Happy New Year From BibleProject!

[Music] Hello Tim hey John hi hi it's the last Week of the year and that means there's Someone else here with us yep yeah hi Steve Tim Steve Atkinson John good to be Here our fearless leader CEO Bible Project and uh here we go it's the end Of 2022 and we uh wanted to just take a A step out of our normal kind of talking About Bible Stuff and reflect on the year so far What the journey has been like and Celebrate with all of you who listened To the podcast about the really cool Stuff that's been happening yeah we did This last year in the Year Steve you Were with us that was a lot of fun so Let's do it again thank you yeah once a Year Once a year that's all we need of you And then just go back that's right run Everything Got to give the people what they want John they've just been begging for you Back Um so let's reflect on the year it's Been Um a wild year it's been a wonderful Year 2022 yep I'm trying to process it Process it upload it the biggest thing For this year that really marked us was Releasing the app yes we released that At the very beginning of this year in 2022. so this time last year we're

Hustling to get it on the App Store We've never released an app we've never Done anything like this we're going for It and um and we get it up on January One so that not only does the app Release but a whole new reading Experience that goes with it yeah would Release that we've been calling a Journey through the tour yep the reading Journey yeah that was a big project so Many people on our team worked so hard It to release that into the world yeah On January 1st and it's been really Amazing to see all the interaction with It yeah Steve's our data guy yeah what What's the action on the app that's Scary that you're calling me Actually the dead guy in the room I know The data guy and where we're currently At is 685 000 downloads which is Exciting and 170 000 active monthly Active users and uh yeah so super Encouraged by that and and again I know We focused a lot on Journeys but I'm Excited about the app because it's a Great place to house all of our content So you can watch all of the videos there The podcasts are there and they're set Up and grouped in a way I think that's a Lot easier to to find than on some of The other platforms and so you know it Makes me think Steve for years uh early In the project one as you because you've Been uh like a cheerleader for the

Project for someone many years before You came on into leadership and I Remember one of the consistent themes You would bring up in talking to patrons Or sharing it with people is people Wishing there was just like a One-Stop Shopping center for all the content in One convenient place and the website did That in certain ways But does the app finally satisfy Absolutely all the desires of your heart I am a satisfied Satisfied person because it does it it Does house everything and it's right There and it's on our phone and as some Of the data suggests more and more of Our content is being viewed over the Phone over any other device and so super Excited about that these kids in their Apps and I know the app isn't everything We want it to be and we got a long ways To go but so excited about this first Start and the fact that I continue to Receive Patron comments from folks that Are talking about how much they love the App and so when people ask where can I Find the podcast where can I find it Just so encouraging to say hey download The app you can find it all there yeah Yeah and so something that is not we Don't celebrate a lot is that all the Content's there it's also Um when you watch a video or listen to a Podcast we have a feature that kind of

Gives you the notes as you're watching That's right yeah or listen as Yeah Um which is cool and so that's that's Super valuable to people so the app was A big splash big project the reading Journeys that we created and it's kind Of it's kind of interactive Reading experience was through the whole Torah yeah through like one quarter of The Bible Really yeah the tour is a quarter of the Bible not by page count yeah really the New Testament is is about one quarter of The length of the whole Bible if you had The three parts to knock so think of it Like the three parts of the tanak Torah Prophets writings New Testament we did a Quarter of the Bible yeah oh wow I feel Good about myself yes so you should John And we divided all the five Scrolls into Three parts each yeah so or in Genesis Four so it was a big that was a big part Of what we were making and releasing and It was for the first year Where we spent a whole bunch of time Releasing something that wasn't in video Form right a lot of content that wasn't In video form it was in the app where You could explore a theme while reading Through that part of the Bible now let's Talk about that because the big vision For the app Is not only is all the content

