The Faithful Saying: 15 Timeless Sermons from Moody’s New York Revival Meetings [Updated and Annotated]

by Dwight L. Moody, J. Fogdall (Editor)

When Dwight L. Moody preached in New York in the late 1870s, thousands gathered to hear him proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the masses. Out of those meetings came The Faithful Saying– this collection of wonderful, powerful sermons.

With warmth, urgency, and simplicity, Moody calls believers to repentance, deeper faith, and personal revival. He reminds us that God chooses the weak to confound the mighty, that He honors the faith of His people, and that courage and wholehearted service are essential for anyone called to work in His vineyard.

The Faithful Saying overflows with encouragement for every Christian who longs to see true revival– in the heart, in the home, and in the world. Its message is as powerful today as when Moody first delivered it to the crowds of New York, for God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God (1 Corinthians 1: 27-29).

About the Author

Dwight L. Moody, determined to make a fortune, arrived in Chicago and started selling shoes. But Christ found him and his energies were redirected into full-time ministry. And what a ministry it was. Today, Moody's name still graces a church, a mission, a college, and more. Moody loved God and people, and the power of a love like that impacts generations.

Kindle Edition

Published February 9, 2026

About the author

Dwight Lyman Moody was a predominant evangelist, author, and publisher. Raised on a farm in Massachusetts, he moved first to Boston, where he converted to evangelical Christianity in 1856, and then to Chicago, where he prospered in business. He gave up business in 1860 and engaged in missionary work with the YMCA (1861-73).

He founded Moody Church and preached in the slums, emphasizing literal interpretation of the Bible and the need to prepare for the Second Coming. In 1870 he teamed up with the hymn writer Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908), and they began a series of highly popular revival tours in Britain and the U.S. Moody founded the Northfield School (1879), the Mount Hermon School (1881), and the Chicago Bible Institute (1889; now the Moody Bible Institute).

Reviews

[Judy King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another compilation of excellent sermons by D.L. Moody. Even on paper, one can sense the urgency of his message to his hearers. Consider this, “There is no true revival until God’s people are lifted up; until they are spiritually awakened. It will be superficial until then. It will be a counterfeit. If you attempt to begin working among the ungodly and unconverted before you are spiritually awakened yourself, God will not bless you. … If a man is near God, he will feel love for the sinner, and his heart will be going out after such.” This quote is taken from his sermon entitled, “Weak Things Confounding Things Which Are Mighty.” He goes on to encourage by reminding that God wants us to ask for great things.

In his sermon entitled, “Courage and Enthusiasm” Moody tells the reader that “There may be barriers in our path, but God can remove them. There may be a mountain in our way, but God can take us over the mountain. There may be difficulties in the way, but God can overcome them. Our God is above them all, and if the Church of God is ready to advance, all obstacles will be removed. No man sent by God ever failed.” An encouraging message for today’s Church.

Moody’s heart for the lost comes through clearly in “The Gospel to the Poor” and “Ye Must Be Born Again.”

One of the things I love most about Moody’s preaching is that he identifies the problem and then proceeds to show the solution from Scripture. Jesus did this, too, and so can we.