Forest Community Church

Devotional

Day 1: Scales in Damascus

Saul fell blinded on the road, his threats silenced by a light. Jesus spoke his name twice—not to condemn, but to commission. For three days he fasted, led by the hand like a child. Then Ananias came, calling him “brother,” restoring sight through obedience. Scales fell like shattered chains. [09:47]

This moment reveals Christ’s authority over violent rebellion. Jesus didn’t debate Saul’s theology—He dismantled his identity. The persecutor became the preacher because one ordinary believer obeyed despite fear.

Many Muslims, like Saul, zealously defend their faith while starving for truth. When have you hesitated to approach someone “too devoted” to reach? What if your obedience could trigger their scales to fall?

“Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus…has sent me so that you may see again.’ Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes.”
(Acts 9:17-18, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to highlight one Muslim in your life needing Christ’s light.
Challenge: Text or call that person today with a simple “How can I pray for you?”

Day 2: “Brother Saul, the Lord Sent Me”

Ananias argued with God’s command: “This man arrests saints!” Yet he went, calling his enemy “brother.” His hands became conduits of sight and Spirit. One act of courage midwifed Paul’s global ministry. [08:40]

God uses ordinary believers to confirm divine encounters. Ananias didn’t preach a sermon—he embodied grace. His obedience bridged Saul’s vision to vocation.

You don’t need apologetics training to offer friendship. When a Muslim shares a spiritual dream, will you say, “God might be speaking”? Or let fear silence you?

“The Lord said, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument…’ Ananias obeyed, entered the house, and placed his hands on Saul.”
(Acts 9:15-17, NIV)

Prayer: Confess fears blocking you from engaging Muslims.
Challenge: Initiate a conversation with a Muslim coworker/neighbor this week.

Day 3: Fire Shut Up in Bones

Jeremiah tried silencing God’s word to avoid mockery. But truth burned like a trapped wildfire. He HAD to speak, even as friends plotted his downfall. [13:58]

The Gospel isn’t a preference—it’s a life-or-death reality. Muslims leaving Islam often face rejection, yet their joy in Christ outweighs the cost.

What truth have you muted to keep peace? When will you let Christ’s fire override others’ opinions?

“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
(Jeremiah 20:9, NIV)

Prayer: Beg God to reignite your urgency for the lost.
Challenge: Share one Old Testament story (e.g., Gideon) with a Muslim, contrasting Quranic errors.

Day 4: Gideon’s River Test

The Quran claims Saul’s army triumphed after drinking sparingly from a river—but Scripture says Gideon’s 300 men lapped water before defeating Midian. Two different Sauls. Two different gods. [32:39]

Conflicting stories prove Allah isn’t Yahweh. The Bible’s historical precision dismantles Islam’s foundation stone by stone.

Do you know Scripture well enough to expose falsehoods? What if studying Judges 7 could help free a Muslim?

“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel.’”
(Judges 7:5, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for preserving His Word’s integrity.
Challenge: Read Judges 7 and note three details missing in Quran’s version (Surah 2:249).

Day 5: Harvest in Your Backyard

Jesus saw crowds as sheep without shepherds. His solution? “Pray for laborers.” Not programs, politics, or protests—just ordinary people willing to go. [12:24]

DFW’s 45% international student population isn’t an accident—it’s God’s invitation. Muslims aren’t enemies but captives needing liberation.

When will you stop waiting for “missionaries” and become the laborer in your zip code?

“Then [Jesus] said, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers.’”
(Matthew 9:37-38, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to send you to one Muslim this month.
Challenge: Research three facts about Islam in your neighborhood (mosques, cultural centers).

Sermon Summary

We remember that the God of the universe chose to enter humanity through a mother, to walk with us, suffer with us, eat with us, and save us from hell. We anchor our work in Scripture, especially in the example of Saul turned Paul, where a vision alone did not finish the work but required an ordinary believer who obeyed God and met the convert at the doorstep. We commit to being those laborers who confirm visions, disciple new believers, and prepare hearts to receive the gospel. We confess that many Muslims leave their birth faith without finding Christ, and we insist that the gospel task is to move hearts from Muslim identity into true Christian discipleship.