Accessible Like as you need it when you need it But the big dream of the app is that you Can learn these skills these literary Skills that we're exploring you could Learn them While while interacting with the Bible So you're learning the skills while You're reading the Bible and Um in like a really painless way like That's the that's the ideal is like You're just in there you're exploring Your your you're interacting in a really Cool way Um that's a big Big project that we're undertaking and The journey Through the Torah tracing a theme was Kind of a like a big swing at what could That interactive Bible be like how could You read through the whole Torah also Learn these biblical themes at the same Time learn how to Um see one section of a Biblical scroll And just follow one word or idea through That section yeah and that's what we're Trying to help people develop the Awareness and skill for how to do that So it's kind of like you could take a Class on themes in the Bible yeah and How to trace them Or you could read the Bible and we're Trying to combine those two into you Actually learn how to trace a theme as

You actually read through that was kind Of the big idea yeah yeah so Um we learned so much and it was so Rewarding to get through the Torah And next year as we think about how do We interact with the Bible within the App we're gonna go for like smaller wins That allow us to try a lot more stuff Like reading plans or skill development Ways to access our content and interact With it because what we're doing With this interactive Bible is really New like yeah I don't think it's been done there's Study Bibles there's digital Bibles yeah But I don't think there's a really a Truly native Digital Study Bible which by that I mean Like you could We this is what we've been talking about In terms of like Maps Alexander our Product lead for the app kind of gave us This metaphor where he talked about how It used to be Steve you you you talk About the like the maps that you used to Have in the car oh that's called the Thomas guide the Thomas Guy where you'd Be driving along and you're on page 455 And then you would drive off the page And you then had to go to page 687. you Have to pick it up so you're you know in Rush hour traffic Not dangerous at all no no no and you Also said you could pull off to like

Like a triple A and the print directions For you because you're in the real old Days but if you wanted a map if you're Going to take a big road trip you could Go to AAA and they would map the entire Trip so you'd have these books and it Would be highlighted but a page can only Contain so much content so you'd flip The page and then there was the Highlighted right yeah okay so that was A world of analog maps and then came Along MapQuest do you remember math Quest oh yes changed everything it was a Wet yeah the red line that traced your Route yeah you just put in like two Directions and it's like yeah here you Go yeah here's how you get there it's Like magic it was magic had to print it Out though yeah Yeah but that still it was magic and What I loved too was someone would start To give you directions and then you say Don't worry yeah I could get there you Could get there you've never been there Oh yeah yeah trust me I've got this Special piece of software Um so what MapQuest wasn't was just a Digital version of an analog map right Just scanning a map and here now you can Have a map on your computer yeah it was A brand new thing level up truly Digitally native yeah and then from There Google Maps has gone just Bonkers Yeah yeah street view Google Earth view

Look up businesses they'll tell you what Lane to get in to drive yeah yeah I mean But when you think about it's it's been This iterative process where that's not Where they started yeah so I get excited Because I think we've got a foundation That we can now build on yeah so the low Hanging fruit for us in the app right Now is just get you access to our our Content while you're reading the Bible And we're doing that and that that There's some interesting design Challenges there but it's fairly Straightforward the big Design opportunity is the Google maps of The Bible Um because when we talk about structure Right yeah and you look at for literary Design literary design a section or a Paragraph yeah it can get really Complicated yeah especially when you're Just trying to think about it abstractly Or talk about it but when you can start To see it yes and interact with it yeah Game Changer and see it at one scale of Zoom like at the text level and then Zoom out and see it at the movement Level and see at the scroll level and Collections of Scrolls and be able to See all the stuff that you point out How cool is that going to be hmm yeah Pretty cool it's gonna be really cool Yeah yeah Um so next year we're gonna we're gonna

Just keep going at what are some small Wins to learn how to do this right Um because uh because it's a really cool It's a really cool opportunity yeah yeah So the app's a big open Horizon uh for What we are working on in the in the Year to come Um the fact that we poured so much Energy into the app also had other Implications for the other content we Released throughout the year yeah our Focus on the journey Um we we thought that we could kind of Rely on our back catalog and put the Team's focus on on Journey uh going Through the app with theme videos we've Already released and we we all and so we Didn't release as many theme videos this Year we did however put our Animation Studio on a special project Uh which we haven't fully this is the Sound of me rubbing my hands like we're Making a crafty plan But you guys we're we're working on like The mega mega series that is so awesome Yeah yeah and you just gotta be patient It's gonna become but next year you'll Start to see it come out at the end of Next year yeah um but we were able to Put our animation team largely on just Like this big 10 part Mega series on Um a really important part of the Bible And um uh but we did release some theme Videos yes yeah really cool ones really

