Grace for All

Psalm 100:1-2Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing.As I have been thinking about this scripture over the last couple of weeks, I am reminded that my "star word" for 2026 is JOY. This word is to be a guiding, prayerful focus for the entire year. I was even gifted a bracelet that is engraved "Choose Joy". I really don't believe that was a coincidence. The word "joy" seems to be popping up in my daily life at an unusual pace. Being aware does help me see God's presence in my daily life and helps provide focus.I remember, as a child, this was one of the first scriptures I was asked to memorize. We memorized a different scripture each day in Vacation Bible School that summer in the early 60s. I loved Vacation Bible School. My teachers were fun and loved us well. As young children, I can assure you we made a joyful noise, at the very least a loud, happy noise. We were delighted to be at church, to be in a loving environment with our friends. We learned Bible Stories, made crafts, played outside and we sang! I loved to sing. I'm sure our teachers were glad when the day was over, but I'm also sure they went home filled with joy. I imagine, much like us children, they went home singing or humming those fun Bible School songs. Those songs were our way of worshipping and being in the presence of God. Maybe we didn't really understand, but those songs really had an impact on us. With only a gentle nudge, I can still sing many of those songs we learned. I passed them along to my own children, grandchildren and now I'm singing them with my great grandson.The joy those songs bring are filled with lots of emotions, feelings and a deep abiding gladness. When you sing those words of faith alone or in a group, you just can't erase the hope, the relationship, the gratitude you experience with God. We are to approach God with joy and gratitude, not obligation. He is waiting for us, waiting to hear love, delight, and joy. Our joy grows naturally and comes from God.Sing with me…."Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah…. Praise ye the Lord! Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah… Praise ye the Lord! Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! God is present. You are loved.And if this song doesn't bring you hope. There is another even more precious song for us.Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.May you feel His deep abiding love today and every day. We are anchored in His love. Be filled with joy!PrayerGracious and Loving God. We are so thankful for your love, for your plan that includes our joy and happiness. May you hear our loud praises. And ma

Psalm 98:1 break forth into joyous song and sing praises.We have a screen room where we like to eat our meals when the weather allows. We have a number of trees surrounding our backyard and because of that we are blessed to listen to the songs of birds. We have an app that identifies what birds are singing. So, a ritual with our meal is for me to take out my phone as I say, "I wonder who is joining us?" We have our regulars, like the Carolina Wren and the Song Sparrow. Occasionally we have a special guest, like the red shoulder hawk. Listening to them makes this verse come alive, In those moments it feels as if all creation is making a joyful noise.Listening to those birds also makes me think of the song "All Things Bright and Beautiful." In the first verse it talks about each little bird that sings and later how God made their tiny wings. The hymn ends with these words "God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell how great is God almighty, who has made all things well."Those words, and the beauty of creation, are reminders to us that God is all around us. That is a comforting and joyful word. But as the last verse of the hymn reminds us, this awareness is not just to hold in our hearts, but something we should share with others.Birds sing all the time. It's what they do. We are called to sing as well. That doesn't mean we have to walk around singing at the top of our lungs, but you could. It is a call to find ways to share often how great is God, to add our voice to the joyful noise of creation. I have a friend who often says "God is Good. All the time!" Her words became even more compelling when she went through a very difficult time. Even though she was dealing with loss and health concerns she would still say, "God is good! All the time!" It felt as if she said it with even more conviction during these times. We all noticed her words, it was her song of praise.So sing to the lord a new song. Break forth into joyous songs of praise. Let the world know God is here! And just like the birds, we have to sing about it. After all, it is what we are supposed to do!PrayerLoving God, help us to pause today to listen, really listen to your creation. In the songs of the birds, the sound of the wind in the trees and more may we be reminded you are here. Help us by our words and actions to join in this song letting all know you are with us and love us. And may our song, perhaps help another to find the comfort and reassurance and maybe even faith that they need. AMEN.This devotional was written and read by Bill Green.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennesse

Psalm 9:1-2 (NLT)I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart: I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most HighOf all the words in the English language, Joy is one of the most transformative. It can be sparked by moments in our lives but it also dwells deeply within us. Divinely rooted, Joy is a fruit of God's spirit and is always available no matter the challenges we face. Do you remember, as a young child, running just for the sheer joy of running? Jumping for the complete delight of jumping? Or, at any age, singing for the pure joy of singing? This kind of heart-centered rejoicing enriches our spirits and comes from a place of praise to God.I like to engage in the activity of "Joy-Watching."Listening to the songbirds in the mornings begins the "Joy-Watch" as the birds express pure happiness in being alive and in welcoming the daylight. Joyful moments happen as neighbors wave to each other, as people smile at each other in the grocery store, and as school kids giggle with each other. I equally enjoy catching sight of spontaneous hugs and listening for words of affirmation and love. Being at church offers an incredible opportunity for "Joy-Watching" as all ages engage in such connections and expressions.Churches are full of smiles, encouraging words and uplifting moments. These can be noticed in the words of sermons and the messages of choir anthems and songs. Smiles show up as the younger children dash forward to their special time in the church service or spontaneously dance while the Praise band plays.When heaviness, sadness or fear show up in my life I know that joy remains alongside these feelings and is impossible to completely extinguish. I can lean into the future knowing that praise and joy are constant companions, given by God. Always watching for new and unexpected ways that joy breaks into my life, I remain certain of its continued presence and I anticipate surprises.Joy can be carried along anywhere we go and offered to others around us who may be needing encouragement during a difficult time. Whole-hearted rejoicing brings strength for the journey and can become an ongoing practice along the way. If all of us let God's joy move through us daily and also spread it freely through our words and actions, its power to transform would make an incredible difference. Making space for praise, joy and gratitude blesses everyone. These gifts are worth watching for.PrayerCreator God, renew and restore your joy deeply within us. Give us such hearts of gratitude that we are able to share your blessings throughout each day. Uplift and transform us so that we can lift others around us. With grateful praise, Amen.This devotional was written and read by Jenny GreenGrace for All is a daily devotional podcas

