Dare to Hope!
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Dwight L. Moody
D. L Moody
(1837-1899)
“Some day you will read in the papers that Moody is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I was born of the flesh in 1837, I was born of the Spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit shall live forever.”
—D.L. Moody
More Online Resources
Text of Selected Writings at Project Gutenberg
D. L. Moody: Preaching to sinners
Dwight Lyman (D.L.) Moody (1837-1899) began his Christian life with such little education that he could barely read the Bible aloud to the children he won to Christ, but by the time he died he had left a Bible institute, schools for children, and a worldwide evangelistic ministry still changing lives today. His heart to win souls to Jesus at any cost produced an enduring legacy.
He told a story to illustrate how he learned to walk in Jesus’ steps:
“There is a story of a Bohemian king, St. Wenceslas, going to devotions in a distant church, one snowy winter night. His servant followed, trying to imitate his zeal; but the way was rough, and he began to faint. The king told him to step in the marks he made, and he was able to follow. Christ commanded us to follow in His steps. The path is smoother because He trod it.”
In the 19th century, Moody held huge crusades and reached continents for Christ, but he began by walking in Jesus’ steps among the poor. His mission field was the ghetto and he made little provision for his own comfort. Instead of a home, he slept on a bench in a room at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). There he prayed in secret in a coal closet under the stairs. His food was plain and he was able to stretch the contributions given to him by his friends to meet all of his expenses.
A turning point came in Moody’s life after the Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed much of what he had worked for in ministry. After making sure that his children were safe, he and his wife worked tirelessly to help others.
After losing so much that he had built up over the years, he realized that much of what he had accomplished had not been a result of a direct word from God but his own initiative. He made a commitment that in the future he would consult God first, not ask Him to bless the work later.
Dwight Lyman (D.L.) Moody (1837-1899) began his Christian life with such little education that he could barely read the Bible aloud to the children he won to Christ, but by the time he died he had left a Bible institute, schools for children, and a worldwide evangelistic ministry still changing lives today. His heart to win souls to Jesus at any cost produced an enduring legacy.
He told a story to illustrate how he learned to walk in Jesus’ steps:
“There is a story of a Bohemian king, St. Wenceslas, going to devotions in a distant church, one snowy winter night. His servant followed, trying to imitate his zeal; but the way was rough, and he began to faint. The king told him to step in the marks he made, and he was able to follow. Christ commanded us to follow in His steps. The path is smoother because He trod it.”
In the 19th century, Moody held huge crusades and reached continents for Christ, but he began by walking in Jesus’ steps among the poor. His mission field was the ghetto and he made little provision for his own comfort. Instead of a home, he slept on a bench in a room at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). There he prayed in secret in a coal closet under the stairs. His food was plain and he was able to stretch the contributions given to him by his friends to meet all of his expenses.
A turning point came in Moody’s life after the Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed much of what he had worked for in ministry. After making sure that his children were safe, he and his wife worked tirelessly to help others.
After losing so much that he had built up over the years, he realized that much of what he had accomplished had not been a result of a direct word from God but his own initiative. He made a commitment that in the future he would consult God first, not ask Him to bless the work later.
- Converted to Christ as a teenager by his Sunday School teacher. Evangelist to children, eventually people of all ages. One million converts before he died.
- Founded Colportage Association to produce literature for “book missionaries” to spread the Gospel by giving away literature and then selling books door-to-door and through a book-of-the-month club (first of its kind).
- Moody Press. Colportage Association became Moody Press, which now provides literature for evangelism in 120 nations.
- Moody Bible Institute and Moody Church. Founded Chicago Evangelization Society in 1889, which was later renamed Moody Bible Institute. It was an outgrowth of the 1887 Chicago crusade. Founded a church in Chicago that was renamed Moody Church after his death.
- Schools for boys and girls. Founded Northfield Seminary (now Northfield School for Girls) in 1879, and the Mount Hermon School for Boys (1881) in Northfield, Massachusetts.
- Revell Publishing. Founded a newspaper for Sunday School materials, then convinced his brother-in-law, Fleming H. Revell, to take it over. It became a successful publishing company named after Revell.
- Moody’s first book, a collection of sermons, sold 120,000 copies in the first year.
- Million-seller song book. He teamed with musician Ira Sankey to write a million-seller song book and donated all proceeds to charitable causes.
