• I surrender my ego and empty power. All I do will be for your recognition and for the purpose of changing lives.
• I surrender my anger with someone I love.
• I surrender my foolishness! My clothes, house, cars, comfort, trips, upgrades, style, self, small comforts, waste, food, wealth, status. I’m sorry! Please forgive.
• I surrender—fear! You are enough. I surrender my comfort, my children, my wealth. I believe that you are enough.
• I surrender my parents’ dreams for me. My trivial wishes. My need for someone to love me. All of this I surrender to you.
• I give you my life. I put my marriage, my career in your hands. I give you all my hurt, pain, fears and sorrows.
• I surrender to His will. I will not be a victim.
• We surrender control of ourselves and commit to be obedient to what you have asked us to do. 
• Thank you Lord, help me surrender completely to you. I release resentment, gossip, materialism. Change me to your servant.
• Lord, I surrender. I love you. Not providing for my family is killing me. Please, I need your help. They don’t deserve this. Please help!
• I surrender my hatred.
• I surrender my pride and arrogance.
• Lord, it’s yours. It’s on you. I can’t. You can.
• I surrender to reach my higher calling from you, Lord. I surrender the “pull” of meaningless things that weigh me down and take away from the important things that you have given me. Amen
  
  
  
  

Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

January 25, 2010

The Ringside Seat.

Picture the scene:  A man and a woman stand in a receiving line, quietly greeting friends and guests who have stopped by to see them. Just three feet away is a casket containing the body of their 27-year-old daughter, a victim of cancer. The casket is open.

As I made my way to the front of the line and greeted my grieving friends, I was overwhelmed by the entire scene—not just the poise of my friends, but also of their proximity to their daughter’s body. I simply don’t know if I could do it. How do you stand next to the open casket of one of your children and not crumble into an emotional heap?

Let me tell you what they told me—grace. My friends--and their daughter—are Christ-followers. They believe that nothing will ever touch their lives that isn’t approved by God. There are no accidents, no coincidences, no mistakes. God could have stopped the cancer that took their daughter from them, but chose not to. And given that they are convinced that God is good, then something else must be up. God’s plan for my friends and their daughter, however brutal it appears to be on earth, will look much different in light of eternity.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us, Romans 8:18 (NIV).

My friend—the husband and father in the grieving duo—told me that he wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone else. The pain of losing a child has been unbelievable. But he also told me something that I will never forget. He said that he wouldn’t have opted out of it, either. He said that he and his wife had been given a ringside seat to the mercy of God. Their daughter had displayed such poise and grace during her ordeal, God’s promises had been proven to be undeniably true, the Spirit of God had been so sweet and comforting, and the perspective they had gained was so dramatic, that the terrible crisis of burying a child had become something they could indeed praise God for. His goodness had been evident, even in the pain.

That’s the message of Christ, that’s the hope of the Gospel of Jesus, that’s the reality that the Cross event makes possible. Open your eyes. Even in today’s headlines and in the tragedies of our lives we too can have a ringside seat to God’s mercy.



Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

January 19, 2010

Kidneys Matter.

Over a decade ago, my mother’s kidneys stopped working. Because of a major bout with septicemia, all of her major organs shut down in a 24-hour period. Most of her organs eventually kicked back in; but not her kidneys. Persnickety things that they are, they stayed offline for several years. My mom endured several years of kidney dialysis—a brutal routine of three treatments a week each lasting 3-4 hours, where all of the patient’s blood is taken out, cleaned in a machine, and then put back in. Pretty amazing; it’s also exhausting. After five years of this, my mom decided she’d had enough. She went off dialysis, went into hospice care and waited to die.

Then an amazing thing happened—one of her kidneys decided it was time to get back to work. That little kidney began functioning with just enough gusto to keep my mom’s blood relatively clean and to keep her alive. That was several years ago. Both (my mom and her kidney) are still kicking today.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it,” 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV). As a Christ-follower, you have a role to play in Christ’s body, the church. The body of Christ can no more function well without you than we can without kidneys. Every part is vital. But far too often body parts in the church go on strike or (like my mother’s kidneys), take extended sabbaticals. The result is always chaos. Not only does the body suffer, but the MIA member typically atrophies as well. The only way to insure that the church will function well and that all its members will stay healthy is to make sure that they stay connected.

So how are you? Are you fulfilling your role? Are you tightly connected to your local church body? Are you using your gifts, skills and resources to strengthen Christ’s body? Or, have you unplugged? If you have, please know that the results of your spiritual isolation will be devastating for both you and your church.