Proverbs 16:2-3All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.Recently someone spoke to me of home runs. He seemed to speak with amazement and wonder. But I wonder if it is really something to marvel at. Please bear with my labored sports metaphor.Whether we contemplate the greatest hitters of all time or the average hitter, certain things are a given in the game. When we walk to the plate, many variables are out of our control and each attempt is a once in a lifetime situation. Whether it is a pitcher we have never faced or simply the uncertainty of what pitch will be thrown next, we struggle to predict what will come next. Even on days when we are on our home field where we have practiced and we are facing our best known opponents, we still don't control the wind, the brightness of the sun, or the noise and distraction of the crowd. And what about when the bat shatters?Then there is the uncertainty of traveling to an unfamiliar ballpark. Every field has a different distance to the fence. Some ballparks are famous for unforgiving conditions like swirling winds. Fenway park even has the Green Monster at 37 feet 2 inches in height. No player, no matter how great or how many home runs he has hit in the past, controls whether he hits a homerun on a given pitch or even on a specific day. If a person could do that, then he or she would hit a home run at every at bat when the reality is that the best of the best get on base one out of three times. Home runs are so rare that the best of the best hit a homer one percent of the time.As humans competing against humans, we don't control the field or the fence. We don't control the other players. We don't control the weather. So it all comes down to how we play the game.I'm going to propose something a shocking. What if we play the game as if there is no fence? Instead of aiming for the fence, what if we listen to Jesus and realize the fence isn't the point of the game? What if we play the game so that every hit is a home run not because we view ourselves as the star, but because God guides our effort. What if we spend our time taking down the fence or at least placing it where the person we are facing can hit a home run too.God's love is universal. It is infinite. It is a home run every time at bat. It knows no fence or boundary of any kind. I think I will live in a world where God built my ball field.PrayerLet us go to the Lord in prayer, as the organ plays, as we step to the plate, may Your plan be what guides us. May we persevere when we strike out. May we give the glory to you, Lord, when we hit the proverbial home run. Teach us how to lower the fence for those that need our help. Let us all play ball together in the name of the one who built the ball park, Amen.This devotional was written by Jil

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] 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 2:15 (NIV) The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.It is no secret that as a species, we are environmental disasters. From oil spills to trash heaps to climate change to deforestation to air pollution… We sure miss the mark when it comes to caring for creation. We miss so many opportunities to do and to be better.I think about our earlier generations, who lived more simply, preserving the earth. When my dad and his wife Cathie married, they chose to do so in an outdoor ceremony on a piece of family land in the mountains of Monroe County. That particular spot is what my family refers to as “the knob,” a small clearing on a hilltop in the woods of land that has been in my family for generations. My uncle is its current steward, and as such, he spoke at the beginning of the wedding ceremony, inviting us to consider that while this land has been in our family for quite a long time, it existed for thousands of years before that, barely touched by the Cherokee people who inhabited it. Just down the mountain from the knob is my uncle’s house, which my grandfather built in 1981. My uncle renovated it about twenty years ago, but from the outside, it looks pretty much the same as it has all my life. It’s a simple, small house with a couple of sheds and a big vegetable garden. Up the road from his house is where my great grandparents lived about a hundred years ago. There isn’t much else there. A family cemetery, a couple of small homes, a pond or two, a church… and the most incredible, untouched forest you’ve ever seen with a creek running right through the middle of it. It has rhododendrons and laurels for days! I remember as a boy sitting on the bank, petting the soft moss as I looked down to the creek. It all looks pretty much the same today as it did decades ago when I was a child.However, up the mountain in the other direction from my great grandparents’ home is a large piece of land that was sold to developers. At the top of that mountain, they clear cut trees in order put in rental cabins about ten years ago or so. The result of this is that the view is amazing, I hear, if you can put up with constant gale-force winds that will nearly knock you over. The trees they removed previously had provided a barrier from the winds.I share all of this not only because this nostalgic piece of heaven is so very important to me, but also because it demonstrates the problematic nature of humankind. We are so inclined to seeing opportunities without considering the full implications of the impact acting on these opportunities will have. We so often heed God’s call to work the land, but not as much to care for it. We can learn from our indigenous ancestors how to respect the land that has been put into our care, though. While I won’t say that we necessarily have to go as far as the Cherokee people did, making no noticeable impa

Matthew 6:9-10 (Common English Bible)Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name. Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.This is the beginning of The Lord’s Prayer as told in Matthew’s gospel. But the Common English Bible makes more of a point of God’s Kingdom being here and now. The request to God is “Bring in your kingdom.” Jesus makes the point that the kingdom of God or, as it is described in other places as the kingdom of heaven, is not simply something to look forward to at the end of our lives but something to live out every day.Jesus does not describe the kingdom in terms of jeweled gates or golden streets. Rather, he speaks of it in terms of mustard seeds, buried treasure, lost coins, fishnets, a wedding feast, yeast, or a farmer spreading seeds. These are things his audiences lived with every day, not something they imagine in the future. The kingdom of God is here and now.All this is not to say that heaven is not important; but Jesus’ focus, his teaching and miracles had more to do with meeting the needs of the daily lives of people and serving them in love.In fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 that the final exam for kingdom living is how we feed the poor, offer drink to the thirsty, show hospitality to the stranger, clothe and visit the needy and imprisoned, and care for the sick. These things have less to do with proper theology and more to do with how we live our lives and love our neighbors. This is how God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Let this be our fervent prayer.Prayer:Father God, bring in your Kingdom. Show us every day how to experience kingdom living by how we love and care for each other with Jesus as our ultimate example. It’s in his name we pray. Amen.This devotional was written and read by Charlie BartonGrace 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 6:3 (NIV) “And they were calling to one another, holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty- the whole earth is full of his glory.”This passage details Isaiah’s vision of God’s heavenly throne room where angelic beings declare that the whole earth is full of his glory. This means God is present in everything on earth. His glory is reflected in the seasons, the ocean’s waves, skies of blue and gray, the sounds of children playing and even in quiet moments of reflection.In our fast paced lives we often overlook God’s magnificent glory in things around us. Isaiah’s vision reminds us to pause and appreciate God’s creation and love. Whether it is the wonders of nature, the birth of a baby or the sound of birds in the trees, God’s creation and ever present glory permeates the world around us.This is most apparent to me when I visit the Smokey Mountains near my home. Isaiah’s vision of heaven is grand and awe-inspiring. Angelic beings circle the throne of God, calling out His holiness with powerful voices. Yet, the same glory that fills heaven also saturates the quiet beauty of earth. In the stillness of the mountains, away from life’s noise, we can often sense God’s presence most clearly. The towering peaks, the flowing streams, and the vast skies seem to echo the seraphim’s song: “holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty- the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3 challenges us to shift our perspective—to see beyond the surface and recognize that the world is a reflection of God’s creative power and love. Knowing that the earth is filled with God’s glory calls us to live lives that honor Him—showing kindness, seeking justice, and extending grace to others. God’s holiness isn’t distant—it’s near, surrounding us and calling us to notice, to worship, and to live lives that honor His glory. Today, slow down, look around, and embrace the beauty of a world filled with His presence. Prayer:Lord Almighty, Your holiness echoes through the heavens and across the earth. In the peacefulness of the mountains, I sense the depth of Your glory and the serenity of Your presence. Quiet my heart so that I can hear Your voice and see Your beauty in all creation. Help me to live in constant awe of who You are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.This devotion was written by Gary Hensley and read by Amy Large. 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: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener no

