Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 9

It’s Time to Look Out

Friends, I’m writing you on Monday because I need to give you a heads-up about this weekend’s services.

We’ve had a wonderful time of study in Genesis since the first of the year. It’s been great. But starting this weekend we’re going to turn our attention outward to our unbelieving neighbors, friends, family, classmates and co-workers.  People for whom Jesus died, just as he did for us, but have yet to receive his offer of salvation.

We’re going to focus on them through Easter weekend. We’re dedicating the next several weeks to them and their salvation.

I have three requests of you:

If you haven’t been already, start praying for them. Pray that God will open their eyes and that they will surrender to Jesus. Pray for God to set them free. Pray for them by name.
Invite them to church with you. Invite them every weekend. I’m going to be teaching messages designed just for them. If you don’t ask them, they won’t know that you want them to come. Tell them we’re looking at the teachings and nature of Jesus and that the next several services are designed for them.
Buy them a copy of A Man Who Told Us the Truth and offer to read it and discuss it with them. I’ll be teaching on many of the same topics covered in the book. Our weekend services will be great conversation boosters and will lead right into the topics in the book. Ask them to make a six week investment in looking into Jesus. Don’t be afraid of them telling you no. Just ask them.

A Man Who Told Us the Truth is available for pre-order now. Order your copies here.

You can order the small group discussion guide here.

In the meantime, let’s get to praying. We have work to do.

How to Get a Free Copy of My New Book

 

I’m thrilled to share that my new book, A Man Who Told Us the Truth, will be officially released on March 1.

A Man Who Told Us the Truth is a Christian book for non-Christians. It’s a simple, conversational look at the teachings and claims of Jesus.

Believers will want to read A Man Who Told Us the Truth for at least three reasons:

It will help them fall more in love with Jesus as they come to understand more about him.
It will equip them to have meaningful conversations about Jesus with their unbelieving friends without scaring them off.
It is a resource they can give their unbelieving friends that will help them better understand Jesus and that will create conversation opportunities between them.

Would you like to receive a free copy? I’ll make a deal with you: If you will review the book on Amazon and talk about it in your various social media circles, I’ll send you copy. It doesn’t matter how flattering or unflattering your review is, just agree to talk about it.

If that’s acceptable, email Joni@acfellowship.org and tell her you want review the book and include your mailing address. She’ll mail one to you soon.

We have limited copies available for this, so please contact Joni soon!

 

Also, Enough: Finding More by Living with Less is FREE on Feb 19th (ebook only). Get your free copy here today! It will also only be 3.99 (ebook) from February 20-29.

Dear Pastor, You’re More Successful than You Know

Dear Pastor,

I want to encourage you today. I want to take the pressure off.

It’s easy in today’s ministry world to gauge success by standards that have nothing to do with the Kingdom. If we’re not careful, we’re likely to get sucked into the “nickels and noses,” or the “bucks, butts, baptisms, buildings and budgets” way of accounting for things.

Or we can just scan the best-seller lists or the 100 Most Influential Christians magazine covers to see who is really making a Kingdom splash.

I used to attend a leadership conference at a mega-church. I had to quit going. The reason? Because I felt like a complete loser pastor every time I went there.

It wasn’t their fault. It was completely on me. I just couldn’t help comparing that pastor’s ministry to mine. It wasn’t humbling; it was humiliating.

But I‘m here to tell you that God has freed me from the comparison game and from the temptation of looking at numbers of any kind to gage my “success” in the Kingdom. “Success” isn’t even the right word, but I think you understand what I’m trying to say.

I serve with a team of amazing elders. They’re godly, courageous leaders. We’ve learned together how to gauge success in our leadership as we have taken multiple Kingdom risks together over the years.

Bottom line? It’s obedience. Success in the Kingdom of God isn’t based on measurable fruit or outcomes. It’s rather measured by simple obedience. It’s just a pass/fail thing.

You either obey or you don’t. That’s all God is looking for.

I can’t tell you how much pressure that removed from the elders and me when we started to understand it. God only expects us to do what he calls us to do. How it all works out is his business.

That means if God leads me to pray for someone to be healed, success is when I actually pray for him. Whether or not he gets healed is on God.

If God leads me to have an evangelistic altar call at next weekend’s service, all God expects is for me to pray and give the best invitation I know how to give. The results are up to him.

If God leads your church to take a step of faith and give away your morning offering to a struggling church across town, success is simply doing what God says. Give the offering away and let God decide how to honor your obedience.

And by the way, it’s very important that you understand the last part of what I just said—God honors obedience.

That’s been one of my ministry mantras for years–God honors obedience.

