Brian Rex Davis
Cedar Park, TX
WBS ACTION! Editor and President
Pictured above are faces of children Sondra and I met during our recent trip to Nigeria. They serve as a great reminder of our Lord’s lesson on humility in Matthew 18:1-4.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’” (ESV)
Did you know, fifty years ago, the first WBS Students were from Nigeria? Who could have imagined that today, millions of Students from around the world have studied WBS courses and hundreds of thousands have been baptized into Christ as a result. This also puts me in mind of Ephesians 3:20-21.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (ESV)
This passage reminds us who gets the glory for such amazing results, God does! Yes, we want to think BIG and set BIG goals. But we must always maintain our humility, like a child, as we give the credit where the credit belongs – with God.
In this issue of ACTION! Magazine, we are going to challenge ourselves to think BIG. We are going to be inspired with BIG stories. And we are going to set BIG goals. But we do all of this in the context of what God is doing within and through us. And as we think BIG, we also remember that BIG is composed of individuals like Brother Uyai’s daughter. Her mother and family were beaming with joy that Sunday morning as we watched Uyai baptize his daughter into Christ.
Earlier on our trip, we joined Bro. Uyai along with 600 other evangelists and leaders of the church for the WBS Great Workshop hosted at Nigeria Christian Bible College (NCBC), Akwa Ibom State. Who could have imagined from the initial Students of WBS in 1973 that so many church leaders would gather from all over the country in order to coordinate Follow-up and teaching efforts with WBS tools?
As I heard story after story from our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, I realized so many of them learned of Jesus through WBS themselves. No wonder they are passionate about participating with Postal, Ocean Bridge and Online WBS evangelism tools. I marvel at what God has done and is doing!
ACTION! is World Bible School's flagship publication. Read inspiring success stories, tips on how to share the Gospel with others and updates on WBS and its tools!
In this episode of One More Chapter, Brian Rex Davis, Noah Davis, and Bryson Davis continue their study of biblical “principle”, explaining how general teachings give inclusive guidance that can be applied in various ways, while specific commands are authoritative and must shape belief and practice.
This episode of One More Chapter continues the series on Bible study by introducing the idea of “principle” as a way to bridge what a passage originally meant and what it means today, after first stressing purpose and context. The team takes a long–but useful–detour into Bible translations and versions—covering textual preservation, the spectrum from word-for-word to paraphrase, group vs. single-translator work, Dead Sea Scrolls, and which editions they personally use (NASB 1995, ESV, NIV 1984, etc.). The discussion on ‘principle’ will continue in the next episode!
This episode explores how understanding the purpose behind a Bible passage helps bridge the gap between what it originally meant and how it should shape life today. Brian, Noah, and Bryson discuss how purpose protects against shallow, checklist-style interpretation and helps distinguish enduring principles and examples from incidental details.
Brian Rex Davis sits down with Sahadevudu Vanga of India, a fellow missionary since gospel meetings in 1995. They talk about World Bible School’s renewed work in India and the effort to put Telugu translations and advanced courses—especially The Kingdom of God—into digital form. The conversation also covers family ministry, cultural care in a changing India, and tools that serve the next generation of the church.