Psalm 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.Psalm 19 is the inspiration for a familiar hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth.” The lyrics begin:For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies Lord of all, to thee we raise This our joyful hymn of praise. These words from the hymn are familiar to many of us. They express wonder and awe at God’s creation. We all have sunrise and sunset moments of awe, seasonal moments of awe, and weather moments of awe. But in these dissonant times, more often I find myself turning inward and seeking messages of certainty and validation through my friends on social media and texts. I forget that we humans are a microcosm in time, and that we exist in a world created by God, a world of oxygen that allows me to breathe in and out, a world of gravity that allows me to move in predictable ways, a world of taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell. I live in a senior community, and all our residents are blessed to receive a daily email from a neighbor, Bob. Bob is a man of science who seeks beauty in the natural world and photographs it. Over the years he has helped me see anew the glory that is all around: in the snowflakes of winter, tiny flowers in groundcovers, Lenten roses, the first daffodils and crocuses, the swelling buds on trees, the fungi that explode into mushrooms, and yes, even the exquisite beauty of dandelions. Bob sends a photograph and provides both scientific and historical information and makes us see things new.And recently, our adult Sunday school class enjoyed a presentation on a book titled The Power of AWE.AWE stands for Attention, Wait, and Expand. The author promises that investing one minute a day in the immediate moment will ‘”overcome burnout and anxiety, ease chronic pain, and bring clarity and purpose.” That’s a large order! But essentially, it’s what my neighbor Bob does when he creates an AWE moment with his emails. I now search daily for the AWE in my world. A friend and I have expanded AWE to AWES by adding the word SHARE. In this way we create community and joy each day.And in this way, we see again that the earth is the Lord’s and that we must care for God’s gift and work as stewards of God’s creation. When we stop and pay attention to the birds, insects, water, and plants that inhabit this beautiful world, we realize that we must be better stewards of God’s creation. Let us pray:Dear Lord, who has set your glory throughout the heavens and the earth, open our senses to your glory and create in us a sense of awe. Help us to become true stewards of your creation, not just consumers.

Luke 6:37-38 (NIV)Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use, it will be measured to you.And let’s hear that in The Message Version of the Bible...Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults – unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back but not merely given back – given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”The Message version of this scripture clearly points out how we must behave toward other people. And, friends, that sounds like a fine plan!Jesus said, “LOVE one another” and we sometimes find that so hard to do. We see LOVE as a feeling we must have and we just can’t feel LOVE for that bad person, that one hurting others. Thank God, this Message version clarifies how we are to LOVE those difficult people...We don’t have to feel all that warm and fuzzy LOVE for everyone! We have to treat people with kindness, stop talking bad about them, stop condemning them, pray for them, help them when we can. And when we can’t physically help them, pray for them generously.I know my day would feel the presence of God’s LOVE a lot more often if I practiced this advice full-time instead of slinging angry thoughts and words out into my sphere of influence. What if we band together as Christ followers and help others more often, through our thoughts, prayers, words, and actions? Let’s work to LOVE our neighbors as Jesus advised and let’s stop judging and condemning.Let’s pray together...Dear Lord, it’s so hard to control our thoughts, words, and deeds when we are constantly bombarded with bad, sad news and negative commentary from dozens of sources. Help us to turn oY and tune out much of the chatter. Help us to find and commit to quiet, reflective time in your presence. Help us to treat all people with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness – just as you do. 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: <a href="mailto:[email protected]

John 5:6-8 (NRSV)"When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, 'Do you want to be made well?' The sick man answered him, 'Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.' Jesus said to him, 'Stand up, take your mat and walk.'"I'll be honest with you. The first time I really sat with this passage, the question Jesus asks made me a little uncomfortable. Not because it seemed cruel — but because I recognized myself in the man's answer.Jesus walks up to someone who has been ill for thirty-eight years and asks, "Do you want to be made well?"Which sounds almost absurd. Of course he does. What kind of question is that?But notice what the man says. He doesn't say yes. He explains why healing hasn't happened yet. He's got the whole system figured out — the pool, the stirring of the water, the people who get there ahead of him. Thirty-eight years of the same obstacle, recited like a script he's memorized so well he's stopped hearing it.Jesus asked if he wanted to be healed. The man answered with his limitations.I don't say that to be hard on him. Thirty-eight years is a long time. Long enough for a situation to stop feeling like a situation and start feeling like an identity. Long enough for the waiting to become its own kind of life.And if I'm being honest, I've done the same thing. Maybe not with physical illness, but with other things I've carried a long time. Old wounds I've tended so carefully started to feel like they belonged to me. Patterns I've complained about for years without ever quite deciding to change. Grudges that have become such familiar furniture that I've stopped noticing them.Jesus's question has a way of cutting through all of that. Do you want to be made well?Not "can you be made well." Not "here's how the healing works." Just — do you want it? Because wanting it, really wanting it, means being willing to let go of the story you've been telling about why it hasn't happened yet.The man at the pool didn't get a chance to answer. Jesus didn't wait. He just said: Stand up. Take your mat. Walk.Which is its own kind of grace. Sometimes Jesus acts before we've fully sorted out whether we're ready.But the question still hangs in the air for the rest of us. Do you want to be made well from whatever you've been lying beside for longer than you'd like to admit?It's worth sitting with. Really sitting with. Because the answer might be more complicated than we expect.PrayerLord Jesus, you see us where we are, and you know how long we've been there. Give us the courage to want healing more than we want our explanations. And when we're not sure we're ready, come to us anyway. Amen.This devotional was written and read by

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.Now, let's listen to the scriptures that have been on our hearts this week.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/.

