Christmas: A Gift for Every Heart

By Charles F. Stanley

Beloved pastor Dr. Charles Stanley takes us back to our truest and best reason for celebration—the birth of Christ. By revisiting the people and events of that first Christmas, Dr. Stanley reveals the unique lessons that long-ago starry night offers to each of us today. Such timeless truths as . . .

• true peace and joy are found only in Christ, not in the things of this world;
• Christmas itself is undeniable evidence that God always keeps His promises;
• the Lord God not only lives and reigns, but He is intimately involved in every circumstance of our lives; and
• the perfect gift for us to give Jesus is the gift of our own heart.

Christmas is a gift to everyone on earth. That gift has different meaning to God—Christ’s birth was His perfect plan that unfolded in His perfect time. This message is followed by a celebration of who Jesus is—God came down, reigning King, suffering Servant, Savior of the world—and the lessons learned through His birth from the perspectives of:

• Mary, the virgin mother
• Joseph, faithful and obedient servant of God
• the innkeeper who had no vacancy
• the townspeople who were indifferent to what was happening around them
• the wise men who, by faith, followed the star and brought gifts of genuine worship and adoration
• and Isaiah, looking for the wonderful counselor

Christmas: A Gift for Every Heart is a highly designed Christmas gift book with beautiful callouts, Dr. Stanley’s own personal thoughts and memories, Scripture, and four-color photography. This will be a treasured gift for Advent and Christmas that will be read again and again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781400238552

Charles F. Stanley

Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church Atlanta, Georgia, where he served more than fifty years. He was also a New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy books. Until his death in 2023, Dr. Stanley’s mission was to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.” This is a calling that In Touch Ministries continues to pursue by transmitting his teachings as widely and effectively as possible. Dr. Stanley’s messages can be heard daily on In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley broadcasts on television, radio, and satellite networks and stations around the world; on the internet at intouch.org and through In Touch+; and via the In Touch Messenger Lab. Excerpts from Dr. Stanley’s inspiring messages are also published in the award-winning In Touch devotional magazine.

Book preview

1. When the Time Comes

God with You, Wherever You Are

What does Christmas mean to you? What memories come flooding back as you encounter the sights, sounds, and smells of the season? Who is it that you think about or wish to be close to as this time of remembrance commences?

It is different for each person, of course. The very first Christmas I can remember was when I was three. My father had passed away when I was nine months old, so my granddad, uncles, and aunts came to Danville, Virginia, during the holidays to see me and help my dear mother.

I recall it as if it were yesterday. They opened the trunk of their car, and it was filled with toys for me. I had never seen so many wonderful playthings. That was the most gifts I ever received for Christmas, and one thing was certain—I wanted to begin enjoying all of it as soon as possible!

My children, Andy and Becky, were the same way. They would spend the days leading up to Christmas examining their wrapped presents—reading the names on the tags, shaking the boxes, and trying to figure out what was in them. There was a thrill in their hearts that lit up their eyes. Then on Christmas morning, they wouldn’t care about what we were going to have for breakfast or what was on television. They would wake up early and rush to the tree to find out what was inside those packages. They just couldn’t wait to open everything and begin playing with all their new toys.

This is probably true of most children. They see beautifully wrapped presents under the tree and cannot wait to see what’s inside. What treasures do they hold? What joy is hidden under the colorful paper and bows? They wouldn’t think of simply admiring the packages and leaving them unopened.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what many people do at Christmastime: they overlook the greatest Gift that has ever been given, dwelling on the wrappings of the season rather than the supernatural blessing that it represents. In fact, after a while Christmas becomes just like many of the other days we celebrate—such as Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Independence Day—with lots of shopping, gathering, and eating, maybe opening some presents and practicing special traditions. Of course there’s nothing wrong with those other holidays or the ways we observe them, but the point is that we lose sight of the fact that Christmas commemorates an event unlike any other—the birth of the Savior.

Think about it. Why did the prophets, the New Testament writers, and even Christ’s enemies give so much attention to Jesus’ birth? It’s for a good reason, of course—an important one. Because when God does something so tremendous and impactful, it is worth noting.

Human eyes are able to behold the exalted, omnipotent, all-knowing Lord of all creation!

You see, Jesus’ story really begins far before His birth. The gospel of John tells us, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Jesus was not created as you and I were. He is uncreated—the eternal God—without beginning from everlasting past and without end in the infinite future.

And because of that exceptional, extraordinary, eternity-altering moment when the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory (John 1:14), human eyes are able to behold the exalted, omnipotent, all-knowing Lord of all creation!

Thousands of years of fervent, desperate prayers to God and pleas for deliverance were answered the day Christ was born. It was not just the mere birth of a baby. It was not just a day that a great man appeared on the scene or that a significant treaty was ratified. It was the absolute shaking of the spiritual and physical realms when God Himself was incarnated—becoming one of us in order to carry out all the promises He’d given through the ages.

God Himself