Pastor’s Pen

Too often prayer is given lip service. Someone asks us to pray and we say we will and then forget the request minutes later. This is rarely if ever done intentionally- it just happens. Other times it may happen because…

This past Sunday we looked at Philippians 2:17-30 and the self-less ministries of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. All three were motivated by the grace of the gospel at work in their lives. Our desire at HLPC is to have more…

Dear HLPC family,   This past weekend was a real combination of joy and sadness. I was privileged to officiate the wedding of our own Ben Kinnebrew and his bride, Kara Franklin, in Chattanooga. It was a joyous occasion. On…

This past Wednesday evening we kicked off our study on prayer using Tim Keller’s book, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. The introduction contained a testimony from Keller’s own experience that had driven home to him the necessity of…

  Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs…

This is one of my most energizing and exhausting weeks of the year. It’s VBS week at HLPC. By the time you read this, we should be over the hump with 3 of 5 days completed at “Camp Kilimanjaro”. I’m…

2 things to communicate today…   1) We have three men who have been nominated, trained, and are approved to stand for election to the office of Deacon. These men are: Bruce Coburn, Kevin Epperson, and Dave Maddox. We will…

I love to watch reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show.” I own DVDs of the first five seasons. They were the ones in black and white. Once the show went color in seasons six through eight it lost not only…

If you haven’t heard the message, “A Heavier Cross,” preached this past Sunday by Rev. Clif Wilcox to close HLPC Mission Week, you need to watch the video or download the mp3 file by clicking HERE. It was a sobering,…

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 Psalm 40 has been a favorite for many. It speaks of God’s deliverance in a time of great trial. In verse 2 we read,…

Everyone’s a Theologian is a recent book by Dr. R.C. Sproul, founder of Ligonier Ministries and Sr. Pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel in Orlando, FL. Sproul understands that all of us have theological commitments. They may be rooted in God’s…

The Psalms have been of great help to me in recent months. They’ve given me language for prayer as well as words of comfort. I’ve been using the method of taking the day’s date and adding 3o to that number…