Psalm 98:7-8 (NIV) Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.I love the imagery of this Psalm. It includes three of my favorite things in nature: the ocean, the rivers, and the mountains. I have often heard people ask others which they prefer, the seaside or the mountains. How could we possibly choose? Both are beautiful and unique!I try to make at least one trip to the beach each year. My favorite time to go now is Fall. The weather is still warm, but the beaches are much less crowded when children are back in school (unless you happen to hit Fall Break week!). The view and the breeze renew my spirit. It’s hard for me to relax and sit still in my real life, even now that I am retired, but when I’m sitting by the ocean, I can relax and watch and listen to the crashing waves, or watch the sun gradually disappear below the horizon, filling the sky with brilliant colors, and feel at peace with myself and with the world.The same is true of the mountains. Sitting by the river, just listening to water pour over rocks and the breeze whistle through the trees, is so relaxing for me. When we lived in Middle Tennessee, too far from the mountains for my liking, my work place parking lot was bordered by old, tall pine trees. I often walked out in the afternoon to the sound of the wind whistling through the pine needles and the sweet smell of evergreen. I would pause and begin to leave the stress of the day behind. It wasn’t my beloved Great Smoky Mountains, but the beauty was there.This verse reminds us to rejoice in God’s creation. Along with oceans, rivers, and mountains, we can sing together praising God and thanking him for giving us a beautiful world in which to live. But first we must be mindful of these gifts. We are not thankful for the things we take for granted and barely notice. Sometime our lives are so rushed and frantic that we are consumed with a to do list and filled with guilt when everything does not get checked. God does not want us to live this way. I hope you can take time to notice, appreciate, and be thankful for the gift of God’s beautiful creation. Be still and listen for the clapping and singing in nature.Let us pray:Thank you, God, for the beauty of our world. From the mountains to the rivers and oceans, we are surrounded by evidence of Your love for us and Your creation. May we not take it for granted but rather be good stewards of Earth and continually thankful for its many gifts. Amen.This devotion was written and read by Pat Scruggs. 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 a

1 Corinthians 10:24No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.Proverbs 19:17Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Several years ago, I was heading up a USAID project in Southern Africa and I found myself in Mozambique at an agricultural experiment station. The grant I had contained little room for unplanned expenses. But with that grant, we trained more than 15,000 farmers in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe and greatly improved corn yields for those farmers.But on this day, I needed to go to another location. I found a minibus going that way, and I paid the equivalent of about $5, and got in. Occupancy should have been twelve, but I counted more than 20 people. It took us 5 hours to go about 130 miles.I got the seat on the hump next to the driver and had to put my arm around him so I could breathe. The bus was hot, everyone was sweaty, and the smell of the disinfectant used to clean wounds was thick. Many on the bus had bandages on extremities and eyes. But everyone had a smile.The driver said that just about all the passengers were going to a hospital for surgery or follow-ups, Many made the trip weekly. The road was awful. The potholes were huge and could be more than 4 feet deep. We hit one and had to sit on the edge of the pothole and to wait for the water to evaporate so the engine would start. The temperature climbed past 100..I was hungry. My breakfast had been gone for hours. In my backpack I had two packets of cookies.. I got a package out, opened it, and then handed them back to the seat behind me. I did the same with the other package. I had just given away all of my food and had kept nothing for me.Soon there was a tap on my shoulder and a small bag of potato chips to share, some salty crackers followed, and some homemade food and there were always smiles and thank you’s given. Then one of my cookie packets came back with one cookie left in it. The lady behind me took it out and handed it to me. And then the other one came back with one left, and it was handed to me. The kindness brought tears to my eyes.I have so much to learn. And that day I learned the lesson Mom and Dad tried to teach me. If you put others first, good things will happen.Prayer:Dear Lord, help us to remember that practicing generosity is what you expect of all who walk with you. Amen.This devotion was written by Neal Esh 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

John 5:6-8When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" Sir, the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."This encounter between Jesus and an invalid man happened at a healing pool, where the man in question had been coming daily for 38 years, waiting his turn for some miracle. He never (apparently) asked for help or tried doing anything except lying there waiting, miserable and self-pitying.After listening to his excuses, Jesus didn't scold him but commanded him to take up his mat and walk.We are told in the verse that follows that the man "at once picked up his mat and walked."How many of us are similar to that man? We lie here in our misery, waiting for someone to help us, but never picking ourselves up and taking action to walk out of our misery, to break that bad habit that we have worn for years, to change directions, to choose a new path.Jesus can and will help us to overcome our afflictions, but we must change, we must get up and walk away from our hurts, habits, and hangups. Jesus will help, but he expects us to do our part. When we do, like the invalid man, who "at once picked up his mat and walked," we can walk too!We can walk away from excuses, from self-pity, from fear, with Jesus' help.If you need Jesus' help in your life, please pray with me…PrayerDear God, if I have things I need to change in my life, please show me the way. Help me to change my habits and to pick myself up and walk a new way. 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/.

