Hey guys!

So, I turn 40 very soon. Besides it being "over the hill," this age marks a really special occasion for me. It will be 20 years of following Christ. Given this, I thought I'd spend the next few weeks highlighting some takeaways about God's work in me as a Christian and as an artist. I'll share in five year segments over the coming weeks:

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💥 INSPIRED BY

Age 20 (2006)

This was the year before my conversion. Got to record a full-length album with my band, play violin with mewithoutYou. I was finally studying Illustration for my undergrad. But life was crumbling all around me.

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Age 21 (2007)

This was now the worst year of my life. I had the worst depression I had ever experienced. Band breakups, relationships tanking, not sure what the future held. I poured myself into this life-size self portrait as a visual expression of what I was yearning for. Life was about to change.

One mourning in July, I awoke to brand new affections, craving holiness and Scripture as if my life depended on it. I had been born again. The death of a rockstar idol was crucified. And God swiftly brought new purpose, mission, songwriters, artists, partners in ministry, and a church family into my life. My first "mentor" was a China-bound missionary. On my second month of becoming a Christian, I learned about Unreached People Groups and the need for missionaries. I could shake his challenged to our men's bible study group, "You already know more bible than most of the world's Pastors."

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Age 22 (2008)

This year started with an amazing opportunity to play at CRU's Christmas conference (which has its own embarrassing story). My friend and I were challenged to lead an art bible study (which felt insane because I was a baby Christian). Little did I know, being pushed to take steps of faith like this would associate Christianity with serving and mission. Making disciples is not a bullet point down the job description. It is a life of following Christ, bringing others alongside that journey. I saw my view of art abruptly shift. Art was meant to be an offering at Jesus' feet, for him to use as he pleases. I got to lead worship for our summer trip to New Zealand during this summer also.

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Age 23 (2009)

Having graduated art school, I was now in full blown ministry internship at my church (while holding down a job at Panera). I couldn't get enough of exposition training as well as church-based theological studies. I was amazed at the depth of Scriptures literary genres and thankful for mentors who began showing me the path to understand them. My view of art was strongly and unintentionally propaganda. I had an absolute resolve that every art project for school should be an evangelism opportunity. By my last project, one of my teachers finally said (after so many years teaching me), "Matt, you usually do very dark artwork, but isn't your religion a joyful one? Why don't you focus on that." Humbled.

But I was a bit anxious this year. Many of my friends were going their separate ways post-college. My heart was for the nations, but I didn't know what that path would look like. 2010 would change all that.

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Age 24 (2010)

During the Fall of 2010, I attended a To Every Tribe conference. I heard many exhortations, heard from men who had been persecuted for their faith. It was as if the apostle Paul and all the stories from Foxe's book of Martyrs were right there in front of me. I had met my heroes, those so committed to Christ they'd be willing to give their lives. I also met veteran missionary Frank Drown. Frank was a team member of the Ecuador Five. He led the search party to discover their bodies. Frank is the reason we now have missionaries among the First Nations people in Canada.

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Age 25 (2011)

The time had come. This was the year I decided to pack up, move to the border, and train to be a missionary with To Every Tribe. This move would prove to be a milestone in my life, setting me on a trajectory of a lifetime. It set the stage for everything from meeting my wife, starting a family, and being tossed around the mission in search of how to discover and use my gifts most effectively for the kingdom.

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🛠️ EQUIPPED BY

Takeaways from 2006-2011

What I learned about being a Christian. Your life is a living sacrifice. The key to phasing out of depression is to find life and identity in Christ. The Spirit provides the power over sin. Scripture is all sufficient. God is sovereign, good, and holy. Making disciples is synonymous with following Jesus.

What I learned about being an artist/missionary. I considered evangelism as the highest form of Christian service, so my art became pieces of my heart, expressions from what I was learning from Scripture. I also tried to evangelize my classmates through my art. I rationalized that going to Unreached People Groups (UPGs) would be the highest form of Joy I could experience. If Paul found joy in giving his life, I wanted that kind of joy as well. Making art was a way to work through my junk. I did feel at this time that by choosing missions, I would be NOT choosing art. This tension set the stage for the next five years.

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🎨 WHAT YOU MADE THIS WEEK

From Daryle

This week, fellow Yellow Ochre member, Daryle Worley of the band Worley Folk, passed on this song for me to share with you all. It's call "Clay." Inspired by Isaiah 64:4-8. Give it a listen! And thanks Daryle for sharing! Also, in honor of St. Patrick's day, Daryle and his wife wrote the hymn, "I Bind Unto Myself Today" inspired by Patrick's famous prayer.

​Clay.mp3

What did you make this last week? (email me and I'll share it with in my next newsletter!)

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🚀 SENT WITH

Daryle Worley

-Matt

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