In John 12:26, Jesus said: If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Sometimes I still can’t believe that verse is in the Bible. Jesus could have simply said: “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me,” and ended the sentence there. He’s our Lord and King and we are his servants. We must follow him indeed.

But he didn’t end there. He went on to say that the Father honors the obedient. Isn’t that amazing? God doesn’t honor us based on the measurable levels of fruit—money, buildings, attendance, books, fame or any other kind. He honors us on the non-sliding scale of simple obedience.

I really hope that encourages you as much as it does me. It’s taken off so much pressure and freed me from trying to keep up with Rev. and Mrs. Jones at The Church of What’s Happening Now.

Pastor, your obedience matters. That’s all God is looking for. He just wants your obedience. Fruit, Kingdom impact, legacy—that’s all his.

We just get the pleasure of serving him. Yea God.

*Does your pastor need to be encouraged by this? Would you share it with him?

Available March 1:

Why did the Doritos Super Bowl Ad Keep Me Up Last Night?

I can’t sleep. Something I read last night keeps bouncing around in my brain. It’s 2:38 AM, and with a little encouragement from my bladder, I am out of bed and looking up what I read.

It was a news reference to a Doritos Super Bowl ad. It apparently sparked quite a controversy in the Pro Choice camp.

The ad shows a couple watching a sonogram of their unborn child. The husband is munching on a bag of Doritos. When the man inadvertently moves a Doritos chip closer to the unborn baby, the sonogram shows the child reacting and trying to grab it.

When the wife gets irritated with her husband and throws the chip away, the baby decides it’s time to come out and, presumably, get some Doritos.

The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) took issue with the ad, tweeting that it was guilty of “humanizing fetuses.” See the full tweet here.

And it is that phrase—humanizing fetuses—that’s kept me up.

So here I sit at 3:19 AM, chasing down definitions, trying to figure out what in the world it means to humanize a fetus.

I’ll go to Webster’s for some help. Yes, I know it’s not the most sophisticated research technique, but it is three-freakin-thirty in the AM.

I look up humanize and find this—verb: to represent as human; to attribute human qualities to.

Cited examples of humanize are:

The new publicity has helped to humanize the corporation’s image.
They promised to humanize conditions at the company.

So, I think to humanize something is to make it more human-like or more human friendly.

Next, I look up human just to make sure I cover all my bases. Webster comes back with:

Of, relating to, or characteristic of humans
Consisting of humans
Having human form or attributes; susceptible to or representative of the sympathies and frailties of human nature

Well, that didn’t really tell me much. It’s like, “if it looks human and acts human, it’s probably human.” Not very helpful.

Then I look up fetus, because we’re apparently not supposed to humanize a fetus.

Oh dear. This isn’t helpful at all. Now I’m really confused. Come on Webster, I need to go back to bed.

To my fetus query, Webster came back with:

A human being or animal in the later stages of development before it is born.

And:

A developing human from usually two months after conception to birth.

Wait, what? A fetus is a human? Then how can Doritos be guilty of humanizing a human? That’s redundant, even at 3:43 AM.

Surely we can only humanize that which isn’t human. So what’s the big deal with humanizing a human? Is it because it’s redundant and unnecessary? If a fetus is a human, just in fetal form, then it can’t be humanized. It’s human already.

Right?

Why would the folks at NARAL not want us to humanize what is human?

New word search: potential.

Webster:

Capable of becoming real.

Next word search: Inevitable.

Webster:

Sure to happen.

Now some thoughts are forming in my still sleep-deprived brain:

“According to Webster’s logic, a fetus is at least a potential human. Because a fetus is more than capable of becoming a real human, it will inevitably become human. It’s sure to happen.”

I’m not sure I actually believe what I just wrote. My personal convictions place far more value on an unborn child than he or she simply being a potential human. But, I am trying to follow to definitions and see where it leads me.

And so far, the NARAL tweet looks more and more bizarre.

So, I do one more search. But this time it’s a question:

What % of fetuses become human?

What Google sends back is quite telling:

When is a fetus alive?

When do human beings begin?

When does a fetus become a person with rights?

When does an unborn child become a human being?

When does personhood begin?

When does a fetus become a human being?

When does consciousness start for a fetus?

These are the article titles from Wikipedia, medical and scientific journals, ethics agencies and social forums that Google gave me.

Do you see what they all have in common? When. Not one link came back addressing my what percentage question. It’s like I was asking the wrong question.

There seems to be no debate about if a fetus will become a human, just when.

And according to Webster’s logic, if some thing has the real potential to become another thing, if it has the characteristics of that that other thing, resembles that other thing and will inevitably be known as the same thing as the other thing, it is the other thing.

