Tell us a little bit about yourself
Originally from Willmar MN, I have been in the Twin Cities with my wife, Jenny, since 1996. We have 4 children (2 girls and 2 boys, ranging from 6-20 years old). I have been in pastoral ministry for over 20 years and also currently oversee 2 ministries dedicated to Biblical teaching and education.
How long have you been with Village Schools of the Bible?
I am coming into my tenth year with Village Schools of the Bible. It has been a rich blessing to see the impact of God’s word in the lives of so many. And it’s been great for my own discipleship as well. Fresh treasures are unearthed every time one digs into the word of the King.
What are some of your key passions in ministry and teaching?
Obviously, the central passion is to know the living Christ. Having our Biblical theology rooted in the realities of history and geography is a key to knowing the King – for He is the God of time and space, of history and geography! One of the handful of watershed moments in my faith was when I first went to the land of Israel in 2009. This was the first of 7 trips to the promised land over the last decade. Those who have taken any of my classes know how much experiencing the culture, geography, and history of the promised land motivates and informs much of my teaching and focus. The Lord has chosen a people, a land, and city, and it is so exciting, to not only see Biblical history in this light, but also watch it continue to unfold before us, as we are, indeed, living salvation history right now.
Tell us a little about your summer class, “Handling the Sword of the Spirit”?
The word of God is called the “sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17. Furthermore we are called to “correctly handle” the word in 2 Timothy 2:15. The truth is this: there are right ways and wrong ways to read and interpret the Bible. In this class, I want to survey the tried-and-true principles of proper Biblical interpretation. We will certainly be looking at “maxims” and “principles” in theory, but these principles will be seen and demonstrated with certain Biblical texts that well-highlight how they work in practice. The goal is to equip the class with the framework and tools become good interpreters and expositors of God’s inerrant word.
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