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Grace for All

Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN

"Grace for All" is a daily devotional podcast from the laity of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Each episode presents scripture and a brief reflection, written and recorded by members of our church. These short episodes are meant to inspire you and support your journey of understanding and faith.

We believe the central message of Jesus is one of grace. Grace for all human beings.

Grace for All is a podcast ministry of First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN

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S24 · E1008
August 21 · 4 min
Who is the Other, the Alien, the Foreigner?
Job 19:15 (NIV) “My guests and my female servants count me a foreigner; they look on me as on a stranger.” Psalm 69:8 (NIV) “I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother’s children.” Not too long ago I was reading a book by a Benedictine nun. As I read, she kept talking about “the other”. I pictured the other as someone terrible. It took a while, but finally I figured out that she was talking about me. The other was anyone who was not part of her Benedictine community. It made me stop and think about how it felt to be the other. After all, when I think about the other, it isn’t me; it is someone else. It is someone who is not like me. Then I thought about other times when I had felt like the other. When I was in the Boy Scouts, I worked for several years as a staff member at a summer camp. The camp was for white scouts. Toward the end of that time, after the white-only scout season was over, the camp was opened to black scouts. With a few other staff members, for two years, I stayed at the camp during that time to help black scouts do the same thing that I had been doing. I felt like the other. On another occasion, I had the opportunity to visit a service at a synagogue. Not a single person spoke to me. In fact, as I sat there, I could hear all those around me talking about the Gentiles, i.e., the other, me. I have also had the opportunity to visit several all-black churches. I was always welcomed. These experiences made me think about how I feel about and treat others. They don’t have to talk, look, and dress like me, nor do I have to be like them. After all, God invites us all to the table. Wouldn’t the world be dull if they were all like me? There should be no other. We are all one in Christ. Prayer: Dear God, help us as we go through this day and encounter others, to remember that they may see us as the other. Help us to see them and treat them not as the other, but as loved members of your family. Amen. This devotional was written by Alvin Jenkins 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1007
August 20 · 4 min
According to His Purpose
Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for good for all those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. Everyone has times in life when it seems things are not working together for good. We live in a time when we want the “good” right now, so when things are not going well, we may question God. “Why me, Lord?” is the question many of us ask when a job is lost, a family is torn apart by divorce, a loved one or oneself faces a medical crisis, any of the times when things seem far from “good.” God may seem very far away and not very attentive to human needs at that point. However, Paul is not writing about the now or just me. When he addresses both Jews and Gentiles in the Book of Romans, he repeatedly reminds them (and us) that salvation through Christ is for ALL, no matter their previous beliefs or lack of belief. As might be expected, conflict often arose among the early house churches in Rome. Some Gentile believers had developed a sense of superiority over Jews, possibly due to the expulsion of Jews from Rome by the emperor Claudius in 49 A. C., while many Jews questioned if God had rejected them. Was God really fair and just? Paul’s letter emphasizes God’s purposes for Jews, all of humanity, and His entire creation. The ultimate purpose of the entire book of Romans is to invite us to share in, and pass on, the Good News - conquering sin and death through salvation. Paul does not mean Christians should just wait patiently for death and salvation. We are meant to live our lives according to His purpose, to act on behalf of God by loving others, following the example of Jesus by caring for “the least of these,” and by sharing the message of hope. While we all face times in this life when “all things are NOT working for immediate good,” we have the promise of the ultimate good to come: Eternal life in God’s presence. Let us pray: God, we thank you for the ultimate gift of your Son and his death and resurrection. This gift assures us of salvation and eternal life with you. Only then may we understand how things did work together for good, even when we could not see it or understand it. Through faith alone may we be saved. Amen. This devotion was written and read by Pat Scruggs. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1006
August 19 · 6 min
Go With the Flow