Cool ones yeah and the level of design Just keeps just going up yeah yeah Absolutely so blessing and curse yep was Released yeah Beautiful video on the Theme of blessing occurs Eternal life which we did in the doodle Style of our very first video uh heaven On Earth oh yeah so I think we have About five Team videos in that doodle Style and they all kind of feel like They work together and in a way yeah the Furby always makes an appearance wow Yeah look for the Furby love the doodle Style big fan big fan me too uh so yeah The big idea there was eternal life Um as a gift from God that can begin now And then Um as of the release of this podcast but Not in real time oh sure it's gonna be Another theme video called the firstborn Yes that'll come out uh Christmas week Which is gonna be awesome uh it's so It's so cool actually we're calling the Firstborn I think we're gonna call it The first the last will be first the What did I say I think the first will be last I was Gonna say the first would be last the Last will be first the last will be First okay good yeah glad you're clear On that what what do we have in store For next year what's coming out of this Well so we uh we want to put out more Content than we did this year

Um and uh so we've got four theme videos Coming out next year yeah totally and Yep four theme videos that'll be tracing Idea from do you want do we want to say What they are going to be Um oh sure yeah they're gonna be I have This in my mind uh the anointed Yes You asked me the question but I think You know the answer and I don't I just Took I just took it over the anointed Yep which is the theme of the the word The Christ origin of the word Christ About somebody who gets oil poured on Their heads yeah just getting oiled yep And then uh the land the land yes so Good the city the city Um I'm excited about that one and The last but definitely not least the Chaos Dragon the chaos Dragon you know About this no first I'm hearing yeah you Know there's a cast dragon in the Bible Steve uh yes is that Revelation Shows up with a Vengeance page one Steve Wow the sea dragons on page one okay Yeah yeah he kind of hides out in page One he hides out in many English Translations but not all okay I'm Feeling a little better yeah He has many heads in uh Psalm 74. but he Is in Revelation but he is also yeah Good point I just yeah yeah before then Yeah so the chaos Dragon uh listeners of The podcast if you've been listening for

A while you you've heard us explore the Chaos Moses grabs the chaos Dragon yeah Turns it into a staff All right that's gonna be great so those Theme videos but we're gonna do more We're gonna do so if you remember visual Commentary videos We we started on those and we paused on Those for this year for this year but we Got more coming out so we're rebooting That yep um and we're going to do more Of those yeah and the origin of the idea There was our friend Brian Russell from Oh yeah um yeah You version he uh he said hey you guys Gonna do a video for every chapter of The Bible and um we're like no there's Like a thousand chapters of the Bible And then we went away and thought about It and we're like maybe yeah so visual Commentary is us trying to figure out How would we do that and I think they'll Be super useful and we're gonna reboot Those oh we're also going to be doing Um scrollable content next year uh yes Are you even that aware of well I am Aware of it but I didn't know that it Was called that until this moment yeah Well Steve's super hip on the scrollable Revolution that's right it's on The Tick Tock Did you know more people are Googling And Tick-Tock than on Google oh Absolutely are you serious yeah is that

True I've I heard that must be true and I'm taking into this fact because John Said it last week so you know how facts Work nowadays oh yeah yeah I Um let's someone uh yeah So oh scrollable content yeah it's not Just Tick Tock but YouTube shorts Um you the YouTube algorithm actually Rewards show short form content now That's more scrollable Instagram stories Facebook has their own thing and um and It's a different type of media than we Do these five minute plus you know dense Beautiful really cool explanation Educational videos Which you can't just put on YouTube Shorts or Tick Tock Um It's gotta be it's in portrait mode Meaning you're holding the camera Vertical You have a couple seconds to grab Someone's attention and and make it Relevant there's kind of a tone and a Methodology to just that type of media So we're going to be releasing content In that this new form of media starting Next year as well so John is the the Hope that in this scrollable content Because you can't communicate all that You want to communicate but to catch Someone's attention and then have them Go to the website or to yeah that would Be one thing but the other thing is what Can you teach yeah in a minute in 60

