Twenty-two years ago, Argyle resident Scott Davis was a successful varsity basketball coach at Grapevine High School. The Mustangs have always had one of the more successful programs in the area, and during Davis’ tenure, they were regularly making the postseason and chasing their state title aspirations.
Needless to say, Davis was all smiles almost every time he looked at the scoreboard. To add icing to the cake, he and his wife, Renee, had a growing family at home. But in the blink of an eye, all of that almost took a devastating turn.
“I was 36 and in my fifth year at Grapevine,” said Scott, now 57. “Our son Reed was very young and hadn’t been feeling well. I was sitting on the couch and looked down at him, and he was turning blue. He never stopped breathing, but he was struggling. I ended up spending the night with him at Cook Children’s (hospital). It was pretty scary for all of us.”
Thankfully, Reed pulled through. But it was a defining moment for Scott, who realized where his priorities should be.
“God got my attention that day and asked where my focus was at,” he said. “Why was I so worried about scoreboards? My son almost died on the couch. It was a game-changer for me.”
Davis immediately got more involved in his faith and found his calling as a leader for Young Life, a Christian ministry that reaches out to middle school, high school, and college students in the United States and more than 100 countries.
He did that for 21 years before transitioning to being a full-time area director, leader, mentor, educator, and friend with a new men’s ministry in Denton County called Search.
Similar to Young Life, Search invites spiritually curious adults to share God’s love with as many people as possible in their community through honest conversations.
Search is currently for men only ages 20 and up, especially those who need answers to life’s big questions and would prefer to find them in a safe, accepting environment.
“Men are in a tough place right now,” Davis said. “Many are alone, exhausted, disconnected, and distracted. We want to build friendships with them and help them in their life, whether they are a husband, father, etc. This isn’t structured like a Bible study group. It’s a group of friends who have open and friendly conversations.”
Though relatively new to the Denton area, Search was founded in 1977 so that men from all walks of life can find camaraderie on their spiritual journey — even if they are separated by miles of asphalt. Perhaps some are still exploring while others are committed to taking their first steps. Others might have a few answers and are committed to helping friends understand the truth they have personally experienced.
Search is now in 23 cities and boasts a staff of over 60 committed individuals. And they are known for lovingly answering some of life’s biggest questions:
Why is there so much suffering in the world?
How do we know if the Bible is true?
How do we know God exists?
What’s the big deal about Jesus?
Search answers those questions and is set up to do so in 1-on-1 settings, smaller groups, and larger meetings called open forums. Davis said they routinely meet at restaurants, coffee shops, leaders’ homes, or even for a beer during happy hour at a local bar.
“Not a lot of guys have really close friends,” Davis said. “This is an opportunity to get to know other men who have many of the same questions about God and their faith. I’ve been able to connect with some great guys.”
He added, “We just want to hear where they are and have friendly conversations.”
Davis said joining organizations like Young Life and eventually Search helped him make sense of life, draw closer to God, and get all of his priorities in order as his family has continued to expand.
He and Renee have four children in Drew (27), Reed (25), Kelsey (24), and Timothy (20). Reed, the young man fighting for his life all those years ago, is actually a Search leader with his father. Kelsey is now a nurse at Cook Children’s.
“It’s kind of funny how that all came full circle like that. I hadn’t really thought about it until now,” Scott said with a laugh. “We’ve got four amazing kids, though. And it’s an amazing feeling to be their dad.”
For more information about Search, including how to join and invite others, visit searchnational.org. Interested men can also contact Scott Davis directly at [email protected] or call 940-395-5451.
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