Proverbs 3:5-7 (The Message Version) Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; God’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! When life feels easy and seems to present us with just what we need when we need it we are experiencing the energy called flow. We float along the path of least resistance. We are aware of all the blessings of life and we are joyful. We have all had these times and we wish that they might last forever. We have few concerns, our faith is solid and it feels like all creation is conspiring to help us along through life. It is as if we are floating down a lazy river on a sunny afternoon without a care in the world. In my experience, life does not alway flow. Obstacles and losses naturally cross our paths. We struggle to know what to do. At these times it feels as if we have moved out of the slow waters and entered rapids. If you go on a raft trip where there are rapids the guide will give you many directions about how to maneuver the raft through these tricky waters. They will usually end their instruction by telling you what to do if you should end up in the water. You are told to point your feet down river, and with your face up go with the flow of the current until you come to a quiet place in the river where you can then swim to the bank and wait for help. These instructions are helpful for us even if we never get near white water. When we have entered a stretch of white water in our life where we feel stuck or stymied, events and loss make us feel like every one and everything in life is against us and we know that we are no longer in the raft but have been tossed into the water it is a good idea to remember to go with the flow. The writer of Proverbs tells us how. First of all we are reminded to put our trust in God. That is easier said than done so in Proverbs we are given further advice on how to trust and go with the flow. We are told to not try and figure out everything on our own. This, for me, is probably one of the hardest things to hear. My comfort zone is to be in control, to think things through and come up with a plan. To admit I am not in control and I don’t have all the tools needed to get through this rough time is hard. It is becoming vulnerable as I place my trust in God. This word of advice is followed with: listen for guidance. It has been my experience that when I move forward assuming I know what to do things rarely turn out well. But when I stop and listen and even more importantly ask for help I am always amazed at how many more possibilities are presented for what to do. Usually some of them are much better than anything I would have come up with on my own. Learning to trust the wisdom of others is part of what it means to trust God. To be told to step back, ask for help and trust is hard but it is how we go with the flow of life. . It has been my experience that when I don’t let go and try figure it all out myself I am struggling against the current of life. We are reminded that there is a better way. If you are dumped into the rapids of life, lie back and float a while. Try to not worry about what has happened or might happen. Live in the moment. Rely on others for help and wisdom. Relinquish control and just go along with what today brings you. Do this for a while and with God help and the care of others things will get better. Trusting in God you will be carried to calm waters. Will you join with me in prayer? Creator God when we feel like we are drowning in the rapids of life remind us to relax, to put our trust in you, to go with the flow knowing you are supporting us. And when we have passed through these rough waters and have again come to a calm and pleasant place remind us to continue to thank you, trust you and listen to your guidance. AMEN. This devotion was written and read by Bill Green. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1005
August 18 · 4 min
Questions
Luke 24:5-6 In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: When we read the gospel stories, we have both the benefit and the burden of knowing how the story of Jesus ends. “And on the third day he rose again.” We read verses like these where the women seem surprised by what they are being told, and we think, how could they not know? Jesus said over and over to whomever would listen that the temple will be destroyed and he will raise it in three days. We might conclude that they lacked faith. We might conclude that they forgot. We might think we wouldn’t make a mistake like that. Like the denials of Peter, we are sure we would never behave this way. We might be quite certain. As we read the Gospel as both the story of Jesus and the scripture inspired by God, we often perceive it as an ancient text, as history, of what happened—past tense. We have heard the beginning, middle, and end of Scripture and think we know the story. We feel we understand. But why do we feel this way when Christ has risen and is not found on paper? Like the women at the tomb, are we looking in the wrong place? No matter how many times we have read the Bible or heard the gospel stories in sermons, can we really claim to understand if we are not looking out at the world? You can’t see the horizon if you are staring down at your feet. You can’t understand something that hasn’t happened yet no matter how many times someone tells you about it. You won’t understand something you haven’t experienced. You can’t meet a need you don’t know exists. You can’t see the beloved child of God in the eyes of the other if you don’t meet them in the streets. You can’t answer a question before it is asked, no matter how hard you try. So my question to you is: are you looking down at what you already know, or are you looking to the horizon to see what you can discover? Please pray with me: Lord, direct my eyes to your beloved children living next to me. Allow me to understand the resurrection of Jesus as my call to look for him in each person I encounter. Allow me to understand your creation and how I can share it with others. Thank you for all that you have given us, and let us show our gratitude for it by blessing all we encounter with your love. Amen. This devotion was written by Jill Pope and read by Sally 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1003
August 17 · 5 min
Who is that in the Mirror?
