Grace for All

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. How do you begin your day? Do you first spend a few minutes intentionally praying about things or do you just pop out of bed ready to start your day? I have to admit that for many years that second way was my usual routine. I would wake up and immediately my to do list filled my mind. It felt like I was behind before I even started my day, So, I would jump out of bed rushing into my day and all the tasks that awaited me. I might or might not take a moment to pray, definitely I didn’t take time to center myself in God. I just assumed that God would be with me, I would fit in some devotions somewhere, and all was good, Then one day, at a retreat, I was asked that question, “How do you begin your day?” When it came to my turn to share I felt a little ashamed at my response. Then the presenter said, “No matter how busy you think you might be, you have time for a minute with God.” She gave us a list of some Bible verses and said, “Pick one, memorize it and use it to start your day. Say it and then pause for just a few seconds and let those words comfort you and focus you for the day to come.” Psalm 118:24 became my morning verse, I start most mornings with it. Yes, I still occasionally forget but usually, before I ever get out of bed, I recite this verse. It grounds me in God’s love and grace because who knows what the day might bring. And when I have had those challenging days, and we all have them, my mind goes back to this verse, I speak it again and again in my mind, It reminds me that God made this day and no matter what I need to rejoice that I am here, there are blessings to experience and so be glad. Recently, I was having one of those kind of days. My wife was dealing with significant health issues, our youngest daughter was going through a crisis time in her life, and the list of things I needed to attend to was long. I was feeling overwhelmed and was feeling very discouraged. Then this verse popped into my head. It caused me to stop focusing on all I was dealing with and turn to thinking about the blessings I had experienced that day. A list quickly came to mind. A sales person going the second mile in helping me, a funny text from my sister to let me know she cared, a beautiful morning to enjoy when walking to dog. There was much to remind me that God was with me and I could rejoice and be glad. That brief moment of renewal didn’t make all the stresses go away but it did change me, It caused me to no longer feel overwhelmed but at peace knowing that God’s help and presence was with me and those I love. So again, “How do you start your day?” Focus on God’s blessings and presence for just a moment and then no matter what the day brings you will be able to celebrate life and be glad you are alive! Prayer. Loving God. Slow us down and help us to remember that each day is a gift from you. You fill this day with blessings and with joy. Even when times are tough your presence brings us peace and for that we give thanks and rejoice. Amen. This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Jim Stovall. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  All human beings have difficulties in their life, times of great happiness and joy, and times of sorrow and darkness. The command in this passage is not too hard to obey when things are going well: rejoicing when we are feeling happy and optimistic; praying when meditating or worshipping; giving thanks when we have been abundantly blessed. The challenge to obey comes in the challenging times, the dark times, the times of grief and sorrow. After the passing of my husband of 52 years, I was struggling with grief and all its accompanying feelings – sadness, confusion, despair, uncertainty, among others. I could go to sleep, but I would wake up two or three hours later with so many questions buzzing in my brain that I would be awake until dawn. When I visited my doctor, she recommended that I talk with a social worker on the staff who was a grief specialist. When we met, she suggested many coping strategies that I already knew, but the one suggestion that surprised me was to keep a gratitude journal. I know this is regular practice for many people, but I had never written down the things for which I was grateful. I thanked God for them in my prayers, but I never committed them to paper. I was shocked by her suggestion: how could I be grateful when my husband, along with all our shared plans, was gone? But I was willing to try pretty much anything. As I began devoting time to this practice, along with recalling happy memories of our years together, I realized that I should and could be thankful for the adventures we had together, the beautiful family we had created and nurtured, his many acts of kindness, both for me and for others. I even felt grateful that he enjoyed good health and was able to do the things he loved until four months before his passing. It did not happen overnight, and many tears were shed going through this process, but the fog of anxiety and sadness that had enveloped me began to clear. It comes back from time to time and probably always will, but now I can include everyday blessings and events, as well as precious memories, in my gratitude journal. I never stopped praying, but now I can rejoice and give thanks for the life God has given me. Let us pray: Dear God, Thank you for the gift of life, not only this brief life on Earth but also eternal life through your great sacrifice on the cross. Help us all remember that our gifts and blessings outweigh our losses and sadness. Through our faith in you, we can rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances. Amen. This devotional 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 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/.

Ezekiel 34:26 (ESV) And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.Back in 1883, evangelist Daniel W. Whittle wrote the hymn, "Showers of Blessing," pulling his inspiration straight from this verse in Ezekiel. He teamed up with James McGranahan, music director for evangelist D.L. Moody, and together they created a song that would resonate in churches across the country, and is still sung in worship today. The late 1800s were a time of rapid change—factories everywhere, growing cities, and lots of uncertainty. Sound familiar? People needed to hear that God's promises were still good even when everything seemed to be shifting. Whittle and McGranahan gave them a song that offered both comfort and timeless truth. Just as now, rain was very important in the ancient world. Everything depended on it. When Ezekiel talked about "showers of blessing," people immediately understood—rain was life itself, fresh hope, God's provision in its most tangible form. In this promise, God doesn't talk about a drizzle or an occasional sprinkle. He says showers—plural. The Hebrew word here is geshem, which means a real downpour, a soaking rain that saturates everything it touches. Multiple downpours of blessing, each one arriving exactly when it's supposed to. That tells us so much about who God is. He's not stingy with His grace, carefully rationing it out. No, He pours it out generously, giving us more than we even knew we needed. It is important to note that these showers come "in their season." God's timing is always perfect, even when it doesn't match what we had in mind. Sometimes we're in a spiritual dry spell, wondering where God's provision has gone. But just like farmers trust that rain will come when it's supposed to, we need to trust that God knows exactly when we're ready for what He wants to give us. So what does this 142-year-old hymn say to us today? Simply this: God's faithfulness doesn't change with the times. Whether dealing with the Industrial Age or scrolling through today's news, the promise is the same. God sees you. He knows what you need. And He provides abundantly, right on schedule. Living with that expectation means holding onto hope when things get hard, staying faithful even when you're not seeing results yet, and keeping your eyes open for how God shows up—through a friend's encouragement, a new opportunity, unexpected peace, or strength you didn't think you had. That waiting season isn't God forgetting about you. It's Him preparing you for what's coming. Whittle captured this hope beautifully in the first verse of his hymn: There shall be showers of blessing: This is the promise of love; There shall be seasons refreshing, Sent from the Savior above.Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need; Mercy-drops round us are falling, But for the showers we plead. Prayer: Father, we thank You that even today, mercy-drops are falling around us. Even so, today we plead for more—for the showers of blessing You've promised. Help us to trust in Your perfect timing and to recognize every gift You send. Open our hearts to receive Your grace, and give us patience to wait expectantly for all You have prepared for us. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Psalm 103:2 (New English Translation) Praise the Lord, O my soul. Do not forget all His kind deeds. In preparing for this time together, I decided to read several versions of this verse. The Message speaks to me right now.  It says, “O my soul, bless God from head to toe, I’ll bless His holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing.” Our focus for November is on “showers of blessings”. This reading made me think of the children’s song/chant, “heads and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes”.  First of all, we are to feel blessed in everything. I always check the mirror before going out, but I definitely don’t look at anything but my head and maybe shoulders. What blessings do I overlook just as easily? And while I am looking in that mirror, what blessings am I looking for? I don’t think as much about just how blessed I am. I likely don’t consider just how fortunate I am, nor do I actively show my gratitude for the blessings I have been given. We live in such a beautiful place. Do we really praise God for the mountains, the sunshine, the lakes, and trees? Do we really look, really see the people we encounter as blessings? They are! Do we praise God for our friends, our churches, our jobs, our retirement, our families, or our health? We aren’t just lucky people, we are blessed.  Every day, we are showered with blessings we fail to see. Before you decide that I am a person who never endures hardship, please understand that I have, in fact, had disappointment, heartache, and true anxiety in my life. While there have been moments of disappointment, I have been carried by my relationship with God, my faith, the presence and support of others who lifted me in their prayers, as I found my strength in God. In the most difficult times, God was always there, blessing me with the peace that I could not find otherwise. Of course, there have been hard moments, hard days when peace and contentment felt a bit elusive, “but God”, God provides a joy and peace that is not stopped by external woes. Our blessings are like raindrops, falling on our heads and dripping down to our feet. We can feel them, see them, and praise God for them if we pay attention, notice them, and claim their presence and impact on our days and lives. They sparkle and glisten, trying to help us recognize them. So, know that you are showered with blessings, even on the hard days. God has sprinkled you and your life with tremendous blessings just waiting for you to see them. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Do not forget all His kind deeds. I’m going to be looking for all those blessings today. I pray you will seek them too. Lets pray together: Loving God, even in hard times, we see your many blessings and are thankful. Your peace surrounds us, falls on us and lifts us when we forget to focus on You and Your love. Guide us as we discover our blessings in the days to come. Help us to feel your love and peace every day. Amen. This devotion was written and recorded by Lisa Blackwood. 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/.

Psalm 95:2 (NIV) Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. The Psalms frequently speak to something that is obviously very near and dear to the work I do as a church musician. And that isn't the only place in scripture where music and singing is lauded. From Jubal's lyre in Genesis to the trumpets, harps, and songs of Revelation, references to making music are found throughout the Bible. But why is that? What is it about music that is so central to our worship and our experience as Christians? That's probably a topic that is broader and more complex than can be addressed in a five-minute podcast, but I'll share a few of my own thoughts on the subject. One of the most central acts of worship is that of offering – we give back to God to demonstrate our thankfulness for the abundance with which we have been blessed. I believe that singing in worship is a way to give back one of the most basic gifts God has given us: our voices. In offering them back to our Creator, we complete the circle of thanksgiving that our worship seeks to achieve. God doesn't demand that we are all polished, trained singers. We are not expected to all be members of the choir (as much as I would be happy to welcome more of you!). No, we are supposed to offer our voices and make a joyful noise as a demonstration of gratitude, because God gave us those voices to begin with. By joining our voices with others in the congregation, we symbolize the effects of corporate offerings – we are more powerful and more capable together than any of us could be alone. We can be part of the beauty of creation in a way we couldn't be by ourselves. Some of us DO have better voices than others. But some of us have more financial resources or building know-how, or compassion to offer those in need. All of that is okay, but just because we may have less than others to offer, we're not off the hook – we are still supposed to offer what we have. I think of the widow in the temple who offered two copper coins. She had so little, but Jesus said she had given so much more than others. We also have a choice about how we use our voices. We can choose to make them instruments of spewing hatred and vitriol and separation from others or we can use them to come together and literally be in harmony with one another. The same is true of all our resources and abilities. Finally, sometimes, the songs we sing are familiar and easy. Sometimes, they are less familiar and challenging. Each is worthwhile and represents our daily experiences in our lives of faith. We can't shy away from the difficult and challenging, as that is where we are able to achieve the most growth. On the other hand, there IS value in the familiar. It connects us to our past, it lets us open ourselves wider for worship, and it often allows us to sing with a louder collective voice. And, like with anything, the more we learn about and practice music, the better we will be at it, making those songs less difficult and challenging. My prayer today is this: God, thank you for music and its incredible power to bring us together. Thank you for the ways that, in our singing together, we learn about our Christian journey. Let us never shy from a challenge nor be timid in our worship of you. In Christ's name, amen. This devotion was written and read by Dwight Dockery. 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/.

