Moody Classics Series

Now with a foreword by Matthew Lee Anderson Antiquated. Unimaginative. Repressive. We've all heard these common reactions to orthodox Christian beliefs. Even Christians themselves are guilty of the tendency to discard historic Christianity. Yet as we read through the literature in Christianity’s past, we learn that we are in better company with our beliefs than we might think. Through his enchanting book, Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton reminds us of the paradoxes of our faith and the joy that comes when we explore them. From the foreword by Matthew Lee Anderson, author of The End of Our Exploring: “How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it?” And with that question, G.K. Chesterton recounts the heart of an intellectual journey that took him from the edges of a nihilistic pessimism into the center of the paradoxical joy of Christian orthodoxy. His book is not a defense of the Christian faith, at least not primarily, so much as an attempt to explain how the startling paradoxes and sharp edges of the creed explain everything else. It is a dated work, dealing in the categories and concerns of Chesterton’s contemporaries, and yet it comes nearer timelessness than anything we have today. Though Orthodoxy was written near the start of the 20th century, I have dubbed it the most important book for the 21st. There are few claims I have made in my life that I am more sure of than that one. 

"Augustine never thought of God without thinking of his sin, nor of his sin without thinking of Christ." St. Augustine grates hard against "the anatomy of evil" while dealing succinctly and honestly with his own proneness toward sin. From his infatuation with its initial beauty to the discounting of his previously wasted life, Augustine leaves little to the imagination regarding his need to be saved from himself. Most of Augustine's Confessions are spent in a nearly catastrophe tug of war. From insult and injury to passion, lost love, and the arts--this work leads through and beyond a world where God's timing is absolutely perfect. Nothing has really changed since then. Sin is still sin--and God is still God. Moody Classics Of all the factors influencing our spiritual growth and development, pivotal books play a key role. Learning from those who have walked the path and fought the fight brings wisdom and strengthens resolve. And hearing the familiar chords of kingdom living sung by voices from other times can penetrate cultural barriers that limit our allegiance to the King. To this end, Moody Publishers is honored to introduce the first six volumes in what is to be an ongoing series of spiritual classics. Selected for their enduring influence and timeless perspective, these new editions promise to shape the lives of spiritual pilgrims for generations to come.

Author J. Oswald Sanders, a lawyer turned 20th century missionary statesman, follows Jesus from His pre-existence to His earthly life and coming Second Advent. Throughout he upholds Jesus as the powerful and perfect Savior of the world, arguing against any who would diminish His uniqueness.

This is not a devotional classic; it is a dangerous tale. It is a call to the high stakes of every Christian's journey. Don't pick it up expecting quaint amusement- it is a story woven through with undeniable truth, great cost, and overwhelming joy.  One of the most widely read books of all time, this adventure reveals John Bunyan's intense grasp of the Scriptures. Penned while in prison for refusing to compromise the gospel, The Pilgrim's Progress is a guide for the journey from death to life. The times have changed, but the landmarks and adversaries are very much the same. Moody Classics Of all the factors influencing our spiritual growth and development, pivotal books play a key role. Learning from those who have walked the path and fought the fight brings wisdom and strengthens resolve. And hearing the familiar chords of kingdom living sung by voices from other times can penetrate cultural barriers that limit our allegiance to the King. To this end, Moody Publishers is honored to introduce the first six volumes in what is to be an ongoing series of spiritual classics. Selected for their enduring influence and timeless perspective, these new editions promise to shape the lives of spiritual pilgrims for generations to come.

D. L. Moody writes, “It is like this. When a man enters the army, he is a member of the army the moment he enlists; he is just as much a member as a man who has been in the army ten or twenty years. But enlisting is one thing, and participating in a battle another.” Originally published in 1894, The Overcoming Life is one of those little books you just have to read. It is quintessential D.L. Moody. Its blunt edge drives hard at the ways in which Christians are overcome in this life (spiritual warfare, sin, distraction, etc.) and then gives ample assistance as to how we might begin to live a life in Christ that overcomes the things that once took hold of us.