Who's that in the mirror? Second Corinthians, chapter 3, verses 17 and 18 say, "The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom. All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." There's a famous painting by Norman Rockwell called Triple Self-Portrait. It shows the artist with his back turned to the viewer, looking at himself in a large mirror, and painting a shades-of-gray self-portrait. The Rockwell in the mirror wears glasses, but we cannot see his eyes; the lenses are flat white. The Rockwell he is painting wears no glasses, looking straight at the viewer with no obstruction. Obviously, when Rockwell looked in the mirror, he saw Rockwell—that is, he saw himself. But he transformed what he saw as he painted. When you or I look in a mirror, we expect to see ourselves. But when we look into the mirror that is the glory of the Lord, which seems to be a phrase that means Jesus Christ, we see not ourselves as we are, but as we can be. John Wesley talked about three kinds of grace: prevenient grace that draws us to God, justifying grace by which we are forgiven and made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, and sanctifying grace—the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that transforms us into the likeness of Christ. Paul here tells the Corinthians about that ongoing work of sanctifying grace. There's another key idea in this scripture: transformation is an ongoing project. The Common English Bible accurately translates the original verb with the phrase "we are being transformed," not "we were transformed," or "we are transformed," or "we will be transformed." It started in the past, is happening now, and continues on into the future. Hold up the mirror of Jesus Christ, and look into it to see what you are becoming as you follow the Lord's Spirit, in which there is freedom. Let's pray. Father, a lot of us don't enjoy looking in the mirror. We don't like what we see. Thank you for giving us the image into which you are transforming us. Open us to that transformation by your Spirit. Help us lay hold of the freedom you give to us. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Don King. In 1740, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, preached a sermon in Bristol, England, in which he proclaimed: "The grace or love of God, whence cometh our salvation, is free in all and free for all.“ We are humbled to proclaim that message through this Grace for All podcast. Thank you for listening to today's message of grace. 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1004
August 17 · 5 min
The Lord Has Spoken
Isaiah 25:8 “He will swallow up death forever. The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” Sometimes I think we make God too small. We try to fit God into the small box of our tiny human brain, our limited imagination, our earthly three-dimensional world, governed by our five senses. Due to this limited perspective, we probably don’t see things the way God does. How can we begin to imagine God swallowing up death forever; much less wiping all tears and sadness from the eye of every human who has ever lived! Every human! And more - removing the disgrace from all his people! (Sometimes we might think in the narrow vein that limits God’s people to only Christians.) But all people are God’s people. He created us all. He decides who His people are and Paul wrote in Acts 17:28 – “In Him we live and move and have our being. As some of our poets have said, ‘we are his offspring.’” Perhaps here is where we need to just trust God and understand He has the master plan. Jesus came to show us how to trust God – all the way to torture on a cross. And while dying there he was actively forgiving the sinners beside him, and those crucifying him. He showed us how to love even our worst enemies. It is our job to LOVE others and not hate; to judge not, that we not be judged. By that measure – I sincerely hope that I am praying for God’s will. His words in today’s scripture are clear – they tell us ALL humanity (all God’s children) will ultimately have the tears wiped from their faces, death will be swallowed up forever, and disgrace (the opposite of Grace) will exist no more! God is LOVE! LOVE wins! The Lord has spoken. Will you pray with me now… Dear Loving God, fill us with your LOVE and teach us how to trust you in all things. Help us to stop throwing stones at people we judge unworthy. Fill us with the desire to LOVE others and to trust your good plan. Show us the way we should go…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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1002