We recognize that Islam bases life on an authoritative scripture and that the central dialog must be a scripture battle about which book truly bears God’s voice. We use Old Testament narrative detail to expose divergences in the Quranic retellings, showing that differences in people, places, and events undermine the claim that both texts report the same revelation. We then present the Bible as an alternative authority that explains sin, atonement, and Christ in ways that the Quranic account does not.

We hold that evangelism to Muslims requires humility, courage, and a distinct method. We refuse quick political answers or cultural mockery and instead pursue patient, text-centered conversations that acknowledge Muslim identity as deep and formative. We believe that when the Quran’s authority weakens in a heart, something must replace it; that replacement must be the Bible and the living Lord Jesus, not merely skepticism or secular identity. We resolve to equip ordinary believers to serve as Ananias figures, to host meals, to read Scripture with seekers, and to walk families step by step toward baptism and discipleship. We pray for revival in campuses and neighborhoods where internationals live, and we commit to training teams who will bring robust, loving, and scripture-grounded witness to the Muslim world in our own backyards.

Key Takeaways

1. Become an Ananias in your context An ordinary believer who obeys God can confirm heaven-sent conviction and unlock a lifetime of ministry. Obedience to bring Scripture and baptism to a seeker matters more than platform or prestige. Fear yields to the fear of the Lord when the mission requires personal proximity and risk. We must choose neighborly faithfulness over remote admiration. [10:33]
2. Engage the scripture battle first The decisive question for Muslim conversations is which book bears God’s authority and transmits truth about sin and salvation. Challenge to the Quran must focus on concrete narrative and textual differences that show competing claims about revelation. When authority shifts, new moral and theological commitments follow. We should prepare to replace a lost scriptural anchor with Christ and the Bible. [30:44]
3. Muslim to Christian is essential Leaving Islam without embracing Christ leaves a person adrift in a new identity that does not answer the soul’s need for atonement. The Great Commission intends movement into the body of Christ, not merely out of a religion. Discipleship after conversion must root the new believer in Scripture, baptism, and community. We must shepherd converts into mature followers who can disciple their own families. [21:12]
4. Old Testament details dismantle claims Careful comparison of Old Testament narratives with Quranic retellings exposes inconsistencies that challenge the Quran’s claim to be a faithful continuation. Textual differences about people, places, and events create openings to ask which text preserves divine truth. Revealing these discrepancies prepares hearts to consider Christ as the coherent answer to human sin. We must learn and use these details with charity and precision. [31:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:29] - Introduction and personal note
[03:31] - Christ Underground overview
[04:08] - Mission and discipling testimony
[05:19] - Prayer and 1 Timothy reading
[07:05] - Reading Acts 9 Saul to Paul
[10:33] - The Ananias principle explained
[12:24] - Need for more laborers
[13:05] - Jeremiah and the fire in the heart
[16:54] - Family story and identity formation
[19:12] - Campus witness that changed a life
[22:19] - Dream, repentance, and conversion
[29:24] - How to engage Islam biblically
[31:07] - Quran stories compared to Scripture
[35:06] - Textual differences and implications
[39:26] - Call to the church and action
[40:38] - Closing prayer and commissioning

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 9:1-19 (ESV)
[The conversion of Saul/Paul and Ananias’ obedience]

Observation Questions

In Acts 9:10-16, how did Ananias respond to God’s call to meet Saul, and what risks did he face?
According to the sermon, why is it insufficient for Muslims to leave Islam without embracing Christ? ([21:12])
What specific Old Testament narrative differences (e.g., Gideon vs. Saul’s army) challenge the Quran’s claim to divine authority? ([31:36])
How did Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus not complete the work of his conversion? ([10:33])

Interpretation Questions

Why might God have chosen an ordinary believer like Ananias—rather than a direct miracle—to restore Saul’s sight and baptize him?
The sermon argues that replacing the Quran’s authority requires presenting the Bible as the only alternative. Why might secularism or skepticism fail to fill that void? ([38:37])
How does conflating Old Testament figures like Gideon and Saul in the Quran (Surah 2:249) undermine its claim to divine consistency?
Why is discipleship after conversion critical for Muslims who leave Islam, according to the sermon? ([21:42])

