Grace for All

John 9:25 (CEB)The man answered, "I don't know whether he's a sinner. Here's what I do know: I was blind and now I see."John 9:25 contains one of the simplest and bravest testimonies in Scripture. The man who had been born blind stood before religious authorities who wanted him to deny what had happened to him. They had already decided what was acceptable to believe. They already had the "correct" answer.But the man refused to pretend."I don't know what to tell you about all your arguments," he essentially says. "What I do know is this: I was blind, and now I see."That answer cost him something. Before this moment, his parents had already shown fear. They answered cautiously because they worried about what the authorities might do to them. They feared exclusion. They feared consequences. Honestly, most of us understand that fear. Sometimes keeping quiet feels safer than speaking honestly about what we have experienced.But this man chose truth over conformity.Notice something important: the blind man did not heal himself. Jesus opened his eyes. Grace did the work. But the man still had to decide whether he would embrace what Jesus had done and stand by it when pressure came.That still happens today.Sometimes opening your eyes changes relationships. Sometimes it disrupts old assumptions. Sometimes people become uncomfortable when your lived experience no longer fits their expectations or categories. Faith in Jesus does not always make life easier socially. Sometimes it makes a person inconvenient.But there is quiet courage in simply telling the truth."I don't know everything. I can't answer every argument. But I know what Christ has done in me."And sometimes that testimony speaks more powerfully than winning the debate ever could.PrayerFather, sometimes it's hard to simply tell the truth. We ask not only that you would help us to see past our own preconceptions to perceive the truth, but to give us the strength to proclaim it and live it. In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.This devotional was written and read by Donn King.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

1 Peter 2:4-5Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.1 Peter 2:9-10But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.Some years ago I was invited to attend an awards banquet by a friend who was being honored for his research at the university. I learned that he was internationally known for his work in the field of cattle nutrition. While I enjoyed the evening when it came to the speeches I was clueless. They were talking about his work using terms and concepts that I did not understand. The powerpoint they showed meant nothing to me. I enjoyed the pictures but the content, not so much. However, those in the know were thoroughly captivated by what they saw.I thought about that experience when I read this passage from I Peter. We who are followers of Christ, what Peter calls God's people, know and are moved by the story of Jesus life, death and resurrection. For other's the message can be a stumbling block.When I hear the story of Jesus I find in it the narrative of the way God has mercy on us, loves us and forgives us. It motivates me to strive harder to live as a person of the light. It is hard for me to understand how others can hear the same story and find it dull or pointless.We who hear the story in faith praise God for God's wonderful deeds. Those who do not hear the story in faith laugh and stumble.The writer of I Peter reminds us that the difference between Christians and non-Christians is not that we see different things but that we see the same things differently. Just like me at that awards banquet. I saw the same things as others did. What was meaningful for them had little meaning for me. They were in the know.This means that we have to realize that we can't expect those who are not actively involved in the life of faith to understand where we are coming from. The things that move us and shape our lives do not necessarily have any meaning or even a frame of reference for them. So talking to them about our faith might not be very effective.What does work is to meet them where they are. To invite them into a relationship with Christians and let God do the rest.So invite them to help with service projects being done by the church. Support them when they are struggling, and answer their questions when they have them. Love them with a Christ like love so they can experience, just a little what it means to be "God's people."These things will help them to open their hearts to the good news. And when they do then the stone which they earlier rejected can become for them the chief corner stone of their life of faith.PrayerLoving God, we give thanks for all the ways you have blessed us. Help us to share that love and grace in meaningful ways with others. Help us to love those who do not love you as we do. We pray that they can also become your people and be filled with your mercy. AMENThis devotional was written and read by Bill GreenGrace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 21:17The third time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."This wonderful encounter occurs at the end of John chapter 21 with the resurrected Christ speaking directly to his disciple Simon Peter. Three times, Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Three times, Peter responds with "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." The same question three times and the same answer three times.You can feel the emotion in Peter's response; he sounds frustrated, but I also sense an almost desperate conviction of "you know I love you…why won't you believe me?" After each exchange Jesus tells Peter, "Feed my sheep." Although this can sound very directive, when I read the scripture, it feels like Jesus says it softly, but in a manner that emanates the deep love Jesus has