Pastor's Pen

We are looking forward, as we always do, to a week of focus on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! I hope you’ll plan to be here Thursday night for our Maundy Thursday service at…

Last Thursday through Saturday, Connie and I had the opportunity to attend the excellent Ligonier National Conference in Orlando, FL. We were joined there by Philip and Megan Korman from HLPC. There were close to 5,000 in attendance and the…

That’s a question we often hear after great tragedies such as the one that occurred in Coral Springs, Florida on February 14th. Why would God allow a gunman to go into a high school and murder 17 people? Just this…

Like many of you, I heard this morning that the Rev. Billy Graham, died and went to be with the Lord. We knew this day was coming as we marveled at his long life of 99 years. I am profoundly…

Thank you to all who came to this past weekend’s Marriage Conference. I was encouraged by the participation and greatly encouraged by Ty Blackburn’s messages on Friday, Saturday, and on Sunday morning. I thank God for answering our prayers for…

At the Centerville Rotary Club meeting this week I was talking with a stock broker about the recent “correction” in the market. You may be aware that a big dip occurred recently. My friend, the broker, commented that 5% market…

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Jeremiah 29:7 The recent events in our community are…

This week we are re-starting our MidWeek gatherings on Wednesday nights and I sincerely hope our HLPC church family will take full advantage of this opportunity for fellowship, encouragement and growth! We have purposed to offer something for everyone to…

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me…

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8 In reading Psalm 62 I found these words of Scripture to be some great encouragement for the new…

If you were unable to make it this past Sunday night to hear the HLPC choir presentation, “The Newborn King,” you missed a truly wonderful event. Those of us in attendance were blessed to hear the gifted voices and musicians…

• Happy Birthday to C.S. Lewis who was born on this day in 1898! More on him below. • Several months ago the HLPC church family was encouraged to consider some way to give sacrificially toward missions. Perhaps, it was…

In this past Sunday’s sermon I referenced a Christian perspective on “calling.” This was an idea that was recaptured during the Reformation. Martin Luther contributed greatly to our understanding of this doctrine through his own writings. In Luther’s day, the…

Questions from Sutherland Springs, Texas   By now we are all sadly aware of the shooting that took place this past Sunday in the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas. 27 people were killed and another 20 wounded. Our…

I’m very excited to celebrate the Reformation’s 500th anniversary with you this weekend! We have a great conference planned along with a special Lord’s Day this coming Sunday. I truly hope you all will come unless you are providentially hindered…

  I have a lot of reasons to be thankful…   I’m grateful for gifted leaders at HLPC. Right now Tieman Slagh continues to serve our church well by offering an excellent School of Discipleship series on 2 Peter. If…

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22 (ESV) Ours has been labelled a “post-Christian” culture. There is no underlying Christian worldview that is generally…

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20, ESV) The news is very hard to watch these days. In fact, I watch very little of it. It’s not been a…

Just some things I believe are truly worth your time and attention… • If you’re not coming to HLPC’s School of Discipleship Sundays at 9:15AM, you’re missing out on an opportunity for your own growth in grace. Tieman Slagh has…

I don’t want to minimize the hardship many people have endured and are experiencing in Florida and in our own state. Some are still without power and some in Florida suffered great damage due to Hurricane Irma. That said, I…

The news is hard to watch these days. North Korea tensions, Hurricane Harvey damage and relief needs, and now Hurricane Irma with the state of Florida potentially in its path. If that’s not enough to keep you awake at night,…

  We are all sadly aware of the flooding and devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, particularly in the city of Houston. It’s truly catastrophic and emergency services there have been pushed to the breaking point. We all need…

Monday, August 21st, was a special day for many of us. It was the day of the eclipse. Many of you made special trips to put yourselves in the path of “totality” in order to experience fully a total eclipse.…

  So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that…

Within the past couple of days the tensions between the United States and the North Korean regime of Kim Yong Un have reached new levels. It seems the North Korean dictator is intent on threatening the United States and his…

  On Monday of this week Connie and I drove north to meet friends for lunch at a restaurant at exit 221. Connie and I have known Ty and Patti Blackburn since our first days as a married couple in…

For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat…

We are in the middle of one of those home improvement projects. We are attempting to repaint our kitchen- cabinets and all. With some great help and encouragement from Kenny Rahn the work is well underway. Cabinet doors have been…

As many of you can attest, July 4th used to signal merely the midpoint, if that, of summer. The start of school in the fall seemed to fall right around Labor Day. Those days seem long gone. Schools are now…

The PCA General Assembly met in Greensboro, NC June 12-15. The General Assembly is the annual gathering of our denomination. It is during this time that decisions and actions are made that affect the PCA as a whole. Just as…

Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Psalm 111:1 (ESV) Psalm 111 was part of my Scripture reading this morning. I was helped and…

For yet another year I get a front row seat for a week of ministry here at HLPC. I’m so glad we offer Vacation Bible School to our church family and to our community as both are well represented here…

This morning I heard a very encouraging message on prayer by Alistair Begg. You can access it yourself by going HERE. I hope you can find time to listen. One statement that has stayed with me from that message is…

It’s easy to be discouraged as a Christian these days. It seems more and more that Christian views on morality, marriage, and sexuality are under attack. Christians, when portrayed in popular culture, are often seen as bigots and narrow minded.…

Odds and ends from the Bankson family and HLPC news: On Saturday, May 6th, our son, Stephen, graduated from Covenant College with a degree in Physics. We celebrated with him and my parents in Chattanooga, TN. He is currently working…

  Our MidWeek meals are on their annual summer hiatus so there will be nothing happening at the church tonight. However, we are excited about the Summer Study that starts NEXT Wednesday, May 17th at 7PM.   I sincerely hope you’ll…

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13, ESV)   I think every Christian wrestles with doubt. I agree with…

From time to time I like to share some of the internet resources I enjoy that benefit my walk with Christ. There are many more than these, but these are on the top of my list. Each has an imbedded…

            My wife, Connie, first found this article on the Gospel Coalition web site and brought it to my attention. It was written by Vaneetha Rendall Risner. I wanted to share it with you as I found it very helpful.…

By now you’ve probably read or heard about the horrific events that occurred in Egypt this past Sunday. Two suicide bombers walked in to two separate churches leaving 43 dead and over 100 wounded. It was a sad and sobering…

Sadly, more and more in our culture are totally absent from the church and church life. I believe it is, in many respects, a “post-Christian” culture. As we noted in a recent sermon in Romans 11 that what we see…

  Today’s Pastor’s Pen is from the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles H. Spurgeon, who ministered in 19th century London. This is from his Morning by Morning devotional. When I read it I wanted to share.   “Although he was a…

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us,…

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want…

I’ve mentioned from the pulpit several times the persecution Christians in North Korea suffer. In North Korea, the only “religion” that is officially permitted is the worship of their succession of leaders starting with Kim Il Sung, followed by worship…

This past Sunday I mentioned two things in the sermon that I want to highlight for you to check out. The first was the resource of Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation or CCEF and the second was the Word Team…

    St. Valentine’s Day is in our rear view mirror, I realize, but I wanted to share something helpful to the married couples. Here is a short video by Aaron Sironi of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF).…

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the…

  I received an email today from one of my former students when I was a campus minister at Mercer University with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). The student’s name is Eric Ashley. I was privileged not only to be Eric’s…

This past Sunday as we wrapped up our 2017 Missions Week we considered Acts 11:19-30.  There we read of the church at Antioch and how God was at work among them adding to the church and increasing their heart for…