A Note About the 2023 Advent Videos

Throughout the 2023 DBU Advent Devotional Series, you will see four videos that reflect the main themes of Advent—Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love—and these are provided on each Sunday during Advent.

You will notice that the first three are all filmed on location in Israel. From September 29 to October 7, a group from DBU participated in a tour of the Holy Land, guided by Dr. Jay Harley, DBU Vice President for Student Affairs, and Dr. Brent Thomason, Dean of the DBU Graduate School of Ministry. These videos were filmed throughout the week in Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem, and all were completed by October 6.

The following morning, Saturday, October 7, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel in the South, kicking off a conflict that is continuing to impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jewish and Palestinian residents of Israel, as well as Arab and Jewish individuals around the world. 

While the DBU group was able to make it safely out of Israel a few days later, they did so with the knowledge that many of their friends, especially those at the Nazareth Baptist School and the Nazareth Village, remained and would face the hardships of war. DBU continues to pray for the safety of everyone involved and an end to the conflict that will bring about a lasting peace.

These videos, therefore, have a special meaning for those who were in Israel at this time, and we believe that the messages of Hope, Peace, and Joy are as relevant now as they ever were. We hope that as you view these videos, you will be blessed by the message and challenged to pray for those who remain in Israel in the midst of this conflict.