- Home
- Speakers
- Joshua Daniel
- This Heart Is Too Small Part 5
This Heart Is Too Small - Part 5
Joshua Daniel

Joshua Daniel (1928 - 2014). Indian evangelist and president of Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International, born in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, to N. Daniel, a mathematics teacher turned revivalist. Saved at 15, he began preaching at 16 to students in Madras, earning a Master’s in English Literature from Madras University. Joining his father’s ministry in 1954, he led Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship from 1963, headquartered in Chennai, growing it to hundreds of centers across India, Cyprus, Guyana, and London. Known as the “boy revivalist,” he authored Faith Is the Victory and delivered thousands of sermons, aired on TV and radio in multiple languages, focusing on salvation and revival. Married to Lily, they had three children, including John, who succeeded him. His annual retreats at Beulah Gardens drew 7,000-9,000, emphasizing prayer and holiness. Daniel’s ministry, marked by tentmaker missionaries, impacted millions despite later critiques of family-centric leadership.
Download
Topic
Sermon Summary
This sermon emphasizes the importance of spiritual legacy and the eternal perspective of life. It challenges individuals to consider the spiritual inheritance they are passing on to their children and others, reflecting on the impact of their actions and the need for genuine spiritual depth rather than superficial appearances. The message also highlights the refining fire of God that tests and purifies our works, urging believers to build with lasting materials that will withstand God's judgment.
Sermon Transcription
And when I started preaching in other parts of the world, people would not even think of that. That's all. They would be perfectly satisfied. I have done a great job. And you know, my daughter is here, my son is there, doing this, doing that. One day, I got a letter. Congratulations, Joshua Daniel. When I opened it, you are so lucky. You have been selected for a plot in the cemetery. I said, what? I am not ready for your plot. That is, of course, a commercial gimmick. Listen, friends. But, when a father or a mother says, See, one of these days I am going to die. We have done a great job. And my children are all comfortably settled. You know, that's all some people care. Has my son a double portion of the spirit? You know, my father, before he died, told me something which I could hardly believe. He prayed for me. And he said to me, God is going to use you more than he used me. God is going to use you more than he used me. I saw that my father was a man of God. I said, no, that cannot be. I am never going to be anywhere near where my dad is. He seemed to live in the heavenly. And I knew my follies and foolishness. But, my dear people, many parents don't seem to think of this. What is the spiritual capital they are giving their children? When anybody dies, I consider my own contribution to that person's life. And I often find myself to be very wanting. I didn't do this for this man. I didn't lift this girl any higher. I did not go that second mile. You see, friends, I find myself faulted from many directions. I don't know how you take these things. But God says, Look, you are poor. You are wretched. You are miserable. You are naked. What? Can you be naked and not know it? On one occasion, Mr. Winston Churchill had just come out of his bath. There was a knock on the door, and in came President Roosevelt. And he said, I am completely naked. This is a historic occasion. Never did a head of state receive another head of state in this occasion. Never did a head of state receive another head of state in this occasion. Listen, friends. Don't you behave like that and say, in your diary, this is a historic occasion. Don't you behave like that and say, in your diary, this is a historic occasion. It is a shameful occasion. Thou dost not know that you are naked. Oh, my beloved people. And so God said to this church, I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire. The Bible speaks of building with gold, silver, and precious stones. And every man's work shall be tried by fire. The fire shall prove every man's work. Now we are talking about not the natural fires, but the fire of God. We are talking about the fire of God. My, I see so much blubber, just fat, only fat. I see so much just froth, big show, nothing there will remain if it is passed through God's fire. My dear friends, until we meet again,
This Heart Is Too Small - Part 5
- Bio
- Summary
- Transcript
- Download

Joshua Daniel (1928 - 2014). Indian evangelist and president of Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International, born in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, to N. Daniel, a mathematics teacher turned revivalist. Saved at 15, he began preaching at 16 to students in Madras, earning a Master’s in English Literature from Madras University. Joining his father’s ministry in 1954, he led Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship from 1963, headquartered in Chennai, growing it to hundreds of centers across India, Cyprus, Guyana, and London. Known as the “boy revivalist,” he authored Faith Is the Victory and delivered thousands of sermons, aired on TV and radio in multiple languages, focusing on salvation and revival. Married to Lily, they had three children, including John, who succeeded him. His annual retreats at Beulah Gardens drew 7,000-9,000, emphasizing prayer and holiness. Daniel’s ministry, marked by tentmaker missionaries, impacted millions despite later critiques of family-centric leadership.