Dear HLPC family,
This week begins a sermon series within a sermon series. We will be looking at the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. I’m looking forward to our time together in this portion of God’s word and the encouragement and help it will give us. In preparation, I’ve been reading from Kevin DeYoung’s book The Ten Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them. He says of the Ten Commandments: “The Ten Commandments are not instructions on how to get out of Egypt. They are rules for a free people to stay free.” I’m looking forward to this deep dive with you in the weeks ahead.
Also, this past Sunday we heard from a representative of The Gideon’s International. This ministry has a long history of Bible distribution for which we are thankful. We have heard such presentations many times in the history of HLPC. Unfortunately, one of the examples used of a person impacted by a Gideon Bible was a pastor we would not wish to endorse from the pulpit of HLPC: Greg Groeschel (a pastor with whom I had no familiarity). Some of our members were discouraged by this example from our pulpit and respectfully shared their concerns with me and some of our Elders. We are thankful for discerning members of our congregation. Again, we appreciate the Gideon ministry and the commitment to spreading God’s Word to as many people as possible but wanted to clarify what we support and what we don’t.
Your Pastor,
Paul