for Peter. Jesus had Peter's attention. Jesus wanted Peter to embrace the role of being the Shepherd, the one who would accept leadership for sharing the Good News. To "feed" the people.A number of years ago, I went to my church on a Sunday morning, it is a Methodist church, and the pastor preached on this same scripture where Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" and then said three times, "Feed my sheep." After church, while my wife fixed lunch, I turned on the television to a local Baptist church (they had a pastor I really admired), and he was preaching on the same scripture. An interesting coincidence. That evening, I attended a Presbyterian church service with a bunch of college kids I was working with, and the pastor preached the same scripture, the same three questions, with the same three responses.I no longer thought it was just a coincidence. I know I can be dense sometimes, but after hearing this passage preached three times by three different pastors on the same day…I said, OK Lord, you know I love you…you have my attention. In the ensuing years, I embraced a more active role in the ministries placed before me. If Jesus can use an ordinary fisherman in ministry, He can also use you and me to feed the sheep, to love our neighbors, to share the good news.PrayerLord, you know we love you; you have our attention. Let us see that a coincidence might really be an opportunity to share some good news, to feed your sheep. Amen.Today's devotion was written and read by Owen Ragland.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."I'm reading C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity again - third or fourth time through, I've lost count. You'd think a book I've read that many times wouldn't surprise me anymore. But yesterday, I hit Book 3, Chapter 1, and something clicked that I'd completely missed before.Lewis uses this landlord-tenant analogy to explain our relationship with God, and it stopped me cold. We walk around thinking we own our lives - our time, our bodies, our choices, our futures. But Lewis points out that's fundamentally wrong. God made us. Christ redeemed us. We're not owners. We're stewards. We're tenants living in someone else's property.That "a-ha" moment sent me straight to Paul's letter to the Corinthians, where he says almost the exact same thing: "You are not your own; you were bought at a price."When Paul wrote those words, he used agorazō - Greek marketplace language, the same word for purchasing goods or redeeming slaves. He's being deliberately blunt: your life has changed ownership. You no longer belong to yourself.Once you see it Lewis's way - as tenants, not owners - Christian morality suddenly makes more sense. Lewis says Christian morality has three parts: how you treat yourself, how you treat others, and your relationship with God. Those aren't arbitrary rules. They're the natural responsibilities of tenancy. Don't ruin the Landlord's property. Treat the other tenants well. Remember, you're accountable to the Owner who's moved in with you.Here's what really got me: we're being shaped to be the kind of tenants who can actually live with the Landlord forever. That's sanctifying grace in action - God transforming us to match our actual identity as His beloved property.And the beautiful part? That fulfilling life starts now. The moment you put your faith in Christ's redeeming gift, the renovation begins. You don't have to wait until heaven to experience the joy of living in alignment with God. Yes, we're going to change residences at some point - Scripture promises perfected bodies fitted for our permanent home. But the landlord-tenant relationship isn't something that only pays off later. It's already paying dividends right here in the temporary housing.When you understand it this way, the whole Christian life shifts. It's not primarily about what you can't do - a long list of religious restrictions. It's about God fitting you to live with Him, starting today. Every transformation, every refinement - it's preparation for the permanent home, yes, but it's also making your current residence more livable, more joyful, more aligned with how life was meant to be lived. He's renovating you to experience the fullness of joy in His presence - and that renovation makes life better now, not just later.The cross makes this deeply personal. Christ didn't just pay some abstract cosmic debt. He bought you. He looked at the price tag on your life and said, "Worth it."So when Paul says "honor God with your bodies," he's saying: live like you understand whose you are. Live like someone who's been purchased at an incredible cost. Live like a tenant who's learning to be family with the Landlord.Because that's exactly what you are.PrayerFather, help us live as people who understand we belong to You. Thank You for paying the price to redeem us. Transform us into the kind of people who can fully live in Your presence, now and forever. Amen.This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartneyGrace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 3:1-12Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things."The story of Nicodemus has always intrigued me. He is a Pharisee, a member of the group that often questions and harasses Jesus. He is also an educated and thoughtful man. He appears three times in the book of John, but the first time he comes in the evening in stealth, in the dark, to testify that he believes Jesus comes from God. Yet Nicodemus testifies in a private place where no one except Jesus will hear him. And Jesus teaches Nicodemus a lesson. He states that "you must be born again."Nicodemus, fearing to recognize Jesus' power in public and mired in the reality of this world, takes Jesus' statement literally. He questions how a grown man can emerge again from his mother's womb. Jesus appears to lose patience with him and reminds him