Hello, and welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. I’m Grace Jonas, the reader and writer of today’s devotional, which I’ve entitled “Let Heaven and Nature Sing”. Thank you so much for joining me today!Psalm 96:11-12Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad, let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.When I was younger, I remember a song from either Vacation Bible School or a Children’s Play containing the lyrics “I’m not gonna let the rocks cry out for me” and “I’m not gonna let the hills bow down for me” in reference to praising God. I remember as a child, these lyrics seemed silly to me, which, even as an adult, they still seem a bit silly. But, not for the reasons you may think.After all, the lyrics to the well-loved hymn “Joy to the World” contain the lyrics “let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing.” And refers to fields, floods, rocks, hills and plains repeating the sounding joy.When I was young, I could not put a finger on why I thought the lyrics to that children’s song sounded silly to me, but now analyzing the lyrics to this hymn and this verse hand in hand, I know why that is: there are several hymns and church songs referring to creation singing of God’s love, but specifically in this context when we refer to creation, we refer to beings such as rocks, oceans, and other landmarks. In my mind, I feel this goes to show that while, yes, we shouldn’t let the rocks cry out for us or the hills bow down for us, we should fill the Earth with songs of worship and let all features of God’s wondrous Earth be alive with praise in harmony with our own.Will you join me in prayer?Dear God, while we may believe the only things that can sing your praises are the beings with voices, help us be reminded that there is a beautiful Earth surrounding us that you painstakingly created that we should rejoice and be worship in harmony with. May we always love and appreciate the Earth you have created and fill it with the songs of your praise. In your name, amen.This devotional was written and read by Grace Jonas. 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 congreg

John 1:45-51Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph's son, from Nazareth." Nathanael responded, "Can anything from Nazareth be good?" Philip said, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit." Nathanael asked him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are God's Son. You are the king of Israel." Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these! I assure you that you will see heaven open and God's angels going up to heaven and down to earth on the Human One."When Philip told Nathanael that they had found the Messiah, Nathanael answered with a line that still makes people smile: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"I don't think Nathanael meant it as cruelty, though maybe a bit of snobbery. Nazareth was simply a tiny, unimpressive place close to his own hometown of Cana. It would be a little like someone here in Blount County saying, "Could anyone important really come out of Rockford?" Not hatred. Just skepticism. Familiarity.And Nathanael did not hide his skepticism.When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said, "Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit." No guile. No manipulation. No fake spirituality. Nathanael said exactly what he thought, even when he doubted.Ironically, the passage seems to point us back to Jacob in Genesis 28. Jacob, whose name became Israel, was famous for deception and manipulation. Yet Jesus describes Nathanael as a true Israelite without deceit. In other words, Nathanael stood in sharp contrast to Jacob's old reputation.And here is what I love most about Nathanael: when evidence suggested he was wrong, he changed his mind.He did not cling stubbornly to his first impression. He did not double down on skepticism just to protect his pride. When Jesus revealed that He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree, Nathanael responded immediately with faith.That kind of honesty takes humility.Some people refuse to question. Others refuse to believe. Nathanael did neither. He spoke honestly about his doubts, but he also remained open to truth.That may be part of what Jesus meant by "no guile." A heart honest enough to question, and humble enough to change.PrayerFather, you know we can be both blind and stubborn. When we have doubts, encourage us to face them honestly. When we see the truth, support us in living it, even though it demands we change. Keep us in integrity. In Jesus's name, Amen.This devotional was written and read by Donn King.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members

Matthew 9:9"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him."We learn later that this tax collector, was none other than the great disciple, Matthew, who wrote that book of the Bible. But the first thing we need to know as we seek a lesson in today's scripture is how unloved, maybe even hated the tax collectors were in the times when Jesus walked the earth as a man, a teacher, a Jewish rabbi.Tax collectors worked for the occupying Roman Empire and were mistrusted and even hated by the Israelites. Many, if not most, tax collectors, were dishonest to boot – collecting far more than was required. Their greed often lined not only the coffers of the State, but the pockets of the tax collector. Yet, here was Jesus, walking by, calling one of them to follow him!Matthew tells us in verses 10-12 that this Tax Collector, Matthew did follow Jesus and took him to dinner with a bunch of other hated Tax Collectors at Matt's house. Some Pharisees who were the keepers of the Jewish laws, saw Jesus eating there and asked His disciples why Jesus was eating and associating with Tax Collectors and sinners! In verse 12, Jesus himself explained that "It's not the healthy, the holy, who need a doctor, but the sick." He told the Pharisees in verse 13 to "go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice, for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."Now let's consider what lesson Jesus means for us in this story…All around us are opportunities to "eat with", talk to and to help out, the despised, mistrusted, and otherwise rejected people around us. We must invite and welcome all the despised, lowly outcasts, to meet Jesus, through us! We are his hands and feet today, his smile, his tears, his forgiving words. We are his representatives!We must invite and welcome the stranger, forgive the ones we despise, love our enemies! Jesus died loving and forgiving. Perhaps we won't need to go that far…but, we can go a long way in his footsteps by loving our enemy, just as he commanded.Welcome Pharisee, outsider, despised one. We LOVE Jesus here and we LOVE you too – in Jesus name!PrayerDear God, please help us to live in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, loving all our enemies as Jesus did. Show us how to forgive those who despise and reject us, those who lie to us, those who take actions we know are bad for the world. Show us how to be your hands and feet and to spread your LOVE, not more hate and ill feelings. Keep us under the shadow of your wings and warm our hearts with your LOVE for all mankind. 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,

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] 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 11:1-7Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth." But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."Romans 1:20-22Ever since the creation of the world God's eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been seen and understood through the things God has made. So they are without excuse, for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became foolsSeeking God through our strength and intellect seems to have been the human way since God created the universe and creatures in it. In the biblical story of the tower of Babel, God cast us down speaking all the different tongues of the world in order to confuse us. For millennia, humans have been divided by language, culture, and geography. Meanwhile, we have been busy creating tools to improve our existence. In the current age, humans have created technologies that have connected us, shared information, and made vast distances a matter of hours of travel. I once heard a prophet of technology state, with a straight face, that in the age of computers and internet access for every student, Susie could study algebra at 2:00 a.m. if she chooses. As a former educator, I can assure you that if Susie is online at 2:00 a.m., the chances that she is studying algebra are really quite small.In an age of technology, we have created an illusion and myth that every person has a voice and information is accessible to all. We seem to think that this will fix what ails the human condition. Translation of unknown language can now be rendered in an instant; therefore, we can communicate freely. Yet we live in a world of misunderstanding. War, crime, hatred, and poverty have not disappeared despite our technology.When God looked upon the effort of the people of Babel and said, "they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them," the condemnation was about hubris and choices, not the tower and the tools. It appears that humans have learned nothing. Thousands of years have passed, and we continue to think that our intelligence and our collective kn

