Look and Listen

Biography

Bill is the son of a hard working, middle class Italian/Hillbilly family (he says that lovingly) and the product of a Chicago public school education (he says that proudly). His upbringing in a small, fundamentalist church led him to an early decision to devote his life to Jesus. It wasn't until young adulthood that he began to appreciate how much Jesus was devoted to him. Surrounded by the high energy and vivid personalities of an urban jungle, Bill received a street-level education on human nature. His early love of reading, his hunger for the Bible and theology, and his early struggles with legalism and self-worth form the foundation for Bill's writing. He also has a deep love of Chicago sports teams and Chicago pizza, but that's not the point right now. Bill entered full-time ministry at age 20 as a children's and youth pastor. He served for eight years before planting a church in Chicago and becoming its senior pastor. During that sixteen-year ministry, Bill finished his seminary degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, urban ministry training at S.C.U.P.E., and his doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary. He met and married his wife, Margi, and started his family... two kids, two dogs, one hamster, and one fish that survived. After a two-year stint as a suburban teaching pastor, Bill and his family headed to the snow-capped mountains and pristine lakes of northern California, where Bill serves as the senior pastor of a rapidly growing Church. Bill and his church are part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. Bill has established a reputation for speaking to the mind in ways that touch the heart. He enjoys delivering God's Word with both theological depth and real-life meaning. He aims to encourage instead of tear down. He strives to free others from guilt, shame, and legalism, and help them discover life and love through God's amazing grace. Bill's life-verse (yes, he actually has one) is: Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23, 24, NKJV).

Inspiration

Tell us a little about yourself. I live surrounded by the snow-capped peaks and pristine lakes of northern California, though at heart I'm a city boy. I was born and bred in the urban jungles of Chicago, where I got a street-level education on life. I'm a husband, dad, pastor, professor, author, and WWJD-wannabe. I instruct the mind in ways that touch the heart, tossing in a lot of humor along the way. If I can get you to laugh, I can shove a couple of truths while your mouth's open, and you'll hardly notice. What was your motivation behind this project? I'm sick of legalism. I wrote the Inner Mess book to free Christians from the gigantic hamster wheel of duty, guilt, and shame. Christianity is not a "to do" list. It is "Christ in you." Most Christians suffer a fragmented view of what it means to follow Jesus. We get scraps of truth in sermons and books, but rarely fit the pieces together, like a puzzle without the top. This book offers the box top. What do you hope folks will gain from this project? The discovery that WWJD is impossible by our power, but genuinely doable by God's. How were you personally impacted by working on this project? Working on the Inner Mess book reminded me that when I give God my worst, he still gives me his best. God is more committed to me than I will ever be to him. Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? I've been influenced by a lifetime of great preachers and authors: Tozer, Spurgeon, Ray Stedman, C.S. Lewis, Warren Wiersbe, Erwin Lutzer, and so many more. I love how Donald Miller lays his heart on the line and how Louis L'Amour saddles up my Inner Gunslinger. Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: I'm the pastor of a fast-growing church in northern California. You'll find a free, downloadable study guide, FAQ's and resources to help you quit being dominated by your Inner Mess at the book's website.