that the rebirth is of the spirit, not the flesh. The reader does not know how this encounter ends, but senses that Nicodemus left chastised.I can identify with Nicodemus. I am a person who likes to blend in with the people around me. It takes a lot for me even to disagree with others' opinions. I am rarely a verbal witness for Jesus in my life. Yet I am intrigued and in love with the promise that Jesus brings to this world of human frailty.Nicodemus appears two more times in the book of John. When the Pharisees are determined to condemn Jesus as a false prophet, he speaks up. "Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?" (John 7:51). Nicodemus has found his voice. He dares to speak against the prevailing condemnation of his Pharisee companions.After Jesus' crucifixion, Nicodemus accompanies Joseph of Arimathea to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. He helps prepare Jesus' body for burial with a mixture of spices and oils. Nicodemus has discovered the life of the spirit. In anointing the body of Jesus, he has been born again. May we all be reborn with the water and the spirit in this season of rebirth all around us.PrayerDear Lord, thank you for the examples you give us of people just like us, hesitant and guarded, who can discover the life of the spirit. Help us to embrace this life as well, and to go forth and proclaim your vision to the world. AmenThis devotional was written by Laura Derr and read by Judy Wilson.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. This is Scripture Saturday, a time when we pause and reflect on the scriptures we have read throughout the week. If you missed any of our devotionals on these passages, you can find them on our website at 1stChurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. Welcome and thank you for joining us. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Luke 10:38-42While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me." The Lord answered, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won't be taken away from her."Luke places two stories side by side that we don't always connect. But Luke is a careful storyteller, and he almost never places things randomly. When two scenes sit side by side, it's usually because they interpret each other.First, we see in Luke 10 the parable of the Good Samaritan in verses 25 through 37. It's a familiar story: A man is beaten and left for dead. The "right" people pass by. The Samaritan stops, shows mercy, and takes action. Jesus ends with a clear command: "Go and do likewise."Then, almost immediately, we step into a home. Martha busies herself preparing food, doing exactly what her culture expects of her, what a good host should do. Mary, on the other hand, sits at Jesus' feet, listening. That may sound peaceful to us, but in that moment, it was unexpected, even a little disruptive. Put yourself in the same place as Martha and tell me you wouldn't be a little irritated.Martha finally speaks up, and Jesus responds: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part."Jesus doesn't rebuke Martha for serving. He names the actual problem: her worry. Her distraction. Maybe the same problem the priest and the Levite had, focused on their upcoming duties in the temple instead of the need and opportunity right in front of them.Put these two stories together, and a fuller picture begins to emerge.In one, love moves outward. It gets its hands dirty. It shows up for a neighbor in need.In the other, love becomes attentive. It listens. It stays present.Faithful living holds both. Love rightly ordered means knowing when to act and when to attend, when to serve and when to sit.It's possible to do all the "right" things and still miss what matters most.And sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is stop long enough to listen.PrayerLord, quiet the worries that pull our attention in too many directions, and help us to see what truly matters in each moment. Give us wisdom to know when to act and when to be still, and the grace to love you and others with a rightly ordered heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.This devotion was written and read by Donn King.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 1:47-50 (NIV)When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel." Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that."Not everyone comes to Jesus the same way. Matthew, the tax collector, was sitting at his booth when Jesus walked by and said two words — "Follow me" — and Matthew got up and left everything behind. No questions. No conditions. Something in Matthew recognized something in Jesus, and that was enough. It happened in an instant.Nathanael's story is different, and the Gospel writer John seems to want us to notice that. When Philip tells Nathanael that they have found the Messiah — Jesus of Nazareth — Nathanael's response is immediate and honest: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" He is not a cynical man. He is a careful one. He has his doubts, and he says so plainly. But then Philip says something that changes everything. He doesn't argue. He doesn't push. He simply says, "Come and see." And Nathanael does just that.That decision to go — to put his skepticism to the test rather than clinging to it — is the most important thing Nathanael does in this story. He moves. He leaves his prayers under the fig tree and takes action. A cynic stays home. A cynic has already decided. Nathanael hasn't decided anything yet, and that honesty, that willingness to be proven wrong, is precisely what Jesus sees in him as he approaches.Jesus names it before Nathanael even opens his mouth. "Here is a true Israelite," he says, "in whom there is no deceit." That is a remarkable thing to say. The name Israel belongs to Jacob, and Jacob was a man whose greatest failing was deception — he deceived his brother, his father, and others