Seconds you can do some cool stuff yeah You can teach some cool ideas yeah and Then you string a bunch of those Together and all of a sudden you're just Seminary graduate It is the new Roman Road there you go The new Roman Road yeah all right so That's content Um And there's gonna be a lot more of it Yep yeah and if that weren't enough uh We also have a full-on like Bible Classroom product so Bible project Classroom has been full steam ahead we Slowed down for the covid period uh we Couldn't film well we didn't film during The plague but we started filming with Covet protocol and then we're able to in The last after this year keep going so We filmed actually Um five classes yeah 2022. wow and we Released uh four one two three four yeah So we released Noah to Abraham which is A class in Genesis that you taught yep Genesis six through nine six through Eleven which is now part of a series Where you can you can do Heaven and Earth which is Genesis one and two yep You can do Adam to Noah yep Genesis Three through six two through five two Through five oh double dip on two and Then uh no Yeah you got it yep yeah we released the Art of biblical words how to study

Biblical words that was a mini class Actually shorter Dr Carmen eins came and Did an overview class of The Exodus Scroll it was awesome and that's out yep And then Um yet to be released from us sitting Here but going to be released by the end Of the year Um is a class an overview on uh one Corinthians uh Paul's letter I love that You just switched hard switch to one Corinthians yeah well there's no ST you Know uh by the one for we Americans say First yeah but there's no ST And it's definitely not his first letter He says in the letter that it's a second Letter so anyway uh Dr Lucy pepiat came And taught that class Um and so those uh our classes we Released Um but as far as the classroom audience Steve I know you get to hear lots of Feedback and also let's go to our data Analysis Here I am John perched hi I thought the Pagoda as I looked down I realized that Over 110 000 people have actually taken a Classroom class that's 110 people in Classroom 110 000. oh wait what am I getting 110 000 People so John to put this in Perspective uh we were recently at a Football game yeah at a large Stadium

Capacity 70 000. so imagine everyone in That Stadium plus maybe a major league Baseball With their phone or laptop open taking a Course on classroom it's like I think Ohio State where Ohio State plays Football 100 000 people I've never been In a stadium that big wow that must be An experience yeah it is I think it is It's where the Ohio State plays football And it's just encouraging to me because It's these classes Um I think the shortest one is maybe Three hours is that right yeah yeah Short form is three but the standard Length we are going for is about 12 to 14 hours of session time yeah with lots Of interactive stuff built in in between Those sessions so realizing all of those Hundred and ten thousand maybe don't Complete their entire course but there Have been 697 000 sessions completed whoa cool so yeah That's all it's all free it's all free It just gets rid of that barrier to Entry for a lot of folks that this type Of education would not have been Possible in the past and so super Excited about that yes yeah and it's a Really cool Platform though we've been able to build Because of the support of of our patrons Um to be able to build exactly what we Want

Speaking which we're iterating on it the Platform yeah and um one piece of Feedback that we're getting is people Want to do it on their phone and we're Like oh this is a classroom product People do it on their laptops we built It for a laptop screen yeah and no People want to do on their phone and People want to be able to like switch to Just audio walk around you know like and People want to skip around to the Sessions that they want not go through a Course the way it's designed and uh so We're adding those features Into classroom plus a cool new feature Called interactive slides which just Makes the whole experience way more Elegant when we're working with your Notes and Um and all of that is going to be Accessible within the app we're going to Put the classroom in the app with you're Doing on your phone Interactive slides Go at your own pace however you want to Go and the first class to be released in The app is going to be in January and It's going to be Adam to Noah in January It's gonna be cool so That's a lot of content that's a lot of Stuff We're making and releasing so much stuff Um so in that sense well there's been Fewer videos than in previous years

