Read | 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

In today’s passage, Paul talks about love and its preeminence over speech, knowledge, generosity, and self-sacrifice (1 Cor. 13:1-3). The apostle then describes the nature of biblical love, which is patient, kind, humble, and slow to anger (1 Cor. 13:4-7).

However, we often struggle as we try to practice this model of unselfish affection. One reason is that the godly expression of caring doesn’t come naturally to us. Pure Christian love puts the other person ahead of our own interests, even when our human inclinations clamor to place self first (1 Cor. 13:5).

Continue reading Charles Stanley – Biblical Love →

Read | John 15:12-14

One of the most intense expressions of human love is the protective instinct parents have toward their children. There is little most moms and dads wouldn’t do for a baby. If a truck posed a threat to the little one, it wouldn’t surprise us if they jumped in front of the moving vehicle without a second thought.

Wouldn’t you like to be cared for with this kind of intensity? You are. In fact, the Lord’s love toward you is far deeper and more secure than that of even the most caring, tuned-in human parent. And what God did for us is proof. Romans 5:8 says that while we were living in disobedience, He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – No Greater Love →

Read | Philippians 2:7-9

When it comes to serving in the church, people rarely volunteer for tasks where they’ll go unnoticed. They usually prefer a position of leadership. There’s nothing wrong with heading a committee or teaching a large class. But God calls us to have a servant’s heart—motivated to live a life that glorifies Him, not ourselves.

Over the years, I’ve had many conversations with young men studying at seminary. Countless times, they’ve shared the desire to lead a sizable church. And those called to serve at a small congregation frequently struggle with feelings of insignificance.

My encouragement to them is this: In His great love, God places us exactly where He wants us to serve, and every task we undertake should be given our all, whether there’s one person listening or a multitude. We ultimately serve Christ, and He is not concerned with recognition we receive. He desires our obedience and best effort. This is true not just for pastors but for all believers.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – The Call to Serve →

Read | Matthew 7:7-11

Those who ask will receive answers. Those who seek will find. Those who knock will see the door open. The acrostic “A-S-K” will help us remember to “ask, seek, and knock.”

The Lord wants us to pray to Him, not only because it honors Him but also because it helps us to grow deeper in our relationship with Him. Furthermore, prayer taps us into His work in the world. At any given moment, you can pray for anyone anywhere on earth and have confidence that the Lord of the entire universe will hear you and respond in the most effective fashion.

For this reason, prayer is one of the best ways to get involved in God’s mission. What a wonderful privilege it is to be able to participate in the expansion and functioning of God’s kingdom by asking the Lord to help His children and impact His creation.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – The Impact of Prayer →

Isaiah 57:15

The two most important disciplines in the life of a believer are Bible study and prayer. It is impossible to grow continually in Christ without practicing both.

Prayer is the primary means by which we talk to God, and it is also a way He teaches us. When we pray, we’re petitioning the Lord and trusting Him for the answer. In doing so, we learn to listen to Him, just as we learn to wait for His response. And He loves for us to honor Him through this spiritual act of worship called prayer.

Indeed, prayer is one of the best ways to honor God. When we pray to our heavenly Father, we are acknowledging that He is God, that He truly is “the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy” (Isa. 57:15). God alone deserves glory, and we ascribe honor to Him when we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). That is, we are to maintain a God-focused attitude throughout the day—continually asking Him to govern every detail of our lives.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – Prayer in the Believer’s Life →

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

In the Christian community, we often hear the term faith. However, when such a word is used frequently, it can become so familiar that we grow immune to its great depth of meaning. Today let’s consider what faith actually entails.

All people have faith. For example, it takes a measure of confidence to sit down in a kitchen chair without first testing its strength. Yet belief in the fact that furniture will hold our weight is quite different from entrusting our life to almighty God. A wrong judgment concerning the first may result in a physical bruise, whereas the latter determines not only our success in this life but also our eternal destination.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – Walking by Faith →

Exodus 3:1-22

Yesterday we observed how ineffective Moses’ self-reliant actions were. Today we will see what God can do in the life of someone who is fully submitted to Him. If we let Moses’ example teach us about the dangers of self-sufficiency and the advantages of depending on the Lord, we’ll save ourselves a lot of hardship.

When we submit to God’s way, He’ll do amazing things in and through our life. Despite past failures, Moses was still used in accomplishing the divine plan, but only after he became usable—that is, humbled and broken of his self-will. Just consider what God achieved when Moses relinquished control.

• He showed He could do great things through a yielded person.
  • He got more done in less time and with fewer resources. There was no insurrection or lengthy war—just a dramatic display of His power.
  • He proved the superiority of His way by freeing over two million people without the loss of a single Hebrew life.
  • He sent slaves out of bondage with their captors’ riches (Ex. 3:21-22).
  • He proved to both the Israelites and the Egyptians that He alone is the God of heaven and earth.
  • He received all the glory.

Our past failures never prevent God’s willingness or ability to use us. In fact, our weakness is a great opportunity for the display of His power. In our own strength, we are totally ineffective. But when we submit to the Lord’s authority in our life, we can experience His victory in whatever He calls us to do.

Bible in a Year: Leviticus 18-20

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2 Peter 3:14-18

Spiritual discernment protects us from deception. Sin is always dressed up to look tempting and appealing; if we think what looks good and feels right must be OK, then we’re in danger of being misled by the enemy. When Satan tempts us, he never mentions consequences or negative impact.