throughout his life. Jesus looks at Nathanael and says: here is someone who has none of that. Here is someone who deals in truth, even when the truth might challenge what he already believes.And Nathanael's reward for that integrity is extraordinary. Jesus promises him that he will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. This is the image from Jacob's dream in Genesis — the ladder between heaven and earth. Jesus is telling Nathanael that the connection between God and humanity that Jacob only glimpsed in a dream, Nathanael will see with his own eyes. Because he was willing to come and see, he will see everything.Most of us are more like Nathanael than we are like Matthew. We have our questions. We have our doubts. That is not a failing. What Jesus asks of us is not the absence of doubt but the willingness to move toward him anyway — to come and see, to be honest enough to risk being wrong. And what we discover, as Nathanael discovered, is that Jesus already knows us. He saw us before we came to him. And he has greater things in store for us than we can yet imagine.PrayerOur Father, give us the honesty to name our doubts and the courage to move toward you anyway. Thank you for seeing us as we are and for meeting us where we are. Help us always to be willing to come and see. Amen.This devotion was written and read by Jim Stovall.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 20:16"Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).It must have been dark in that place of tombs when Mary Magdalene went very early on that Sunday morning and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. Simon Peter and the other disciple, who also came very early, had already gone home. But Mary stayed outside the tomb crying. She thought someone had taken his body. She wanted to know where he had been taken.Not knowing who they were, she told this to the two angels who were seated inside the tomb. But finding no answer, she turned to go. That's when she saw Jesus standing there outside the tomb – but she didn't recognize him.He asked why she was crying. Thinking he was the gardener, she assumed he had carried Jesus' body away. She said, if you have moved him, tell me where you have put him, so I can get him. At this point, Jesus spoke and called her name – "Mary"!She recognized him then and called out in surprise – Rabboni! Teacher!He told her in verse 18, to go and tell his brothers, the other disciples, that he was returning to the Father, my God and your God. And she did just that!His first witness! A woman who had lived a sinful lifestyle. She had been forgiven much. She was loved and accepted by Jesus! We, too, are forgiven much, no matter our sins or lifestyles. We just need to call his name – Rabboni, Teacher, Jesus, Lord – help me! Forgive me! Show me the way I should go! I believe!PrayerThank You, God, that You forgive our sins and love us. Thank You for coming to live among us and for teaching us by your example. Help us to walk in your footsteps, to forgive others as you forgive us. And help us to spread this good news to the world, by telling ALL your brothers and sisters! In Jesus' name we pray…Amen!This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Genesis 1:2The Spirit of God moving over the surface of the water.Revelation 22:17Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.There was a natural spring on our small farm where I grew up. It was always one of my favorite places to hang out. It was fascinating to watch the clear, pure water bubble up through the sand. My father decided to enlarge the spring to increase the flow of water to give the cattle better access to the downstream pool. That process formed a natural bathtub-sized rock basin around the spring. It was a great place to get a drink on a hot summer day. It is a good memory.All through the scriptures, there are stories and spiritual analogies involving water. Genesis 1:2 refers to the "Spirit of God moving over the surface of the water," and Revelation 22:17 "...let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."The first miracle that Jesus performed was at a wedding where he turned water into wine. John 2:1-11. Matthew 3:13-17 tells the story of Jesus's baptism by John in the Jordan River.The Old Testament also contains numerous accounts of the significance of water. The story of Noah's ark, and Moses striking the rock twice, once in obedience and once in anger.Psalm 1:3 speaks of the righteous man: "He will be as a tree firmly planted by the streams of water which yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and whatever he does he will prosper."My mother made sure that my brothers and I, beginning at a young age, went to church. At the church we attended, Vacation Bible School was held during the summer. I remember that our class, on occasion, was visited by the pastor. On one such visit, we learned about baptism. After discussing this with my parents, I was baptized. I have never regretted it.I have enjoyed fly fishing for many years. I appreciate the beauty of clear, flowing streams and find that they are good places for reflection and to find peace. The water falls especially.There are many spiritually significant aspects concerning water, and it would be redundant to say life itself depends on it. So, whatever we do that involves water, even if it means washing the dishes, getting a drink, watering flowers, or something else, it might be a great time to say a prayer of thanksgiving for this essential element of life, water.PrayerThank you, Father, for water and all the healing and physical necessities it provides. And may we be aware of the spiritual analogies associated with water and those life lessons we find in your word. Amen.This devotional was written and read by Stephen HankalGrace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Matthew 9:9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him.As