Overall this is the most content we've Ever released in one year yeah as a Whole which is it's just wild yeah and I Guess there's also languages like that's Content like we're up to now yeah 55 Languages 4 300 videos localized in those Languages yeah and on those YouTube Channels collectively it represents 1.7 Million subscribers yeah yeah and these Are like new YouTube channels and yeah Being set up in this country in all the Different languages it's so So wild and we um we and we're releasing The whole website in Spanish yes in fact That by the time this airs it will have Been publicly released it's privately Released right now and Now that's just one language but what's Cool about that is we built the Infrastructure To like make that language happen yeah But then also make it so that any Language is now way easier yeah the guys Have told me that each language is about 80 there because of the infrastructure That's been built to be with Spanish as The Prototype yeah yeah it's exciting as I think about the whole localization Effort and and our Global Focus team I Think and I think you guys participated In this but earlier in the year we did a A language advisor Summit and man it's Kind of hard to capture in words what it

Was like but we had real quick so our Language advisors are like the point People for each language so they're both Like have skill in the Linguistics and Language and also they have some form of Theological education yeah to lead the Content charge and understand the Cultural context yes and so they can put That together thank you so we we have we Did a zoom Summit of all of those people All over the globe he was yeah it was Amazing it was so cool oh yeah because You would just look at your screen and There's people from all over the world Yeah that share this passion yeah that Are part of this Mission and uh I mean I Was getting emotional during the call And then the Highlight for me was when The Russian language advisor in the Ukrainian language advisor prayed Together to close out the meeting it was So powerful yeah it was man yeah Yeah that was a moment Like I experienced these moments Regularly in this project but that was Definitely one where it just feels like Man Uh this is just one little corner Of what's the spirit is up to amongst People in the world and we are just so Privileged to be able to participate in It and you know for those of you Listening Um you mostly hear us talk about the

Video Bible nerd content stuff that We're making but um for those of you who Are a part of our Patron Community I Mean uh this is it's really an amazing Story uh that's that's being told and The the localization teams and Ministries in 55 languages and growing Those all represent culture groups of Followers of Jesus around the world who Are unifying around wanting to share This content Yeah yeah it's so cool man so humbling So inspiring and exciting yeah yeah Thank you for bringing that up Steve you Bet I I uh you know you mentioned our Patron stem and and I'm so encouraged And I say every day but it's probably Five days a week I read uh Patron Comments and there's one common theme That runs through all of them but this One that made me laugh uh was from a Patron because I just so appreciated his Honesty he said I'm 67 and the Bible has Always been something I secretly didn't Understand or like It was always a stumbling block to Trying to know Jesus during the past Three years Calamity is hit and forced Me to search to find spiritual help the Bible project has been a huge part of my Three-year journey of reading the Bible Through three times and finally having It make sense So thank you and Shalom wow

Isn't that encouraging that's so Encouraging and put another way this Person just last week sent something in That said the Bible project videos and Podcasts have opened the story of the Bible for me in a way that I never Imagined it's like I went from seeing Through a keyhole to an incredible 360 Degree Panorama my love and hunger for The word has grown exponentially thank You bless you and uh there's something About all of these comments where it's Like something is unlocking for people And we were talking I think it was Yesterday even Tim about this idea Um Never want to lose sight of the fact That it's it's not us it's not Bible Project Jesus is what changes people Yeah that's where the transformation Happens and we're just excited that at This moment in history we can be a Channel but we're not living water and So while People are using these resources things Are being unlocked the transformation Happens outside of Who We Are and so Encouraged by that yeah well yeah I'm Just every year that goes by with this Project in You know I feel like we kind of stumbled Upon Our mission The language of our mission a couple Years in about helping people experience

