Christ Lutheran Church - Perry, IA

06/23/2026

"An Inconvenient Truth's Inconvenient Truth!"

Dear Devotion-ers:

Word arrived on my newsfeed that 20 years have passed since the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” planted, cultivated, and harvested climate change science in one fell silver screen moment. It spun up a political storm of activism, like no weatherman or women could have predicted. In an instant the wind and solar energy industries were fired up, politicians’ rhetoric heated up, and predictions soared that the Amazon would be burned up, not to mention glaciers extinct, hurricanes worse and more, and Miami (and much of Florida) but a memory with rising oceans. Most of those came with a prediction of catastrophic dates now long past and, inconveniently to the premise of the prediction, no catastrophes out of the normal. Looking back, one research scientist explained that “our understanding of climate change has evolved.” Who knew?

While many of the direst of the dire predictions have been conveniently forgotten what remains within the $10 trillion dollar industry are enough data points here and there to satisfy everyone. Which exposes another inconvenient truth. Climate is in the hands of the Creator, not politicians, scientists, nor left or right leaning prognosticators or greenhouse gas fear mongers.

Absent in climatology is the most important thing. God! It is as if he never existed, as if there is no underpinning of divine authorship, no hope of divine help. It is true that man is the author of his own sin destruction, but God has proven that he is fully able to redeem man’s kind even out of death, how much less capable can he be in preserving the earth for those he died and rose for?

Environmentalism has stolen the earth from the Almighty, who indeed is the first and still only climatologist who matters. He controls all things and installs in people the office of steward. Being kind to creation is not the mandate it needs to be saved. It is an honoring and respect for the one who made it and gave it.

An inconvenient truth was missed in “An Inconvenient Truth.” God is in his house, and the cause of earth's destruction will never be climate change. But there is another inconvenient truth; this world is indeed coming to its end. It’s no secret and won’t require a movie or industry to predict it. It is that final day coming, THE DAY of the Lord's final reckoning with sin, death, and devil. On that day, all things here will be passing away, burned in judgments fire, but not you who believe in Christ. It will be the most glorious day for God’s people of rising fully into our redemption, recreated bodies and cleansed souls back together for an eternity of perfect communion with God, with each other, and yes, with the earth remade and a climate that loves to serve its Creator with perfect seasons and clement weather.

Until that day, steward your little half acre (M/L). Weather storms and help in their aftermath. Pick up and clean up and support those that do. Give thanks to God for the wonderful gift of earth and all creation. And in this world of unbelievers, give testimony to this inconvenient truth...conservation belongs to those who follow God’s will and way. It’s our job!

A Bible Twofer:

Psalm 95:5
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Genesis 8:22
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Discussion:

Did you cancel your Miami trip back in 2006 because you banked on the prediction that it would be underwater by 2016? 😊
How does God use our broken climate to serve His kingdom?
God is good and Jesus the gracious Savior is the world’s real inconvenient truth!

Pastor Max

06/22/2026

Exodus 20:12

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Dear Heavenly Father:

At the outset of creation, you modeled a most special office after yourself, that of Father. You molded Adam not only with form and personality, but also with responsibilities, chief among them, family. You empowered him with gifts and desires to serve the office, and it continues to this day. Bless our fathers, living and with you, with honor for their serving and with echoing thanksgiving to you for their creating. Thank you for our dad’s! In Jesus, Amen.

06/22/2026

"The Office of Dad!"

Dear Devotion-ers:

For the 52nd time yesterday, our country ‘officially’ celebrated Father’s Day. (You did, didn’t you?) In 1974, Richard Nixon with a swoop of a presidential pen, signed the day into law finally putting dads on the map, or at least the calendar.

I’m not sure why it took so long to come up with a dedicated day to fatherhood, but I do know that being dad is an office, with a difference. Most office holders arrive and fade into obscurity to be replaced by the next. Dad’s sadly may come and go, but they never leave the office of Father. There’s a good reason for that. God established the office and their ain’t no walking away.

The greatest responsibility that God gave the first man was family. In God’s eyes, it hasn’t changed. He endowed him with gifts to match the duty. Over the eons, the devil has patiently worked to erode the office with his pounding waves of sin. Though wounded, the office hasn’t fallen. It remains and those who bear it best, do so with our Heavenly Father as their guide, friend, and strength.

While giving thanks for dad on the third Sunday in June is certainly appropriate, it is good to give thanks every day to God who holds two supreme offices, Father of all, and Father of you. Who, in his infinite and timeless wisdom has appointed a dad in his stead to watch over you, care for you as you grow and love you all his days.

Happy Fathers Day Dad's (yesterday!) Happy Father's Day Lord (every day!)

Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Discussion:

Spend time with dad yesterday?
How can we honor dad’s best who have passed on?
God is our Father, and Jesus, the Son, honored Him with His life!