a tax collector, Matthew most likely had a fairly lucrative business. And yet, at the request of Jesus, he left his tax booth and followed.Similarly, Peter went ashore, laid down his nets, and followed Jesus when summoned. And their lives would never be the same. All of his disciples left their well established lives to follow Jesus throughout his ministry and beyond.Have you ever received such a call that would drastically change your life's trajectory and chose to follow that call? Such a call is usually a clear summon to go in a very different life direction. Such a call involves an unmistakable choice and requires an action on our part.But what about the more subtle spirit nudges that we encounter on a regular basis. These don't involve pivotal life choices but are still a beckoning to action. When we see the person at the gas pump next to us who only puts $10 worth of gas in their car because that's all they can afford. Or someone who has to choose groceries to put back when they discover that they can't afford everything they've hoped to purchase. Or the friend that we hear about who is having a rough time and could use a call or a text or a visit. Responding to these nudges won't necessarily change our life paths but could have a significant impact on others.Too often these opportunities present themselves in a moment that I have let pass without taking action and I instantly regret not responding. My cousin Bobby is one who is attuned to nudges. When he sits down with the young homeless man and says "Would you mind telling me your story?" When visits the table of elderly veterans in a restaurant to thank them for their service and pick up their check. Or packs up food from a restaurant and takes it to the homeless person on the sidewalk outside. It is those moments that he recognizes and doesn't let pass that may not turn his life around but can make a world of difference to the recipients of his kindness.The big calls are important, they demand our attention and response and can make a tremendous difference in our lives; but they come ever so seldom. However, it's those spirit nudges that we receive in our daily lives that, if we recognize and respond, can make a significant difference for someone else's day. As Pastor Jonathan admonishes us, "Stay alert!"PrayerHeavenly Father, sometimes we need the courage to respond to the big calls in our life. You have plans for us that may take us in a totally different direction but they offer the reward of knowing that we are following your will. But help us to always be attuned every day to the nudges to respond when we see your children in need of our resources, our attention, and our care. Help us not to let those opportunities to share your love pass us by. Amen.This devotion was written and read by Charlie Barton.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Leviticus 19:18 (NRSV)You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.Picture a lawyer — sharp, well-trained, an expert in the Torah — approaching Jesus with what he thinks is a test question. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"He probably expected Jesus to wade into the theological debates of the day, maybe pick a side in some ongoing rabbinic argument. What he got instead was Jesus reaching straight into the lawyer's own Bible and pulling out a verse from Leviticus.Leviticus. The book of priestly codes, purity laws, and detailed instructions for grain offerings. Not exactly where you'd go looking for the heart of the gospel.But there it is, tucked into chapter 19 between commands about paying workers fairly and not cursing the deaf: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."In its original context, that command had a specific audience in view. The verse itself makes this clear — "any of your people." Leviticus 19:18 is addressed to the community of Israel, about how they treat each other. It's a profound command, but it has a fence around it. Leviticus even circles back, just sixteen verses later, to say that same love should extend to the outsider and the stranger — which tells you something. You don't need to add that verse unless the original one had limits.So the fence was real. And people are remarkably creative when it comes to finding the edges of a command they'd rather not keep.In Matthew 22, when Jesus calls this the second greatest commandment — alongside loving God — he's already signaling that something larger is at stake. But it's in Luke 10 where the full weight lands. A legal expert asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turns it back on him — what does the law say? The man quotes Leviticus 19:18 correctly. Good. But then comes the hedge: "And who is my neighbor?"That wasn't an innocent clarifying question. It was a search for the boundary line. Define neighbor precisely enough, and you can also define who doesn't qualify.Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the hero is the last person his Jewish audience would have expected. He didn't just move the fence — he removed it entirely. You don't get to ask who counts as a neighbor. You ask instead: to whom can I be a neighbor?That's what makes this so quietly astonishing. The most radical love ethic in the New Testament wasn't new. It had been sitting in Leviticus for over a thousand years, waiting for someone to finally mean it without looking for the exit.And now it lands on us. The difficult neighbor. The different one. The one we'd rather not count.The command was always clear. The question was always whether we'd let it be.PrayerFather, thank you for a love command that refuses to stay inside the lines we draw. Give us the courage to stop asking who qualifies and start asking how we can serve. Amen.This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Welcome to the Saturday episode of the Grace for All podcast. Thank you for joining us today. Saturday is a special time when we take a few moments to review the scriptures that we have cited in the episodes this week. If you missed any of those episodes, you might want to consider listening to them today. And even if you heard them all, there may be one that you might want to listen to again. We hope that each of these scriptures and podcasts will bring you a full measure of joy, peace, and love. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 20:27-28Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe." Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!"Believe, Believe, Believe! Search engine results show that word used 98 times in John alone! The other Gospels of Mark show nine uses of believe, 14 in Matthew and nine in Luke.Jesus continues in verse 29 in his revelation to Thomas with, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."That includes you and me. We have not seen Jesus' wounds or his miracles, but we believe. Maybe we believe because we went to Sunday School as a child, maybe because a parent took the time to read Bible stories to us, or maybe someone in our lives modeled the love that Jesus commands us to do.There are any number of reasons to believe. Jairus of Capernaum believed, and it saved his daughter's life.Mark 5:22 to 24 tells us, "Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came to Him, and when he saw Him, fell at his feet and begged Him repeatedly, My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live. So He went with him."As continued in Mark 5:35 to 36: While He was still speaking some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to Jairus, "Do not fear, only believe."Jesus also said in Luke 18:16, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."Believe! Believe as a little child. Don't try to analyze it all. Believe! Believe and walk the walk that demonstrates your love for your neighbor. Do not live the hate and violence that makes the headline and leads the latest media story. Love! Jesus commands us to love!PrayerGod above, fortify us to demonstrate that we believe in You by sharing our love for others through our actions. Actions that we take NOW, and hurry up as Mark tells us to over 40 times! Amen.This devotion was written and recorded by Sam Barto. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Matthew 6:30-34If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.Need vs want is a common lesson that adults try to instill in the young, especially teenagers. We try to teach them to focus on what is most important. We suggest they focus on developing their skills and education and not worry about having the latest phone or the nicest car. We suggest they work on being a better person, learn healthy habits to improve their diet, and to exercise. We shake our heads when they make the wrong choices.If we as adults are disciplined then we pat ourselves on the back for eating healthy, exercising, saving for retirement, and not chasing after the Jones' latest vacation. But what if these things are really only more ways for us to chase idols? What if these are actually the wants of the self proclaimed superior? If our desire to prove we are worthy focuses on our physical and financial success, aren't we really continuing a long tradition of putting our self interests before others?Now I am not saying you shouldn't take care of yourself. I am not saying anything goes. I am not saying you should stop all planning and efforts for your financial and physical health. But are we making them the point instead of a means of better reaching what should be the point? When we see these as the end goal, when we see these as the only goal, then aren't we forgetting that they are a means to an end.If we listen to the teaching of Jesus, there is one true need and everything else is a want. If we work to be closer to God by following the path of Jesus and loving all of God's creation, this will lead us to a closer relationship with God. Everything else is trust and faith come what may. If we are honest with ourselves diet and exercise are better than not, but they do not guarantee good health. They are good choices, but they do not offer us a relationship that promises anything. If we work hard, we hope to be financially stable and have a decent standard of living, but that is not a guarantee either. Come what may in a life of uncertainty, the teachings of Jesus are very clear. Love God and all of his creation with all of your heart. Everything else is a want.Prayer and worship focused on loving God builds a relationship. And as with all healthy relationships human and holy, our desire is to be loved, to be trusted, and to reciprocate. Cares about clothes, money, fame, possessions and admiration of all kinds will all fade no matter how much we wanted them. If we take care of ourselves and our health as a means of being better able to help our neighbors then we are meeting the one need that has been asked of us.PrayerLord, please help us to place Your command to love our neighbors as ourselves at the heart of all we do. Help us to understand that everything we do, think, and say is possible because You have given us the ability to do, think and say. May we show our love and understanding of Your command by helping our neighbors and sharing what we have been given, Amen.This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Acts 9:3-6 (NIV)As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."Saul of Tarsus was not a villain. He was a serious man, a learned man, a man of deep conviction who believed with everything in him that he was doing the right thing. He was a Pharisee, trained in the finest traditions of Jewish law and scholarship, and he had concluded that the followers of Jesus of Nazareth posed a dangerous threat to the faith he loved. He had watched Stephen stoned to death and had approved of it. He had gone from house