Southern Baptist / Evangelical · Mid-20th Century

William Franklin Graham Jr.

November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018

The 20th century's most recognized evangelist. Preached the gospel in person to more than 215 million people in 185 countries through his crusade ministry from 1947 to 2005.

Tradition

Southern Baptist / Evangelical

Era

Mid-20th Century

Preserved Sermons

Hundreds

Biography

William Franklin 'Billy' Graham Jr. was born on a dairy farm outside Charlotte, North Carolina, converted at sixteen under evangelist Mordecai Ham, and at twenty-six was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister. His 1949 Los Angeles tent crusade — extended from three weeks to eight after newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst telegrammed his editors to 'puff Graham' — launched him into international prominence overnight. From 1947 until his last crusade in 2005, Graham preached the gospel in person to an estimated 215 million people across 185 countries, more than any other evangelist in history. He served as spiritual counselor to twelve U.S. presidents from Truman to Obama, founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1950, co-founded Christianity Today magazine in 1956, and lent his name to Samaritan's Purse and the Cove training center in Asheville. Graham's sermons were strikingly simple in form — typically a single passage of Scripture, a clear diagnosis of sin, and an unembellished call to come forward and trust Christ — and that simplicity is precisely what allowed them to translate across language, culture, and television cable.

Legacy

Graham defined the post-war American evangelical movement. The 'altar call' as a televised mass-media event, the cooperative interdenominational crusade, and the Billy Graham Rule on integrity in ministry are all his legacy. His son Franklin Graham continues the BGEA ministry, and the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte hosts archived sermon audio and video from every major crusade.

Notable Sermons

Copyright & Usage

All sermons by Billy Graham remain copyrighted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The archive below links to the official BGEA site where sermons are freely accessible for personal study but not redistribution. Please do not republish full sermon text without permission.

Where to Read More

Where to Find the Full Billy Graham Archive

Archive guide

The Billy Graham Sermon Archives

Seven decades of crusade sermons, Hour of Decision radio broadcasts, and television specials, preserved by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte.

70+ years of crusades · Audio · Video · Text

Common Questions About Billy Graham's Sermons

Did Billy Graham preach a sermon on Psalm 91?

Not as a standalone crusade sermon, as far as BGEA's published archive shows — but he did write on it. His devotion 'Angels Have Charge Over Us', on Psalm 91:2, appears in Day by Day with Billy Graham (© 1976 BGEA) and is published free on billygraham.org. Separately, the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove has run a verse-by-verse devotional series on Psalm 91, covering verses 1, 2, 14 and 15. Those Cove posts are written by Training Center staff rather than by Graham himself, which is worth knowing if you are looking for his own words.

Where can I find Billy Graham's sermon on Psalm 35 or Psalm 59?

We could not find one. Searching BGEA's published devotions and its sermon archive turns up no Billy Graham message devoted to Psalm 35 or Psalm 59. Both titles circulate widely on video platforms — usually as 'morning prayer' or 'prayer for protection' compilations that pair Graham's name, and sometimes his voice from unrelated recordings, with narration over a psalm. Those are assembled by third-party channels and are not published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. If you want to know what Graham actually said on a passage, the official audio archive of more than 1,600 sermons is the place to check, and it is free.

Are Billy Graham's sermons available free to listen to?

Yes. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association publishes more than 1,600 sermons spanning sixty years of ministry at billygraham.org/sermons, at no cost, alongside a Classics collection of his best-known crusade messages and shorter sermon clips. The recordings remain BGEA copyright, so they are free to listen to and study but not to re-upload or redistribute.

Studying Billy Graham? Get it in text.

Billy Graham's messages are audio. Notes, quotes and searching are text. Take any sermon from the archives above — a broadcast episode, a podcast download, a recording you already own — and get the full transcript back. First sermon free, up to 90 minutes, no card.

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Other Famous Preachers

Charles Spurgeon

June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892

John Wesley

June 17, 1703 – March 2, 1791

Jonathan Edwards

October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758

D.L. Moody

February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899

George Whitefield

December 16, 1714 – September 30, 1770

John MacArthur

June 19, 1939 – present

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