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/.

Matthew 6:34 Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. These words were spoken by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, as he was assuring his audience that God would take care of their needs and that worrying about things would not help. But I'm afraid too many of us do worry. In fact, worry, stress, anxiety, and fear, enhanced and blown out of proportion by information overload, seems to be the normal state of mind for so many of us. We seem to be living in the day and age of the what-ifs. Perhaps you have heard Shel Silverstein's poem about them. Let me read it to you. What If. Last night, while I lay thinking here, some what-ifs crawled inside my ear and pranced and partied all night long and sang their same old what-if song. What if I'm dumb in school? What if they've closed the swimming pool? What if I get beat up? What if there's poison in my cup? What if I start to cry? What if I get sick and die? What if I flunk that test? What if green hair grows on my chest? What if nobody likes me? What if a bolt of lightning strikes me? What if I don't grow taller? What if my head starts getting smaller? What if the fish won't bite? What if the wind tears up my kite? What if they start a war? What if my parents get divorced? What if the bus is late? Ooh, what if my teeth don't grow in straight? What if I tear my pants? What if I never learn to dance? Everything seems swell, and then the nighttime what-ifs strike again. Oh, woe is me. I don't know about you, but every news source and most social media seem full of seeds of those what-ifs. Those seeds burrow inside my mind and grow all out of proportion, telling me how awful tomorrow might be and the what-ifs party all night long. Unless, unless I hold my heart still, looking at God in prayer, turning away from the sources that provide the seeds of the what-ifs and turning to the source of life, the Word of God, the promises of His Word, and the powerful reminder of His love. God loves us and promises to rescue us from our enemies and to lead us on level ground. He promises peace that passes all understanding. But we must claim these promises and live in them. We must not worry about tomorrow. We must turn off the noise of the world and turn to God far more often than the worldly sources. We must let the Bible, prayer, and peace have rule over the what-if. We must let worry melt away in the embrace of God's love as we trust in Him. We must center ourselves in God's love each morning and return to that love constantly all day long. Believe me, it scares the what-ifs away. Prayer: So, friends, will you pray with me? Dear Lord, help me to turn to you, to give your word and prayer more prominent positions than other sources in my life. Show me how to trust in your promises and to live with complete assurance in your grace. Make me an instrument of your peace, and show me how to fling worry out the window, and replace it with trust in you. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. This devotion 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/.

Exodus 23:4-5 If you meet your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it. You shall rescue it with him. When we hear Jesus tell the story of the Good Samaritan, we usually focus on the kindness of the Helper and the callousness of those who passed by. But Jesus' original audience would have heard something very different, something much more challenging and uncomfortable. Picture this. A Samaritan traveling through hostile territory sees a Jewish man beaten and left for dead. Now, Samaritans weren't foreigners to Judaism. They considered themselves the true followers of Moses. They knew the Torah, including that passage that we just heard from Exodus about helping your enemy when you see them in trouble. But here's what we miss. The Samaritan had lived his entire life being shunned by people exactly like the man lying in the road. Jews crossed the street to avoid him. They refused his hospitality, considered him religiously contaminated, treated him as less than human. And now, ironically, a Jewish priest and Levite, the very religious leaders who preached about following the Torah, had just walked past the victim, demonstrating the same contempt this Samaritan faced every day. Imagine the conflict raging in the Samaritan's heart. He could have thought, now you know how it feels to be ignored and abandoned This is exactly how your people have always treated me, He had every human reason to keep walking But he stopped He chose mercy over justice, compassion over payback And Jesus' audience would have recognized that the Samaritan was actually following their shared Torah better than their own religious leaders were. That wasn't a heartwarming story about cross-cultural kindness. That was a devastating critique that left Jesus' listeners with no excuses. If this despised outsider could show such grace to his enemies, what did that say about them? The parable forces us to ask, when have we been the priest or the Levite, too concerned with our own purity or comfort to help? When have we failed to show the very mercy we hope to receive? And perhaps most challenging, are we willing to show grace even to those who have shown us none? The Good Samaritan teaches us that following God isn't about maintaining our boundaries. It's about crossing them, even when it costs us, even when we've been hurt, even when the person we're helping would not do the same thing for us. Prayer: Our prayer today, God of mercy, forgive us for the times that we've walked past others in need, protecting our own comfort while ignoring your call to compassion. Help us to see beyond our prejudices and past our hurts. Give us the courage of the Good Samaritan to choose grace over grudges, mercy over revenge and love over the safety of staying separate may we follow your torah not just in letter but in spirit showing kindness especially to those who have shown us none. Amen.This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Today’s scripture is found in the book of Psalms, Chapter 27:14. I referenced several translations as I meditated on this verse. The New English Translation reads like this: “Rely on the Lord! Be strong and confident. Rely on the Lord!”. The New International Version uses the word “wait” instead; the New Living Translation says “Wait patiently for the Lord” and the common English says, “Hope in the Lord”. So, we have Rely; Wait; Wait patiently and Hope in the Lord. Perhaps one more version might help us even more. In this version, we hear “Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again, stay with God!”. All of these words are active and require or suggest our participation is required.  The state of our world, our country, the state where I live, and even our small county are facing a very difficult reality. Anger, hate, violence, greed and lack of concern for our world or others are reported everywhere. Every form of media blasts us with “bad news”, sometimes painful and almost unbearable news. Our hearts are heavy, sad and anxiety is waiting to overtake us. This is a time to focus on today’s scripture. It appears this Psalm was written by King David, likely during a very difficult time, maybe even a time when he was truly afraid. Whatever was going on in David’s life, he wrote these words to convey his never-failing trust, his confidence in God. He has faith, real faith and believes God will protect him even in his worst days. How do these words speak to us today? We are living in very concerning times. It feels as though there is an undercurrent bubbling up, ready to sweep us all away. Some of us have gone quiet seeking God’s wisdom and guidance silently with no one else in mind. Some of us share our concerns and fears with our families or very close friends seeking affirmation for our views. Another group speaks out freely and often with anger, frustration and fear in a much more public way to rally others to action. None of these approaches are wrong. However, none of them seem to match the message of today’s scripture: Rely on the Lord!; Wait on the Lord!; Hope in the Lord!; Be strong and confident! And especially “Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again. Stay with God!” When you reflect on how we are facing the issues, we aren’t fully relying on God, waiting on God or hoping in the Lord. We are expressing our anxiety, our fear, our failure to hope. We must stay with God, be focused on God, trust God and remember He is in control. We must remain strong and confident. Will we understand the path? NO. Will we struggle to remain strong and confident? It is likely. Reminder…. We are told NOT to quit. So, as God’s children, we will try again, over and over, to listen, to follow, to love and especially to take heart and not quit. I plan to renew my focus, my trust, and my eXorts to love in a way that draws others to Christ, to His love and strength, to powerful hope that only He can provide. I invite you to join me. Stay with God! Let’s pray together. Lord of all, we come to you with fears and anxiety, asking that you calm those fears and provide us with the confidence to trust you. In turning to you, we find hope and peace even in dark times. Thank you for loving us in every moment and providing us with the gift of hope. Amen. This devotion was written and read by Lisa Blackwood. 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/.

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. A casual reading of these verses might lead us to believe that God wants us to be sure of the difference between the divine and humans. “My ways are higher than your ways” is a pretty strong delineation between God and us. However, I do not think God is making a show of his power. This whole passage is labeled “a hymn of joy and triumph.” Israel will be restored. We cannot purchase God’s grace, but he gives it freely. His covenant with Israel will be glorified. All good news here. The next few verses are a call to repentance: seek the Lord, let the wicked forsake their way, return to the Lord, and he abundantly pardons. Again, all good news. The problem with us humans is we tend to be dissatisfied with all this good news, and we ask “why”? How can God do these things? Why would He want to after his children have been disobedient and abandoned Him? There are no answers to our questions, and the next verses, 8 and 9, tell us we never will understand. My thoughts and ways are higher than your ways, He says. Most human beings are naturally curious. We want to understand how things work. We want to understand why certain things occur. We want to understand what motivates certain individuals to behave a certain way. And we can, to a certain extent, using scientific methods. We have found explanations for things that puzzled human beings for hundreds of years. Knowledge can grow. We can learn new things. Understanding, however, is different. There are things that are beyond human understanding. The miracles that Jesus performed are examples. How can Jesus walk on water, how can water become wine, how can the dead live again? Think Lazarus here. We simply cannot understand. So, we are left with faith: faith that God’s plan is better than our plan, faith that He loves and cares for us, faith that ultimately, we will come into His presence. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. I do not think I can stop being curious and wanting to learn new things, but I can accept the truth that I will never understand everything, and that, too, is part of God’s plan. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, so many times our cry is a loud “WHY? Even in our pleading, we know that only You have the full picture for each of us. Let us be thankful for Your love and Your guidance, trusting that you will lead us where we should go. Amen This devotional 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 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/.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavenOften, this verse is used when things are challenging. It reminds us of God’s will and our inability to know all. It reminds us that even the challenges of war, death, and illness are part of God’s kingdom. I do think these kinds of sentiments bring comfort in challenging times, but today, let us focus on being a tiny part of God’s creation. If we allow ourselves to contemplate that we are each a small creation inside of all of God’s creation, then we begin to see a bigger picture. I am not an ocean, but one drop in the ocean. There have been innumerable seasons in the kingdom of God and innumerable purposes. I am one drop in that throughout time. Who am I to decide what happens to all the other drops in the waves I ride through life? If I am honest with myself, I do not control what happens to me. I only exist in the context of all the other drops in an ocean. The scope of this is almost incomprehensible, so let us simplify it. If we look at a glass of water on the counter and each molecule of water represents a person, then what happens if we pour the water out? In unison, the molecules pour out bound to flow together. Do the drops of water fight with each other? Do some think to themselves, “If only I were ice, I could resist this dreadful pouring?” Do some pray to remain in the comfort of the glass,s fearing the unknown of the journey ahead? Do some sit in the glass contemplating all of the drops that have left them behind? As some of the drops evaporate, do others remain, becoming increasingly salty? Ecclesiastes is a book of wisdom written by King Solomon. It contemplates man’s inability to comprehend the complexities of life and find meaning without an understanding of God. Perhaps if we view ourselves as one tiny drop of water in an ocean, instead of kicking and screaming about what we want, we should ride the waves and see where God takes us. Let us pray. Lord, may I follow the flow of your spirit, bringing your living water to those who thirst. May you pour out your spirit upon us so that we can do your will in your creation. May we fulfill your purpose even when it is too big for us to comprehend, Amen. This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Psalm 62:5 (NIV) Yes, my soul, find rest in God; My hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Friends, here is an important and timely question: where does your soul find rest? Who, or what, is your rock and salvation? Your fortress? Rest seems to be a hot commodity right now. Sleep aids are estimated to be a 65 billion dollar market, and insomnia is being identified as a public health issue in America. I think it is fair to say that a sense of restlessness pervades our culture. So how about you? Are you plagued by unrest, by restlessness? Or is your soul at rest? The psalmist has a word for the weary. He understands what it is like to be assaulted and assailed from every direction, to feel shaken to the core, and to cry out for help and relief—for rest. And this psalm suggests that he also knows the temptation to seek a sense of security in the false gods of wealth and power. He cautions against that temptation, because these things are not soul-giving, and rest will not be found in them. Rest is found in God. As disciples of Christ, we are called to make God our fortress, our rock and salvation, and thereby, our rest—not wealth or power, not material possessions, or governments, or Facebook friends who agree with us about everything. We may seek peace and rest from all of these things, but we will not find it. Our souls find rest in God. I don’t think that means we are promised physical comfort, or even physical protection. In fact, I think finding true rest means surrendering all of our fears to God, even our fears for our physical well-being. But we are offered rest for our souls when we lose our “selves” by seeking and surrendering to God. So today, where are you seeking rest? And where might you find it? Let us pray: God, our rock and salvation, our holy fortress, you desire to give us rest. May we give ourselves and all of our cares and fears to you, that our souls might find peace in your presence. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Greta Smith. 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/.

