Welcome to the Week 4 of Advent: Together. Below, you will find art, music, and writing created by our YWAM San Diego/Baja staff around the theme of Faith. This theme is the focus of the fourth week of Advent. Interact with this collection as you feel led this week. Join our YWAM staff and ministry community as we ponder the hope of this Advent season.
Faith
By Connor Millard
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-20 NIV
Upon reading these words of Jesus, my friend and I said to each other, “Let’s try this!” We paused our devotional time to take a step of faith, to agree and ask. We decided to ask God what we should pray for. After a moment of listening, I timidly told him, “I got the word, ‘ice cream’,” and he replied, “I heard, ‘surprise’, and I also kind of felt like it was ice cream…” So, in faithful agreement, we asked the Lord for an ice cream surprise.
It was a few days later when my friend and I were sitting in our DTS lecture, when our staff made an announcement: “We have a little surprise for you…Tomorrow night we will have a brownie and ice cream party here in the classroom!” The cheering that erupted from my friend and I startled the class, and someone asked us, “What? Did you guys pray for this or something?”
We replied, “Yes! We did!”
I just love this story! It is a key moment in my faith journey where I saw the faithfulness of God. He proved Himself faithful to His word, and this stirred in me a new degree of faith to continue to ask.
This is a season when we remember and celebrate the coming of Jesus. This was the fulfillment of so many prophecies that God spoke to His people hundreds and thousands of years before. Jesus’ coming is one of the greatest testimonies of God’s faithfulness to man. He created man to dwell with Him in perfect relationship, and even when we chose against that, He didn’t give up on us but, in His faithfulness, sent Jesus to redeem mankind to Himself.
‘Immanuel’ means “God with us.” We see in the final part of that passage, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” In this season as we remember the coming of Jesus, may we walk in faith trusting that He is with us, and may this faith grow greater as we delight in this relationship that Jesus came to restore.
May God bless you this holiday season with increased faith. Amen.
This week enjoy a curated playlist of songs written or performed members of our YWAM SDB Community, Past and Present
Dry Bones
This one is based on the passage of Ezekiel of God breathing life into the dry bones because of Ezekiel’s faith in asking the Lord.
By David Stonebraker
Those who hold on their lives will lose it.
By Lynnea Kalinowski
Bearing Fruit
This embroidery is a heart bearing fruit; it is about the effect of faith in the heart.
By Cinthya Clement
Faith - Yahweh Still Speaks
By Jamie Byerly
Faith - My Interpretation of the trinity
By Jamie Byerly
We hope you have enjoyed week 4 of, “Advent: Together”
Have a Great Christmas - Watch out for one more special email on Christmas Eve
