“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,” – Proverbs 1:7[a]NKJV
Hence, “A.W. Tozer in his book The Knowledge of the Holy says that what we think about God is the most important part about us. Biblical Theology shapes what we think about God, people, where we came from, and where we’re going.” – Sean Arviso
Sean Arviso is millennial pastor and self-publishing author who is wise beyond his years. He has studied aboard in Jerusalem and is a consistent lover and learner of God’s Word. Arviso’s knowledge of The Bible has led him to write books that will aide and minister to every reader in regards to the truth about Christianity.
I had the privilege of being part of my friend in Christ, Sean Arviso’s launch team for his latest book ‘30-Day In His Presence Challenge Through The Book Of Genesis’. As a launch team supporter I was given an advanced (PDF) copy of the book to help promote, read, and write a review. And, let me just say while reading Arviso’s dissection of The Book Of Genesis I was able to further analyze how the people and events mentioned in the Old Testament of The Bible correlate to what we all have been witnessing and experimenting as a nation over the last few months. Talk about God’s impeccable timing! Now, I don’t want to be a book spoiler, so I’ll simply leave it at that and let you get to know a bit more about self-publisher Sean Arviso and his purpose for writing.
Q: What is it about theology and apologetics that intrigues you?
A: “A.W. Tozer in his book The Knowledge of the Holy says that what we think about God is the most important part about us. Biblical Theology shapes what we think about God, people, where we came from, and where we’re going. Christian Apologetics was personally impactful to me to bring down the intellectual barriers I had with Christianity and help me come to the cross of Christ repentant. Christianity is under intellectual persecution and we need to be trained to defend against the many accusations and attacks the Church faces; Apologetics is that very training we need.”
Q: Did you ever consider being author? Was it a long awaiting childhood dream?
A: “When I was younger I had notebooks with short stories I would write, but never considered pursuing that. It was until a couple years ago that God pressed upon my heart to serve Him and people through writing. The plan is to continue ministering through words until He calls me home.”
Q: When did you realize you were capable of writing a book and self-publishing it?
A: “Like anything, it takes learning, practice, and repetition to improve; the same is with writing and publishing. I strive to improve my craft, for the benefit of others, by learning from other self-publishers who are experts in that field. The goal is that every book would be better than the previous one.”
Q: How did you come up with the series title “In His Presence” and why?
A: “When praying and thinking about the Series, it didn’t start with the name, but with the concept. The concept being something that had straightforward teaching and specific application to be a doer of His word while creating a community of believers who were experiencing the series together. The name “In His Presence” came from the basic truth that no matter who we are and what we do, we need to be in His presence, and His presence should not only comfort us, but challenge us. This is why the Series is the ’30-Day In His Presence Challenge’.”
Q: Why did you begin the series with the release on ‘The Epistles of James’ rather than ‘Through The Book Of Genesis’?
A: “The first words I started writing for that book were in the hospital where my wife was about to give birth that next day. We had decided that our firstborn son would be named James and I wanted to make it a tribute to him.”
Q: How did you decide ‘Through The Book Of Genesis’would be the second installment to the “In His Presence Series”? Does the Holy Spirit spontaneously prompt you to write about a specific book of the Bible?
A: “The process of my writing is I want to teach through the Biblical text first before I reformat it to the “In His Presence Series”. Regarding Genesis, I taught this at a Bible College as a 45-hour lecture course with other assignments, etc. So, in my prayer and seeking the Lord, this seemed as the next appropriate fit. The next in the Series will likely be on the Gospel of John.”
Q: Are there more commentary books in the works to be a part of the “In His Presence Series”?
A: “Yes, the goal is the complete the Series on the entire Bible and leave behind a body of work that would continue to minister to people and strengthen the Church when I’m gone to be with the Lord.”
Q: What would you like readers to gain from reading the ‘30-Day Challenge Through The Book Of Genesis’ as well as any of your other works?
A: “The main aspect of the Series are the Action Points at the end of each day. This is why the preferred method of experiencing the book is to go through it in a community of believers because we are more likely to follow-through when we’re accountable to one another.”
Q: What advice would you give aspiring writers in regards to the writing process and self-publishing?
A: “Everyone has something to offer and everyone has a story to share. If you believe God is leading you to serve Him in that way, then go for it. There are many resources out there now with regard to self-publishing and you simply need to put in the work to learn, do, and improve. It is difficult, but like anything, if you keep trying, you will get better.”
Well, that concludes the virtual interview (conducted via email due to Covid-19) with Sean Arviso. If you’d like to know more about him, you can search Sean Arviso on Amazon.com to read his bio and a description of his books.
At JesusWired we are all about staying connected with others and wired to Jesus Christ, so comment below and let us know your thoughts – especially if you purchase and read Arviso’s book(s).
