"A new year...a new YOU? - It is time!" - Joey Ferrell
Here we are…once again at the end of a year. A year that may have been prosperous for you individually…or it may have been challenging in one way or another. In some ways, all of us can say that we have been prosperous, can we not? We have lived yet another day on this earth and we are alive and somewhat well enough to even read this article. And then…some of us may have had the absolute worst financial, emotional, physical…and maybe even spiritual years we have ever had.
For this author, this year has been a tough mixture of both…but GOD is GREAT all the time! Here I am on the next to the last day of the year looking out the window at what appears to be a warming day after an intense cold spell with record temperatures watching the animals in my own and in my neighbor’s farm. God has truly blessed me beyond measure…in the good times, and in the bad.
I can’t help but think about what James wrote concerning our trials. You may remember in the first chapter, starting in verse 2, James says this:
Brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete…”
James goes on to tell us some much more needed wisdom in how we seek out this perfection that we can afford while on this earth, and what a great reading it is.
So…even though we have all had some challenging times….and we have all had some joyous times…we get a “virtual” do-over by changing the calendar in a day or two. Isn’t that an interesting concept? Some days I think that is the silliest concept in the world since all we are doing is writing a different date on things…but then I get it. The paradigm is the underlying idea…not the calendar. Maybe you have had a tough physical year. Unfortunately, I have. Maybe you have lost some very close friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, I have. Maybe some of your closest relationships have become strained. Unfortunately, mine have. Maybe your financial situation changed through a job change, inflation or other things. Both fortunately…and unfortunately, mine has. But look at what we have to look forward to! John records the words of Jesus in Revelation 21 talking about the beauty of eternity in which none of these things will matter as long as we are on the “right side” of eternity.
Let me leave you with some verses that may help us all in the coming year to be better in our patience, our love, our spiritual being, and ourselves. We hope you have had a great year in 2022…and here is to an even better year in 2023!! (Translations vary)
Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”Exodus 12:2 “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.”
2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds.”
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation.”
Isaiah 43:25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
1 Corinthians 9:24 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”
Lamentations 3:40 “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
May God bless each of you and we are so thankful for you all!
Until 2023!
~Joey
From the field and around the www…
It has been a great year for both. We have seen some ups and some downs in our budget, our broadcast footprint, and our field rep visits.
We thought you would like to know though that at the end of the year, we have these analytics to share:
We have had over 278,000 pages viewed on our website from hundreds of countries
There have been over 204,000 visitors to the website (a new record)
3,616 downloads of our app have occurred this year
Scott and Joey visited a total of 50 congregations (including three lectureships) in 7 different states
At year end, we have over 90 local broadcasts on mostly major networks like CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, MyTv, CW as well as some independent stations
We measured over 43,000 households watching each week BEFORE adding CW Plus in October
And…thankfully to our generous contributors, we went from a major deficit in October to being on budget at the end of December
May God ALWAYS have all the glory! Can we come and visit with you in 2023? Please let us know where you are. We would love to talk with you.