Or, stated with less morning fog, if it looks like a human, has the characteristics of a human, has the real ability to become a human and will inevitably become human, it’s a human.

So, why is it wrong to humanize an unborn human?

Why is it not wrong to “eaglize” unborn eagles? (It’s illegal to kill them because they inevitably become eagles.)

Why is it not wrong to “turtleize” sea turtle eggs? (It’s illegal to destroy them because they inevitably become sea turtles.)

But Doritos is in trouble for humanizing what will inevitably become a human.

That will never make sense, no matter what time of day it is.

I don’t fault the people at NARAL for their twitter comment. They have a right to hold and express their worldview. I actually feel compassion for them, as the degree to which the Enemy has deceived them is staggering.

And the answer the my what % of fetuses become human question is simple. One hundred percent of them.

Unless they’re aborted.

 

 

 

 

Your Baptism Matters

Dear Church Member,

Your baptism matters.

Friends, you’ve probably heard your pastor talking more about baptism lately. At Austin Christian Fellowship, we’ve decided to put more emphasis on baptism, for both followers of Jesus who haven’t been scripturally baptized and for people just now coming to Jesus in faith.

As a church leader, I run into Christians nearly every day who have not been scripturally baptized. Many of these are not new Christians. Some are elders or deacons, some church staff members, some small group or team leaders.

As I talk to them, I find two main reasons for their lack of biblical baptism:

They were baptized as babies and don’t see the need for being baptized again.
They don’t understand why baptism is such a big deal.

I’d like to very briefly address both reasons, but first I need to explain what I mean by biblical baptism.

Baptism in the New Testament has everything to do with timing and very little to do with method. I know some churches emphasize sprinkling while others require immersion. I’ve actually done both. I prefer to immerse, but it’s impossible to immerse someone in hospice care.

I don’t think the method is the point. Timing is.

Acts 2:41 says, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

The key phrase there is those who had received his word. It’s describing people in Peter’s audience who both heard and believed his message about Jesus. The first and immediate response to their belief was to be baptized and to publicly identify with other Jesus-followers.

Notice that their baptisms came after they believed, not before. It came as a result of their own willful decision to embrace Jesus, not as the result of someone else’s wishes.

Friends, infant baptism is a beautiful expression of two parents’ desire to see their child follow Jesus. But it doesn’t cover or remove original sin and it doesn’t secure a place for the child in Heaven. It’s more of a statement of intention and hope on the part of the parents.

Baptism is an act reserved for individuals who have received Jesus’ word. A baby can’t do that. He or she doesn’t need to.

Many who were baptized as babies simply don’t want to dishonor their parents by being baptized again. They’re not. Rather, they’re modeling the ultimate answer to their parents’ prayers.

As I mentioned earlier, many others simply don’t understand why baptism is such a big deal. Well, consider it your first step of obedience as a new believer.

We’ve already seen in Acts 2:41 how the new believers were all immediately baptized. Acts 6 tells us of the Ethiopian man who insisted on being baptized immediately after understanding Jesus’ message of salvation.

In biblical thinking, there is no delay or incubation period between believing and baptism. They’re inseparable.

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

So what about you? Do you need to be baptized? Do you need to step up and join the followers of Jesus throughout history who have identified with him and each other through baptism?

Do you need a baptism that reflects your decision and your faith, not your parents’?

It’s time. God will honor your obedience.

To sign up for baptism at ACF, contact your community pastor.

Does God get Sick of Hearing My Prayers?

I got this question recently from a friend who battles a chronic illness:

I have been wondering about persistence in prayer vs. repetition of prayers. Does the Bible tell us to keep repeating the same prayers over and over? It seems like faith wouldn’t require that. I have mixed message from others and am not sure at this point. For example, I’m getting a little tired of praying for my healing over and over…and I am sure others are tired of praying for me to be healed! It seems selfish to me to keep asking for the same thing. By now, I am sure God has heard the prayers and he will heal me in his time anyway, right (or not heal me, if that is his plan)? So do I keep on asking for the same thing or do I just thank him for where I am and know that he’s got it?

Can you relate to those sentiments? I certainly can.

I have some things I have been praying about for years, and in some cases, decades. I can’t tell you the times I’ve wondered if God is sick and tired of hearing from me about this same stuff. Shouldn’t one-and-done praying be enough?

But all I have to do is go to the scriptures to find my answer.

Bottom line: Never stop praying. Never stop praying about what matters to you. Never stop praying about what matters to God. Never stop praying for what you believe God has promised you.

