nine months old.

After receiving a call to ministry at the age of 14, Stanley earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Divinity at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He later went on to earn the distinctions of Master and Doctor of Theology from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta.

It was 1971 when Stanley assumed his longtime role as senior pastor of First Baptist Atlanta. The following year, he launched his foray into broadcast ministry with a 30-minute program, The Chapel Hour, on Atlanta-area TV stations WXIA and WANX (now WGCL).

The Chapel Hour—renamed In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley—went nationwide in 1978 after the Christian Broadcasting Network contacted Stanley, looking for a practical, Bible-teaching program for its new satellite distribution network. At no cost to First Baptist Atlanta, the broadcast grew from 16,000 local viewers to a nationwide audience in just one week. Stanley was the country’s longest-serving pastor with a continuous weekly broadcast program.

By 1982, In Touch Ministries was incorporated and the In Touch radio broadcast entered syndication. During the 1980s, the In Touch program penetrated almost every major market in the United States, reaching more than 1 million households. At the time of his death, Stanley’s messages were heard in more than 127 languages around the world via radio, shortwave, the Messenger Lab project, or TV broadcasts.

Believing, as he often said, that people are to “obey God and leave all the consequences to Him," Stanley focused his preaching on practical, Christ-centered, biblically based principles for everyday life. Many of his messages incorporated the 30 Life Principles that guided his life and helped him grow in his knowledge, service, and love of God. Other messages tackled such topics as parenting, finances, personal crises, emotions and relationships, prayer, and the character of God. Not having sought out the public spotlight, Stanley was a pastor who happened to be on TV, focused on teaching others how to seek and obey God through adversity and personal hardships.

Notable organizations and publishers honored Stanley throughout his long ministry. Stanley served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1985 and 1986. In 1988, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame for the consistent excellence of his broadcast, and leadership in the realm of Christian TV and radio. Religious Heritage of America named him Clergyman of the Year in 1989, an award that recognizes pastors who strive to make Judeo-Christian principles part of America’s daily life. In 1993, the NRB honored In Touch with the Television Producer of the Year award, and in 1999, with the Radio Program of the Year award. Most recently, Stanley was recognized for selling more than 10 million copies of his more than 70 books, the latest of which was published in 2023.

He was known, too, for his love of photography. Stanley’s images from his personal travels fill the walls of In Touch Ministries’ Atlanta headquarters and inspire program viewers to explore the beauty of God’s creation.

In September 2020, Stanley transitioned to the role of pastor emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta after serving 50 years as senior pastor.

Stanley is survived by his son Andy Stanley, founding and senior pastor of North Point Ministries; daughter Becky Stanley Broderson; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and half-sister Susie Cox. His former wife, Anna Johnson Stanley, preceded him in death. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to In Touch Ministries.

Charles Stanley (April-18-2023) Daily Devotional: God Is Near.

The Lord wants you to know that you’re never alone

Psalm 139:7-10 - Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

Do you ever find yourself asking the question, “Lord, where are You?” Today’s reading is your reminder that God is near, even when His presence is difficult to perceive—and even when you’re completely unaware of Him. 

David reflects, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (v. 7). In asking these questions, David communicates that no matter where we might go, the Lord is right there with us. What a comfort to realize we are never beyond the reach of a God who is full of lovingkindness, mercy, and comfort. 

In fact, our heavenly Father is and has been with believers every single day. We walk in the presence of the living God, whose Spirit lives in us (John 14:16-17 - ``I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you). No matter what season of life you are in—no matter how long, short, painful, or easy it might be—God wants you to know you are never alone. What’s more, He wants you to remember that the darkness is not dark to Him (Psalm 139:12 - Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You). He knows what is up ahead and will be with you as you face it. 

Our faithful and omnipresent God is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24 - A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother). He will never leave or forsake you—on this day or any other.

Charles Stanley (April-17-2023) Daily Devotional: Encouragement for Every Season.

No matter what you are facing today, God understands and will faithfully care for you.

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 -  ``The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ``Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

Each year we watch summer turn to fall, which then gives way to winter. And though the timing is less predictable, our lives similarly go through different seasons. Some months are brimming with joy while others are a slog of hardship. But one thing that stays the same throughout is the faithfulness of God. 

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 - God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord). The Lord always does what He says He will do. He keeps His promises to you and will be with you in all seasons (Hebrews 13:5 - Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ``I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"). That means no matter how dark, depressing, or hopeless your circumstances seem—or how good—these three things are true: 

1. God will be faithful to you because that is His very nature (Deuteronomy 32:4 - ``The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He).

2. God knows all about your situation; you are never alone (Psalm 139:1-5). 

3. God can meet all of your needs and equip you for every phase of life (Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus).

Remember this: You will change and seasons will change, but God is always the same. He won’t ever fail you or forget you—He is with you always. Great is His faithfulness!

Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 10-12

© 2013 - 2024 Sermons Online. All Rights Reserved.
× Progressive Web App | Add to Homescreen

To install this Web App in your iPhone/iPad press icon. Progressive Web App | Share ButtonAnd then Add to Home Screen.

× Install Web App
Mobile Phone
Offline - No Internet Connection