Something New

The motor roared to life when I put the key into the ignition, and I carefully backed out of the garage. The throaty sound always made me chuckle and feel a little self-conscious pulling out of the driveway. On my way to my first Cruise-In, I marveled at the bravado I felt. What on earth had possessed me to attend solo?

The car idled while I waited in line. I joined others in search of a parking spot and brought it to rest next to a restored Coupe. Muscle cars, souped up hot rods, motorcycles, and VW classics all gleamed with their spiffed-up paint jobs while owners chatted nearby. I had entered a new world of restored glory.

I popped the trunk and opened my box of books. The latest collaborative included three of my devotionals about road trips and boasted a cover with a VW minivan. What better way to debut my copies than out of the trunk of our 1965 Mustang?

Exercise:

Marketing can feel scary until you shift your perspective. When you focus on the message instead of the messenger it takes the spotlight off of you and turns it on to focus on what God wants you to share with the world. Take a cue from Jesus. He tailored His message to His audience:

• Fishermen and _______ of men. Matthew 4:18-19.
• Farmers and _______ the seed. Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23.
• Shepherds and ______ sheep. Matthew 18:12-14.

What is your message?

How can you tailor it to your audience?

What kind of hook will draw attention to your theme?

Where does your audience like to hang out?

What is their perceived need?

How will you try something new to bring a fresh perspective to an old need?

“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”

(Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT)

God said, “For I’m going to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Don’t you see it?” (Isaiah 43:19 TLB)

Who would you rather listen to? God has a design for your message and will inspire the way you wrap it to present it to the world. Don’t let the term, marketing, intimidate you. Think about what you would do to get your car ready for a show. My hubby washed ours, polished it, and vacuumed it out. He scrubbed the floor mats and shined the windows.

What will you do to get your message ready?

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net