About Lyle Story
I am a Professor of Biblical Languages and New Testament in the School of Divinity of Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. 23464.
I experienced the leading of the Lord's Spirit when I was invited to come to Regent University and teach in 1984. It has been a great experience to be part of the community of faith and to be vitally involved in the preparation of men and women for the various ministries to which they are called. I see myself as a servant who helps others fulfill and realize the call and the gifts of God. My passion continues to be the teaching of students; I enjoy seeing the transformation that occurs within students in and out of the classroom. I believe that God has gifted me as a teacher and I treasure the warm relationships with students. Over the years at Regent, I also have served the school in the Deans Office in various administrative and academic capacities; however, the passion for teaching remains uppermost.
I was raised on the mission field in Beirut, Lebanon and then our family moved to the Princeton, NJ area. My father has been a pastor, missionary and professor at Princeton Seminary for 25 + years (recently retired emeritus). After attending junior high and high school in Princeton, I went to Sterling College in Kansas, where I had a wonderful encounter with the Lord; He changed my life and the course of my future life. During and after college, I served as a lay-pastor for several churches in Kansas; this was a formative experience for me in my development and understanding of God's call.
These positive experiences as a lay pastor led me to seek out more extensive preparation for ministry; thus, I went to Fuller Theological Seminary. During this period of time, I experienced some wonderful challenges of ministry and teaching (youth groups, summer day-camps, renewal teams, evangelism, teaching and preaching). During my last year at Fuller, I taught at the Melodyland School of Theology and coordinated prayer groups on the campus. It was a wonderful time to interface with students and help them prepare for the ministry ahead; it was during the time of the Jesus Movement. This positive experience led me to prepare more fully for a teaching ministry; thus, I entered the Ph.D. program in Biblical Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary and served as an associate pastor while I was enrolled in the Ph.D. program (graduated in 1984).
I have produced a Greek to Me Multimedia Tutorial (CD ROM), which is patterned from the Greek grammar Greek to Me, which I co-authored with my father, Dr. Cullen I K Story. It introduces an innovative method to learn Koine Greek faster, easier and more efficiently than conventional methods, such as the "painful" and ineffective method of rote memorization. It was a great joy to develop the textbook, the flash cards, teaching aids, and now the CD ROM. I enjoy motivating and encouraging students to learn both the grammar and vocabulary of Koine Greek, which will mean a greater understanding of the Word of God in personal life, teaching and preaching experiences. The over-riding purpose of the system is to help students understand and faithfully interpret the timeless message of Scripture for their generation.
Family
I am married to my beautiful wife, Sherri. With a bachelor's degree in education and masters of divinity degree, she has experience in both the church setting and the secular setting in children's education, music, and administrative leadership. She and I have been jointly involved in several different ministries in the Tidewater area and are exploring new possibilities for service that will speak to the needs of the 21st Century person. Sherri and Tara Bennett are the co-pastors (spiritual formation directors) of a new church plant, Generations Quest (see Generationsquest.org). You may see some of our ongoing dialogue as a community at gqtalk.blogspot.com (follow-up questions and discussions from our Saturday night community meeting). I find a real joy in helping in this new church plant - in various capacities. I feel a genuine partnership with her in ministry.
I regularly lift weights and run; it's a great boost for my day to go to the gym at noon and feel energized for the rest of the day. I can enjoy fishing just as intensely. Since Sherri is a certified tennis instructor, she has helped me become more than a "hacker"; we have many good times together out on the tennis court. I am at home in blue jeans, t-shirts, flannel shirts and sandals-in a word, "casual."
All of our children are in their twenties and are pursuing all sorts of life adventures: college, graduate school, law school, military, etc. It's great to share with them in the process of personal and spiritual development. We are thankful for a relationship with the Lord Jesus--that characterizes each of their lives.
I have come to know and experience greater understanding and appreciation for the unbelievable grace of God and what that means in my life. I intend to experience and transmit the immeasurable gift of God's grace and God's Spirit so as to infuse new life, freedom, acceptance and joy-all seen in the person and work of Jesus. Sherri and I both believe that God is at work with us as the "God of the Second Chance," and is enabling us to mediate His grace and witness to this post-modern generation.