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 locate

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."<

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 w

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 re

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

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

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

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, Tennes

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

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 ins

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

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, possessio

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 b

1 Kings 19:19–21 (NIV)"So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. 'Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,' he said, 'and then I will come with you.' 'Go back,' Elijah replied. 'What have I done to you?' So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant."Have you ever noticed how often in Scripture… God calls someone, and instead of placing them in a position of leadership right away… He places them in a position of service?We see it so clearly in 1 Kings 19.Elijah has just walked through exhaustion, fear, and restoration. And then God calls Elisha.And Elisha's response is striking.He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't negotiate. He doesn't ask for a plan. He returns home… He takes the very oxen that represent his livelihood… He sacrifices them… He burns the plow… And then he follows Elijah.But here's what's easy to miss. He doesn't step into a leadership role right away. Scripture says… "He became his servant."Before Elisha ever speaks as a prophet… Before miracles… Before influence… He serves.And this is not just Elisha's story. This is God's pattern. Joshua served Moses. David served before he was king. The disciples followed and served before they were sent. And even Jesus said… "I did not come to be served, but to serve."In God's Kingdom, serving is not a lesser role. It is the forming place. It's where God shapes humility. It's where He builds faithfulness. It's where He teaches us to depend on Him, not position.Because leadership in God's Kingdom doesn't begin on a platform. It begins in quiet obedience. In showing up. In caring for others. In doing what no one else sees.And maybe today… the question isn't, "When will I lead?" Maybe the question is, "Am I willing to serve… even if no one notices?"Because the truth is… God develops the heart in serving before He reveals the calling in leading.So wherever you are today— in the quiet, unseen places… Be encouraged. God is not overlooking you. He is preparing you.PrayerLord, teach us to serve with a willing and humble hearts. Help us to be faithful in the small things, and to trust that You are working even when we cannot see it. Shape us in the hidden places, so that we may reflect You in whatever You call us to. Amen.This devotional was written by Marcia Prill 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, Tenne

John 20:13-16, CEBThe angels asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" She replied, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they've put him." As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabbouni" (which means Teacher).Mary Magdalene stands outside the tomb, weeping. She has seen Jesus die. Whatever hope she once carried has been buried with him. Even when she turns and sees a man standing there, she does not recognize him. Why would she? Resurrection is not what she expects.She assumes he is the gardener. She speaks to him out of grief and confusion, still trying to make sense of what has been lost.And then everything changes with a single word."Mary."Jesus does not argue with her. He does not explain what has happened. He does not offer proof or theology. He simply calls her by name.And in that moment, she knows.There is something deeply personal here. Mary does not come to belief through explanation but through recognition. She knows the voice. It is the voice of the one who has known her, called her, and loved her.It echoes what Jesus said earlier: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27, CEB).We often want clarity before we trust. We want answers before we respond. But Mary's experience suggests something different. Recognition can come before understanding. Relationship can come before explanation.Jesus still calls people by name.He meets us in places of grief, confusion, and unanswered questions. He speaks, not always in ways we expect, but in ways that reach us personally.Faith, then, is not figuring everything out. It is recognizing that we are known.And when we hear our name spoken in love, we begin to see what we could not see before.PrayerFather, thank you for calling us into relationship with you through Jesus. Help us to know the voice of our shepherd and follow it. In the name of the one who calls to us, 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: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noop

John 21:15-17When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes Lord," he said, "You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a 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 conversation occurred early one morning several days after Jesus walked out of His tomb alive. Early one morning after eating a breakfast of fish miraculously caught by the disciples. Perhaps Jesus asked Peter three times to remind Peter that He knew of the three times Peter had denied even knowing Jesus, in the courtyard of the High Priest, the night before Jesus was crucified.Or perhaps Jesus just wanted this conversation, this question, to be imprinted indelibly in Peter's memory and ours. I'm sure the request to "feed my sheep" was a call to action for Peter and for us. "If you love me, feed my sheep." Peter sure did! He became a prominent preacher and leader in Jerusalem and Antioch after Christ's resurrection. He authored several of the Epistles/letters in the New Testament and helped to spread the Gospel – the Good News of Jesus – to the world beyond Judaism, to the Gentiles, to us!And Jesus didn't just forgive Peter for denying him. Jesus restored him.Jesus is always waiting to restore us too. When we are afraid or deeply suffering, Jesus is there with us, waiting to help. Like Peter, he also asks us to "feed His sheep," to LOVE our neighbors, and to forgive as much as we wish to be forgiven. We are asked to feed the hungry – those hungry for bodily food and those hungry for LOVE – God's LOVE.Let's remind Him that we LOVE Him by helping with the feeding – offering our time, our resources, and our LOVE generously, sharing our food with the hungry in body and spirit.Let's demonstrate to Jesus that we truly do LOVE Him and our neighbors. AMEN!This devotional was written and read by Bernice SandersGrace 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 congregat

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] 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/.

Mark 10:14-16But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it. "Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.Every time I listen to these verses, I revisit my childhood. Little Golden Books filled my bookshelves. One book, in particular, had a picture of Jesus, surrounded by children: one little boy comfy on his lap with a lamb also being held. As a child, this picture brought comfort and a sense of love and belonging. Perhaps that is why I remember it so clearly. As an adult, it is still moving.In Biblical days, children held little to no status in the community. They were expected to contribute to the household economy. My understanding is that children were required to complete menial tasks such as agriculture or trades. Others were committed to education with tutors and sent to school. Boys were exposed to academic subjects and girls were taught to run a home. Regardless, they were treated and considered as property. While it may seem somewhat conflicting, children were considered as a "gift from the Lord" and highly valued.Keeping all this in mind, picture this — a large group of people have gathered to hear Jesus teach. Many parents and children were present. It appears that the mothers deeply desired for Jesus to touch and bless their children.The disciples were trying to protect Jesus. They didn't want those "pesky" little kids to take his time or energy. In their eyes, the children were no one important, in fact they were the least important. Imagine their shock when Jesus was angry, quite displeased at their attempted dismissal of those children. After all, they had been with him when he dined with tax collectors, sinners and more. Even so, they still didn't catch on that Jesus came to serve and save the humble, the least, the lost and the unwanted.The children found their way to Jesus. He embraced them, he blessed them, he acknowledged their worth. Their minds were open to him; their hearts were eager to accept his love, his touch, his blessing; they received this gift — not by being worthy or because they earned it. They received his love, embrace and blessing with childlike joy, trust and faith.We are to come to God and encourage others — even those we don't consider worthy, knowing that in God's eyes every person is valuable. We are all created in God's image and loved unconditionally. We are all God's children. We can become our true selves by listening to God'