Never, ever stop praying.

Consider this promise from Jesus to all faithful intercessors:

Keep on asking for something to be given and it shall be given you. Keep on seeking, and you shall find. Keep on reverently knocking, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking for something to be given, keeps on receiving. And he who keeps on seeking, keeps on finding. And to him who keeps on reverently knocking, it shall be opened.  (Matthew 7:7-8 Wuest Translation)

Or how about these:

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7 NASB)

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? (Luke 18:1-7 NASB)

Here are a four reasons that praying repeatedly for the same thing, even over the decades, is a good practice.

One. Persistent prayer moves God.

The parable above about the widow and the wicked judge shows the opposite of how God responds to us. Jesus’ point is that if a poor widow can get justice from an uncaring judge through persistence alone, think how our loving God will respond to the persistent cries of his children.

Two. Persistent prayer models faith.

God is honored by our persistence because it demonstrates faith. To stop praying is to model a lack of faith. It shows we’ve given up on God and his Word to us. But to keep praying, even in the face of no apparent progress, models faith and trust. It shows God that we believe in his promises, even in discouraging circumstances.

Three. Some things cost more than others in prayer.

There are no limits to what God will do in response to prayer. Prayer can accomplish anything. But some requests cost more than others.

Here in Austin we’ve been praying for several years for God to end our drought and fill Lake Travis (a large lake just west of town) to its full level of 681. Slowly, and with several fluxuations in the lake level, Lake Travis has come up. Today it sits about three feet short of full. But it’s still not at the level we’ve all been praying for.

My point? Filling a lake and ending a drought costs a lot in prayer. God will do it if we persist, but it will cost us more time and sacrificial praying.

The Kingdom of God is like a great grocery store. You can purchase anything you find described in the Bible at God’s Kingdom store. But some things cost more than others. Prayer, persistent and faithful prayer, unrelenting prayer, fasting prayer, is how we purchase those things.

Four. Persistent prayer changes us.

Some friends and I have been praying for the healing of another friend for nearly a year. We’ve fasted, anointed her with oil, and sang and prayed over her on multiple occasions. And so far, our prayers have been unanswered. And yet, every time we pray for her we walk away with a greater faith, even though the answer hasn’t come. Why? We’re exercising our faith muscles. It’s the laboring before God in prayer, the wrestling with God (see Colossians 4:12), that grows us.

So stay at it. God is honoring your persistence. Never stop praying.

 

Chase What Matters: My Challenge To Men

I ran into an old friend at a wedding recently. He attended our church in its early years and later moved to another part of town and joined another church.

It was really good to see him.

My friend commented that he was spending a lot of time on the road and working long hours. That struck me as curious–this guy doesn’t need the money. He has way more money than he could ever burn in a lifetime.

His way of life is protected, he retirement secure and his loved ones, barring a massive financial meltdown, will have a good inheritance when he passes.

He doesn’t need to work.

So I asked him–Why are you still at it? Why all the long hours?

His answer fascinated me–The thrill of the chase.

This guy is wired to conquer. He cannot sit. He loves to set an unbelievably high goal for himself and then see whether or not he can pull it off.

His killer instincts have made him a wealthy man. He knows how to get things done.

That’s why he can’t get off the road. That’s why he can’t slow down. He needs a purpose. He has to be hunting that next kill.

After thinking about his answer for a moment, I responded with a question:

Have you ever been to Nicaragua?

No.

Have you ever been to a third world country?

Again, No.

Boy do I have a thrilling chase for you.

I’m saddened by the number of men I know who think the financial game is the only game in town. But I’m greatly encouraged by the growing number of men I know who have discovered the thrill of a much better, much nobler chase–doing justice.

The Eighth Century BC prophet, Micah, declared,

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

And it’s the doing of justice that has captivated the hearts of so many men I know and has caused them to walk more humbly before their God.

I don’t fault men for trying to be good providers and for trying to be successful at what they do. But I know many men like my friend for whom being successful is an addiction. They can’t quit and they have no finish line in sight. Work defines them. It gives them life.

For them, for guys like that who are driven by the thrill of the chase, I have a challenge:

Five days. Spend five days serving in a third world country. Spend five days looking in the eyes of fathers who will never have the opportunities you have. Spend five days playing basketball or soccer with young men whose only male examples are sexual predators and alcoholics. Spend five days digging a well, replacing a roof, building a house, praying with and for, and listening to and loving people who have no capacity to pay you back.

It is that thrilling chase, that serving of those who are currently underserved, that is captivating the hearts of so many “successful” men and causing them to redefine what it is they’re pursuing.