August 16 · 5 min
She Turned Toward Him
John 20:16 (NIV) Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher)." I’ve photographed the sunrise dozens of times from all over the world. One rule never changes: don't shoot before civil twilight — that window when the sun is still below the horizon, but there's enough light to make out shapes and colors. It's not darkness anymore, but it isn't day yet. It's a world that hasn't decided what it's going to look like yet. That’s the light Mary walks into. She should have waited, but she didn’t. Her grief wouldn’t let her, because her grief doesn't respect the calendar or the clock. She had cried through the worst of it on Friday, watching from a distance as they took him down from the cross. You'd think that she wouldn’t have any tears left. At some point, she put a lid on her grief, and by Sunday morning, she had pushed that lid shut with both hands — he's dead, I watched it, I know where they laid him. And maybe some of her grief is for her. She walked behind Jesus for three years, listening as he said the world was about to turn over — and then didn’t. It just ended, on a Friday afternoon. All those things she heard went into the ground with him. Her grief is not only for Jesus, but also for a hope she'd let herself believe. So she comes to the tomb with her mind made up. When she gets there, though, the facts in her mind don’t match the reality she sees. The stone is moved. The grave clothes are there, but the body isn't. She is stunned. The one solid thing she had left — knowing where his body was — has died like her hope did. She runs and tells Peter and John the only conclusion she can come to: someone's taken him. Not he is risen. Someone's taken him. Grave robbery, not resurrection. Then she's alone again, weeping, and there's a man standing near her. She thinks he's the gardener. It's tempting to read that as a mistake — bad light, wet eyes, an honest case of not-looking-carefully. It is not a failure of her eyes. It's that she isn't looking for a living man She puts the man she sees into the nearest category that fits — gardener, stranger, anyone but Jesus. Then the man says one word. Mary. Her name, said the one way only he says it, and the lid she's spent three days pressing shut comes flying off without her doing a thing. She recognizes Jesus, and before she can even think, she calls out to him using the word most descriptive of her relationship with him — Rabbouni. Not just “teacher,” but “my teacher,” the word you use for the one person you trust completely, spoken by someone she thought she would never hear again, the same way he had spoken to her the first time he met her. He didn't wait for her grief to clear, didn't wait for her eyes to adjust to the light, didn't require her to work out the theology of an empty tomb first. He found her exactly where she was — grieving, mistaken, looking at him and seeing a stranger — and called her by name anyway. Her eyes never did the work. Her ears did. I know something about eyes that don't do the work. I've stood behind a camera at that same gray hour and missed the shot because I was looking for the picture I'd already decided was there. The light doesn't care what you came to find. Neither, it turns out, does grace. It just says your name, and waits for you to turn around. Father, we come to you carrying made-up minds, certain we already know how the story ends. Meet us there. Speak our name before we've turned around, before we've earned the right to hear it, before we even know it's you standing near. Teach us to recognize you not because we finally looked hard enough, but because you called first. 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1001
August 15 · 5 min
Scripture Saturday (August 15, 2026)
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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E1000
August 14 · 6 min
What role does God want you to play?