Do you want to see a spiritual revolution? Be what God called you to be. Live wholly and completely as part of Jesus’ body, the church.



Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

January 7, 2010

Revolution, Part 2

496 years ago this week, on January 10, 1514 the first parallel Bible was completed. The six-volume set included multiple language versions of the Old and New Testaments and a comprehensive set of study notes. The work was initiated in 1502 and financed by Cardinal Francisco Cisneros. Cisneros invited several top religious scholars of his day to participate in the ambitious task that took 15 years to complete. The Cardinal’s motive? To “revive the languishing study of the Sacred Scriptures.”

Hmmm . . . . It seems that nearly 500 years ago they had the same problem we do. Perhaps they didn’t understand what they had in their hands. Maybe they needed a spiritual revolution.

We do. Look across the desk, walk across the room, or go to your nightstand and pick up your Bible. In those pages can be found the answers to the most pressing questions in life. In those pages can be found a living and active message from our living and active Creator. And in those pages can be found the recipe for the spiritual upheaval we seem to so desperately need. If Jesus was anything, he was revolutionary. But he didn’t preach a political revolution; he preached a spiritual revolution. He called for a transformation of the hearts of men. And then he died to make it possible.

Get into the message of God’s Word. Don’t take your Bible for granted. Read it, study it, meditate on it, and then pray for revolution.

By the way, just over ten months after Cardinal Cisneros published his parallel Bible, another priest named Martin Luther posted 95 statements of protest on the Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. He’d been reading the Bible. What followed is called the Reformation. God calls it revolution.

January 4, 2010

Revolution

God has placed a word on my heart for 2010. It’s revolution. I think he’s asking me to be a revolutionary Christian. I also think he’s calling me to lead a revolutionary church.

It all started when I checked my On This Day in History web site for January 2. I learned that on January 2, 1776, the first revolutionary flag was flown in the colonies. It still had some of the markings of the old British flag, but the red and white stripes clearly indicated 13 independent streaks running strong in the hearts of the colonials. By July 4, 1776, all of the old British markings had been removed. The red, white and blue flag with thirteen stars flew proudly as a symbol to all the world that revolution had come to the British colonies; I’m sorry, the AMERICAN colonies!

As I read about our flag’s origins, I felt the gentle nudge of God’s Spirit asking me to think about revolution from a spiritual perspective. What if we had a revolution of faith? What if Christians all over the world declared war on our collective status quo and decided to live revolutionary lives for God. What if, in the words of James, we looked after orphans and widows in their distress and kept ourselves from being polluted by the world (James 1:27)? What if, to quote Isaiah, we devoted ourselves to loosing the chains of injustice and untying the cords of the yoke, to setting the oppressed free and breaking every yoke, to sharing our food with the hungry and to providing the poor wanderer with shelter, to clothing the naked and not turning away from our own flesh and blood (Isaiah 58:6-7)? And what if, to quote the Lord Jesus, we committed ourselves to lifting up the name of Jesus and offering salvation to all who would believe in him (John 12:32)?

I love opening days. Whenever an opening day roles around it means that something good, fun, exciting or important is about to begin. There’s the opening day of the NFL, when September finally arrives and real football action can be expected until the end of January. Hunters look forward each year to the opening days of deer season or dove season, or whatever other season they may be inclined to enjoy. Then you have the opening day of highly anticipated movies, where moviegoers flock to theaters to be the first to see the new flick.

I remember the opening day for our church facility. We had prayed about and worked toward that day for nearly a decade. And yet after all that preparation, it was over in a flash. That’s the problem with opening days: they only last a day.

So here you are on the opening day of a new year. You no doubt have high hopes and expectations for this year. You may have even been anticipating or praying about today (and the new year it’s ushering in) for a long time.

I would like, however, to take some pressure off of you. I don’t know about you, but I tend to really overreact to new year opportunities. As with other opening days, I like to gear up for the big New Year’s event. I plan and pledge and pray and put tons of pressure on myself to really rise to the occasion, only to find out that the guy who woke up in the bed on January 1st is the same one who climbed in it on December 31st. No magical transformation has ever taken place in me in the wee hours between bedtime and breakfast on New Year’s Day. As a result, I tend to set myself up to fail. My opening day dreams eventually become just another opening day dud. Perhaps you can relate.

That is why a verse like this one is so important. David suffered from no Opening Day illusions in this verse. He just figured that his best plan of action was to every day meet with God. I find that strategy very refreshing. Here’s why: there are some things that I know I’m going to do every day. I brush my teeth every day; I shower every day; I sleep and eat every day. I kiss my wife, pray with my kids, pet the dogs and check the headlines every day.  I don’t worry about doing these things; I don’t plan for them; I don’t have to work them into my schedule. I just do them every day. So I’ve relegated my times with God from the big event category to the every day category.

