Happy New Year from Bright Hope! On January 1st, let’s open our hearts to listen closely to God’s call. As the year unfolds, let’s trust His guidance, follow His lead, and walk in faith, knowing He guides us toward our purpose.
Hear from Kevin G. Dyer, founder of Bright Hope International, as he reflects on God’s call to serve the poor. Take time to consider what God might be calling you to do—whom to love, support, or defend. The first step may be challenging, but He will empower you every step of the way!
A New Year for Kevin Dyer
I love New Year’s Day! It’s a fresh start. There is an unblemished record of days ahead. The pages are blank.
I remember two very important New Years in my life. In Australia, January 1st is the height of summertime. When I was a teenager, I always attended a Christian youth camp between December 26th and New Year’s Eve.
One year, on December 31st, the last night of camp, the speaker asked if anyone wanted to come forward to express their decision to follow Jesus, whatever the cost. I got out of my seat and walked to the front. That was a life-changing moment for me. I was starting a New Year with a new commitment.
A few weeks after that camp, I went back to high school. I traveled on a school bus for an hour from my hometown to where the high school was located. I always sat in the back of the bus with the rough and rowdy guys. They were not a good influence on me. I knew I had to make the change, so I got on the bus the first morning and sat on the seat right at the front, just behind the driver. My friends in the back hooted and hollered about what I was doing. I simply said, “I got changed over Christmas, and I am making a decision to be different.” It was excruciatingly brutal.
A New Calling: Walk by Faith
Twelve years later, when I was twenty-eight, I returned to that same camp as the speaker. I had just come home from living in India and other Southeast Asian countries, and my heart had been broken by the things that break God’s heart. There were about 85 teens at the camp. It was New Year’s Eve, and I told them my story about how I had made that decision, which set me on a new course for the rest of my life. Then I spoke from Luke 9:23, “Whoever saves his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will save it.”
As I concluded, a holy hush came over the audience. I asked the young people to consider giving their lives to serve the Lord Jesus. The Spirit of God was moving. A few got out of their seats and rushed to the front, weeping. Before it ended, there were more than forty young people at the front grappling with this life-changing moment. Transformation was taking place, and servants of Christ were being made.
Are you prepared to put your life on the line for the King of Kings this New Year?
Make this New Year Count!
In 2025, what decisions do you want to make that will change the trajectory of your life and the lives of others? Your generosity can share hope and healing and make a lasting impact on families stuck in dire poverty. God hears our prayers, and He will move on behalf of the poor (Ps. 140:12). Start 2025 with purpose—together, we can create a brighter future for families across the globe.
