St. Paul Lutheran Church

St. Paul Lutheran Church Service Hours: 9:00 a.m. in June, July, and August
10:00 a.m. September thru May Worship Service in June, July, and August is at 9:00 a.m.

From September through May our Worship Service is at 10:00 a.m. From September through May we have WOW (Worship on Wednesdays). There is a meal at 5:45 that is open to everyone. Everyone is invited to stay after the meal to visit or read a book or whatever you wish. At 6:15 there is Confirmation class and Sunday School. From 7:15-7:30 we will close with a brief worship.

09/06/2026

Sunday 6, 2026
Pastor Randy Baldwin

09/06/2026

Sunday, September 6, 2026
Pastor Randy Baldwin

09/06/2026

A short devotion: “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.”
(Matthew 18:15)

All of us have experienced getting into a disagreement with someone, and it is usually someone we care about. If we have a disagreement with a stranger, we don’t care as much for after a few moments, we probably will never see the stranger again, so we let it go. But if we have a disagreement with someone we love, then disagreement comes with a tear in the heart and a strain on your relationship. I know of brothers and sisters who were really close. Then there was a disagreement about a piece of furniture that was their mom’s, which they both wanted to remember their mom after she died. They lost their relationship and didn’t talk to each other for twenty years. Jesus knows us. Jesus knows that some time we will do something or say something that will hurt another. Even Jesus’ disciples argued amongst themselves, debating, “Who is the greatest amongst themselves.” Peter and Paul had an argument and they never spoke to each other again. Knowing this about us, Jesus gives us a process of forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus has called us into a communion of saints. When we were baptized, we received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives each of us different gifts for the sake of the community. So if you are missing, the whole community suffers. The gift of the other is a greater gift than being right. Let us walk in the love and forgiveness of our Lord.

09/05/2026

Remember - we start our
fall schedule September 6.
Worship starts at 10:00 a.m.

09/04/2026

A short devotion: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

I recently watched the last show of the TV comedy, “The Neighborhood”. I had a church function when the finale original aired, so I was glad to see the finale at last. In part of the episode, Dave is telling Calvin how he is going to greatly miss Calvin when he moves back to Michigan. Calvin isn’t one to show his emotions and tells Dave he is glad that Dave got a good job. He liked him as a neighbor, he had neighbors come and go, soon he will have another neighbor. Dave said, “Calvin, we are best friends. I even had a star named after you.” Calvin responds, “Which one? There are a billion stars up there.” Dave he points to a star, “It may be that one or that one over there? Who knows, the point is I named a star after you.” I thought about the billions of stars that can be seen on a clear night when you are in the country away from all the city lights. It amazes me how God created all of them. But God knows each star. There are billions of people on our planet earth, but Jesus says he knows each one of us by name. Jesus says he knows you so well that even the hairs on your head are counted. You are never a stranger to Jesus. Jesus knows and loves you.

09/04/2026

A short devotion: “So, Jesus told them this parable, ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:3-4)

The Tax Collectors and “sinners” were coming to hear Jesus teach and the Pharisees complain to Jesus about hanging around such people. Then Jesus tells this parable, beginning with a question, “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep, and losing one of the, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” This is the beginning of the parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep. When they hear Jesus question, and probably even when we hear Jesus’ question, none of us would raise our hand and say, “Yeah, I would leave my ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness and search for one.” Most of us would say, “Well, I still have ninety-nine sheep. One loss is acceptable. I wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, where they could get lost or be subject to a predator. No, I will stick with the ninety-nine.” But Jesus’ response is different. Jesus is the shepherd in this story and Jesus leaves the ninety-nine and looks and searches under bushes, behind rocks looking every where for the lost sheep until he finds the sheep. Then he rejoices, carries the sheep home and throws a party for the one that was lost is found. Jesus and the Father are not willing to write you off and say, “Oh, well.” Jesus and the Father search, seek, call until you are found and then they rejoice.