No don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that my spiritual disciplines are no more important than these routine and otherwise mundane daily activities; but I am saying that when it comes to spiritual matters, my consistency is right up there with personal hygiene. Maybe yours should be too.

Don’t try to gear up for a full year of spiritual growth. That’s way too much of a daunting task. Rather, just take a deep breath and put loving Jesus on the list of things you do daily. Connect spiritual disciplines with something as mundane but as regular as brushing your teeth. Pretty soon, it will be second nature to you. And then, you won’t even have to think about it.

In this Christmas season, I think this is the question that Jesus might pose to each of us: Do you really believe? It’s the question He posed to Martha just moments before raising her brother Lazarus from the dead. It was a question He often asked someone before He healed them. Martha’s answer should be the answer we all have: Yes Lord, I do believe.

So let’s ask ourselves that question today. It’s the question of the ages, the question of Christmas. It’s the question every living soul will be asked at some eternal moment in the future. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe that He is eternally equal with God? Do you believe that His birth, life and death were prophesied hundreds of years before His advent? Do you believe that He was the One promised through the ages?

Do you believe that Jesus was conceived in and born of a virgin, and that the One Who conceived Him was the Holy Spirit? Do you believe that Jesus grew up in perfect obedience to His earthly parents? Do you believe that when Jesus died, He did so as a sinless human being?

Do you believe that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost? Do you believe that He became sin so that we would become the righteousness of God? Do you believe that He embraced our spiritual poverty so that we might receive His spiritual wealth? Do you believe that He died for you?

I do. I believe all this and more. I believe that Jesus is the final and complete revelation of God to man and that He is the only true way for us to find God. I believe that He loves me . . . . and you. On this Christmas Day, I find great joy in confessing that belief. You will too. Try it. Tell someone. Confess your belief in Jesus today.



Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

December 18, 2009

Very Awesome

Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like
an angel of God, very awesome.”
Judges 13:6

How do you picture God? When you imagine God, what do you see? Do you personify Him? Do you see a little old man with a long white beard? Do you see a wizard-type person with flowing white gowns? Do you see an intangible spirit? When you think of God, what do you see?

Now let me ask you another question: If God were to appear to you today, what form would He take? In the centuries before Jesus, God did appear to men and women, or at least his angel did. We’re not really sure who this angel was. Some think Gabriel, others think it was Michael. Some scholars even argue that the dramatic and apparently human appearances of God in the Old Testament were pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus--that the angel of God was none other than the Son of God, and that’s why he was so astounding, so awesome.

Awesome—isn’t that a great description for God? But wait, it’s not just awesome, it’s very awesome. This woman’s two-word testimony about God could not be more powerful: very awesome. He is indeed.

Here’s a final question: What two-word phrase best describes the God that you see? Let me take a guess at some possible responses: very confusing; very late; very weak; very mean; very distant; very busy; very preoccupied; very intimidating; very removed; very unconcerned. Do any of these sound like how you might describe God today? If that’s the case, then I’d like to suggest that you keep looking—because there is more of God than you currently see. 

Look Deeper

I ran into an old friend today at the grocery store. I crossed right in front of his car in the parking lot. We exchanged quick greetings. I noticed a bouquet of flowers in the front seat, so I asked innocently whom they were for. He responded, “Today is Betty’s birthday.” Betty was his wife of fifty-plus years who died a nearly two years ago. His tears flowed.  “I am on my way to the cemetery”, he said.  I was speechless.

My good friend Gary Sinclair always says, “People are hurting more deeply than we know.” Even this week I’ve seen the hurt spilling over. The man whose wife is having an affair. The young woman who had the sudden stroke. The child with a tumor. The couple that is losing their home. People are hurting indeed.

Look around. In every face you see there is story. Some stories are in pretty difficult chapters. If you’ll look a little deeper, you might notice the hurt that’s there. And when you do, be ready to love, to embrace, to share your hope and to pray.

We are Jesus’ hands, feet and heart. 



Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

November 10, 2009

Reflections on Another Day of National Sorrow

I’ll never forget where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001, when I heard about the attacks on our country. I’m sure you’ll never forget either. Unfortunately, we had another day like that recently. It started for me as a bold-printed headline on my computer’s news link: Shooting at Fort Hood. From there, the details began to come in and the heartache of another national crisis at the hands of a deranged individual returned. I grieve for those whose lives have been ripped apart by this madness. I know you do too.

