Customer Reviews

A Passion for Souls: The Life of D.L. Moody

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Any time spent reading about the life and work of D.L. Moody is well worth it. Moody impacted his generation for Christ the way Billy Graham has impacted ours. Details of Moody's Spirit anointed ministry are well researched and clearly presented in this excellent work by Lyle Dorsette. If you want to see what God can do through a person who is totally committed to Him, buy this book and read it carefully. Then, put it in your Church library for others to enjoy!

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[a] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen." -- Matthew 28:18-20

Of evangelism's household names from the last few centuries, I had heard more of D. L. Moody but knew less about him than any of the others. While researching a devotional for our church's Web site, one of our pastors encouraged me to look up how D. L. Moody was saved. Finding that story to be moving, naturally I went back and read the rest of the book. I was glad I did. I had no idea of the institutional influence that D. L. Moody has had on American Christianity.

I was again struck by how the Holy Spirit can bring someone to Salvation with only a little involvement by believers. It's more important to be serious about following the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) than it is to be a great Bible scholar, debater of Christian doctrine, or organizer of meetings for the saved.

Surveys show that 95 percent of American Christians never share their faith outside of their families, even though those who regularly share their faith take great joy in the activity.

In addition to reading and learning from A Passion for Souls, I recommend you take your own passion for souls as a way to follow Jesus and learn how to apply it in being a continual witness for Him.

May God bless you, your family, and all you do in the name of Jesus to help the lost to learn about Salvation.

I had a free download of this and have listened to over 17 hours narrated by Jonathan Marosz. It has been a real eye-opener for me although I thought I knew a bit about Moody. The author, Lyle W. Dorsett, is an affectionate recorder of the Moody phenomena but not without attempting to measure the man and his work.

I had no real idea of the way that the Moody years have shaped what became the consensus of evangelicalism for the whole of the 20th century. Moody's son commented that Moody's single ambition was 'to proclaim the good news of the gospel through multiplied agencies'. It was the 'multiplied agencies' that I had missed. He stamped his personality and pattern on the whole evangelical world, for good or ill. Evangelistic agencies, YMCAs, Bible colleges, schools, missionary outreaches, international travel were all part of the multiplied agencies. There can be no doubt that he brought millions of individuals face to face with their need for a personal encounter with Christ. How successful those encounters were cannot be measured. His fund raising abilities were legendary and he used what have now become stock in trade methods of mail hits and newspaper publicity. He never appealed for his own financial needs but never hesitated to use his powers and influence to raise huge sums of money for evangelistic campaigns and agencies.

Moody comes through as a man with a genuine gift for loyal friendship and a large heart. His fame gave him access to wide ranges of society and his burden was always to point them to their need for Christ. His energies were also legendary, as was his ability to conscript others into his campaigns.

Dorsett has a final chapter called 'a retrospect' in which he attempts to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Moody as a man and as a model. I have listened to this chapter 4 times. It is challenging, humbling and disturbing but perhaps an honest account of any man would be the same.

I leave this account feeling I have met Moody and warmed to him in a way that has surprised me although my apprehensions of his methodologies have been confirmed. This is a valuable account of a man whose life and manner continue to impact the world of evangelicalism. I give this a solid 4 stars out of 5.

Publisher: Moody Publishers (October 1997) 491 pages.
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802451942
ISBN-13: 978-0802451941

this is a great book. It is exciting and Moody's passion for God and serving with his all is inspiring. I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a copy for my dad for Christmas.

A a student of the scriptures, and being passionate about the Christian faith, this book will inspire you to grow in your faith. This book is about the inspiring DL Moody, and his life. You will read of his trials/tribulations, victories, and other moments of the life of this great evangelist.

Mr. Dorsett's book was an exciting book to read and a fast read. I only wish we could have a recording of Mr. Sankey's voice because he must have had a beautiful one to draw people to his singing. He and Mr. Moody became life long friends and toured tirelessly in their evangleical work.

I don't read many biographies twice. However, A Passion for Souls proved an exception. Having first read it in 2008, I felt led to reread it more recently. While doing so, I sensed the Lord touch me in a special way.

Many evangelicals, including numerous pastors and educators, shy away from talk of the Holy Spirit. However, this work convinced me that He should be a much greater part of my testimony and preaching. More importantly, it showed me the value of yielding everything in my life to His passions and purposes.

I was further moved by the discussion of Henry Moorhouse's preaching and its affect on Moody. If I'd been around then, I have little doubt that I, like Moody, would have found Moorhouse a nuisance . Yet, the account in Chapter 3 of Moorhouse's sharing God's love really struck me. Due to reading this section, I aim to share the message of God's love more freely in the future. Also, through reading about Moorhouse and others, I sensed a personal need to be more sensitive to the development of young leaders.

There is also a great deal about Moody's ministry during the Civil War, contributions to Christian education, family heritage, etc., throughout this fine volume. However, I'd rather not summarize those sections here. Discover this book for yourself!

Excellent!!!

It is amazing what God can do with a totally dedicated person.

Well done.

Well researched and well written history of D.L. Moody by Lyle Dorsett.. There were a few times I would have liked to know a little more - as in Moody's experience of being "baptized in the Spirit". Yet there were many details offered that seem to be information overkill for me. The book contains both historical accounts and lessons to be learned.

"A Passion For Souls" is clearly favorable toward Moody but does not shy away from the weaknesses in his life and poor decisions he made. The chronicled development of his character, ministry skills and walk with Christ are inspiring and encouraging.

Calling D.L. Moody the Billy Graham of the 19th Century is a compliment to both. I believe it would be helpful for every follower of Christ (and particularly those serving in ministry) to learn something of the dynamic and prolific life and ministry of D.L. Moody. He was a man who expanded God's Kingdom and contributed greatly to Christ's church.

"A Passion for Souls" is one of those books that I continue to think back on, though I read it a year ago. Lyle W. Dorsett did an excellent job of communicating the personality, heart, and devotion of D.L. Moody. This book impacted me in many ways. I was encouraged and challenged by Moody's heart for evangelism, and his tireless dedication to serving God no matter what the cost. In Moody's early days he shared the gospel with children in poor neighborhoods. He was one of the few who had the courage to go into the worst district of Chicago, known as the "the Sands" or "Little Hell". He also shared the gospel with soldiers during the civil war and worked with the YMCA. He served in Chicago, Boston, New York, and overseas.

Lyle W. Dorsett did a phenominal job of describing Moody as a real person. He didn't set him up on a pedistal as a spirital giant that no one can relate to. Instead, he showed his flaws as well as his strengths. He didn't hide the mistakes that Moody made or gloss over poor decisions. I felt I had a real sense of the kind of man that Moody was. He had a passion for God and a passion for reaching the lost. You can't read this book without examining your own heart and involvement with sharing the gospel. He also did a good job of describing Moody's family, especially his wife, Emma, and the struggles they faced together. They lost their home in the Chicago fire, and both did not hold tightly to the things of this world, but continually trusted God for his provision. Mr. Dorsett wrote that Moody gave a sermon at Farwell Hall shortly before the fire bell rang, and he never asked the people to surrender to Christ. Many people died that night, and this impacted his determination to always give people the opportunity to turn to Christ after every message.

I have to say that this was an amazing book, and if you want to learn more about D.L. Moody this is the book to read. There are numerous pictures of Moody and his family and Mr. Dorsett writes in a clear and easy manner. Mr. Dorsett wrties not only about Moody, but about the many people he impacted and who came along side him and served with him in the ministry. Moody had several close christian friends who funded his efforts, and layed their treasure in heaven. I will definitely be reading more books written by Lyle Dorsett.