Thank you for joining us for today's Grace for All podcast. On Saturdays, we pause for a few moments to look back on our week and to review the scriptures that we have used in our podcast. We encourage you, after listening to this episode, to go back and listen to the episodes you missed, or to review the ones that were particularly meaningful for you. We trust that the thoughts that we have shared with you this week have provided a full portion of the joy, peace, and love of Jesus Christ. Now, let's hear this week's scriptures. 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/.

Psalm 27: 13 &14 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Waiting for God’s goodness doesn’t always feel like helpful advice. When we are experiencing challenging life moments, such as loss. When a loved one is in the midst of a major medical crisis, we want action, not to be told to wait. When we look at the news and feel weighted down by all the negatives that are happening, it feels way too passive to wait. Hearing God’s time is not our time brings more frustration than hope because we want something to happen right now! This is how I sometimes have felt when like is really hard. Have you ever felt that way? Perhaps I feel this way because waiting and patience are not one of my strong character traits. I want to do something, anything, to make things better. I want God to fix things right now. I equate waiting with doing nothing. But waiting for the Lord is not a passive activity. Waiting doesn’t mean that we get to sit around and do nothing until God fixes the mess that we are in. Waiting for the Lord is an active and often challenging response to life. It is anticipating that God is already acting in this situation. It is celebrating every place we see the goodness of the Lord breaking forth. And, it is a reminder that we need to ask what can we do. Waiting is a call to work with God however we can in our particular situation, knowing God will give us the strength and courage we need. Sometimes this is a renewed call to prayer and surrender, trusting in God, because there is nothing more we can do. But most of the time it is a call to vision a new and better place and ask what can I do, with God’s help to lean into that vision. I think of the young person I knew who was struggling with cancer in the bone in his leg. Chemotherapy and radiation slowed the progression but finally there came the time when the doctor had to tell him and his family that the only option left was to remove his leg just below the knee. It was devastating news but as he waited for healing to take place, he was not passive. He loved to snow ski and he was determined to be on the slopes again. His grandmother told me how he researched how to make that happen. He reached out to others who had gone through similar health crises. He lived believing life was good, that God would give him the strength to go forward. The last I heard, he was again skiing. So, life can be better than it is right now. God is at work and we need to anticipate the good God is doing. We are also asked to be a part of that work open to God’s leading. Prayer: Loving God, give us strength to actively wait on You. You are always working at making a new and good thing happen as we will just join our hearts and lives with yours. AMEN. This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Joey Smith. 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/.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 I was given a thorn in my body because of the outstanding revelations I’ve received so that I wouldn’t be conceited. It’s a messenger from Satan sent to torment me so that I wouldn’t be conceited. I pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me alone. He said to me, “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.” So I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me. Therefore, I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations for the sake of Christ, because when I’m weak, then I’m strong. Scholars have debated for centuries what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” might have been. Was it a physical ailment? An emotional burden? An enemy? We don’t know—and in many ways, we don’t need to. What matters is that Paul knew what it was to plead with God for relief and to hear instead a word of grace: “My grace is enough for you.” Caregivers can relate deeply to this passage. We, too, have wrestled with burdens that won’t go away. We may have begged God for healing for our loved one, not because we don’t want to care, but because the weight is so heavy and unrelenting. And yet, our hearts resist the idea of being “relieved” through loss. It’s a complicated mixture of love, weariness, and sometimes guilt, because we feel both devotion and resentment in the same breath. I think of the time we cared for our disabled daughter through two weeks of blizzard conditions with no power. No light, no heat, no comfort—just the raw exhaustion of trying to keep her alive in circumstances beyond our control. We don’t always come to love these situations. But we can, like Paul, learn to accept weakness, stress, insults from those who don’t understand, medical crises, battles with insurance companies, and even disasters—because in our weakness, we discover a surprising strength. It’s not our own strength but the resilience of God’s Spirit working in us and the support of those God sends alongside us. Prayer: Lord, I am weak. You know how weary I get, how torn between love and frustration, how guilty I sometimes feel for the mixed emotions of caregiving. Remind me that I don’t have to be strong on my own. Let your grace be enough for me today, and let your power rest on me, even in my weakness. In the name of Christ our Lord, 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]. 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/.

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope. This oft-quoted verse is part of a letter from Jeremiah to the Israelites in captivity in Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah prophesies that they should not give up hope; they will not be captives in a foreign land forever. Jeremiah says they should build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat what they produce. They should marry and have children and in general contribute to the life of the city where they live. If they do not allow themselves to be misled by false prophets, then after 70 years (a rhetorical number signifying a generation), they will be brought back from captivity. Have you ever been on a path you planned and worked to see through to the end goal when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, God redirected your path to a place you never anticipated? This has happened to me many times throughout my life. I’m not normally an indecisive person, but in college I changed undergraduate majors twice and graduate majors three times (all within the same university), but still. . . As newlyweds, my husband planned to work In his field in the Knoxville area, where I already had a job I loved and our families lived. But then Jim was offered a job with a very good company in Wheeling, West Virginia. Neither of us knew anything about Wheeling, and I doubt that city is on anyone’s list of dream destinations, but off we went. Years later we were happily established in the Blount County area with daughters who were in college. I expected to retire from my job there is a few more years, but once again our plan was altered and we ended up in McDonough, GA. Again we knew no one and nothing about this place, but it was convenient for my husband to reach the 10 sales representatives he managed throughout South Georgia. Off we went once more. We actually thought we might get to stay there until retirement, but again God had a different plan. Jim was transferred to the Nashville area, and we chose to live in Franklin because he needed easy access to Interstates and hopefully, less traffic than further north. Finally we did end up in East Tennessee, close to family, especially young grandchildren, and longtime friends. We were so thankful to have the opportunity to return to our “home.” Looking back on that journey of unexpected twists and turns, I see God at work. In going to new places where we knew no one, we found churches that both nourished and challenged us spiritually. We had wonderful friends and neighbors with whom I stay in contact. We had career opportunities we had never dreamed of. In other words, what we thought of as “exile” became opportunities to flourish. I am so thankful for God’s direction in our lives. You will likely never be exiled, but if God’s plan for your life leads in unexpected directions, follow in faith. God’s promise to give us hope and a future always creates the best path. Let us pray: Dear God, as human beings, we tend to think we know best how to live and what to do. In truth, your plan is always best. Help us keep our ears and hearts open to your guidance and give us strength to serve you and others wherever you lead us. This devotional 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 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/.