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, remembe

Mark 10:14-16But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.Children can be a blessing, a burden, a joy, and a challenge all at the same time. Children can be innocent, open, and loving. They can be cruel, immature, and thoughtless. When Jesus says that we must "receive the kingdom of God as little children or we will never enter it," which qualities of a child does he have in mind? I have often contemplated what this passage might mean, but I cannot claim to know what the answer is.As I write this today, my best attempt to understand Jesus' command is the childlike quality of "longing to be loved" and accepting comfort and security. As we grow and mature, at least in progression of age if not in emotion and behavior, the qualities we develop are to take on responsibility and attempt to control our interactions with life's circumstances and those around us. But in these verses, all the children seek is to be close to Jesus. They long to be near him. And perhaps it is as simple as that.If we compare these two stages of life, what is it we most value in children that we are not finding in adults? Being open to what is happening around us and loving in the moment, finding joy, sharing in sadness, helping without feeling put out, and simply being are qualities I admire in children. They do not feel the need to control and shape. They simply are. When I see a child's face light up in wonder, run into a mother's arms, or invite another to share in an experience, this is when I feel close to the kingdom of God. As each moment of the day passes, perhaps I should look not to control but simply to stand in wonder, feel the embrace of the Spirit, and share in the experience of those around me with love. In fact, if we live every moment simply remembering that everyone longs to be loved, aren't we standing next to God?PrayerLet us pray together, Lord, may we find peace and comfort in the arms of the Spirit. May your embrace allow us to embrace each moment guided by your Spirit. May we be blessed in your arms and not be the one standing indignant shouting that the business of the day is being interrupted. Please bring us greater understanding that it is your will, your love, and your grace that allows us to see each moment clearly. Give us the insight to share your will, your love, and your grace with all those we encounter, 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, Tennesse

Jeremiah 7:23But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'Commitment.The word commitment has been on my mind lately. What does it mean to be committed? What are we committed to — ourselves, our work, our family? What about our religion? Are we a committed Christian?This is what the Word says in Jeremiah 7:23:How do we become a committed Christian?First of all, a committed Christian will put God first and make him the Lord of his life. He will study the Word and listen for God's voice. He will attend worship services. He will serve wherever he can. He will tithe his resources — everything belongs to God, and we are just giving back to him what he owns anyway. He will also be a recruiter for Jesus.A committed Christian will have the conviction that Jesus is the way — the only way.As we begin this year, let's strive to be a committed Christian every day.John 10:27 says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."PrayerOh, Heavenly Father, may I be so close to you every day that I hear your voice and obey. Amen.This devotion was written and read by Ralphine Hood.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/.

Mark 9:23-24 (NRSV)"Jesus said to him, 'If you are able! — All things can be done for the one who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'"Honestly, this is my favorite prayer in the Bible. Not because it's the most eloquent, or the most theologically precise. Because it's the most true."I believe; help my unbelief."Seven words that hold the whole complicated reality of what faith actually feels like from the inside — at least for me. Not the version we think we're supposed to have. The real thing. The version that shows up at two in the morning when the problem is real, and the prayer I've been praying for years still hasn't been answered.I believe. And also — I'm not sure. Both things, at the same time, in the same breath.This father has been watching his son suffer since childhood. Seizures. Falls into fire, into water. Years of this. He came to Jesus's disciples first, and they couldn't help. So by the time Jesus arrives, this man's faith has been through things that would test anyone's. When he says "if you can do anything," that if is doing a lot of work. It's not the language of someone standing on solid ground. It's the language of someone who has hoped before and learned to be careful about hoping.And Jesus doesn't rebuke him for the if. Doesn't send him away to shore up his faith before coming back. He heals the boy.What gets me about this story is that the man's prayer is essentially an admission of failure. By every standard of confident, mountain-moving faith, he's falling short. He knows it. He says so out loud, right there in front of Jesus.And that turns out to be exactly the right thing to say.I think about all the times I've stayed quiet in prayer because I didn't feel certain enough. All the times I've dressed up my doubts in more acceptable language because I was afraid that bringing my actual faith — small and mixed and honest as it is — wouldn't be enough. As if Jesus needed me to perform certainty before he could work.This father didn't perform anything. He just told the truth.Maybe that's what faith actually looks like most of the time. Not a feeling of absolute certainty. Not the absence of doubt. Just the honesty to say out loud what's actually true — I believe this, but I'm not sure I believe it enough. And somehow, in this story, that admission is the very thing Jesus works with.Jesus doesn't fill up the father's faith like a tank running low. He responds to the father's honesty. That's a different kind of grace entirely — one that meets us in our transparency rather than waiting for our certainty.And that prayer has never been turned away. Ever.PrayerLord, we believe. Help our unbelief. We don't bring you our certainty — we rarely have enough. We bring you the truth about where we actually are. Meet us there. Amen.<