Pastor Max

06/21/2026

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

1 Peter 3:8

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Dear Heavenly Father:

You brought Adam into marriage with Eve, and both into family with children, then into community with neighbors. You made people to be good for one another. Sin has limited and fractured relationships, still you work through the joined hearts of believers to uplift the downtrodden and give hope to the lost. Bless our thinking about neighbors today, that we might give thanks for the good they bring and remember the eternal good you have given us all through Jesus, Your Son, Our Lord! Amen!

06/19/2026

Another Friday with Grace in the Place!

Dear Devotion-ers:

Last week, I was at the LWML (Lutheran Woman’s Missionary League) convention for all of Iowa District West up at Camp Okoboji with some of my colleagues from Perry Lutheran Homes and sisters from our church.

There was one hymn that I want to talk about that we sang at the convention which has been on my mind recently. The hymn is titled, “Hark the Voice of Jesus Crying.” (It’s #826 in the Lutheran Service Book, if you are looking.) The hymn sings about how Jesus calls us into the mission field. The verse I want to focus on is the second verse of the hymn. The verse goes like this:

If you cannot speak like angels,
If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
You can say He died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked
With the judgment's dread alarms,
You can lead the little children
To the Savior's waiting arms.

So, what does the verse mean exactly?

Well, it means that we don’t have to have a special gift or ability to be able to tell others what Jesus has done for us! The women of the LWML have been doing it for years! They have been sharing the good news and the love of Jesus with all the different missions that they have been able to support with their prayers and financial support throughout the years! As I learned they have been great prayer warriors and supporters here at Perry Lutheran Homes as we continue to share the love and mercy of God within our community, which is meant to be shared and not bottled in! Through the experience it was incredible to see women, young and old, be able to blend their voices and faithful actions through this convention!

Sometimes we get called in the most unexpected moments, like most of those women knew again there at the gathering. Many said that they didn’t know why, but as soon as they went to a convention, they knew that they wanted to do more! So, I hope when you hear Jesus calling out to you I hope you can join those hundreds of women and answer, “Here am I, send me!”

Isaiah 6:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Questions:

Have you ever been called to do something that completely surprised you?
How have you seen God call others to do the work of the church?
God is good and we are sent to tell about the Lord Jesus!

Deaconess Grace

06/18/2026

"The Doctrine of Doctrines!"

Dear Devotion-ers:

Have you heard the term ‘doctrine?’ If you’re a history buff, you maybe learned in American History about the “Monroe Doctrine,” a cornerstone of our foreign policy since 1823. If you’re a legal scholar, you might be able to pull out “Res Judicate” at parties and impress your friends with how this rule ends endless re-litigation. There are military doctrines, political doctrines, medical doctrines, you guessed it, religious doctrines. These are all governing frameworks for understanding and teaching things, including faith in Christ Jesus. Which brings me to hamartiology. Hmmm… you with me?

Hamartiology is the study of sin. As if we need to study it, since we all know it well. However, just such a study underpins every other doctrine of the church. Without sin, everything and I mean EVERYTHING changes. Sin is foundational to understanding the gospel. Who knew?

Sin is commonly thought of in three categories, original, imputed, and personal. Its nature is to ruin things and always people. It brings separation from God and a natural hatred of His Law, and even our very best concerted self-correction always falls short of meeting the perfect standard of God’s righteousness.

The good news for Hamartiologists is that there is much known, lots to study, and innumerable examples of sin’s corruption out the front door and in the back. It's a look in the mirror science. The good news that comes from such theological study of sin is the recognition that before we can ever get close to grasping the need for Jesus, we need to understand just how devastated, severe, hopeless is the human condition. And in diving deeper into the knowledge of sin, one can find exactly what God intends and brings to the repentant. Understanding the doctrine of sin brings an ever-clearing understanding of the necessity of grace, redemption and Christ’s atonement on the cross. Which brings us to another chief doctrine, that of justification. Not and never a teaching framework of good works, rather an understanding of the legal declaration that God has made that sinners are pardoned and credited with the righteousness of Jesus through faith and faith alone. In a nutshell, the doctrine of justification is how we sinners are made right with God, thanks be to Jesus!

Too technical for you? With apologies to all the Hamartiologists out there, perhaps the Divine Service’s confession says it well. “I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins and iniquities with which I have offended you and justly deserve they temporal and eternal punishment.” It makes St. Paul’s gospel pronouncement below sing!

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Discussion:

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod understands God by His Word and the teaching of the Lutheran Confessions. Do you believe these doctrines change? (Hint: no!)
How might sin be misunderstood and erroneously taught? What would be the effect on the Gospel? (oh boy, don't screw this up!)
God is good and perfect Jesus understands hamartiology, because he is the justifier!

Pastor Max

06/17/2026

Psalms 136:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.:

Dear Heavenly Father:

The word steadfast has little meaning on this side of heaven. Things change, people change, times change; still, you don’t. Your love flows daily like a flood, sweeping away time limited cares and causes that don’t last; still, you do. Thank you for your rock-solid truth of eternal life in Jesus our Lord. Guide us into that truth so that we might love and live well from out of it, today. In Jesus, we go! Amen.