Exodus 7: 1-5 (NIV) Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” In this passage, we hear God speaking to Moses, telling him what is about to happen with the Pharaoh of Egypt who is oppressing the children of Israel. In the words of Rabbi Andrew Mandel of Manhattan’s Central Synagogue, God seems to be a Hollywood director and casting agent, and He is giving the role of God to Moses. Moses, we know from reading through Exodus, has protested to God that he does not want this role. He has a stutter, and he argues with God that this prevents him from being an effective leader. But God counters with the offer to Moses of Aaron, the brother who can, when necessary, speak on behalf of Moses. It is an offer that Moses cannot refuse. I think this ancient story asks us today, “What role is God offering to us?” Does God simply want us to go about our business, keeping ourselves to ourselves, as they say? Or does God have something in mind – today – for us to do? Our world is broken, divided, and in pain. So are the people around us. So are we on many occasions. We are prone to ask, “Where is God in all of this?” and then wait for God to show up. In this passage, God is asking Moses to play the role of God. Could he be asking us to do the same thing? Could he be asking us to say the kind word, to offer a loving smile, to give assistance to someone in need, or to present the gift of our time and attention to a person or situation that is right in front of us? It is not difficult to find those needs and people where we can be a loving and grace-filled God. We can play that role, as Moses did, if we respond to God’s casting call. What role is God casting you for today? Our prayer: Dear Lord, help us to hear your voice that calls us to be your voice, your hands, and your feet in the service of those around us. May we respond to that voice with joy and thanksgiving. Amen. This devotion was written and read by Jim Stovall. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E999
August 13 · 4 min
I Believe in the Resurrection
John 20:27 (NIV) Then he (Jesus) said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Following this, Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God.” This was a high point of faith. Jesus then says Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed. Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared. They told Thomas, “We have seen the lord.” Thomas replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. When Jesus decides to go to Bethany in Judea, it was Thomas who said Let us also go that we may die with him. he was aware of the danger facing Jesus in Jerusalem. These words show his loyalty and solidarity with Jesus. Several times in the last days, Jesus tells the disciples that he is going away. It was Thomas who expressed what the other disciples were probably thinking. lord, we do not know where you are going. Jesus declared that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and only through Jesus can one go to the Father. I believe Jesus was in no way attempting to shame Thomas, but giving him what he needed for faith, as he did many times in the gospels. Over many years, I have had occasions when I felt I needed to see something to believe what someone had told me. Seeing is believing some folks say. Jesus had told the disciples that he was going away but would return. That probably was hard for them to grasp. I have at times pondered what group I would have been with during what we now call holy week. Would I have been a believer? There were followers, but were they believers before the resurrection? Where would I have been after the resurrection? Possibly trying to avoid people like Saul, who was persecuting Christians. I am just grateful that I now believe in the resurrection and am a believer in Jesus. My faith is strong, and I feel more secure than ever that Jesus is my Savior. Let us pray Dear lord, help us all to become stronger in our belief in you and to confidently look for those opportunities to share our faith in Jesus. Amen. This devotion was written and read by Emmit Rawls. 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E998
August 12 · 5 min
He is risen!
Matthew 28:6-7 He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him. This is my message for you.” In this passage, an Angel of the Lord is speaking to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. Three days have passed since Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, and his followers are devastated and grieving. They have gone into hiding, fearing they will be punished by the Roman leaders because of their association with Jesus. It is the two Marys, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who have the courage to visit the tomb and to whom the Angel of the Lord speaks the words: “He is not here, for he has been raised as he said he would.” It is this supernatural event, Jesus rising from the dead, which has continued to impact humankind all over the world since that day over 2,000 years ago. Three words: “He has risen.” Throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus had performed miracles and taught lessons that were awe-inspiring, raising Lazarus from the dead, revealing the beatitudes in his Sermon on the Mount, and repeating the greatest commandment – love God with all your heart and love others as you love yourself. Many people knew who he was and knew of his works, and they might have recognized him as a Holy man, but this event showed without a doubt that he was God’s son. No human being could raise a man from the dead and enable him to walk and talk and teach his final lessons to his disciples. Since that day, Christians have endeavored to share the message, teach God’s