D. L. Moody: One Devoted Man by Nancy Drummond {Review}

DL Moody is a great book for 8-14 year olds about the life of a man devoted to Christ

I’d like to thank Christian Focus Publications for giving me a copy of D.L. Moody: One Devoted Man by Nancy Drummond in return for my honest review.

D.L. Moody (1837-1899) was a most unlikely Christian evangelist. Poor, uneducated, and raised in a Unitarian church, he had no of the markings of a future pastor. Yet he was saved at 17 and a desire to see souls come to Christ was ignited within him.

Dwight Lyman Moody was spent much of his time as an adult ministering in the city of Chicago, moving from Boston before he was 20. He began work as a shoe salesman, and in his off-hours he taught Sunday School, fishing for students in run-down neighborhoods. Not content to teach just a few children to know Christ, D.L. Moody expanded his ministry renting a dance hall, cleaning it out Sunday mornings, then walking through the neighborhood to collect children before hold a service again in the evening, this time for adults. His Sunday School soon had an attendance of–wait for it–1,500 students.

The services grew, D.L. Moody quit his shoe-selling job, and he dedicated himself to full-time service of the gospel. Moody served the Lord through the Civil War, ministering to soldiers. His ministry continued to grow until he was traveling to the UK to preach, and holding evangelical campaigns at home in America as well. Undoubtedly thousands came to Christ, though D.L. Moody refused to keep score.

Nancy Drummond’s new book, D.L. Moody: One Devoted Man (CF4K, 2015) is a great way for kids aged 8-14 to learn about the life of the 19th century American evangelist who sought to bring as many as possible to eternal life in Jesus Christ as possible.

One of the things I earnestly love about Christian Focus’ Trailblazers series (which now has 51 biographies!) for 8-14 year olds is that the stories read like novels. Kids really feel like they’re part of the story. I also love the fact that reading biographies of earnest Christians to kids helps build their faith and their character. Honestly, I’ll probably read these books on lazy Sunday afternoons when my kids are grown. (If they don’t insist on taking them with them, which I expect they will. I may have to buy more copies!)

Nancy Drummond grew up as a missionary child in Jamaica before becoming an educator and spending many years as a Sunday School teacher. She’s now a youth leader, wife and mother. She’s written three other book in the Traiblazers line.

D.L. Moody: One Devoted Man would coordinate well with studies involving