to house, dragging men and women off to prison. He was, by his own later account, zealous beyond his peers.What Saul could not see — what his very certainty prevented him from seeing — were the people in front of him. They were not people to him. They were a problem to be solved, an error to be corrected, a threat to be eliminated. His theological precision, his clarity about right and wrong, had somehow drained the humanity out of every face he encountered. He knew what they represented. He did not see who they were.And then the light. And then the voice. And the voice does not say what we might expect. Jesus does not tell Saul that his theology is wrong, or that he has misread the scriptures, or that he has violated the law. He says something far more personal, and far more devastating: "Why are you persecuting me?" Not my people. Not my followers. Me. Every person Saul had dragged from their home, every family he had broken apart, every man and woman he had delivered to suffering — Jesus had been there in every one of them. Saul had never been fighting an abstraction. He had been raising his hand against Christ himself.Saul is struck blind. The man who was certain he could see everything — who had clarity about truth and error that most of us can barely imagine — suddenly cannot see at all. He has to be led by the hand into the city. He sits in the darkness for three days, unable to eat, unable to drink, unable to act. Before he can become Paul, before he can become the apostle to the Gentiles and the author of some of the greatest words in all of scripture, he has to sit with what he has done. The blindness is not a punishment. It is a gift. It is the only thing that could stop him long enough to be transformed.We are not so different from Saul. We may not persecute anyone. But we know what it is to be so certain of our own rightness that the people in front of us stop being people. We do it with those who hold different political views, different theological convictions, different ways of living their lives. We see what they represent before we see who they are. Our certainties blind us, quietly and completely, and we rarely notice it happening.Jesus tells Saul — and tells us — that the person in front of you is not an abstraction. That person is someone for whom Christ died. That person, in some profound and mysterious way, is Christ himself. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus says that whatever we do to the least of those around us, we do to him. The Damascus road is that same truth, arriving not as invitation but as confrontation. The call of the Kingdom is to see the face in front of us before we see anything else.PrayerOur Father, forgive us for the times our certainties have blinded us to the people around us. Open our eyes to see in every person we encounter the face of Christ himself. And when you need to stop us in our tracks to teach us that lesson, give us the grace to sit still and listen. Amen.This devotion was written and read by Jim Stovall.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Luke 7:44-48Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your home, you didn't give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn't greet me with a kiss, but she hasn't stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You didn't anoint my head with oil, but she has poured perfumed oil on my feet. This is why I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven; so she has shown great love. The one who is forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Common English BibleThere are times that I would like to know more than what the Bible tells us. The story of the woman anointing the feet of Jesus is just such an occurrence. Something must have occurred earlier in the day between her and Jesus. We are not told about any encounter but it had to have happened. Why else would she barge into someone's house with a jar of perfumed ointment to anoint Jesus' feet. Just seeing him causes such emotion that she begins to cry. The only thing we know about her is that society labeled her a sinner. My guess is that earlier in the day Jesus had talked to her with warmth and acceptance. In that encounter Jesus must have showed her how much he cared, that he saw her, not as a sinner, but as a person with hurts and pain. He would have let her know that God loved her. It was likely the first time, in a long time, if ever, something like that had happened in her life. She would have been used to being shunned by the good people of the town. This encounter filled her with such joy that she had to do something to say thank you. This is why she came to the house of Simon the Pharisee with perfumed ointment.Following the anointing she heard an even more impressive word from Jesus. He said, "You sins are forgiven." She walked into that gathering labeled by all a sinner and walked out clean and new.This story makes me ask, "How often am I really grateful for what God has done and is doing in my life? Many days I say a quick "Thank you" to God but that is different from the actions of the woman. I rarely feel so overwhelmed by the message of love and forgiveness God gives that I feel compelled to do something as a way of saying thank you. Yet, when I think about it, it is pretty amazing that God loves me as I am and offers love and forgiveness to me every day. I need to learn from this woman to be more aware and grateful and to share that joy as a way of saying thanks.It reminds me of a woman that volunteered a lot at a church. She was not a member but helped in many service projects. One day I asked her why. She responded, "God is so amazing. I just need to do something to say thanks." There was more to the story but I never learned it. But one thing was clear, something wonderful had happened to her or one she loved and it motivated her to give in thanks in a real practical way.So, remember how much God loves you. Let it fill you with joy and amazement. Hear, "Your sins are forgiven!" Then ask, what can I do to say thanks.PrayerLoving God, you love us and forgive us. We are in awe of your grace. Let us never forget this wonderful gift and how it changed our lives. We may not be able to anoint Jesus feet but we ask that you guide us in how we can share this love with others as a sign of our gratitude. In Jesus name. AMENThis devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Donn King. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Ephesians 5:8For once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light.Winter, and the shortest, darkest days of the year, began about a month ago with the Winter Solstice. We will not see longer or lighter days, however, for another several weeks. This time of year is hard for me. I do not mind the cold, but the long, dark days of January and February zap my energy and dampen my spirit. I search for things that energize me and give me purpose to utilize my days wisely.However, when Paul writes in Ephesians that they – and we – are light and that we are to live as children of the light, he isn't talking about bright, sunny days, He is writing about the light that comes from making Christ the center of our lives and following Jesus' example of how to live. In other parts of this chapter, as well as in other letters in the New Testament, Paul admonishes the Ephesian followers of Christ to avoid sexual impurity, vulgar talk, greed. And listening to and following those who are untruthful - in other words, to seek the will of the Lord and carry it out, to be imitators of God. We are to live in love, as Christ loved us.Living this way in the first century in Ephesus was likely no easier than it is for us in 2026. Ephesus was a beautiful, vibrant city, populated with prosperous and powerful men as well as merchants, laborers, and slaves. Among ancient cities, it was considered an equal with Rome and Alexandria. Along with the wealth and Roman influence came many opportunities for what Paul calls "unclean living." A new follower would find many temptations to lead him or her astray. Today we are bombarded by a 24-hour news cycle filled with pundits presenting very different opinions and versions of events. They cannot all be telling the truth. And then we are told that the American dream involves a certain car, house, possessions, and even a certain "appearance" we must present. And worst of all, many people have their own versions of what love is and who is worthy of it. We hear and see hate in their words and actions. None of this is Christ-like. It is in stark contrast to the clear message of Christ: love one another as we love ourselves. Care for the sick, the poor, the immigrant in our land. Our lives should demonstrate the way of love and light.There are those who say it is not possible to live this way in the 21st century, that modern people must compete, love those who can help them, and build wealth and power for themselves.I know it is possible to live as a child of the light, but it involves hard choices and strength found only in the Holy Spirit. Here is a prayer for me and for you in 2026.PrayerHeavenly Father, we praise you and thank you for all the good and beautiful things in our lives. We want to live as children of the light, but we are weak. May the Holy Spirit fill us with the courage and strength required to love others as ourselves and to seek and carry out your will in our homes, churches, communities, and the world. AmenThis devotion was written and read by Pat ScruggsGrace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Isaiah 43:18-19 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." We live in a world where every day we are bombarded with sounds and images of new things. Often, they are images of violence and destruction. It is easy to forget that some things in our world are eternally new and beautiful: the changing of the seasons, a baby’s laugh, voices lifted up in harmony. It is also easy to forget that God’s message to human beings is new every day. Recently, our congregation heard the story of Sam Dzobo, a Zimbabwe native and Assistant District Superintendent in the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. Rev. Dzobo is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and Asbury Seminary. But Dzobo’s encounter with “a new thing” began when he was 13 years old in a village in Zimbabwe. While running an errand for his father on Sunday morning, he happened to hear singing in the schoolhouse. He told us, “The woman who was leading the worship invited me in … and that whole congregation started singing.” The song they sang in the Shona language is translated in English as, ‘Now that you have come, it is good.’” * Dzobo’s heart was overcome with what he called “a rush of welcome and love.” His life was changed that day. As part of the Holston Conference, Dzobo has served numerous small congregations in East Tennessee, including Mary’s Chapel in Bean Station, a congregation of about 35 people. When Dzobo shared his dream of building a church in his hometown in Zimbabwe, the congregation raised over $48,000 in six years and the dream is now a reality. When he was invited into a worship service in a school building as a 13-year-old, a new thing transformed Sam Dzobo’s life. He said, “’It just turned my whole world around.” Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to see what new thing is waiting for us each day, and to respond with joy. Amen. This devotional was written by Laura Derr and read by John Cherry. All quotations are taken from Holson Conference article in The Call, “Pastor from Zimbabwe Prays for His Nation, Church,” December 11, 2017, by Annette Spence.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected] United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.