Application Questions

Ananias obeyed despite fear. What practical step could you take this week to “meet someone at their doorstep” (literally or figuratively) who needs Scripture or baptism?
The sermon emphasizes “scripture battles” over political debates. How could you prepare to discuss specific Old Testament stories (e.g., Jacob’s marriage, Gideon’s test) with a Muslim friend? ([35:06])
Many Muslims leaving Islam feel adrift. How might you intentionally walk with a new believer to root them in community, baptism, and Scripture? ([21:12])
The speaker shared how his friend Aaron persistently read Scripture to him despite initial resistance. Who in your life needs patient, repeated exposure to God’s Word, and how will you commit to this? ([19:12])
The sermon warns against mocking Islamic practices. How can you engage Muslims with humility and courage, avoiding cultural disdain while upholding biblical truth? ([18:02])
Ananias called Saul “brother” before he was baptized. How can you reflect Christ’s grace today toward someone whose background or actions make them seem “unworthy” of love?
The speaker’s mother reads the Bible daily. What habit could you build (or share) to deepen your own—or someone else’s—scriptural foundation? ([04:08])

Sermon Clips

But I want to give you guys the foundation of this. Using just the Bible, using just the Old Testament, we can deconstruct the entire authority of the Quran. And you guys know the beautiful thing about deconstructing the Quran without using a political stance, without criticizing morals, without making fun of them for their religion? When you remove one authority in somebody's life, whatever you use to remove that authority becomes the new authority. [00:38:01] (26 seconds) #DeconstructWithOldTestament

So there's details here that are so important for us church. So important. How did God interrupt Paul in his self righteous rebellion? As he was going to persecute Christians, as he was ordering executions. How did God interrupt them? He had a vision. Now how many people have heard of Muslims coming to Christ through dreams and visions? Raise your hand. Good. Now the spirit is working with us. But guess what? The dream did not convince Paul. The Lord sent a laborer, Ananias. [00:09:56] (38 seconds) #VisionPlusLaborer

I didn't immediately become Christian and this is the second message I want to really really communicate to you guys. Muslim to atheist and Muslim to agnostic and Muslim to new age and Muslim to Sikh and Muslim to Buddhist and Muslim to Hindu is not the Great Commission. It has to be Muslim to Christian. And there are so many Muslims who are leaving the faith, and they are not coming anywhere close to becoming Christian. Church, that's our job. [00:21:12] (26 seconds) #MuslimToChristianOnly

And we're praying like, Lord, send us to the nations. But the Lord has them coming to our backyards. And church, I really, really charge you guys to understand that what we have right now is such a phenomenal opportunity. And if you guys learn the third thing from me today, if you guys wanna get real about your faith, if you guys wanna have your faith be so alive, if you guys wanna see Sauls become Pauls, if you wanna disciple people, go lead some Muslims to Christ. [00:28:40] (28 seconds) #BringNationsHere

That is the only thing. So before you engage in theology, before you engage in debates, before you talk about politics, the only objection that you guys need to move forward on is which scripture is from God. They believe in everything. They believe in the Kaaba. They believe in Mohammed. They believe in Abraham and Ishmael traveling down to Mecca. They believe in Sharia law. They follow it. They believe in having multiple wives. Why? [00:30:09] (23 seconds) #FocusOnScriptureAuthority

My father has been in this country for forty years. Over forty years. They're celebrating their 30 wedding anniversary actually in two weeks. He hadn't heard a full gospel presentation until about two years ago, when I first became Christian. Despite working in the banks, despite being in the world, despite being around Christians, despite moving to Texas. That's not okay. [00:28:15] (25 seconds) #GospelAtHomeNeeded

Ananias is the one that confirmed the dream. Ananias led Saul to his baptism. This is the future apostle to the Gentiles. Paul himself sat blind and helpless until one ordinary believer obeyed God. Do you think Ananias was excited to meet Paul after reading that scripture? This guy who's killing Christians? He was probably pretty scared guys. But his fear of the Lord and that obedience took over him. [00:11:20] (31 seconds) #ObeyLikeAnanias

So the details. So you go to a Muslim, they're gonna say your bible's corrupted. Okay. Specifically, how is it corrupted? We made that up. We made up Gideon. We made up Moses and Jacob. We made up all this. Our ministry team has found 2,300 differences in between the Old Testament and New Testament and the Quran stories, and we're like halfway done. Okay. Why is nobody talking about this? [00:35:15] (24 seconds) #ExposeBibleCorruptionClaim

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