In the wake of the events of 09/11/01, God led me to Isaiah 6. He led me back there after the Fort Hood tragedy. In that magnificent passage, Isaiah and the nation of Judah were grieving the death of the great leader, King Uzziah. The king’s death had left the nation exposed politically, spiritually and militarily. The enemies of Judah were swarming. It was truly a day of national crisis.

Then Isaiah saw God: In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord, lofty and exalted (Isaiah 6:1). The juxtaposition couldn’t be greater: In the year that Judah’s hope and security died, Isaiah saw God. In the year that the best of man failed, there was God, lofty and exalted. In the day of national crisis and mourning, God showed himself strong.

I really needed those words in September of 2001, and I need them in November of 2009. I’m sure I’ll need them again. God always rises above our chaos. When our systems, securities and sources of strength fail, he doesn’t. When our enemies (or the Enemy) wreak havoc in our lives, God still rules. When the headlines tell of tragedy, God is still exalted and in control. He is always more significant than our circumstances. He is today.

Pray for the grieving hearts at Fort Hood, in Orlando, and around the world. Pray that the name and glory of God will be seen, even in our worst of days. Then, look for God. He’s reigning even now.



Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

October 25, 2009

So, do you want to see my scar?

I had neck surgery a week ago. Pretty amazing stuff. The doc went in through the front of my neck, took out some bad stuff, put in some new synthetic stuff, and wham-o, the chronic pain and weakness in my right arm that I’d had been battling was instantly gone. Of course, now I do have this matter of the hole in my neck.

So here are some of the more random thoughts I’ve had since surgery:

• Dr. Jim Smith of Central Texas Spine Institute is way cool. He had me and my family laughing before and after the surgery—even when it hurt for me to laugh. BTW—he’s a pretty good surgeon too.
• Swallowing is way underrated. I still can’t eat solid foods. The doc basically moved my esophagus out of the way to get to my spine. The poor thing is a bit traumatized and not quite back in working order yet. I’m pretty much on a Gerber diet. They nurses tells me it could be a few weeks. I miss swallowing. Please no more eating disorder comments.
• Drugs are overrated. I just don’t see the big deal about taking drugs. I have talked publically about the fact that I was a serious Doobie Brothers fan in high school, and it wasn’t always for musical reasons. Yet I never really got what all the buzz was about (pun intended). But I was on some heavy-duty stuff post-surgery and I can tell you firsthand that they’re just not worth the effort. Unless, of course, you like hallucinating that you’ve got the lead role in a new Village People video. That’s it—I’m done with drugs.
• Nurses rock. The ladies and gent who cared for me before, during and after the surgery for 24 hours were totally professional, patient and kind. Thanks to them all.
• If the first point of surgery is healing, the second is humiliation. Think about it: moon robe, panty (they call it “support”) hose, lightly treaded socks lest you slip and sue, and the little puffy hat that resembles the balloon kid’s balloon, only way smaller. To make matters worse, at least three of the people involved in the procedure have been to my church. I’m sure that pirated pictures of me in all my surgical garb beauty are going to show up on Facebook any day. 
• It’s impossible to beat anesthesia. Trust me, I’ve tried—3 knee operations, 2 shoulders, 2 spine “procedures” and this most recent event. In every case I tell the sleep doctor that he doesn’t have what it takes to put me down. I tell him that 5 minutes after the juice goes in I’ll be having a serious conversation with him about health care reform or stock futures. And in every case he just smiles, squirts the juice in my IV, and I never see him again. Sleep docs—6, Will—0.
• Friends are awesome. Thanks for the cards and prayers. They’re very appreciated.
• Susie Davis rules. My poor body literally started falling apart at about age 35. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I played really hard growing up; maybe because it’s a way God can keep me humble. Either way, Susie has nursed me through more than her fair share of the “in sickness” and “for worse” part of her vows. There’s no way I can repay the patience, love or humor. Not to mention the medical expenses.
• God’s still there when you come back to him. I’ve lost at least a week in my relationship with God. I can’t really sleep or eat, which means I’m typically too tired to pray or read the Bible. Connecting with God in a meaningful way hasn’t happened for me in several days. Sure, I pray when I’m lying in bed at 3:52 AM wishing I were asleep, but it’s not the same. But yesterday, God and I connected again. It was really cool. I was just coherent enough to process what the Bible was saying to me and I had some meaningful times of prayer and reflection. It lasted for nearly an hour. I really needed it. And like that friend that you can just pick up where you left off with them, no matter how many years or how many miles have separated you, God was there like he’s always been. It was like we’d never missed a day. That’s grace, God’s grace, and it’s the coolest thing I’ve learned from this hole--I’m sorry--whole, experience.
  