The Bible as a unified story that leads To Jesus And uh since we were talking about that Yesterday I was thinking about the leads To Jesus means a lot of things actually Because one is as you're reading in any Part of the Bible it's like how does This fit into the bigger story but Actually but leading to Jesus also is The language of like you're on a journey To a person yeah the word became flash Yeah and when you encounter the person That the whole story points you to The story is so valuable and beautiful But the goal is not to just enjoy the Story it's actually to encounter a Living The living Jesus and that's exactly Right there's something that when lots Of people have that kind of encounter Through scripture Amazing things happen in the lives of People and then through their lives in Their communities and families and Neighborhoods And what a uh what a journey to get to Be a part of pointing people you know Yes to Jesus Through the biblical story Really amazing well said because Oftentimes we'll say hey thank you for Your support and allowing us to make This content the point isn't the content Well that's it's it's a vehicle yeah to This other place yeah where

Something Mysterious happens that's just Absolutely beautiful yeah and so our job Is to be faithful to that what which is Making this content that helps lead People yeah and uh so that's exciting to Me what a privilege yeah well said You know you get Patron comments Um that get emailed in and I get to see Some of them too and um they're awesome Did you know That there's Patron comments on our Website And I always actually forget the update Real time update real time hourly yeah So if you go to bioproject.com give and You scroll down To let's see you can even just go to the Main landing page and just scroll down Oh and then I think it says like what People are saying and it's a you can Click into it yeah what supporters are Saying and then you click more comments And then yeah it's real time this one so The most recent Um this content is engaging interactive Has made me fall back in love with Reading the Bible love it love what You're doing so If you want to see the uh Impact that it's having on people you Can just go and scroll through those Especially if you're a patron of this Like go and just look at what you've

Been a part of building yeah yeah it's Cool it's really cool Um we homeschool our children we use These lessons each morning Uh I've been going through a journey of Re-examining my faith in the Bible Project has been a trustworthy source to Find um where I can find safe and Carefully think with your content this Is a gift to my journey that's cool so Amazing yeah I think as patrons my hope Would be it would be as encouraging to Them yeah because we think of our Patrons as being a group of people that Are in this with us and uh and so vital To what it is that we're doing and so be Encouraged read those I know for me There was one this is the last one I'll Read but this came in it was one of Those days where my airpods wouldn't Sync with my laptop and I was just Frustrated and uh then I read this and It changed everything my name is Vitaly And I live in the Ukraine I'm 30 years Old and work for an I.T company as you May have heard about everything that is Happening in Ukraine I decided to email You and say thank you thank you for your Work and everything you do as because of Your videos app and plans I became Closer to God and he's helped me Overcome a lot of panic helped others to Be calm and most of all trust God it's Hard to do living in the reality of what

We are in wow and that's something and So my hope is for patrons that they feel Just disconnected to this because as we Talk about this idea we we refer we use The word Patron because all throughout History it's patrons that have funded Movements of the gospel and uh and so so Grateful for all of you that are in this With us in support yeah Um one thing we talk about is we go at The pace of the crowd Um so since the very beginning of this Project we've just said we want to make Content and now we're making technology And we want to we we love it and uh we Want this to be an experience that helps You understand the Bible and leads Jesus And we'll go at the pace you want us to Go and what that's actually meant is We've gone you know fairly fast fast and Far yeah and uh we're close this is Finishing our eighth year of the project And every year uh the the project grows And we grow with it and in fact through Covid where we you know anticipated wow There's a global pandemic maybe things Are going to slow down uh it didn't it Was the opposite it was the opposite Yeah yeah Um 2022 Is actually the very first time we saw a Slow in the growth of our project Um and it was a really cool exercise to Then have to say Okay what do we slow

Down with yeah how do we slow down with The crowd and we we have we have guesses Of why things slowed down there's just Been a few things that have a few things Happening in the world Stability in general yeah So it wasn't entirely surprising no kind Of we anticipated it but uh it was in The history of the project one of the First times that we had to yeah rethink What priorities we want to focus on in Light of the resources at hand which Actually ended up Being some really great conversations That we were able to have and you know I Would say just specifically it was Really the months of maybe February Through June where we saw kind of a dip And and it was it Noticeable and that's what made us think Okay wait something's slowing down here And we need to pay attention to this but It was so it was a good thing Um and so I mean I don't want to mislead The you know giving in 22 will be more Than 21 but it was just much slower rate Of growth and then caused this to pull Yeah we plan based off of historic Growth yeah and so we just have to plan As best we can and then when we look at What's happening we have to adjust Absolutely and I think for me too it was It's been a great year because it just Brought us back to Our Roots where we

