Many have observed that the Bible was originally written by people and to people who lived a long time ago in places far away. These "Bible people" had their own languages, customs and worldviews. Even a quick glance at these ancient cultures reveals many, often profound differences between them and our own 21st-century American culture. I am convinced that the more we understand about the cultures God first used to convey his Word, the better equipped we are to more fully understand and apply Scripture in our own time and place. "Israel in Depth" is an attempt to immerse ourselves into the cultural context of Scripture - into the "life and times" of Biblical heroes like Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Hezekiah, Esther, Elijah, the Apostles and of course, Jesus - in order to help us in our lives and witness today.
My first experience of the Bible in this way was in 1997 on a trip to Israel led by Ray Vander Laan. I have since worked closely with Ray and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to lead trips to Israel myself and to share what many have called the "fifth gospel" of the Land of Israel.
After studying at Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan and Jerusalem University in Israel, I completed my Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary. My wife Jill and I have three children - Ben, Dani and Peter. We live in Littleton, Colorado where I am a Senior Pastor at West Bowles Community Church (westbowleschurch.com) and a Bible teacher at Front Range Christian School (frcs.org).
A great teacher once said that people "learn with their feet." We will test this theory as we hike through the literal setting of Scripture and revisit "Bible stories" right where they happened. The itinerary includes dozens of stops and covers both Testaments across the entire county of Israel.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. He also said the second greatest commandment is love your neighbor as yourself. For me, teaching Bible is an exercise of this love. Spending time with others, poring over God's Word as we literally walk in its original context - that's the Kingdom of Heaven drawing near. I look forward to meeting you and experiencing God's Word together.
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