Romans 5:3-5 (CEB)But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. I believe that a lot of scriptures give us only part of the story and beg the question, “To what end?” This very familiar passage from Romans is a prime example for me. It brings to mind someone who works out to get stronger physically. Weight produces resistance and resistance builds strength and strength produces a more fit and healthy body. But to what end? To admire in the mirror or to put to work, better able to accomplish tasks? So to what end does trouble produce endurance and endurance produce character and hope? To admire in our spiritual mirror for how strong we have become? No, I believe Paul provides us an answer in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4...3 May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. 4 He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God. In Romans we read that trouble produces endurance, character, and hope. In 2 Corinthians we read that in this trouble, God also provides us comfort. The endurance, character, and hope equip us to “comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God.” Have you endured the grief of losing a loved one and been able to move on to hope? Offer the comfort that you received from God to others facing that same grief. Have you navigated the recovery from financial woes, or overcome the pain of losing a job or a relationship? You are equipped with comfort and hope to help others facing the same problems. I believe that every trouble we endure equips us and should compel us to offer the strength and comfort we have acquired to others. In this way we build up others so that they, in turn, can offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God. Are you looking for a gift that you can offer to others? What trouble have you endured that, in the end, made you stronger? What a precious gift you have to share! Prayer: Father God, we are forever grateful for your presence and comfort you have offered to us in times of our own troubles. Let us be always willing and eager to share that same comfort to our neighbors. Amen This devotional was written and read by Charlie Barton. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.  If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Matthew 6:34 (NIV) Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. I'm retired now, but I used to get anxious on Sunday nights about the week ahead. I called it the "Sunday Blues"—that familiar knot in my stomach that would start around dinnertime, thinking about Monday's meetings, Tuesday's deadlines, Wednesday's presentation I wasn't ready for. I'd sit at the dinner table with my family, but I wasn't really there. My mind was already in conference rooms and inbox battles that hadn't happened yet. I'd watch movies with friends on Sunday evening, but I was mentally rehearsing conversations and worrying about problems that might never materialize. Looking back, I realize I let the Sunday Blues waste perfectly good Sunday nights with the people I love most. I was so busy borrowing anxiety from the future that I missed the grace available in the present moment. Jesus understood this struggle completely. Worry is like trying to live in two places at once— we're attempting to be present today while also trying to manage a tomorrow that hasn't arrived yet. Part of us is here, but another part is frantically planning for disasters that exist only in our imagination. But notice Jesus's approach: he doesn't pretend tomorrow won't have challenges. He's refreshingly honest about it—"tomorrow will worry about itself." Problems will come. Difficulties are part of life. But tomorrow's troubles will arrive with tomorrow's grace, tomorrow's wisdom, and tomorrow's strength. Today, however, has "enough trouble of its own." Not that today is miserable, but that today has enough real concerns, enough actual joys and responsibilities, enough present-moment opportunities to fully occupy our hearts and minds. When we try to carry tomorrow's load on today's back, we're like someone packing for a trip by stuffing next week's clothes in today's suitcase. It doesn't make sense, and it makes today unnecessarily heavy. I think about all those Sunday nights I missed because I was living in Monday. The conversations I half-heard because I was mentally composing emails. The laughter I didn't fully enjoy because I was rehearsing problems that mostly never happened anyway. God gives us exactly what we need for each day, but he doesn't hand out advance portions. That would actually undermine our daily dependence on him, which is how trust grows deeper. Planning responsibly for the future isn't the same as worrying about it. Jesus isn't advocating for irresponsibility. He's talking about the kind of anxiety that robs today of its joy without adding anything useful to tomorrow. What would change if you really believed that today contains enough grace for today's challenges? What if you trusted that tomorrow's problems—if they even show up—will come with their own supply of wisdom and strength? After all, you've never actually lived a day in the future. But you've made it through every single day that's already happened. Maybe it's time to retire your own version of the Sunday Blues and show up fully for the people and moments that are actually here right now. Prayer: Father, help us trust you with the tomorrows we can't control while fully embracing the today you've given us. Teach us to receive each day's grace without trying to hoard what hasn't been offered yet. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. I selected this passage during a trying week in the United States. It was the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States; Charlie Kirk, a political activist, was murdered during an event on a college campus, and two high school students in Colorado were injured in yet another school shooting. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. The week was a lot. But as sad as those events were, what saddened me most was the immediate finger-pointing regarding Kirk’s murder. Many were rushing to assign blame before any facts were available. A man was killed. His murder was unacceptable. Children were injured in a school shooting, which is also unacceptable. But rather than mourn the fact that these events continue to occur in the United States, many chose to vilify the other. I desperately wanted the conversation to change, then I saw this passage as a suggested verse for a devotional. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In verses 9 and 10 of this chapter, we read, Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another in mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Genuine love and mutual affection. Doesn’t that sound like what the world and our country need right now? Our focus on loving our neighbors certainly seemed prescient in September. Charlie Kirk was our neighbor, but so was the shooter. The children in Colorado are our neighbors, but so was the young man who shot them. And those men who flew into the World Trade Center 24 years ago? Yes, they were our neighbors, too. Love. That is what is good and acceptable and perfect. Jesus instructed us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Let that be our litmus test. Do our posts on social media reflect love of our neighbors? Do we want people to judge us the way we are tempted to judge others? May we focus on testing and discerning rather than reacting and misconstruing. Let us pray as Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. This devotional was written by Kathryn King. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

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/.

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. It can’t be much clearer than that! We all need to set our sights on Jesus to listen to and apply all He had to say. This world is filled with noise in every available electronic form and beyond. It is necessary to tune it out and focus on the truth. The truth that is found through Jesus! Don’t be distracted by the misinformation and dysinformation that we can easily be bombarded with. Open up that Bible and turn to the Gospels to find out what Jesus has to say. He will tell you that his kingdom is not of this world, and ours shouldn’t be either. We all know that this world is filled with temptations and distractions. Set it aside. Walk the walk with Jesus and take action to spend your limited time on this planet to clearly demonstrate your love for Jesus and your neighbor. Is it a neighbor across the street, across the country, or halfway around the world? This is a relatively small place compared to the total of God’s creation. So hurry up, as the book of Mark tells us 42 times, and get busy in your own way. Why this sense of urgency? I can tell you of the influential people in my childhood, seeming towers of strength. They squandered their time here, one through mockery and disbelief, the other essentially through blasphemy and becoming snared by the lust for worldly things. They have passed on. They have faced judgment. Fortunately for me, I was able to see beyond their views through the cumulative efforts of many others who walked and walked the Christian life. They are in the form of pastors, Sunday School teachers, co-workers, friends, and Sunday School classmates, to name a few. Focus on the truth that Jesus represents! There are way too many people on this planet that will lead you astray. Pray that the Holy Spirit be with you to guide you to show you the way. I can testify, as I stated previously, that as a child, I prayed to God to send someone to show me the way. It was one of the most consequential prayers of my life! It certainly was answered with not just one person, but many that did just that. Jesus tells us that He is the key to eternal life. One day, we all will stand in judgment, and He will turn to God the Father and say, “Yes, I know this person. This person acted on my behalf and demonstrated their love of God with all their mind, all their heart, and all their strength while loving their neighbor as thyself!” That is what we all should strive to hear. Let us pray: God in Heaven, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, as your messenger to teach us! Give us the fortitude to live our lives and take action to honor Him. Amen. This devotional was written and read 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]. 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/.

Lamentations 3:22-25 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. Many of you, upon hearing these verses, will recall the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It is a hymn that celebrates God’s steadfast love and grace. While the hymn may have taken its chorus from these verses, the reality of the writer in Lamentations was much different. For the twenty verses prior, he has been pouring out his woes. Life has been full of so many problems that he had come to the conclusion that God was punishing him. He was angry at God because he did not feel that what he was experiencing was fair and just. I am sure we have all experienced times in our lives that seem so challenging that we have wondered, “Does God really care?’’ I know I have. Like the writer, in really challenging times, I have struggled with, “Why is this happening?” Discouragement and despair have filled my days more than accepting trust. The writer does not stay in this frame of mind. Right in the midst of his pain, he stops and proclaims how the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases! This realization gives him hope and allows him to proclaim how great is God’s faithfulness. The troubled writer in Lamentations swings back and forth between faith and doubt. Hope and despair co-inhabit his inner world. We know those feelings. This is the reality of life. Trust in God is always a halting process. Letting go and trusting God when life is full of challenges, disappointments, and filled with loss is a lot harder to do than we might want to admit. It calls us to surrender our wants, our time frames, and wait upon God. I have found, like the writer, that if I continue to trust to believe God is with me, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel I am currently in, my trust is rewarded. God is faithful! So just like the song shares, we can proclaim: “All I have needed, thy hand hath provided, Great is thy Faithfulness unto me.” Let us pray: Gracious and faithful God. Remind us, when life is challenging, that you are always there loving us, supporting us, and caring for us. Help us to hold on to this thought and trust you always proclaiming “Great is thy Faithfulness.” Amen. This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Joey Smith. 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/.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Every year, Pastor Sarah makes star words for our congregation. They are simple wooden stars with a word printed on them that is to be our focus word for the year. My late wife Barbara got her very first star word in January 2024, and it was Motivate. She asked me to clarify with Sarah that this could be the same as nagging. Throughout that year, we had lots of fun with that. She "motivated" me to straighten pictures and put room decorations back in their correct position after the housekeepers came; to keep season-appropriate flags and wreaths outside our home; to finally clean out our garage; to trim my nose hairs; and on and on. It became a challenge for her to find things to motivate me to do that she could no longer do for herself. And then in January of 2025 (three months before her passing and as she was failing in health and strength), she asked for another star word and, of course, it was Motivate. What else could it have been? What fun we had with that! Since her passing in April, I've had time to reflect on how Barbara motivated me, and it was in ways much more significant than crooked pictures and nose hairs. There would not be a No One Dies Alone program at Blount Memorial Hospital if Barbara had not motivated me to go ask the chaplain, "Why not?" I would not be delivering Meals on Wheels, something that I now love to do, had Barbara not started delivering years ago and then got me to help her as her strength began to wane. Barbara has always motivated me with her generosity, as she has made countless donations to causes and programs that she believed in. She also quietly helped folks with significant financial needs, never seeking recognition for her generosity. Barbara motivated me to put aside bitterness for the sake of preserving long-term relationships. She motivated me to maintain a discipline of daily scripture and devotion, reading, and prayer. And oh, did Barbara pray! Whenever she heard of someone in pain or crisis, she had us stop and pray, even if it meant pulling off to the side of the road. Barbara motivated me with her kindness. When, because of her declining health, she could do little else, she wrote notes of comfort and encouragement and sympathy to folks she knew needed it. People have told me how Barbara's notes helped them through some of their darkest times. And Barbara has motivated me to always, always tell the people I love that I love them every chance that I get. So, yeah, Barbara and I had lots of fun with her regular motivation of me to get things done, but she also motivated me to be and to do so much more. Prayer: Father God, help us to always look for ways to encourage each other to good works through our words and examples to ensure that your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Charlie Barton. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Ralphine Hood: "God has been urging me to write about prayer. That should be easy for me since I am such a strong believer in prayer. Our Lord's prayer was taught to the Disciples and to us." Matthew 6:9-13 Our Father in heaven Hallowed be Your name Your kingdom come Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors And do not lead us into Temptation, But deliver us from the evil one For Yours is the kingdom and the Power and the glory forever Amen. I think because Jesus taught the Disciples and us this prayer, we should take it seriously. Do we pay attention to the words when we pray this prayer on Sunday mornings, or do we take it for granted as we often do with our prayer time? Prayer is a gift our Lord has given us. If we want to be like Jesus, we must use the gift he has given us. When we talk with Him each day, it is a gift like no other. Jesus prayed often, and he prayed about difficult decisions. The night before he chose his Disciples, he stayed up all night praying. Jesus usually prayed alone, but the night before he was arrested, he asked his Disciples to pray and watch with him as he needed them, but they could not stay awake. He even intercedes for us when we cannot find the words and helps us. He never sleeps when we ask for his help. When I pray, I believe he does answer my prayers. Sometimes he says no, sometimes he says to wait a while, and sometimes he says yes. When we feel our prayers are not being heard, we must remember that God is working behind the scenes and knows what we need and when we need it. It is best to trust God for his ordained outcome. That is when our faith comes. I believe it is right to long for the desired outcome with all our hearts. It is right to pray repeatedly and earnestly for a certain outcome. Take our burdens to the Lord. Let Him know your needs and trust Him for what is best. Jesus just wants to hear from us. He is our friend. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to trust you and use our prayer life as you taught the Disciples and us. Amen. This devotional and poem 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]. 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/.