Spiritual discernment is our God-given capacity to judge what’s right and wrong. It protects us from the suffering that accompanies disobedience. Ignoring an agitation in our spirit—which I call “spiritual static”—is a step onto sin’s pathway. When looking for a radio station, we want clear reception. The same is true in our lives. We need a clear connection to the Holy Spirit to have peace and assurance that we’re doing the right thing and aligned with God’s will.

Sometimes an opportunity appears harmless or, more likely, very appealing. But if the Holy Spirit within us sends a signal not to pursue it, then we dare not—for some reason, God doesn’t want us in that situation. And though we can speculate, we may never know what danger we avoided by being obedient.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – The Protective Power of Discernment →

Phil. 1:1-10

Things are not always what they seem is the mantra of many mystery novels and television shows, but it’s also a wise attitude for successful living. Too many people make decisions based on feelings or judge situations by what appears to be real. God has given every believer a spirit of discernment so we can determine what’s best.

Think about how many decisions a person must make on a daily basis—choices about family, finances, work, and more. Ideally, a decision would have a correct choice and an incorrect one. As a result, the choice would be easy. In reality, what seems right isn’t always what’s best. Some things, while neither wrong nor sinful, are nonetheless outside of God’s will for us.

Scripture doesn’t contain specific directives regarding every possible life scenario. Instead, it’s filled with principles laid down by direct teaching or, at times, through stories. Believers are able to grow in spiritual maturity so that biblical principles coupled with guidance from the Holy Spirit become tools for making godly judgments. The question isn’t whether a certain choice looks good or feels right, but whether it’s God’s will for that point in a person’s life.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – Why We Need Spiritual Discernment →

Psalms 40:1-5

Insecurity may not sound as explosive as landmines like pride or jealousy, but it, too, is a very dangerous pitfall. A great deal of damage can result in the life of a person who habitually feels insecure. Such feelings can develop from many different kinds of situations. We may experience tragedy, like the loss of a parent in our early life, or we may grow up in an environment that throws us off balance. Sometimes we feel insecure because of major failures we’ve experienced.

Whatever the root cause, the effects are often similar. We may be indecisive because our fear of making the wrong choice leads to avoid decisions altogether. Sometimes we have a difficult time establishing lasting relationships because we are afraid we won’t be a good friend. Or we might keep our distance from fear of rejection—people frequently perceive this as pride or snobbery.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – The Landmine of Insecurity →

Psalms 25:15

Have you ever tried to make a perfectly straight line of footprints in the snow? It’s not as easy as you might think! Most people would tread slow and steady, heads down, focusing intensely on their feet. Whenever someone faces this challenge with their eyes turned downward, you can be sure that they’ll fail. Those footprints will be as crooked as can be.

When you’re walking with your eyes on your feet, you have no idea where you’re going. The experience is entirely self-centered. There’s no perspective, because you can’t see how you fit into the larger landscape. Genuine focus is missing, since every step treads over the last step’s focal point. You haven’t envisioned yourself as part of a bigger picture. So you simply plod through the snow aimlessly.

The only way to make a straight line of footprints in the snow is to ignore your feet. Instead, look directly ahead and find a fence post, street sign, or tree in the distance. Then, with your eyes fixed on that target, start to walk towards it. If you’ve locked your focus on something other than yourself, the path will be straight every time.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. If we walk through life concentrating inwardly, we’ll fail to see the bigger picture and likely go off course. But when we focus beyond ourselves, fixing our thoughts and spiritual eyes on Jesus Christ, we can trust our path will be straight and trustworthy every step of the way (Isa. 26:3 NLT).

Bible in One Year: Exodus 25-27

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Proverbs 19:21

I was signing books one day when a young man came forward and told me a story as I autographed his copy. “I put a gun to my chest and was going to kill myself,” he began. “For some reason, I turned on the television, and there you were, talking about suicide. After listening for a while, I knew the Lord was speaking to me, so I laid the gun down and gave my life to Jesus Christ.”

I have heard similar stories too many times to count—someone in despair turns on the TV or radio and hears a sermon speaking directly to his or her need. I don’t believe for one second that I’m responsible. Our all-powerful Lord intercedes in people’s lives. Sometimes He does this by leading them to turn on a program that can help. What’s more, only a God who can control all things could change a lost and scared young man into a willing and excited servant—exactly the kind of person standing in front of me that day at the book table.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – The Lord’s Great Power →

Psalms 89:1-10

David’s cries for help fill the pages of the Psalms. His prayers are a blend of requests and worship recalling God’s greatness, love, power, and protection. Praying with recognition of God’s amazing attributes reminds us He has the wisdom, strength, and compassion to meet all our needs. Here are examples of this type of prayer:

• “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Ps. 139:7). God is everywhere. He’s not limited by time or space—we are never away from His awareness for a single moment. So, even when we feel isolated or friendless, we’re not alone.
• “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite” (Ps. 147:5). God knows everything. When we bend our knees to pray to Him, He’s already aware of the feelings and needs we’re about to mention. So we can be certain that when we ask for direction, He’ll provide clear guidance if we’re submitted to His will.
• “As for me, I shall call upon God … the one who sits enthroned from of old … with whom there is no change” (Ps. 55:16, 19). God’s character is constant. Since we can always trust He’ll be faithful, reliable, and merciful, we can place our confidence in Him no matter the situation.

When believers recall an attribute of God that meets their needs, they place the focus of their prayers on the Lord rather than on the request. By mixing praise into our prayers, we end up asking for less, worshipping better, and receiving more because our emphasis is in the right place.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 19-21

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