09/02/2026

A short devotion: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”
(John 14:1)

This verse is part of Jesus saying goodbye to his disciples. He has told them that he was going to suffer and be killed. He has told them that one of them was going to betray them. He has told them that they will all desert him and run away. He has told Peter that he will deny knowing Jesus three times before the c**k crows. Yet through all these storms of betrayal, and suffering, and Jesus dying, Jesus gives these words of comfort and advice, “Believe in God, believe also in me.” This afternoon as I was sitting in my office, the sun was shining. Then it got darker and darker and soon there was thunder and lightning and rain pounding the roof of the church. The electricity even flashed off for a moment. I thought I was going to get wet going home, but the sun is shining now. Storms in our lives can come up as quickly as this thunderstorm. Or you can see it come, like Jesus told the disciples. Jesus didn’t remove the storms. But he says, “Believe in God, believe also in me” in the midst of the storm. Jesus still holds you in his arms, even when you are being buffeted by the storms of chaos, suffering, and pain and grief. He whispers, “Believe in God, believe in me.” Jesus and the Father are greater than the storms. Jesus will see you through them. The storms will come, but Jesus is greater than the storm.

09/01/2026

A short devotion: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

It was an up and down day for Peter. First Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered some thought that Jesus was John the Baptist or one of the prophets. Then Jesus turned and faced his disciples and asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Then Peter jumped to his feet and confessed, “You are the Messiah of God, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus smiles and blesses Peter. Then Jesus explains what it means that he is the Messiah of God. When he goes to Jerusalem, he will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, suffer much, be killed and be raised on the third day. Peter is upset this would happen to Jesus and says so. Jesus calls him Satan and orders him to get behind him for he is a stumbling block. Then Jesus tells his disciples if they want to follow him, they must deny themselves and pick up their cross. Now this was before Good Friday and Easter. The cross of crucifixion was the cruelest and most painful ex*****on. It was so painful that it was unlawful to crucify a Roman citizen. But this is Jesus’ call, to pick up our cross. Jesus isn’t calling us to a crucifixion. Jesus is calling us to love as he loves. Jesus was willing to deny himself as the Son of God and die for us. Jesus calls us to love one another with his love, to forgive as we are forgiven. For when we do so, we will find our life.

09/01/2026

A short devotion: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

Whenever I read this verse, I cannot help but think of Alabama’s song, “I believe there are Angels Among Us”. The Lord likes to protect us. The Lord watches over us. Through the years, I have heard many stories of a person telling that they were close to something bad happening and suddenly something changed and they were protected. Dr. Billy Graham wrote a book entitled, “Angels, Angels, Angels”, which tells many stories from people like Corrie TenBoom, a Christian woman who was taken to a N**i concentration camp along with her sister, because she had been caught hiding Jews and helping them escape. Corrie tells how she was standing in line to be checked into the concentration camp with the guards yelling, “no books, no personal items”. The woman in front of her got pulled out of line, as she was caught holding a small jewelry box under her dress. While the guards pulled the woman away from the line, Corrie was able to step past the check point as she hid her Bible under her dress. She told her sister an angel helped her through the check point so she could have her Bible in the camp and bear witness to the women there about Jesus being present, even in the concentration camp. We live in a science technological culture. People don’t think too much about the spiritual world. But just because people don’t think about the created things, “seen and unseen” doesn’t mean the spiritual realm doesn’t exist. The Lord commands his angels to protect you, for you are his child.

08/31/2026

A short devotion: “ …. You are a stumbling block to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Matthew 16:23)

Jesus had asked the disciples, “Who do the people say that I am?” and then asked who do they think Jesus is. Peter jumped to his feet and confessed that Jesus is the Messiah of God, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus smiled and blessed Peter. Then Jesus told Peter and his disciples what it meant that he was God’s Messiah. Jesus would go to Jerusalem, suffer greatly at the hands of the religious authorities, be killed and be raised on the third day. Peter can not fathom that his best friend, the kind Jesus who loves and heals people, who teaches people about God would suffer and be killed. How would Jesus bring in God’s kingdom if he was dead? How could God let this happen to his Son? Peter says to Jesus, “God forbid this ever happen to you, Lord.” Jesus calls Peter, Satan, creating a stumbling block for him, as Peter is setting his mind on human things and not divine things. The human things would be Jesus to act as a Messiah, a king, like King David leading an army to defeat all the political enemies of Israel. But Jesus did not come to be a political king. Jesus came to defeat God’s enemies of sin and death, enemies that bring brokenness and suffering in your life. Jesus came to set you free, to disperse the darkness of sin and death. Jesus came to lift you up into his love and declare you to be a beloved child of God.

Address

160 6th Street N
Maynard, IA
50655

Telephone

(563) 637-2265

Website

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