Matthew 6:34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Square in the center of the Sermon on the Mount, in the last verse of the sixth chapter of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus gives us this advice: don’t worry about whatever has you down. A few verses earlier, in verse 27, he poses this related challenge: “And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” There is so much in the Sermon on the Mount on which I feel so convicted: The Lord’s Prayer? Got it. Don’t judge, so you may not be judged? Check (well, basically). Beware of false prophets? Of course! The Beatitudes? Be-autiful! Don’t worry about things. Er… wait a minute… I’m not sure I have that one down. Don’t get me wrong — I try not to worry. It’s just that I try, and most often, I fail. How does one not worry with all the chaos in the world? How does one not worry with the turmoil we so often find in our daily lives? Believe me — there is plenty to worry about, as I’m sure you’re aware. Have you seen the news? Have you seen social media?? Even if I somehow avoid the news and social media, I don’t have to look further than the to-do list on my desk or consider the many things I still need to accomplish in various other aspects of my life or think about all the plates I have spinning or need to get spinning soon. Stress and worry are regular parts of life, unfortunately. But, taking a step back, I look back at what Jesus actually said here. He didn’t say that there aren’t these worries. In fact, he fully acknowledged that they are here today and will be here tomorrow. His point, I think, is not that worries and troubles should not, or at least will not, affect us. His point is that God is here to ease our burdens. His point is that the love of our Creator, our Father, is a love that will help us through those worries. His point is that this kind of trust in our Lord can bring us release. Recently, I was having a really difficult time in which I felt like things were just piling on, one after another. I was doing my best, but I just felt like I was drowning. A friend sent me an email saying that she saw this and thought I was doing a great job handling it all. It was a short word of encouragement, but when I received it, my eyes instantly welled up, and tears started to fall. Friends, it’s amazing the power that simply feeling seen and validated can have to alleviate stress and worry. So often, when we think about being the hands and feet of Christ, we think about service projects and charity work. That day, though, my friend was the hands and feet of Christ. She saved me from drowning by throwing the life preserver of encouragement. My prayer is that I may do the same for others. Let us pray. God, help us to continue to grow in trust of you, and help us to alleviate the stress and worry of others when we can. Amen. This devotion was written and read by Dwight Dockery. 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/.

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1 (NRSV) So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For our slight, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. In the 1980s, when we lived in Cedar Rapids, IA, I volunteered in an oral history project. Community volunteers interviewed nearly a hundred older citizens who shared memories of their lives. There were many inspiring interviews, but the one that stood out for me was an interview with Edith Atkinson, an African American. Atkinson was a gifted singer who grew up in Cedar Rapids and performed both opera and African American spirituals. She experienced the segregation of black performers, integrated white neighborhoods, and eventually broke the color barrier by becoming a supervisor in the main office of Collins Radio, the largest employer in Cedar Rapids. Edith and her husband Bob were the first Black family to move into an all-white neighborhood. They were treated with suspicion by most of the adults, and some even signed a petition to evict them. But Bob knew the way into hearts was through the children in the neighborhood. He befriended them, played with them, and let them help him out in the yard. Soon, the adults began inviting them in for coffee, and the relationships warmed. Over time, they were even invited to family weddings. In the course of the interview, Edith said, “We’re all brothers under the skin.” She shared a story to illustrate her belief. In 1977, Edith’s husband Bob was an employee of Penick and Ford, a starch manufacturer located in Cedar Rapids. One day, a chemical explosion occurred that involved Bob and two white men in a lab. They were all three badly burned and had to be transferred to the University Hospital in Iowa City. Edith was able to ride in the ambulance along with the victims. She shared this memory: “I rode in the ambulance to Iowa City with them, and over the intercom radio, they said, ‘I’m bringing three burned victims from Penick and Ford, two whites and a black.’ And when we got in there, the doctor looked at them and said, ‘Which one’s the Black guy?’ The skin all looked the same when it was burned…they all looked the same under the skin. So, this brought home to me that we’re all the same under the skin. We burn, we hurt, we bleed….we’re all brothers under the skin.” Edith’s husband Bob survived the accident, but the experience made a great impression on her. Edith and her family made an indelible impression for good in the community of Cedar Rapids. Let Us Pray: Dear Lord, help us to remember the words of Paul that ‘we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.’ Help us to see inside others who appear to be different and see that we are all children of God. Thank you for helping us see beyond our differences into our shared humanity. Amen.This devotional was written by Laura Derr and read by Judy Wilson.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Thank you for joining us for today's Grace for All podcast. On Saturdays, we pause for a few moments to look back on our week and to review the scriptures that we have used in our podcast. We encourage you, after listening to this episode, to go back and listen to the episodes you missed, or to review the ones that were particularly meaningful for you. We trust that the thoughts that we have shared with you this week have provided a full portion of the joy, peace, and love of Jesus Christ. Now, let's hear this week's scriptures. 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/.

Psalm 46:10 (NIV) Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. I’m a big fan of the movie Groundhog Day. I’ve seen it a couple of dozen times, and it is a tradition in our house to watch it on February 2nd every year. In the movie, weatherman Phil Connors, played by Bill Murray, gets stuck reliving the same day over and over again in the small Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney, the home of the famous groundhog “Punxsutawney Phil.” At first, Connors spends countless loops of the same day frantically trying to escape his situation. He schemes, manipulates, and forces outcomes, getting more desperate with each failed attempt. He tries to control everything and everyone around him, exhausting himself in the process. Fair warning - spoilers ahead. His real transformation begins when he finally stops fighting against his circumstances and accepts his current situation. Instead of frantically trying to get somewhere else, he starts using the time to learn the piano, read poetry, and genuinely serve others. He becomes present in each moment rather than always trying to escape to the next one. The breakthrough comes not when he figures out how to leave Punxsutawney, but when he stops trying to leave at all. "Be still." In Hebrew, the word is raphah, which literally means to let go, to release your grip, to stop striving. It's the opposite of everything our culture tells us to do. We're supposed to hustle, optimize, and never stop moving. The idea of being still feels almost rebellious. This psalm is not written for people lounging by a peaceful lake. The verses preceding this describe earthquakes, mountains collapsing into the sea, and nations in uproar. The psalmist is addressing people in the middle of chaos, not a meditation retreat. God's invitation to "be still" comes right in the midst of the storm. I think about those moments when life feels like it's spinning out of control. Our natural response is to do something, fix something, control something. We make lists, research solutions, and exhaust ourselves trying to manage what's often unmanageable. But God says, "Be still and know that I am God." It doesn't say "be still and figure it out" or "be still and make a plan." It says, "know that I am God." It isn't about becoming passive or giving up. It's about remembering whose hands actually hold the world together. It's about loosening our white-knuckled grip on outcomes we can't control anyway. The second part of the verse reminds us that God will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. In other words, God's purposes will be accomplished with or without our frantic efforts. That's not meant to make us feel insignificant—it's meant to free us from the crushing weight of thinking everything depends on us. John Wesley talked about "holy waiting"—those moments when the most spiritual thing we can do is stop our striving and trust God's timing. It's not about being lazy; it's about learning to rest in God's sovereignty while remaining open to how He might use us. Here’s some good news: you don't have to have all the answers right now. You don't have to solve everything today. Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is stop trying to escape your current circumstances and learn to be fully present with God right where you are. Prayer: Father, in our noisy, restless world, teach us the sacred art of being still. Help us release what we cannot control and rest in the knowledge that you are God. Amen. This devotional was written by Cliff McCartney. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Repeatedly throughout my Christian walk, I have considered the question, “What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?” Surrender—of my life, of my will—is central to my understanding of what it means to be a Christ-follower. When I chose to follow Jesus, I decided to give myself to Jesus. Following Christ means living as Christ lived. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The gospel calls me to give my body–to be crucified as it were–so that I might become the hands and feet of Christ in the world today. There is a poem attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Carmelite nun. It was likely inspired by her life, whether or not it was written by her. I want to share it with you today. It is called Christ Has No Body. Christ Has No Body Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Friends, the world needs the body of Christ now as much as it ever has. The question for us as Christ followers today and each day is this: how might we surrender ourselves in all of our encounters so that those we meet will see Christ in us? Let us pray: Lord Jesus, we rely on your grace to change us. Today and every day, may we offer up ourselves in living sacrifice, that we might become more and more like you. Help us see the world through your eyes of compassion, and bless the world, serving as your hands and feet. In your precious and holy name we pray, amen. This devotional was written and read by Greta Smith. 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/.