  
  
  Dr. Will Davis Jr.
  Sr. Pastor
  Austin Christian Fellowship

October 16, 2009

They’re Everywhere!

I had surgery recently—neck surgery. Not a major ordeal. Just enough to justify a night in the hospital. What I found surprised me: Christians, believers, Jesus-followers. They’re everywhere. The nurse who checked me in was Greek Orthodox and had a very sweet spirit about her. The doc who did the actual cutting is a good Episcopal who also loves the Lord. The surgical assistant who provided the materials to go in my neck actually attends our church! I had no idea. The sweet nurse who greeted me and showed me to my room actually visited our church last weekend. All three of my night nurses—one man and two women—were believers. My nurses this morning? Again, all three believers. My primary post-op nurse actually recognized me. She used to work at a church where a buddy of mine who is a pastor.

After a while, it kind of got to be funny. We’re having an outbreak of Christians! Now keep in mind that I didn’t have a sign around my neck telling these folks of my religious status. I most cases, I was too drugged to say anything coherent. But in our conversations—albeit one-sided—out came their faith. As I look back on it now, it was very encouraging.

Christians, Christians, everywhere. Hmmmm. It reminds me of what the Lord told the Apostle Paul during a particularly dark period of his ministry: For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city (Acts 18:10--NIV). Many people indeed.

Friends, believers are everywhere. There are more of us than we realize. In Tucson and Tulsa, Anchorage and Albany, Conroe and Cheyenne, Dallas and Denver, Jacksonville and Jackson Hole, Nacogdoches and Nashville. And in Austin. Open your eyes (and maybe also your mouths). Faith in Jesus is alive out there. He really does have many people in your city. Yea God.


Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

October 7, 2009

Successful Baton Passing

Just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them
down to us. Luke 1:2

If you’ve ever been involved in track and field, then you know the importance of baton passing in a sprint relay. It’s amazing how many times some of the fastest athletes in the world have been stopped dead in their tracks by a miscue with a 12-inch metal cylinder. In a relay, the success of the race depends on the success of the baton pass.

This seems to be true in spiritual matters as well. In the introduction to his Gospel, Luke talked about the importance of baton passing. He mentioned those who were eyewitnesses to the life, ministry and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said that what he wrote in his Gospel was what has been handed down to him by those eyewitnesses. The baton, in other words, had been successfully passed. In writing his Gospel, Luke was doing his best to make sure that he didn’t drop the baton. Aren’t you glad he did? If you’ve ever had your heart stirred by a passage in Luke’s Gospel or in Acts, then you can be sure that Luke succeeded. He has handed the baton firmly to you.

That begs an obvious question: what are you doing with it? We have the same responsibility to be successful baton-passers. The future of the spread of Jesus’ message depends on each generation’s determination to effectively hand down what has been given to them. So, what about your kids, your cousins, your neighbors, your co-workers, your parents, your spouse and your friends? Have you handed the baton of truth to them yet? And what about the person who does your lawn, cuts your hair, handles your income tax, changes your oil, cleans your house, collects your rent, takes your dry cleaning, delivers your mail, exterminates your house or drives your carpool? Have you handed them the baton yet? While not everyone in your relational world is ready to take the baton, many are. Please don’t let them live empty-handed because you didn’t try. The next generation of believers is depending on you. It’s time to pass it on.


Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

September 28, 2009

Have you every heard the laugh of a hearing-impaired person?

Three to four times a year our church sends a team down to the Lakeside apartments. I go with them every chance I get. Lakeside is a city-run project that is filled with mostly special needs residents. For many, Lakeside is the last stop before homelessness. If they lose their lease at Lakeside, they end up on the streets--special needs or not.

I typically sign up for cleaning duty when I go to Lakeside. I don’t know, but I find that it’s really good for me to spend a morning cleaning a total stranger's bathroom.  It kind of put’s things into perspective.

On my last trip to Lakeside, I was assigned to clean the apartment of a deaf woman named Doris. I remembered Doris from my previous visits. She is a wheelchair-bound woman who can neither speak nor hear. She has warm smile and a kind disposition. When my cleaning partner, Connie, and I walked into Doris’ apartment, we were shocked. It was totally spotless; immaculate would be a better word. Most of the apartments at Lakeside are a total mess, as many of the residents are simply unable to clean their units. Doris’ was spotless. I wondered what we had been sent there to do. Then Doris showed me what she wanted--she was very bothered by the green mold growing on the caulk on her bathroom tile. I immediately declared war on Doris’ mold!