Thomas a Kempis was not a haphazard follower of Jesus.  The depth of his masterpiece mirrors the life of a man who did whatever was necessary to imitate his own Savior.  A Kempis lived as intentionally as he wrote.  We must turn away from the things of this world, we must live sacrificially, we must be inundated with Christ's passionate teaching, and we must pray to be removed from distraction. A classic in every state of the word, The Imitation of Christ places the fruit of one man's single-minded devotion to God's calling on his life within the reach of every reader.  May we all commit to be this effective in our emulation of Jesus.  Moody Classics Of all the factors influencing our spiritual growth and development, pivotal books play a key role. Learning from those who have walked the path and fought the fight brings wisdom and strengthens resolve. And hearing the familiar chords of kingdom living sung by voices from other times can penetrate cultural barriers that limit our allegiance to the King. To this end, Moody Publishers is honored to introduce the first six volumes in what is to be an ongoing series of spiritual classics. Selected for their enduring influence and timeless perspective, these new editions promise to shape the lives of spiritual pilgrims for generations to come.

"The intelligent child of God must be driven to say, 'I must pray, pray, pray. I must put all my energy and all my heart into prayer. Whatever else I do, I must pray.'" Stunning and forthright, R.A. Torrey's "little book on prayer" is a reflection of the writer who once had it said about him, "One wonders if there has ever lived a man who did so many things well for Christ." Torrey deals with the key elements of life-changing prayer, such as praying in the Spirit, abiding in Christ, obstacles to prayer, the best times to pray, seeking revival through prayer, and more. Torrey outlines a practical strategy for living life in conversation with God. Moody Classics Of all the factors influencing our spiritual growth and development, pivotal books play a key role. Learning from those who have walked the path and fought the fight brings wisdom and strengthens resolve. And hearing the familiar chords of kingdom living sung by voices from other times can penetrate cultural barriers that limit our allegiance to the King. To this end, Moody Publishers is honored to introduce the first six volumes in what is to be an ongoing series of spiritual classics. Selected for their enduring influence and timeless perspective, these new editions promise to shape the lives of spiritual pilgrims for generations to come.

"...the Fullness of the Spirit is the Birthright of every believer." That fullness is not only a privilege; God's Word commands us to be filled with His Spirit. And to be filled, we must first be cleansed. Only the Spirit can complete that task in our lives, and He does that when we yield ourselves to God. Explore the means of being Spirit-filled, and the blessings that result from it.

J.C. Ryle’s Holiness has imparted a standing challenge to Christians for 130 years. In this new, slimmed-down series of excerpts from Ryle’s masterwork, we aim to present his original message to a whole new generation. Holiness, Ryle argued, was not simply a matter of believing and feeling, but of doing. 

Pastor and civil war chaplain E. M. Bounds penned his slim classic on prayer for the simple reason that Christians don't pray enough. "The little estimate we put on prayer is evident from the little time we give to it," he wrote. "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still." Bounds' simple, concise volume can help all Christians rediscover the source of spiritual power in their life.  

ABSENT FROM THE BODY--PRESENT WITH THE LORD Do you find yourself thinking about heaven? Where is it? Who lives there? If heaven seems to be an abstract idea, perhaps it's because you know few concrete facts about it. Heaven, by D.L. Moody, will bring the celestial city into perspective for you. You will discover fascinating facts the Bible teaches about the place believers will spend eternity: Its Hope Its Inhabitants Its Happiness Its Certainty Its Riches Its Rewards If you were going to emigrate to a foreign country, you would learn all you could about that new place. Now is your chance to learn about heaven. Let D.L. Moody bring it into focus for you.

The crucifixion. A grisly, criminal death, yet a triumphant occasion for displaying God's miraculous redemptive power. Explore the six great wonders God performed at Calvary: the darkness, the rent veil, the earthquake, the opened graves, the undisturbed graveclothes, and the restoration to life of Old Testament saints.

"MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN KEPT OUT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD BY YOUR GOOD WORKS." A startling thought, isn't it? Righteous acts and hard work may be the very things that lock the door to God's salvation, writes D. L. Moody. The faith versus works debate has gone on for two thousand years. Today the confusion continues. How many people, perhaps even you, believe that if they try hard enough, they may be able to escape judgment and receive God's gift of salvation? In God's Abundant Grace, D. L. Moody's words reach forward in time to strip away the layers we've added to God's salvation and lay bare the simple instruction: "To him that worketh not, but believeth to Him,... his faith is counted for righteousness."

A spiritual biography of the "father of modern missions," Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret poses the question: What empowered Hudson Taylor's ministry in China?  The answer: a fierce faith that believed God truly would fulfill the promises in His Word. Written by the missionary statesman's son and daughter-in-law, this book is intended for Christians who "need and long for just the inward joy and power that Hudson Taylor found." Hudson Taylor's secret, it turns out, is available to any who call on Christ's name. "An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power," Taylor said. "Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs--an easygoing one for easygoing Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit?"

F. B. Meyer writes, “The grace of purity and self-control, of fervent prayer and understanding in the Scriptures, of love for men and zeal for God, of lowliness and meekness, of gentleness and goodness—all is in Christ; and if Christ is in us, all is ours also.” F.B. Meyer was a contemporary and friend of D.L. Moody who was also a pioneer in the field of inner-city missions work. Drawing constantly on Scripture in this book, Meyer exhorts us to seek after God’s best for our lives by examining our inner motives, understanding Christ’s role in our present-day, and then examining how we ought to then bear up underneath the secret of God’s guidance.

L. E. Maxwell writes, “The cross is the key to all situations as well as to all Scripture.” By relating the cross as essential to the life of the believer, Professor L.E. Maxwell simply and practically shows how an understanding of our identification with Christ in his death and resurrection can lead to life as it was meant to be lived. It is by living with a cross-centered perspective that we can have both victory over sin and power to serve God well. Maxwell's heart and vision for training up young poeple with the truth of God's Word and the necessity of evangelism shines forth in this little book.  Readers know authenticity when they read it - and Maxwell exudes it.

How many years has it been since you first heard the story of Daniel in the lions' den? Do you think of it merely as a child's story, one with little application for today? Almost one hundred years ago, D.L. Moody sketched the lives of Daniel and others, drawing applications to his day. Their relevance today is startling. Here again are Mr. Moody's insightful sketches of men God challenged, including: Daniel Enoch Lot Jacob John the Baptist

When George Mueller could not get it out of his mind to open a house for orphans in late 1835, he purposed to do so "that God might be magnified by the fact that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith." For over sixty years George Mueller wrote down the details of the Lord's provision. Thousands of orphans depended solely on Mueller, and Mueller, in turn, depended solely on the Lord. Prayer is an urgent matter that always yields crucial results. Through his narrative account, Mueller reveals how powerful and spiritually rewarding prayer can be in your life. Moody Classics Of all the factors influencing our spiritual growth and development, pivotal books play a key role. Learning from those who have walked the path and fought the fight brings wisdom and strengthens resolve. And hearing the familiar chords of kingdom living sung by voices from other times can penetrate cultural barriers that limit our allegiance to the King. To this end, Moody Publishers is honored to introduce the first six volumes in what is to be an ongoing series of spiritual classics. Selected for their enduring influence and timeless perspective, these new editions promise to shape the lives of spiritual pilgrims for generations to come.

C. H. Spurgeon writes, “Only God can justify the ungodly, but He can do it to perfection. He casts our sins behind His back; He blots them out. He says that though they be sought for, they shall not be found.” In an age of limited travel and isolated nations, C.H. Spurgeon preached to over 10,000,000 people in person—sometimes up to 10 times per week. It is in this classic work that Spurgeon most clearly present the message of salvation—man’s ultimate need and God’s unique provision—both simply and sincerely, for honest seekers and zealous witnesses alike.

Though her life was difficult, Hannah Whitall Smith's message was joyful. In the Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, she writes that "Jesus came to save you fully now, in this life, from the power and dominion of sin, and to deliver you altogether." Passionate and practical, Whitall Smith's classic of the Holiness movement focuses not on human effort but on simple, stubborn faith in the Savior and Sanctifier of the soul. "Our part is the trusting," she writes, "it is His to accomplish the results."