Welcome to the Grace for All podcast. Our theme for this month is Let Go and Let God - A Season of Surrender. Normally, I would begin by sharing today’s verse of scripture and then a short devotion; however, I believe today’s format should be story first and then scripture because that is exactly how it happened. I will begin the story by saying the theme of Let Go and Let God - A Season of Surrender is both the worst title for this story….and the perfect title.  Surrender? Not a chance! I was an Air Force fighter pilot flying the most advanced fighter in the world and had just deployed into a combat zone for the first time. Our mission was to patrol and maintain a No-Fly Zone over Southern Iraq. The complexity increased as we were tasked to fly from three to six hours, and at any moment could be called on to respond to an air-to-air engagement or an air-to-ground engagement. To give us the maximum flexibility to destroy targets, we carried two different types of air-to-air missiles and a mixture of bombs. My wingman and I had arrived to the deployment base ten days after the rest of the squadron because his jet had broken in Spain and we had to get it fixed before we could continue. The result was that when we arrived, the other crews had already started flying combat missions. Instead of having a couple of days for preparation, we were scheduled to fly our first combat mission the day after we arrived, and I was leading it! That night, I spent hours mission planning and agonizingly going over every possible contingency. How will we manage the airspace? What is our tanker plan? What if one aircraft has an emergency and has to return? What if we have to intercept a low and slow aircraft or a high, fast aircraft? What if there are multiple groups or multiple targets on the ground? How do I manage fuel such that we can still handle an engagement right at the end of our vulnerability period? It seemed like there were hundreds of contingencies to think through and plan for. What if? What if? My brain was racing, and I knew I needed a timeout from the planning. I had previously made a decision to try and read through my Bible that year, and the scripture for that day came from Matthew chapter 6 verse 34, the same verse for today’s devotion. I set down my mission planning, picked up my Bible, and read these words. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Having read the words, I opened my heart to prayer and said, “God, thank you for preparing these words for me right now. I needed them, and I surrender my worry to you. Once again, you reminded me that you are with me now and will be with me tomorrow. Amen. Then I closed my Bible and went to bed. This devotion was written and read by Owen Ragland Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. If a seed does not germinate, it bears no fruit. It has been formed to create, yet it does not fulfill that destiny. It is squandered. It wastes away, dried up and useless. What a loss! We also must realize that the majority of seeds in the history of creation have been planted by the wind, birds, and other animals. They have germinated and gone on to create the flowers, fruit, food, and seeds that have fed and created the next generation of everything. Plants turn the sun into food. And love turns God into a life of meaning and purpose. The seeds that humans have cultivated and collected are often manipulated, stored, and forgotten. We collect and curate. We shape and then neglect. How many packets of seeds sit on a shelf unused? We seek to control the outcome. We think we know better. Humans have a habit of attempting to find meaning almost to a fault. We try and seek. We read, and we ponder. It is really rather simple. Walk up to a wildflower whose beauty has been spent in the summer breeze and sunshine. Then give it a little shake, and the seeds it has produced will be spread to grow the beauty of the next spring and summer garden. Let me strive to be a carefree wildflower raised on sunshine, raindrops, and the breath of the Spirit. I hope to be planted where I can share the beauty of God’s kingdom in the garden. I will sacrifice my desire to be in control and any attempt to be an overbred rose whose thorns prick admirers. I, by the Grace of the Lord, will follow in the steps of Jesus and share the love of God with all who see me. Wherever the wind takes me, may I scatter seeds. May those seeds plant love, generosity, and grace wherever they land. Becoming your true self can be simple if only we allow God to blow us where we can be planted. Prayer: Let us pray today and every day that by the grace of God, we may live each day with our eyes open to see and ears ready to listen. May the sunshine show us the light and the raindrops play a tune in our ears that allows us to grow and share our talents in the garden, Amen! This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. I suppose we didn’t study Ecclesiastes in my childhood Sunday school classes because, for a long time, I thought this verse, and the examples of opposite human experiences (life and death, planting and reaping, weeping and laughing, love and hate, war and peace, and others) in the following eight verses, were the lyrics to a song. And they are! Singer and activist Paul Seeger wrote the song “Turn, Turn, Turn” in 1961, incorporating these verses, and it was recorded by several groups and individual artists over the years. The 1965 version by The Birds is likely the most well-known. So, how did a few verses from “wisdom literature” in the Old Testament inspire a songwriter and singer known for his protest songs? Of course I do not really know the answer to that question, but I can make a guess. As a songwriter focusing on current issues and problems in the 1960s, Seeger looked to the Bible to explain and help human beings deal with the tumult and trauma of the time. Then, as now, people were dealing with social unrest, racism, abuse of human rights, and political violence. These are the themes of the human experience in any century. A common lament is “where is God when His people are suffering?” This passage reminds us that all human beings suffer, but we also find joy and happiness in life. In verse 12, the writer states that “there is nothing better. . .than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.” Life should not be lived in constant sorrow or foreboding of the next bad thing that will happen. God’s plan is not meant be altered nor understood. We are creatures of time and place, but God’s love is infinite and beyond our understanding. We are to have faith and hope and trust in God’s plan. Having faith, hope, and trust in the dark times mentioned in verses 2-8 (death, weeping, tearing apart, hate and war) is not easy, but it is what we as children of God are called to do. With the love and support of Christian friends, leaning on each other as members of the body of Christ, we can do together what we cannot do alone. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we confess that at times we are overwhelmed by the evil we see in the world. It is hard to find the light of love and peace. Even when we cannot see it, we know it is there. Help us to look past the trials of this world and find comfort in your eternal promises. Even as we look forward, let us not forget to do what we can to ease the suffering of others. Give us strength and grace to serve You. Amen. This devotional 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 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/.

Matthew 6:34 Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.There are several songs in popular movie musicals that refer to the hope and promises of tomorrow. Perhaps one of the most popular examples of this is the song “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” from the musical Annie. In the musical, the orphan Annie sings this song after she escapes the orphanage in an attempt to find her parents, after she and the other girls residing in the facility have been harshly punished by the cruel orphanage owner, Miss Hannigan. She sings about how thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and sorrow and how much she loves tomorrow, as it’s only a day away. On the other hand, there is a verse like this in the song “(Underneath the) Lovely London Sky” from the movie-musical Mary Poppins Returns. This song is sung by the character Jack, a leery, who is played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and meant to be a foil to Dick Van Dyke’s character, the beloved chimney sweep Bert, in the 1964 movie Mary Poppins. During the scene in which this song is sung, the day has just begun, and Jack is riding his bike through the streets, lighting the streetlamps and singing about how lucky he feels to be beneath the titular Lovely London Sky, when he reaches one specific verse discussing the promises and hope of tomorrow: I know, yesterday you had to borrow from your chums. It seems the promise of tomorrow never comes. But since you dreamed the night away. Tomorrow’s here, it’s called today! So while we may feel stressed with the worries of today and what tomorrow will bring, it is crucial to focus on living in the now, as the promises and hope of tomorrow are always only a day away and will bring something new, and as mentioned in today’s verse, each day has enough troubles of its own, and when the sun sets on one day, those problems will be the problems of yesterday, and we are then allowed to focus on a new day. Prayer: God, while it can be overwhelming living in the now with some days filled with more troubles than others. Help us to remember to worry about the day that is in front of us now, as the sun will always come out tomorrow, and the promises of that day will worry about themselves. Please help guide us if we are lost in our worries of each day. 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]. 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/.

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/.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. There are different seasons in our lives. When I was a young boy, I thought as a young boy. All I could think about was receiving my long list of wants. I believed that all would be right with the world if only I had a certain toy or bike. Birthday and Christmas gifts? Did they make my life more fulfilling? Actually, they only provided a short-lived, very brief, intense excitement. We humans do pray for a lot of things, no matter our age. We may pray for safety, health, love, or even good grades.  My next memorable season was being noticed by girls. I hoped I looked more like a young man, and I just knew getting my driver’s license would be all I needed. Hurry up, turn 16, get my license, and I could already visualize myself cruising around town. However, what I didn’t know was the expectations of this season from my parents. Responsibility was being taught, and paying for my own gas was a reality. Dating was next, a long-awaited season. Asking a girl out was so awkward and made me nauseous. Rejection was on my mind. I prayed to be as cool as a cucumber, but that didn’t always happen. At least, I only had one time where I opened the car door for my date and it sprung back and hit her in the head. My senior year was a new season. After changing schools, I decided to march in the high school band and began with summer practice. As practice started, I nervously arrived in the band room and was greeted by a beautiful young lady who gave me a comforting “hello” that touched my heart. We talked, and I found the courage to ask her out while nervously praying for a yes.  The good news, my soon-to-be girlfriend said yes. After our first date, I went home, sat on my parents’ bed, and confidently told them I had found the girl I would marry. A new season! Here we are 52 years later with 2 grown children, 5 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild. We have been blessed to be happily married. It takes hard work daily and is not always milk and honey. We are a praying family and have found many serious things to pray about over the many seasons of our life together. Our now adult son experienced a life-threatening car accident as a teenager. I found myself praying for his life and the gifts he has to offer to the world. As the seasons have passed, we realize just how blessed we have been to have watched his faith provide a strong Christian impact on his students. Another season we have lived through is the loss of our parents and then the turning point of becoming empty nesters. Through those years of parenting, we worked diligently with our children to prepare them for life and their own seasons to come. There is a time to prepare them to handle life and then a time to let them go. We have also been blessed to love and care for many pets. Sadly, they have such short lives, and yet they were wonderful examples of faith, loyalty, love, and comfort on days they sensed were hard days for us. Our love for them started the day they joined our family and continued until we gave them the last kiss, pat, and hug as we said goodbye. The end of another beautiful season. And now, we are in this new season. A season of reflection and examination. Not the last season, but one of appreciating the seasons we have shared. From our childhoods, through our young adult years, middle age years, and now older adult years, we truly know, “for everything there is a season”. We are blessed and look forward to God’s plans for this time. Please pray with me. Loving God, you tell us there is a time for every activity under heaven. Let this be our season to love, not hate; show civility, be generous, serve more, complain less, be supportive, spend more time with family, be less self-centered, be better parents and grandparents, be more positive, be more patient, study your word, and live as you would have us live. Remind us that now is the time to turn our lives over to Jesus. It is our season. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.  This devotional was written and read by Leland Blackwood. 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/.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 Now about your love for one another, we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God's family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Paul is writing to a church with an unexpected problem: some believers had quit their jobs to wait for Christ's return. They thought ordinary work was pointless if Jesus was coming back soon. But Paul says something surprising: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life." That's fascinating language—having an ambition for quietness. Usually, we think of ambition as loud, attention-seeking. But Paul says the sanctified life looks like working with your hands, minding your own business, and not calling attention to yourself. The "quiet life" isn't about being passive or invisible. It's about being so grounded in God's love that you don't need drama or spectacle to prove your faith. It's about working with integrity, treating people well, being honest in your dealings, and showing kindness without making a show of it. In our age of social media and constant self-promotion, this is radically countercultural. Paul is saying that holiness often looks like reliability, that sanctification shows up in how well you do your ordinary job, how you treat your family, and whether your word can be trusted. The early Christians were sometimes accused of being lazy freeloaders. Paul says: Prove them wrong by living such good, honest, productive lives that even your critics have to respect you. Let your daily faithfulness be your testimony. Not every Christian is called to be a missionary or pastor. But every Christian is called to work with integrity, love their neighbors, and live so well that it points others toward God—even when no one's looking, even when it's just ordinary Tuesday faithfulness. Prayer: Lord, help us find you in the ordinary moments—in our work, our daily responsibilities, our quiet acts of service. Give us contentment with the life you've placed us in, and teach us to live with such integrity and love that others see your goodness reflected in our everyday faithfulness. May our ambition be for the quiet holiness that honors you in both the dramatic and mundane moments of life. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Philippians 4:6-7 (the Living Bible) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God‘s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. The constant drone of awful information can cause us to feel afraid, worried, and overwhelmed. Reports fill our eyes and ears with news of the constant drone of awful information — devastating floods, raging fires, heartbreaking famine, endless wars and bombs, plane crashes, drug overdoses, suicides, murders, school shootings, and political unrest. The list goes on, and we feel captive, involved, and tormented, with the unrest that seems to surround us. We want to find the mute button, the off switch, but the horrors just keep coming, and the stress and anxiety fill us with dread.  Today’s scripture provides the key to unlock the door to the pathway to peace. Let’s hear it again… Don’t worry about anything, instead pray for everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God‘s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.  We should all mark our daily calendars with several reminders to stop, find a quiet place, and pray for everything that’s on our minds. We should use those prayer appointments to tell God our needs and thank him for his answers. In the quiet, wrap yourself in God’s great LOVE. Then continue your day wrapped in the peace he promises.  Let’s do the first prayer appointment together right now…  Dear God, the world is so full of pain and turmoil. We worry about all the terrible things that we hear each day. We worry about all those people who are hurting, all those wars that are being fought, all those needless deaths, the suffering children, the homeless, the heartbroken. We ask you, Lord, to help and heal. We ask you to take control of our hearts and help us lean on your promises and on Christ Jesus. Help us, Lord, to trust you. Calm our fears, soothe our worried minds, and lead us into your peace. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  P.S. Lord, if there is something you want me to do for you, to help in some way, please push me in the right direction to be your hands and feet, to spread your LOVE and Peace wherever I go. 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/.