I stepped into Doris’ shower and began to work on the mold with a sponge. I was having a hard time getting to it, so I went out into her living room and took off my boots and socks, rolled up my jeans and headed back toward her shower.  Doris was sitting by watching me. When she saw me take off my boots and socks, her eyes got real big, like she couldn't believe what I was doing, and then she just broke out into laughter. Loud, raucous laughter. I don't know if you've ever heard a deaf person laugh. I hadn't until then. It was one of the most beautiful sounds I've heard in a long time. Not only the actual sound, but also the notion that in serving Doris, Connie and I had brought some joy and happiness into her life. It was one of the coolest serving moments I’d had in a long time.

It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I was ministering to a former gang member/street fighter when I lived in Fort Worth. He had nearly been killed in a fight outside of Billy Bob’s and I met him while he was in the hospital. Strangely enough, we became friends. His name was Rippy.

I was going to spend five days at a Christian camp and I was sure that the experience would be really good for the wayward Rippy, so I started bugging him about going with me. He gave me every excuse in the book for why he couldn’t go--pretty creative stuff for a guy who was unemployed and had very little to do.

On the very day that I was supposed to leave, I stopped by Rip’s for one more visit. We talked in his front yard for about twenty minutes. There just happened to be a rare Spring storm brewing that morning, and the wind was really starting to pick up. So I took a chance. I told Rip that the wind represented God’s Spirit and that every gust was God trying to tell Rip that he needed to join me at the camp.

What happened next still astounds me: The wind really started blowing! It was howling. I’d say something like, “Rip, God loves you and really wants you to get to know Him,” and before the words were off my lips, another huge gust would come and almost blow us over. This went on for several minutes. I’d say something, and the wind would blow. And every time it would blow, I reminded Rip that it was God. Before our conversation ended, we had to shout into each other’s ears to be heard over the wind.

Finally, Rip put his hand on my chest, leaned forward and shouted, “Tell Him to stop! I’ll go!” I guess you could say that Rip was kind of blown away.

The Bible uses the same word for both spirit and wind. Obviously, there’s a reason for that. So when you walk outside today and you feel a gentle breeze in your face, stop and say a prayer of worship to God. He’s right there with you.

By the way, Rippy went to the camp; and, he became a Christ-follower while he was there. Let the wind blow. 


Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

September 14, 2009

Special Edition

I promised to write more about the wind and how it symbolizes God’s work in our lives, and I intend to. But the events in Austin this past weekend have moved me to write about something else—rain! It seems that rain has a lot to teach about God as well.

If you don’t live in Austin, then you probably don’t know what we’re in the midst of a terrible drought. We haven’t had significant rain in a couple of years. We’re on mandatory water rationing and our yards and lakes are vivid reminders of just how dry things are. Lake Travis, a beautiful, 60 square mile lake northwest of Austin, now has huge, dry islands that are actually sprouting vegetation. It’s about 35 feet below full. Most of the public boat ramps don’t even reach water any more.

So when it started raining late last week here in Austin—I mean really raining—we all started celebrating. It rained all weekend. Roads were closed; creeks ran over, a part of our house even flooded. It was serious rain. But guess what, the lake levels didn't budge. Even with all that rain and runoff, Lake Travis stayed at about 35 feet below full. How can that be? How can we get so much rain and no effect on our lake?

Because the land is that dry. The ground, desperate and parched from 3 years of drought, drank in the water. It’s going to take much more heavy, heavy rain for us to see any real movement in our lake levels.

Sometimes, when God starts to work, you don’t immediately see it. He may be pouring out his Spirit on a family, a business, a life, a church or a nation, but it may not be immediately evident. Sometimes God has to fill in the cracks. He has to fill the aquifers and wells of our own hearts before we have enough to spill out onto others. You may have been praying about a situation for a while—even years—with no evident result. It doesn’t mean God isn’t working. It may just mean that he is filling the cracks first! Keep praying. Keep seeking. Don’t stop. The flood will come.

Back in August, I started praying for God to fill Lake Travis. For the record, I’m praying for Lake Travis to be at 700 ft. (the spillways on the dam are at 713 ft.) by November 1. We’ll see. But this weekend’s rains are an encouraging sign. And I’m not worried that the lake levels didn’t move. Our land is thirsty. I intend to keep praying. Maybe you should too.

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6:3 (NIV) 


Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

September 8, 2009

Are you a wind-driven person?