Talked about this from the very Beginning that we believe that God is Going to provide everything we need to Do what he has called us to do and we Need to be faithful to the what you guys Have probably heard me mention George Mueller more times than you would like But he's such a hero in the faith for me That he was all about caring for Orphans In England and this idea of the grace of Giving and I'm not saying there's Anything wrong with going out and Soliciting and doing super proactive Fundraising work but we just have felt Like what we feel called to do is to Trust that God's going to provide Everything we need to do what he is Calling us to do and so in the middle of That time period where giving was Dipping Um you're resisting the temptation to Start picking up the phone or knocking On doors and say okay what is what did George Mueller do in these moments and Uh had a house full of Orphans no food He went in the closet and prayed and Came out and set the table and I think That's where we want to be is this idea Of what is God calling us to do is to Make this content and to help people Experience the Bible as a unified story That leads to Jesus so we need to be Faithful to the what and live within his Provision so it was maybe in June late

June early July a group of us on the Team just started to get together Wednesday mornings and pray for God's Provision and what I love about that is We're not praying that people will give We see all provision coming from God and Just trusting him that he will provide Everything that we need and I believe Sometimes what you need is less and so We're set up for this next year there's Things that we want to do and actually Have plans beyond that and we're going To continue to trust that God will Provide everything we need to do what he Has called this to do and you saw that In real time you you guys had that Experience like you could go out and go Man we need an extra however much and It'd be so nice if we had it let's go Make some phone calls and see who can Write a check but instead you guys just Got together and prayed yeah and you Didn't pray for specific numbers or Specific people but you like suddenly Things were happening in fact there was One in particular Friday 's when I got the word of it it may have Come in earlier in the week but a patron Sent in a first-time gift a very Significant gift and we were super Encouraged and a couple days later sent In a gift that was like 4X that gift and It was like Wow and we immediately sent Them an email saying hey was this a

Mistake because it just seemed odd that These two gifts would come in so close And they said absolutely not felt like God was calling me to give and uh it has Just been so fun to witness that I'm I'm weak enough as a person that if I'm actually out actively soliciting I Can somehow say it's God's provision but I attach myself to that a little bit but When you pray for God's resources and Then just Faithfully do what he is Calling you to do in our case it's make These resources or the the content when The gifts come in there's only one set Of fingerprints on it and it's so Beautiful to see how God continues to Provide um yeah yeah you know I'll just Take a moment to name my gratefulness Um to your leadership in this area Steve In the history of the project and I even Before we started this project you Steve Had a huge influence on you John about This financial model and way to do a Non-profit Media Company idea uh which Was to lead with creating things and if People find it valuable then they'll get Behind it and we can trust that that's What God's leading us to make next based Off what has been provided already And so I just want a name coming in at The end of this year how grateful I am For both of you and for Steve your Heart your heartbeat for this to me it's An embodiment of The Upside Down vision

Of the kingdom of God That you lead from a conviction that There is enough Even when it doesn't seem like it you Live as if there is enough and Somehow there is enough for what it is That we're called to do and that's been Our experience in the history of this Project and Um I'm just grateful for both of you and Your leadership in that and just for Patrons for you uh all to know that Character of the people leading the Project I just have so much implicit Trust for what's happening here Because of those set of values that are Leading the charge thanks Tim yeah yeah Thanks Steve You know as I think about this moment We're in right now we don't know how Fast and hard we're gonna go in 23 quite Yet Um and we're ready for anything Um and I I feel like we've never been so Ready uh and so organized and Um and so kind of so full of like really Clear strategy and vision than we are Right now Um with the growth of the scholar team Yeah Tim you've been growing yeah Um you we you all know Karissa she's Been on the podcast a lot Um but there's more Scholars meeting Growing in the Paradigm

