Hi, my name is Peter LeDuc. I am a pilgrim here under the sun and I choose to spend my time in beautiful New Hampshire where I grew up. I am a sinner surprised by the sovereign grace of a merciful God. I was born and raised in small towns with my seven brothers and sisters. Growing up, my life revolved around the lake, our local church, my garage band, and the family business. My dad is a painting contractor and I worked with him most of my life in ME, NH, and MA. I love all things New England including quaint downtowns, four distinct seasons, hiking, Dunkin’ Donuts, the Red Sox and the Celtics. And I find joy in simple things like family, friends, used bookstores, firepits, live music, mowing my lawn, working out, reading, and writing.

I met my wife at a Christian camp when we were still in high school. We were engaged at 20, married at 21, and had our first child at 22. We have now been married for 15 years and have five children. Years ago, after a church split and subsequent plant, God unexpectedly called me into pastoral ministry which led us to seminary all the way across the country in Southern California. We moved out there with the intention of returning to ministry in post-Christian New England ASAP. But after graduating in 2017, our stay was extended until 2022 as we waited to finalize the adoption of our two daughters from foster care. We moved back home to NH in the summer of 2022 and planted a new church in the Tri-City area of the Seacoast, Grace Church of Dover.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Liberty University, a Masters in Divinity from The Master’s Seminary. I am a crtified biblical counselor through ACBC, and a was a certified foster parent in LA County through Koinonia Family Services.

As a fellow sinner, sufferer, and saint; a father, husband, and son; an adoptee and adoptive parent; a pastor, biblical counselor, and avid reader; I aim to use my words to encourage you on your thrilling-yet-daunting pilgrimage through this beautiful, broken world. I hope you will find a variety of personal reflection, practical help, and pastoral wisdom from God’s Word.

The Purpose of This Blog

This blog exists for the glory of God and the good of mankind.

Maximum Mandatum is Latin for “greatest commandment.”

When asked by the Pharisees which commandment was the greatest, Jesus responded, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 23:37-39).

I have found that in all my preaching, teaching, counseling, parenting, writing, and meditating, I am continually coming back to this command. This is the overarching principle and goal of the Christian life―”to glorify God and enjoy Him.” It should guide every thought, word, and action in all spheres of life. Jesus emphasizes that love for God should be the all-encompassing endeavor of the entire person―intellect, affections, and will―which expresses itself in self-sacrificial love for others. All unbiblical patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting boil down to a failure to live up to this principle. It is my goal to bridge the gap between our orthodoxy and orthopraxy with a deep passion for God and all things holy. If loving God should include all of our faculties then I want to make sure that I am constantly informing your intellect, igniting your affections, and inclining your will toward worship and self-sacrificial action.

“If loving God with all our heart and soul and might is the greatest commandment, then it follows that not loving Him that way is the greatest sin.” -R.A. Torrey