A team of Harvard researchers recently determined that if governments and industries will continue to pursue the development and use of wind energy, we have the potential to produce 40 times more power via wind than we currently consume overall. They also determined that if we’d make our turbines a little taller, we could harness more wind power as well. That’s an amazing and very encouraging finding. Just think: all around us is a tremendous source of energy that is more than enough to meet all our needs.

So, it should come as no surprise that the Bible frequently talks about the wind in reference to a person’s relationship with God. It seems the biblical writers, and especially Jesus, understood the similarities between the work and power of God’s Spirit and the power of the wind.

In his famous “born again” statement, Jesus described people who believed in him as being born of God’s Spirit. He said that they were wind-driven people: The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (John 3:8). In other words, people who follow Jesus are as free as the wind. They have a spontaneity, a freedom, that is uncommon in those who adhere to a strict religious law. Rather than being bound to a certain system or way of life, Jesus’ followers are marked by a free-flowing existence that is directly sourced by God’s Spirit. Beyond that, their lives are filled with power; a kind of power that they could never produce or experience on their own.

In my next few entries, I want to talk with you about what it means to be wind-driven. There is a difference between someone who is working and striving his or her way through life and someone who is led along by the wind of God. One is weary and worn; the other is refreshed and enjoys the newness of God every day. Which are you?

I invite you to seek the God of the wind today. Ask him to fill and refresh you with his Spirit. Ask him to blow through your life. Invite him to lead you moment-by-moment through your day. Pray to the God of the wind, the Holy Spirit, to free you right now. 


Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

September 1, 2009

Will you still be running when you’re 80?, Part 2

What are you passionate about? What drives you to get up everyday? If you’re healthy and live that long, will you still be passionate about your cause when you’re 80? Howard Elakman is passionate about running. And he’s still running at age 80. My father, Will D. Davis, is passionate about his job as an attorney. He’s still practicing law at age 80!

Those of us who follow Christ should have no problem with a cause about which we can remain passionate. We have the greatest news in the world to share with people and the greatest joy of having a relationship with the God of the universe. In my own life, I can’t think of a more noble or more rewarding cause to give myself to. So when I’m 80, if my bad knees, back and neck (and/or rooting for Baylor football) have put me in an early grave, I pray that I will still be passionately telling people about Christ. I want to have the vigor of Caleb, who at age 85 said: I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then (Joshua 14:11). I love his passion. And if I make it that long, I still want to know how to live passionately for God.

What are you passionate about? Do you have something that drives you beyond just paying the bills or closing the next deal? There’s nothing wrong with those things, but they’re difficult to build your life around. Honestly, you can do better.

If you’re looking for a cause that will keep you running when you’re 80, take a look at the Kingdom of God. You might be surprised. Once you experience it, you might just find yourself running for a whole new reason. 


Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

August 27, 2009

Will you still be running when you’re 80?

Howard Elakman is a runner—a distance runner. He’s run 28 marathons. He still runs 5ks and half marathons. The curious thing is that Howard didn’t start running until he was 38. That’s pretty late in life to start running. The really amazing thing is that Howard is 80—and he’s still running. In fact, he’s so passionate about running that he’s written a book about it: Stepping Forward: A Runner's Guide to Moving for Life.

Howard says that good eating and an overall well-balanced lifestyle have helped him stay healthy. But he acknowledges that he has also been very disciplined to just run. He’s run all over the world—in snow, heat, rain, wind, in the city and out in the boonies. And even as an octogenarian, he’s still at it.

As I read about Howard, I thought of another great runner--the biblical writer Paul. His race was a different one, however. Paul ran a race for Christ. His goal was to live his life passionately and faithfully for Jesus until he died. In some of the last words that Paul ever wrote, he said: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, 2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV). Paul knew that he was soon to face the sword of a Roman executioner. He looked back over his life and concluded, I’ve run well. The fact that 2000 years later we’re talking about his words proves that he did indeed run his race well.

I want that to be true of me. I want to run well. I want to live my life passionately for Jesus. While I can run, while I’m still able, before the Lord calls me home, I want to spend myself for Christ. If God wills it, I want to still be living, giving and loving for Jesus, even when I’m 80!

August 19, 2009

Don’t Quit until Your Work is Done, Part 3

Joshua 4:10, Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua.

So, what’s the secret to walking out a difficult assignment? How do you stay then course when every fiber of your being wants to quit. Let me give you a one word answer—others.

Notice in the verse above that the word priest is plural. God didn’t tell a priest to stand in the River with the Ark; he told the priests to. That made all the difference in the world. Instead one of man trying to do an impossible task all alone, God sent several men to do it together. Yes, they still got hot; yes, they were still tired; but they were able to draw strength from each other.