1 John 3:18 (Common English Translation)"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and truths." This passage is probably written in the late 1st century by the same John who wrote the Gospel of John. But it could also have been written in the late 21st century by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an African Episcopalian leader and visionary. The life of Desmond Tutu reveals how God's word is alive and powerful in our time.Desmond Tutu lived in South Africa in the late 20th century when 'apartheid', the separation of whites and blacks, severely limited the rights of South African blacks. Working with Nelson Mandela, who had been imprisoned 27 years for his opposition to apartheid, Tutu opposed hatred and embraced love. After Mandela was released from prison and became President of South Africa, he appointed Tutu to oversee the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body that helped South Africa heal from the crimes of apartheid through confession by those who committed the crimes, forgiveness by those who suffered, and restitution to those who had been abused.Both Mandela and Tutu embraced the African concept of ubuntu (ooh-boon-too). In Tutu's words, "It refers to gentleness, to compassion, to hospitality, to openness to others, to vulnerability, to be available to others and to know that you are bound up with them in the bundle of life."In his book, God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for our Time, Desmond Tutu states, "We tend to think love is a feeling, but it is not. Love is an action; love is something we do for others." He further says, "For he who would love God must love his brother also. And so the divine judgment about our fitness for heaven will be based not on whether we went to church, whether we prayed or did other equally important religious things. No, Jesus says it will be based on whether we fed the hungry, clothed the naked. We do this not because of our politics, but because of our religion. Blessed be God our God for being such a God."Throughout his lifetime, Desmond Tutu received over 100 honorary degrees. In 1984 he received the Nobel Peace Prize . He was often compared to Martin Luther King, and Jesse Jackson referred to him as the "Martin Luther King of Africa." But he remained a humble man.Tutu believed that "The evil that we do to one another is much easier to see than the everyday acts of goodness and generosity that we do for one another in the sweep of human history. But ultimately this tally of history does not tell us whether God has a plan or a dream. It simply tells us to what extent we have chosen to heed God's call, to become partners with God in realizing His dream."PrayerDear Lord, give us the courage and faith to live into your dream for the world even if we cannot see its fruition in our time. Help us to love not with words or speech but with actions and truths. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

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. Now, let's listen to the scriptures that have been on our hearts this week.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 18:15-17Jesus said: “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and correct them when you are alone together. If they listen to you, then you’ve won over your brother or sister. But if they won’t listen, take with you one or two others so that every word may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses. But if they still won’t pay attention, report it to the church. If they won’t pay attention even to the church, treat them as you would a Gentile and tax collector.Aha! Jesus’ audience now knew how to deal with those unrepentant people in their midst.Treat them as a Gentile! Gentiles are unclean and uncalled and meant to be shunned! But wait. How did Jesus treat Gentiles? He healed a foreign leper and nine of his fellows. He gave special recognition to this foreigner for his appreciation when he returned to give thanks to Jesus for healing him. And Jesus healed the servant of the centurion, acknowledging the centurion’s great faith and belief in his authority. And he made the Samaritan an example of mercy when the priest and the Levite passed by on the other side of the road. So Jesus acknowledged Gentiles and foreigners as worthy of his love and compassion.OK, but what about tax collectors?! They cheated their own people and lined their pockets with the exorbitant taxes that they levied on their neighbors. They were not worthy to be associated with. This is how we should be treating the unrepentant sinner! But wait. Jesus called Matthew from his tax-collecting booth to be a disciple and then went to his house to eat with his tax-collector friends and other sinners. Jesus called down Zacchaeus from the tree and joined him for a meal at his home. And he used the repentant tax collector as a foil for the proud Pharisee when teaching about true prayer.Jesus showed love and compassion for those who were the lowest of the low, the Gentiles and tax collectors, in the eyes of his audience, and said to treat the unrepentant sinner just the same. In the words of Rachel Held Evans, “Jesus talked theology with women. He hung out with sex workers and tax collectors. He drew crowds made up of the sick and the poor. He criticized religious leaders who try to slam the door to the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces.”How often do we automatically discard and shun those that we feel are unworthy of our love and care simply because we believe they haven’t properly acknowledged and repented of sins we feel that they have committed? How did Jesus treat the Gentiles and tax collectors, and all the other “less than” people of his time? This must be our example of how we treat others regardless of their perceived shortcomings. Inclusion. Compassion. Healing. Love. That is our example and our charge.Again, to quote Rachel Held Evans, “…at the end of the day, we’re all in this Kingdom thing together. We’re all loved by God, al

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 requir

John 8:10-11 (NRSV)Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."This passage comes from the end of the story of the woman caught in adultery. In it, the scribes and Pharisees come to the temple where Jesus was teaching, bringing a woman who was caught in the act of a sin that is punishable by stoning. Many of us are familiar with this story, or at least we're familiar with the famous line Jesus says to the crowd just before the verses I read a moment ago: "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."This is a powerful reminder that we are all sinners. It's a powerful reminder to hold our judgment, since we are not above reproach ourselves. It's a powerful reminder that Jesus intercedes for us when we are facing our hardest times.But the way this passage concludes is the most dramatic of all its lessons. After saying that whoever is without sin could cast the first stone, of course none in the crowd could throw a stone. But there was one person without sin there — Jesus. And his response is "Neither do I condemn you." The very one who could have cast judgment and condemnation instead chooses to show mercy and grace. He tells her to go on her way and do better — he chooses to encourage rather than to punish.More often than not, we see ourselves as the Pharisees and scribes, reminding ourselves that we are sinners, too (even if we try to mitigate our sinfulness by telling ourselves it isn't as bad as that of others). Or maybe sometimes, we see ourselves as the woman in this parable, standing in the need of mercy and grace. And that's understandable. We all mess up, and I would venture a guess that we all mess up lots. But there is still more to be learned from this lesson. Sometimes, we are Jesus in this story. Sometimes, we are the ones who have the power to extend grace and mercy and compassion. The really humbling thing about God's grace is that we don't deserve it and we certainly didn't earn it. But so often, people in our lives are going to mess up. They're going to do something that really lets us down, disappointing us or even frustrating us. In those moments, we as followers of Jesus are supposed to dig deep to not only forgive them but to find encouragement for them like he gave the woman here.That's tough for me. I'm sure it's tough for many of you, too. But the irony is that when we struggle with extending grace, we end up back in the position of the woman caught in sin, standing in the need of grace ourselves. So, let's do our best to always be in the position of Jesus here, giving grace generously, even when it isn't earned or even deserved.PrayerMerciful, gracious, and loving God, your compassion for us is truly awe-inspiring. Help us to do better at