How about you? Are you ready to redefine success and discover a cause that is bigger than you are?

Your church probably has or knows of a good missions program. Contact them today and get signed up for that first trip.

If you don’t know of any good mission organizations, my friends at Mission Discovery will be more than happy to set you up. Mission Discovery first introduced Austin Christian Fellowship, my family and me to missions. None of us has ever been the same.

I’ll see you in the chase.

Are You a Legalist?

Hi. My name is Will and I’m a legalist. Ok, a recovering legalist.

How about you? Are you a legalist? Do you feel most comfortable when the lines for spiritual success are clearly drawn?

What is legalism? It is the practice of establishing standards for spiritual performance, in addition to or instead of God’s, and expecting both you and others to adhere to them. It’s a works-oriented spirituality based on what a person does, not on who he or she is becoming in Christ. It put’s the responsibility for gauging someone’s spiritual progress or maturity in the hands of people, not in the hands of God.

A legalist is someone who majors on rule-keeping. The relationship with God is reduced to a series of rules and regulations that must be strictly enforced and applied to all believers.

Rule-keeping is convenient because it’s measurable and tangible. People who love lists and step-processes often fall prey to the snare of legalism because it looks so pragmatic on the surface.

The legalism mantra is just do this (A) and this (B) will happen. But the reality is that legalism sucks the life right out of faith. There is no love required in rule-keeping; and beyond that, it breeds the mindset that God somehow owes us a break because we’re trying so hard and because we’re so much better than so many other Christians. Can you relate?

If you’re still reading, how about taking this little Am I a Legalist test?

Here are a few common characteristics of legalists:

They can’t celebrate other Christians’ success. A legalist can’t stand to see another believer prospering. He can’t believe that anyone could be trying harder than he is, and so no one deserves God’s favor more than he does. Legalists are typically envious of and even hateful toward other believers.
They feel the need to defend themselves. A good legalist doesn’t understand grace, and so she can’t afford to have a bad day. When she does fail, she’s not able to really own up to it and confess it. A legalist has to make excuses and defend herself, otherwise she’d have to admit that her best efforts aren’t working.


They feel entitled. Legalists believe that God owes them favor and blessing. Their rule-keeping and hard work have surely merited some special treatment from God.
They want what God can do for them more than they want to be with him. True legalists don’t understand that Christianity is deeply rooted in love. For the true legalist, Christianity is not like a son or daughter relationship with a father. It’s more of an employer/employee or commander/soldier relationship. Legalists view God as someone to be appeased so they can get what they need or want from him. Their goal is God’s presents, not God’s presence.
They can’t extend grace to others. Those who live by rule-keeping judge others by the same standard. A legalist can’t afford to extend grace to someone who fails. That violates the whole rule-keeping mindset. If someone fails, it’s simply because he wasn’t trying hard enough. He doesn’t deserve grace, but consequences. Because legalists live by the I can mindset, they aren’t quick to extend grace to those who can’t.
Legalists typically struggle with secret sin. The spiritual bankruptcy of the rule-keeping life will inevitably lead to great deals of emotional and spiritual pain. The legalist won’t be able to live up to his own standards and will have to deal with the obvious duplicity of what he says on one hand and does on the other. Such ongoing shame and inner conflict will typically lead to some type of secret sin like binge eating, alcoholism or workaholism, prescription drug abuse or a pornography habit, as the struggling legalist will seek to medicate the pain that is flowing out of his failing and flawed religious system.

Do any of those tendencies sound familiar? Do you think that maybe you’ve got a little legalist in you? Most of us do. And as I’ve already told you, I’ve certainly battled with this one. But there is great news for all of us weary rule-keepers out there, especially if you’re worn out from carrying the yoke of trying to measure everyone else’s behavior.

Here’s your verse for the day:  Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Rest is the polar opposite of legalism, and Jesus promised rest. Once you learn to experience rest, it will be much easier for you to extend it to others.

***I write much more about legalism and rest in my book, Ten Things Jesus Never Said, a former Wall Street Journal best-seller. You can check out the Ten Things Jesus Never Said book page here.

After the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a Word to “Men Who have had an Abortion”

This past weekend marked the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. We often focus on the women who have had abortions and the painful memories that haunt them, and rightly so. But there is another group that is frequently overlooked in the abortion discussion–the men. I mean, the fathers.

This is for them.

(For more information about Heroic Media, click here.)

 

An Inspiring Example

Check out this inspiring KEYE news story about young ACFer Leah Balagia. She donated her birthday presents to kids in the foster system.

By the way, ACF’s next Serve Our City weekend is January 30-31. Sign up here! 

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