The Bible teaches that it’s critical to not walk out tough assignments alone. You need others to pray with and for you, to offer you perspective, to comfort you when you’re hurting, to rally you when you’re weak, and to pick you up when you fall. And, they need you. That’s why the Bible constantly refers to the Church as a body: we really do need each other to be whole.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV), Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
What tough assignment are you in right now? Do you want out of a hard marriage? Do you have a special needs child? Are you miserable in your job? Do you deal with chronic pain? Is the behavior of a child breaking your heart? Have you recently buried a loved one? Are you unemployed and starting to see the end of your savings? The settings for tough assignments are myriad; but the prescription for walking them out well is almost always the same: let someone else walk it with you.


Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship

August 12, 2009

Don’t Quit until Your Work is Done, Part 2

On my first trip to Washington DC, my family was invited to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery. We got to meet several of the honor guards and see where they dress and prepare to come out for their respective shifts guarding the world’s most recognizable gravesite. The men were humble and very polite; they were also bad to the bone.

One of them relayed a story to us about one of his fellow guards, Seth. While Seth was on duty before the Tomb, a wasp flew into his face and ended up stuck between his eye and his sunglasses. The panicked insect fought, flew and stung desperately for 20 minutes trying to get out from behind Seth’s glasses. While this was happening, Seth never wavered in his steps. He never lifted a hand to move his glasses and free the enraged wasp. Seth completed his post-duty inspection, all the while standing perfectly still. He marched slowly off of the main portico and into the staging area for the guards, where he collapsed. His eye was swollen completely shut.

I’ll never forget that story. Every time I visit Arlington Cemetery I think about Seth. Even though I’ve never met him, he’s one of my heroes.

Following-through on an assignment from God isn’t always easy. Sometimes it’s downright painful—staying in a troubled marriage, loving a rebellious teen, working for a tyrannical employer, praying for an enemy, serving a neighbor who dislikes you, being generous in a troubled economy, living for Christ in the face of persecution. We’ve all faced hard assignments, and we will face them again.

August 7, 2009

Don’t Quit until Your Work is Done, Part 1

Joshua 4:10, Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua.

Joshua, the heir-apparent to Moses as the leader of Israel, was guiding the nation across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. They were forty years late getting there—God had to take care of that little matter of the rebellious spies and their disbelieving followers—but they were there nonetheless. God told Joshua to have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant out into the middle of the Jordan. As soon as the feet of the priests touched the river’s edge, the water backed up and left dry ground for the priests to stand on. This was no doubt a repeat of the miracle at the Red Sea some forty years earlier. God wanted this new generation of Israelites to know that his power was available for them like it had been for their forefathers. He also wanted to firmly establish Joshua as the true spiritual leader of Israel. So he rolled back the waters and the nation crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

The priests who were carrying the Ark had to remain in the middle of the River bed while the nation crossed over. Think about that: An army of 40,000 soldiers plus several hundred thousand Israelite men, woman and children, not to mention their cattle, donkeys, carts, cats and dogs had to successfully cross the rock-laden bottom of the river before the priests could walk out. Those priests probably stood there for the better part of the day; holding the Ark, while their Israelite brothers and sisters passed by. It was a grueling assignment, and one that was not easily completed by the priests. But they did, and the nation made it safely to the other side of the River.

Think about what might have happened if the priests had decided to quit before their work was done. I’m quite sure that the story would have ended tragically. But the priests stood their ground, and God led his people to safety.

This verse has caused me to do some thinking. It’s made me wonder how many times I’ve bailed on an assignment from God just because things got hard. It’s caused me to stop and think just how much Kingdom chaos I’ve produced by stopping well short of the goal that God had for me. What people have I stopped praying for? What skeptics have I written off? What serving assignment did I drop out of? What repentance efforts did I abandon on my way back to sin?

When God gives us an assignment, he fully expects us to stay with it until the job is done. It might get tough; we might get tired, and we might even suffer for it. But God’s assignments don’t come with escape clauses. The Kingdom cause needs our full obedience. The people who are crossing the river need us to stand our ground. Are you?

Think about the angel that God posted outside of Eden in Genesis 3; the one with the flaming sword whose job it is to keep Adam, Eve and all of their rebellious offspring from eating from the Tree of Life. That angel is still there. He’s still at his post.

In my next entry, I’ll give you a real life example of a guard who wouldn’t leave his post until his work was done.

Dr. Will Davis Jr.
Sr. Pastor
Austin Christian Fellowship