Romans 3:23-24 …since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… One doesn’t have to be a performer to have heard the advice for someone who is nervous to go on stage or speak or perform in front of a crowd: just imagine everyone in the audience in their underwear (or sometimes, it’s even “imagine them naked”). I think that I first heard that advice on a cartoon as a child, but I’m sure that it was well before I understood that the advice was a coping strategy to convince your mind of the equality you share with the others for whom you are performing as a means of not being quite so nervous. Imagining them in a more humbling version of themselves helps us see each other not so hierarchically, with the audience lording over us, but instead reframes them in a more equal and comfortable relationship. Similarly, in Paul’s letter to the Romans, he describes the justice of God in terms of equality. We all sin. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all fail and are broken people in some way. To be human, frankly, is to be fragile. To live in this world necessarily means that you will mess up sometimes, that you will not always be the best version of yourself. But friends, the good news here is that God understands, God loves you, and God claims you — that is the gift of God’s grace. Furthermore, there is no value in comparing our “goodness” with others; God loves us equally. I worked in a Presbyterian church at one point, and a friend who was a lay leader of that congregation was doing a presentation on being part of that denomination. She said to me, “so many folks tend to get caught up on the predestination thing. All that really means to me is that nothing I can do can make God love me any more and nothing I will do will make God love me any less.” While I don’t mean to open the theological can of worms that is the concept of predestination, especially in a podcast produced by a United Methodist church, I think that sentiment is so beautiful, and it is at the heart of what Paul is saying here. So let us all remind ourselves of this important and affirming truth: God loves us, God is on our side, and God wants what is best for us. And, as Paul writes a few chapters later in Romans, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Let us pray. God, we thank you for the gift of your love and grace. Thank you for understanding our hurts, our failures, our brokenness — our humanity. And thank you for being with us in spite of it all, no matter what. We pray that we honor you by living lives that demonstrate our gratitude by sharing and showing that grace and love with others. In Christ’s name, amen. This devotion was written and read by Dwight Dockery. 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/.

Philippians 2:3-8 Don't do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus: Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit. But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. How did this mind of Christ reflect in his day-to-day life? He touched the unclean leper and healed him. He was compassionate to the woman caught in adultery. He made mud and placed it on the eyes of the blind man. He sat and talked with the Samaritan woman who had a checkered past. He washed the feet of his disciples and, yes, he submitted to torture and execution as a common criminal. No one and nothing was beneath him as he demonstrated his servant's heart. I was reminded in reflecting on this scripture of the late Pope Francis. He who washed and kissed the feet of female inmates from his wheelchair; who washed the feet of Muslims; who demonstrated love and patience for the elderly, the children, the infirm, and the disabled. And then I remembered an incident recently as I visited my daughter's family in Oregon. One day I took my granddaughter to the library. In the bushes outside was a young woman crouching down, talking loudly on a phone to someone or no one. We went inside and I sat down in the lobby and began listening to an audiobook on my earbuds while my granddaughter went to check out books. The young woman from the bushes came in, sat in the chair next to mine and plopped her stuff down on the little table between us. She got up a couple of times, walking around the lobby, talking loudly on her phone to someone or no one. And then she came and sat down again. Next to me. Through the audiobook in my ears, I heard her say, "So how are you this fine day." Hoping that she was talking to someone else, I stared ahead, listening to my book. I wasn't being asked to wash her feet or lay hands on her. Simply to respond to a friendly greeting. She grabbed her stuff and walked out of the library. And I missed an opportunity to show compassion and grace to a young lady in whose presence I was sadly uncomfortable. I am reminded of something Pastor Jonathan said in one of his first sermons that we will never look into the eyes of someone who is not a child of God. I hope that when given another opportunity, I will not neglect to remember that. Prayer: Father, help me to never pass up a chance to show your love, your compassion, your grace to one of your children. Help me to better adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus. Amen. This devotional was written by Charlie Barton and read by Cliff McCartney. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.  If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed." I am so grateful that God’s grace is bigger than my doubt. In my life, I have been blessed to witness numerous things I would consider miracles, things that by the odds never should have happened. Some have been big—life-changing. Others have been small; perhaps no one even noticed but me. Each, an unexpected gift. Undeserved favor. Grace.  And yet…  Doubt clouds my thoughts. When I consider all that is wrong in the world, all of the problems of our planet and the history of humanity with our greed and hatred, doubt in a positive future sits heavily on my stubborn heart. I just don’t see it. Sometimes, I am afraid to believe in it. Thomas didn’t see it either. He was afraid, too—afraid to believe, heavy with doubt. And Jesus showed up, anyway. God’s grace was bigger than his doubt. How much greater the blessing is for those who believe without seeing, yes. But do not miss this message: doubt doesn’t prevent the blessing. Thomas experienced Christ’s resurrection power despite his doubt. And right now, all the world needs to pivot, to change, is just a little bit of resurrection power. Let us pray: Lord, we pray for resurrection, for communities weighed down by conflict, individuals trapped by disappointment, and nations yearning for peace. May your grace always find us in our doubts, and lift our hopes toward futures unimagined. And Lord, if the world needs just a little bit of resurrection power, may it begin right here—with a sacred yes, and a heart ready to believe again. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Greta Smith. 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/.

Thank you for joining us for today's Grace for All podcast. On Saturdays, we pause for a few moments to look back on our week and to review the scriptures that we have used in our podcast. We encourage you, after listening to this episode, to go back and listen to the episodes you missed, or to review the ones that were particularly meaningful for you. We trust that the thoughts that we have shared with you this week have provided a full portion of the joy, peace, and love of Jesus Christ. Now, let's hear this week's scriptures.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/.

Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Reading the red passages in the Gospels, the words spoken by Jesus sometimes terrify me. Previously in this chapter, Jesus describes His return and uses a metaphor comparing believers and nonbelievers to sheep and goats. Sheep, highly valued, will be on the right. Goats go left. The sheep receive the inheritance, the kingdom of God, while the goats are sent to “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” The image of the eternal fire and the devil feeds right into the fire and brimstone sermons I heard as a youth. Again, they were terrifying. I knew early on that I wanted to be a sheep and not a goat! But the heart of the message comes after this description of the separation. The sheep are the followers who acted on earth: feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned. The crowd is understandably confused. They ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned? Then the bombshell reply, “... just as you did it to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” The bombshell is that Jesus is telling his followers then and now to care for ALL humanity. The least of these are the marginalized, the vulnerable, those who look, act, and think differently from us. No more hiding them out of sight, allowing them to die from illness, starvation, or preventable illness, or lack of any basic human needs. You may not see too many people you would consider “the least of these,” but they are here, and they are all over the world, and our calling as Christians is to care for them however we can. One part of the worship service at First United Methodist Church of Maryville that I really appreciate is the pastor’s brief message before the offering. He or she shares how our gifts and offerings are used to carry out Jesus’ command to serve others. Whether it’s preparing buckets for UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, or supporting ministries for children and youth or senior adults and their families dealing with dementia, we have many opportunities to support programs that help others in need. We may not be the ones physically doing the work, but our gifts enable others to fulfill their calling. We also have many opportunities to be physically involved in the service of others: Welcome Table, Celebrate Recovery, Vacation Bible School, Go Do projects, DayBreak, the Grace for All podcasts. The list of opportunities goes on and on. It is up to us to take advantage of those opportunities or volunteer our services in other ways.Maybe it isn’t easy to be a sheep, but it is possible when the Holy Spirit leads and empowers us. After all, no one wants to be a goat. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, as human beings with all our faults, we know it can be very challenging to follow Your commands. You make it clear what we are to do through the words of your Son, Jesus Christ, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the strength. Sometimes, the only thing lacking is resolve. Please help us remain resolved to do what You would have us do to serve the least of these, both in our community and in the world. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Pat ScruggsGrace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