Um so that we can make more content uh The growth of the tech team just some Amazing amazing talent coming out of the Woodwork from all sorts of places people Walking away from really fantastic jobs To come and work with us yeah our Content teams are more organized have More Vision are more excited than ever Um just everything is just kind of just Dialed in and now we're just like okay God what do you want us to do Um how hard and fast he wants to go and So um here we are and uh we're excited Yeah yeah yeah yeah it's the end of year Eight thinking back this was just an Idea that John when you shared it with Steve I think you as you've told the Story over the years you smiled yeah You're like I'm happy for you to have This great idea I hope that works and I Will support you in any way I can it's I'll tell it real quick John shared that The first 90 seconds of that first video And I looked and I said wow this is Amazing I'm in what's your plan and he Said I want to make these for every book Of the Bible put them on the Internet And give them away for free and that's Something lit up inside of me and I said Okay I'm really in and then I said how Are we going to pay for this and he Tried to explain this if you build it They will come yeah it was this idea of Crowdfunding and I remember it going

Keep smiling keep smiling because inside I was thinking there's no way that'll Work there's no way that will work and Uh And but I clearly didn't have any idea But what I love about this model and is If we are making content and it's Finding a home and it's leading to this Unlocking I think it is going to we're Going to have the resources to do what It is we need to do and so what started In 2014 Um I think has certainly exceeded my Expectations but uh so excited about the Future and what's ahead and I know it's An overused phrase but I every day feel Like The Best Is Yet To Come like we're Just getting started yeah Yeah for those of you who listen to the Podcast we love you guys uh we love the Community that's come around the podcast And we love hearing from you like we get To do with the Q R episodes where you Send in your questions and your feedback So thank you all for being awesome and So engaged and uh this next year the Podcast it's gonna be awesome yeah and We're gonna keep watching lots of great Stuff coming to the podcast yeah Um but it's the end of the year kind of A moment to just pause yeah reflect be Grateful Um be with your family Uh if you can and

Um and then let's go at it next year yep Sounds like a plan yeah so thank you Thank you everybody we'll be in tune Next year but uh yeah we're grateful Grateful for you grateful to God's Generous Mercy that keeps us all alive Yeah uh is keeping this project to flow Absolutely thanks guys [Music] All right let's go around the north okay So you guys are The Exodus classroom Students and what I would like to know What is the wackiest Christmas tradition That you either do currently or that Your family did my name is Abigail and My family has German Heritage on both Sides and there's a Christmas tradition And it's a dill pickle Christmas Ornament and on Christmas Eve my parents Would hide the pickle ornament in the Pine tree and on Christmas morning Whoever found the ornament got to open The first present and then also got to Be the one who would like pick Everyone's present when it was their Time to open it all right well my name Is David I can't say it growing up what I thought was wacky was going to a Christmas Eve service at like midnight I Mean it's Christmas time so it's fun and It's like I grew up in Cleveland so it's Like snowing and you know Fire Inside Man as a kid there's nothing better than That so I guess that was fun my name is

Tabitha and so there's four of us kids And what they would do is Secret Santa You know you draw a name they'd give us Each like 15 or 20 dollars we would all Go out together to do it so we just did It on Christmas Eve so probably my whole Life our Christmas Eve tradition is like Going out and getting people's presents My name is Vivian um I do remember Growing up in the Dominican Republic we Celebrated the three wise men's day Which was on January 6th my brothers Would have us put water and some grass Under your bed you know the grass was For the camels and the water was for the Wise men because of their long journey And um so then the next day they would Be replaced with toys well this year I Remember my brothers put so much grass Under there and I remember going the Next day there was still grass there I Said I think you left too much on cuts And I'll share with you a weird Christmas tradition that takes place in Japan they like to do the things that Americans are doing and Japan you buy KFC and the reason is because Colonel Sanders looks like Santa Claus So they would in front of every KFC in Japan there's like the statue of Colonel Sanders and they decide to dress them up As Santa Claus and it really caught on And now it's like a Japanese thing Everybody gets KFC for Christmas

[Music] The Bible is a unified story that leads To Jesus we're a crowdfunded project by People like me find free videos study Notes podcasts classes and more at Bibleproject.com Tonight [Music] [Music]

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