April 25 – Got shoes?
A widow with nine children in rural Massachusetts. D L (Dwight Lyman) Moody was one of those children. He didn’t receive much education at all, but he didn’t want to live out his life without going for the gusto. He headed for Boston and got a job as a shoe salesman in his uncle’s shop. However, he was lonely in that huge city, so he joined the YMCA and then began attending a Congregational Church. He fell asleep one Sunday morning and was jolted awake by someone beside him in time to hear the preacher speaking directly to him – or so he thought. Moody was certain that someone had told the preacher about him. At the same time, his Sunday School teacher refused to let Moody stay away from class and kept a pretty close eye on him.
It was this man that brought Moody to Christ in his shoestore and though Moody had a difficult time articulating the why of his belief, he was a changed man and he definitely could articulate his belief, even with his poor education and lack of good reading ability.
Boston was not the home for Moody and soon he left for Chicago. The wildness of the city of Chicago suited his personality much better and he gathered children together at the North Wells Street Mission for a Sunday School class. Crowds of children came to learn from him.
He gathered some financial support and in 1864 his mission became a church and by 1871 he was leading a very comfortable ministry in Chicago. God had called him to be an evangelist, but Moody was comfortable with his life and didn’t plan to upset it. God did. The Great Chicago Fire burned his church, his home, the YMCA and the businesses of his supporters. He had nearly lost his life, but that along with his Bible were all that were saved. He began traveling and preaching to raise funds to rebuild the Chicago ministry.
In 1873 he went to England and held evangelistic meetings that transformed many people. After two years there, he returned to America and preached all through the country.
Moody understood businessmen. He preached without denominational ties and preached a very simple to understand, clear Gospel message. He recognized that business leaders would be the leaders of the new generation – not preachers and made strong connections with these men around the country. He brought business organization to his events and pushed business leaders to put their wealth towards good causes.
Moody established two schools in Massachusetts – the Northfield Seminary for girls and Mount Hermon School for boys. They have been combined to the present day Northfield Mount Hermon School. His church in Chicago became Moody Church and he founded Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishers as well.
He was influential in mission work around the world, raising funds to support Hudson Taylor and China Inland Mission and pushed his congregation to volunteer for oversees mission activity. When he was in England, he helped to establish a Christian Center in Ireland and published books of hymns there.
Though Chicago was the foundational base for his ministry, Northfield, Massachusetts remained his hiding place and he died there in December of 1899.
A widow with nine children in rural Massachusetts. D L (Dwight Lyman) Moody was one of those children. He didn’t receive much education at all, but he didn’t want to live out his life without going for the gusto. He headed for Boston and got a job as a shoe salesman in his uncle’s shop. However, he was lonely in that huge city, so he joined the YMCA and then began attending a Congregational Church. He fell asleep one Sunday morning and was jolted awake by someone beside him in time to hear the preacher speaking directly to him – or so he thought. Moody was certain that someone had told the preacher about him. At the same time, his Sunday School teacher refused to let Moody stay away from class and kept a pretty close eye on him.
It was this man that brought Moody to Christ in his shoestore and though Moody had a difficult time articulating the why of his belief, he was a changed man and he definitely could articulate his belief, even with his poor education and lack of good reading ability.
Boston was not the home for Moody and soon he left for Chicago. The wildness of the city of Chicago suited his personality much better and he gathered children together at the North Wells Street Mission for a Sunday School class. Crowds of children came to learn from him.
He gathered some financial support and in 1864 his mission became a church and by 1871 he was leading a very comfortable ministry in Chicago. God had called him to be an evangelist, but Moody was comfortable with his life and didn’t plan to upset it. God did. The Great Chicago Fire burned his church, his home, the YMCA and the businesses of his supporters. He had nearly lost his life, but that along with his Bible were all that were saved. He began traveling and preaching to raise funds to rebuild the Chicago ministry.
In 1873 he went to England and held evangelistic meetings that transformed many people. After two years there, he returned to America and preached all through the country.
Moody understood businessmen. He preached without denominational ties and preached a very simple to understand, clear Gospel message. He recognized that business leaders would be the leaders of the new generation – not preachers and made strong connections with these men around the country. He brought business organization to his events and pushed business leaders to put their wealth towards good causes.
Moody established two schools in Massachusetts – the Northfield Seminary for girls and Mount Hermon School for boys. They have been combined to the present day Northfield Mount Hermon School. His church in Chicago became Moody Church and he founded Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishers as well.
He was influential in mission work around the world, raising funds to support Hudson Taylor and China Inland Mission and pushed his congregation to volunteer for oversees mission activity. When he was in England, he helped to establish a Christian Center in Ireland and published books of hymns there.
Though Chicago was the foundational base for his ministry, Northfield, Massachusetts remained his hiding place and he died there in December of 1899.
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