I Samuel 20:42 Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace because the two of us made a solemn pledge in the Lord’s name.” When we think of faith and good works, our minds go immediately to the New Testament and the words of James, “Faith without works is dead.” Recently, however, I was reading the story of David and Jonathan anew from the Old Testament. In it, I see a story of faith and action that challenges me as to how I should be living my faith. David had been anointed by Samuel to be the next King of Israel. Jonathan was the crown prince, the son of King Saul. In almost every scenario imaginable, these two would be implacable enemies. Yet, that was not the case. They loved each other as brothers. Jonathan went out of his way to protect David from the murderous intentions of his father, even to the point of risking his own life. The scripture today is from the last time they saw each other. Jonathan sends David away in peace. Soon after, King Saul and Jonathan were killed in a climactic battle with the Philistines. You would think David would be rejoicing, for now he could seize the crown and fulfill his destiny. Instead, we read how David cries in sorrow for the loss of his dear friend. Jonathan knows that God has selected David to be king. He is not angry, he is not jealous, but instead accepting. He does not use his power to destroy David but instead sends him away in peace. His faith in God and his love for David were lived out in courageous actions. In reading this story, it made me pause. Do I have the faith and love of Jonathan? If another got the job I wanted, would I do everything in my power to make sure they were successful? If someone in the family seems to be more favored than me, would I accept the reality that is, or would I let resentment eat me up? You can add to this list, but a story like Jonathan and David reminds me that it is much harder than I want to admit to unite faith and actions. To do this, you need to believe that where I am and what I am doing right now is exactly where God wants me to be and that what I am doing is exactly what God wishes. It means setting aside my desires and goals for a higher purpose. It means loving others even when they might be hard to love. It means setting aside what I want and striving to live doing what God wants. I am sure it wasn’t always easy for Jonathan, knowing that David, and not he, would be the next king. Yet, because of the commitments he had made to David and his faith in God, he would find the strength to live the path God had set before him in honor and love. Let us pray: Loving God, we confess that it is hard, at times, to put our faith into action. We let pride, hurts, and disappointments get in the way. Remind us that we need to be like Jonathan, and live faithfully and lovingly always, even when it is hard and the path is full of disappointments. AMEN. This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Jim Stovall. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 21:20-22 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” I suspect Peter must have suffered from a little (or a lot) of John envy. It was John whom Peter relied on to ask Jesus who the betrayer would be. It is believed that John was the disciple who was allowed in the court of the high priest, while Peter was relegated to standing outside by the fire with the help. So, John, like Jesus, would have been there to witness Peter's betrayal. At the crucifixion, there was no mention of Peter, but there was John standing with the mother of Jesus to comfort her and take responsibility for her care. Then John outruns Peter to the tomb, though it was bold Peter who entered the tomb first. And now in our scripture, when Peter is accepting his charge to ministry from Jesus, there is John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) following along behind. Jesus had earlier told Peter that he would be the rock upon whom he would build his church. And in this scene, he instructs Peter to feed my lambs....take care of my sheep....feed my sheep. And still Peter is compelled to ask, "Lord, what about him?" And Jesus' response is "what difference does that make to you? You must follow me."  And what about us? Do we see and envy the gifts of others? Do we wish that we were more musical, more artistic, more skilled at building, more articulate at sharing our faith, more adept at speaking in public or leading a committee? I'm sure Jesus would say to us, "What is that to you? You must follow me." Jesus will use us just as we are with gifts we may not even know we possess, to bless his sheep and enrich his kingdom where we live every day. We just need to hear and respond to him, saying now to us, "Follow me." Prayer: Father God, open our eyes and our hearts to the ways you can use us as we are, where we are. And open our ears to hear Jesus call, "Follow me." It's in his name we pray. Amen This devotional was written by Charlie Barton and read by Cliff McCartney. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Who are the greatest influencers in your life? Family? Friends? Coworkers? Neighbors? Or are they politicians? Content generators? Social influencers? We have entered an unprecedented era in which the people who influence our behavior the most could easily be people we have never personally met and likely never will. While we may identify with them on some level of shared interest, belief or experience, there is no personal connection. And while there is potential good in the resources that are now available to most people--the ability to access a wealth of information and learn about any topic--there is also unprecedented potential for harm and exploitation. What do the people who influence you the most “spur you on toward”? Is it personal growth? Service? Vanity? Humility? Wealth? Generosity? Do they spur you on toward love, or toward fear? Toward hope, or despair? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews knew that human nature makes us susceptible to all kinds of influence. And he knew that to hold on to hope, we need two things: we need God, and we need one another. He encouraged his readers to—in chapter 10, verse 22—"draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance of faith,” and in verse 25, to “not give up meeting together.” And he knew that if we do these things, we might spur one another on toward love and good deeds. We might become the very evidence of hope—love in action. I am richly blessed, and have been throughout my life, to have faithful friends, followers of Christ, who spur me on toward love and good deeds, who by their examples of love and joy in service encourage me to act out my faith. They show me what it means to be more than receptacles for God’s grace. Instead, they show me how to serve as channels of God’s grace. So, friends, who spurs you on toward love and good deeds? And who might you spur on today? Let us pray: Loving God, you pour your grace into our lives not as an end in itself, but so that we might share your love with one another in action. As we go through this day, let us consider how your grace can flow freely through us, that we might spur one another on toward love and good deeds. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Today’s devotion was written and read by Greta Smith. 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/.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another. In thinking about this passage and reading other versions of these words, I came upon a phrase I think more accurately describes what the author of Hebrews is asking of the reader. Rather than the word “spur,” the phrase I prefer is “stir up”. I understand this phrase as someone who enjoys baking. I’m often stirring up various ingredients to create a blended mixture. Sometimes the flour has settled to the bottom of the bowl, and quite a bit of stirring is needed! Motivating others is like that. It’s stirring up what’s already there but perhaps has settled to the bottom of their hearts. As a believer, the love is there in them, and the opportunities for good works are already in front of them. It just takes some motivation to stir it up! I can certainly apply this to my own life. Like some of you perhaps, I go through times of great energy and enthusiasm for ministering to others and other times when it's a struggle. At these times, a good stirring up is needed. So, how do we “stir” ourselves and others up? Maybe the key is in the second verse I read earlier. Verse 25 says, “don’t give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another”. This habit of attending worship service and other church activities is cultivated by regularity. The idea that Sunday is church day is one we tried as parents to instill in our children and one we continue working on even now. Being around other believers, singing or listening to worshipful music, digging into the Bible, exchanging ideas in a Sunday School class or small group, praying as a congregation, volunteering to lead a committee or hep with a project at your church, or just praying for others . . . these are all ways we can stay committed to actively seeking out opportunities to love others and perform good deeds just as Jesus taught. Let’s pray together: Loving God, you sent your son Jesus to show us by the perfect example how to love others and look for ways to express that love through good deeds. Guide us in choosing how we spend our time so that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus and encourage others to do so as well. Amen. This devotional was written 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: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

John 15:1-5  Jesus said: I am the true vine and my father is the vinekeeper. Every branch that does not bear fruit, he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. The vine brings much needed water to the branches. Without that water, we know that the branches wither and fail. Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan. Many of us were baptized with water, too. That same water can represent the spiritual sustenance brought to us by Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus makes it very clear that “apart from me you can do nothing.” We can have the best laid plans, but are they going to work out? Take those plans to God in prayer. We can again have the best laid plans, take them to God and prayer, and very likely yield an outcome we didn’t expect. It’s quite possible that the result would be better than what we expected.  The bottom line is to take your concerns to Jesus in prayer. He told the multitude on the Mount in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” We need to stay active in our faith and persistent in our prayer to maintain our relationship with God. The book of Mark tells us 42 times to hurry up! Hurry up and act out your faith. James in Chapter One, verse 22 says: “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” He also tells us in Chapter Two, verse 26: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” The message from Mark and James is crystal clear, hurry up and get out there and put your faith into action. If you already are, fantastic! Your reward in heaven is great! Maybe you’re not at all, or not as much as you want to be. If that is the case, pray on your role, find your niche, start small. Let Jesus nourish your branch with life-giving spiritual water! Let us pray: God above, fortify us to go out into this world to act out our Christian faith through your love for us, for all to see!  This devotion 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]. 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/.

Grace for All is 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/.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. I love lighthouses. There is just something special about them to me. I love to photograph them, especially at dusk or dawn. What’s interesting to me about lighthouses is that although they are often architecturally very plain, and there is usually nothing special about their location or setting, they serve an incredibly vital purpose. I guess you could say that they are humble. They're not trying to show off. They're not standing there on the rocky coast saying, "Hey, everybody, look at me!" They're just doing their job – cutting through the darkness, warning ships away from danger, and guiding them safely to harbor. That's what Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to let their light shine. Right before this verse, Jesus calls his followers "the light of the world." Not "a" light – "the" light. That's a pretty big responsibility. But then he gives this simple instruction: just let your light shine. Don't hide it under a basket. Don't dim it down because you're worried what people might think. Just let it do what light naturally does. We overcomplicate this sometimes. We hear "let your light shine" and immediately start worrying about whether we're spiritual enough, or whether people will think we're being preachy, or whether we even have a light worth shining in the first place. But here's the thing – your light isn't your perfection. It's not your theology degree or your ability to quote scripture. Your light is simply love in action. It's holding the door for someone whose hands are full. It's showing up with a casserole when your neighbor's going through chemo. It's treating the server at the restaurant like a human being, rather than a machine. Jesus says when we do these things, people see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven. Notice he doesn't say they'll glorify us. They'll see past our imperfect, bumbling selves and catch a glimpse of something bigger—something divine. That's the paradox of Christian living. The more authentically we serve others, the less it becomes about us and the more it points to God. Like that lighthouse, we're not trying to draw attention to ourselves. We're trying to help people navigate safely through whatever storm they're facing. And do you know what’s interesting? Jesus assumes we already have this light. He doesn't say, "If you get your act together, maybe you can shine someday." He says, "Let your light shine." It's already there. God's already put it in you. The question isn't whether you have light to offer the world. The question is whether you're going to let it out or not. So today, look for simple ways to shine. Smile at the person pumping gas next to you. Text a friend who's been on your mind. Leave an encouraging note for someone who needs it. Be generous with your patience, your time, and your attention. Because in a world that can feel pretty dark sometimes, people are looking for lighthouses. They're looking for someone who points them toward hope, toward love, toward home. Prayer: Father, thank you for placing your light within us. Give us the courage to let it shine naturally and authentically, so others might find their way to you. Amen. This devotional was written and ready by Cliff McCartney. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 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/.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.How many times in life have we as humans felt that we are working towards something and making little to no visible progress?  I know that, being a graduate school student, I have felt this plenty of times, going through two thesis changes and working a job 20 hours a week on top of my course load.  However, while we may not see it, progress is not always visible. We could be making leaps and bounds towards our desired outcome that others may see, but we may not.  Much like dealing with our faith and remaining strong in prayer, we may not see results right away, but as this verse mentions, our faith is the CONFIDENCE in what we hope for and the  ASSURANCE for what we do not see.  Much like striving for academic success and long-term goals, our faith journeys may not always have visible progress, yet as we know, if we remain steadfast and strong in prayer and have confidence in our faith and abilities, there is assurance that the best is yet to come on both fronts.  Let’s pray:  God, while we may be impatient as progress is not always linear or visible, help us to remember that through our faith, we can have confidence and assurance in our desired outcomes. Forgive us for our impatience and help us to remain forever faithful and confident, even if our progress may not always be visible. Amen.  This devotional was written and recorded 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]. 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/.