Charles R. Swindoll Quotes

Charles R. Swindoll is one of the most popular Christian authors and speakers in the world. He has written more than seventy books, including The Charles Swindoll Study Bible, all with the purpose of teaching people how to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Charles’ words are always insightful, and they never fail to inspire us to be better people. Here are some of the best quotes from Charles R. Swindoll that will surely inspire and motivate you to achieve great things in your life.

  • Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudiced; you’re taught it.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • We can’t solve modern problems by going back in time. Retreating to the safety of the familiar is an understandable response, but God has called us to a life of faith. And faith requires us to face the unknown while trusting Him completely.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • There is plenty of television. There are plenty of talk shows. There are plenty of comedians. But there is not plenty of worship of the true and living God.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I am often the brunt of my own humor.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • One of my great goals in life is to live long enough to where I am in the pulpit, preaching my heart out, and I die on the spot, my chin hits the pulpit – boom! – and I’m down and out. What a way to die!

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • The wonderful thing about God is he knows what we need to persuade us.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • When a church is spending more of its budget on media than shepherding, something is out of whack. We have gotten things twisted around.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • We need discernment in what we see and what we hear and what we believe.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • One of the worst things you can give to your people is someone you’re not.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • If I ever wrote a book on preaching, it would contain three words: Preach the Word. Get rid of all the other stuff that gets you sidetracked; preach the Word.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I’m here today to warn you: I want you to watch out for the adversary. Guard yourself from any spirit of entitlement. Restrain any and all subtle temptation to gain attention or to find ways to promote yourself.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Sometimes I wake up before dawn, and I love sitting up in the middle of the bed with all the lights off, pitch-black dark, and talking to the Father, with no interruptions and nothing that reminds me that there’s anything in life but me and Him.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • A teardrop on earth summons the King of heaven.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • There is nothing more fearful for the average person in our society than to stand before a group of people and speak.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • We can’t solve modern problems by going back in time. Retreating to the safety of the familiar is an understandable response, but God has called us to a life of faith. And faith requires us to face the unknown while trusting Him completely.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • There is plenty of television. There are plenty of talk shows. There are plenty of comedians. But there is not plenty of worship of the true and living God.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I am often the brunt of my own humor.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I believe firmly in God’s control in life.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • The swift wind of compromise is a lot more devastating than the sudden jolt of misfortune.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • As far back as I can remember, my mother would have me down by the bed at night with her, praying. I can still hear her voice calling my name to God and telling him that she wanted me to follow him in whatever he called me to do.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • When you are giving people the gospel, you are giving them something to believe, and you have to set the stage for that. You don’t just drive up and dump the truck and drive off.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • It is easy for Christians to have the false impression that once we have established a relationship with Christ, which we believe sets us right with God, the problems of life will somehow scoot away or they will slowly be removed from our lives.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I am a preacher. I’m involved in many other things, but, mainly, I preach. And I love it!

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • It’s the most exciting thing to watch God work when I’ve asked him about something, to listen to him and watch him work. It’s like this friendship, and it just grows and grows and grows and grows.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I’m not against screens, or new songs, or innovation. I just don’t like the gimmicks. I want to know when worship is over that that leader’s sole purpose was to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • When I think of vision, I have in mind the ability to see above and beyond the majority.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Nothing is more bothersome to me than retiring. Weird things happen when you disengage; first you get negative, then you start telling people about your latest surgeries, and eventually you lose touch. I want to stay in touch.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • While I was raised around churches and had gotten to know a few preachers fairly well, the thought never entered my head that I would one day stand and deliver. Not only was I not interested, I lived with a major struggle: I stuttered.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • When you have a sense of calling, whether it’s to be a musician, soloist, artist, in one of the technical fields, or a plumber, there is something deep and enriching when you realize it isn’t just a casual choice, it’s a divine calling. It’s not limited to vocational Christian service by any means.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I believe firmly in God’s control in life.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • The swift wind of compromise is a lot more devastating than the sudden jolt of misfortune.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • As far back as I can remember, my mother would have me down by the bed at night with her, praying. I can still hear her voice calling my name to God and telling him that she wanted me to follow him in whatever he called me to do.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • When you are giving people the gospel, you are giving them something to believe, and you have to set the stage for that. You don’t just drive up and dump the truck and drive off.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Alleged ‘impossibilities’ are opportunities for our capacities to be stretched.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I let people see the cracks in my life. We can’t be phony. We’ve got to keep it real.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Because God gave you your makeup and superintended every moment of your past, including all the hardship, pain, and struggles, He wants to use your words in a unique manner. No one else can speak through your vocal cords, and, equally important, no one else has your story.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Not every Christian finds it easy to believe.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I think it is important to begin with a statement in your speech that grabs the attention of the audience. I try to make my opening line 15 words or less.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • The world has changed and it’s going to keep changing, but God never changes; so we are safe when we cling to Him.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • I want to preach till the last breath in my lungs runs out.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.

    Charles R. Swindoll

  • The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

    Charles R. Swindoll