word, and fulfill the great commission – go and make disciples of all nations. Sometimes, both in history and in current events, those efforts have caused harm. When the words of the Bible are twisted, and the message is distorted by our limited human understanding, the result is suffering and death, war and oppression. That was never Jesus’ message nor his intent. As Christians, we should ask ourselves some hard questions. How has believing that Jesus is the Son of God affected my life decisions? Have I fully embraced the gifts of salvation and the Holy Spirit and allowed my life to be an example to others? Do I pray for guidance every day and seek the counsel of other mature Christians? Do I strive to live as Jesus did? You may have heard that following Jesus is a radical choice. His ways are not the ways of modern society, which tells us we have to be strong and protect our own interests, we have to accumulate wealth to be respected and admired by others, we have to sometimes look past the sick, the hungry, and the needy, in order to accomplish our personal goals. These are difficult things to think about and difficult decisions to make. We can only follow Jesus and his commandments if we truly believe the Angel’s message: “He is not here. He has risen.” That belief changes everything. Let us pray Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending us your Son, for his sacrifice on the cross, and for the gift of salvation. What a momentous event that was when the Marys realized that Jesus was not in the tomb but was risen and lived still as the Son of God. Give us the strength to boldly proclaim the message just as two ordinary women did upon leaving the tomb all those years ago. Amen. This devotion was written and read by Pat Scruggs Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E997
August 11 · 6 min
Jesus’ Resurrection (a Mary Magdalene Story)
John 20:11-18 (RSV) “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing nearby, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rab-bo′ni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.” Imagine you are a woman in the time of Christ, around 4 BC to 34 AD. You have experienced serious mental illness in a time when this health problem is viewed as possession by demons. Your chances of recovery are zero. Then one day a traveling prophet named Jesus comes by and casts out your inner demons, whatever they are. You are overcome with gratitude and become a follower of this Jesus. Apparently, even though you are a woman, you have material wealth, and you are able to help bankroll the prophet’s ministry. For the rest of his life, you are a devoted follower and supporter. In that tragic moment when Jesus has been condemned to death by the religious leaders of the day, when Jesus is hanging on the cross, you are there, standing with Jesus’ mother and other women. All the male disciples have fled and gone into hiding. But you would not be anywhere else in Jesus’ darkest hour. On the morning after the Sabbath, in deep grief, you walk to Jesus’ tomb to prepare his body with spices, and you find the stone in front of the tomb rolled back. You run to tell the male disciples, and Peter and another disciple run to the tomb. When they find it empty, they leave. By now, you are beside yourself. Through a veil of tears, you see a person you think is a gardener and ask him where they have taken Jesus so that you can find him and prepare his body. And then Jesus speaks and says, “Mary.” Jesus speaks your name. You are filled with unspeakable joy and rhapsodic recognition, but Jesus cautions you not to touch him for he has not yet ascended to the Father. You are the first human being in the presence of the risen Lord. In that moment everything changes. In that moment, tears turn into laughter, despair turns into joy, death turns into resurrection and life. God’s love overcomes hate and embraces humble humanity. No matter how dark the world seems, God is alive. Like Mary, we can hear his voice today, if only we listen. Let us pray: We thank you, dear God, for your voice in dark times. We thank you for resurrection and the eternal power of love over hate. Amen. This devotion 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E996
August 10 · 4 min
Wounds
John 20:20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. I love Holy Week and Easter. It provides us a remarkable time to reflect on the unimaginable gift we have been given, the gift we didn’t earn and could never repay, the gift of Christ dying for our sins. It is a time to reflect upon the power and the glory and the majesty of our God, and it is a time to recognize his triumph over death in Christ Jesus. With all of that going through our minds, we sometimes miss part of the story. Caught up in the miracle of resurrection — and with good reason — we fail to recognize an aspect of Christ’s humanity. No, in this case, I don’t mean his suffering and death — again, an important part of the story and one to focus on. But what I’m referring to is contained in today’s verse, when the newly resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples. He has been raised from the dead to new life. But the way he reveals himself is to show his hands and side. He shows them...his wounds. This healer, who restored sight to the blind, healed the leper, gave mobility to the one who couldn’t walk, and even raised the dead, is still wounded. In fact, just after this passage is the famous interaction with Thomas, in which he says he won’t believe it really is Jesus unless Thomas touches the wounds himself. And let me be clear: I think that Jesus has the power to heal himself, but he chooses not to, similarly to how he chooses not to end his suffering on the cross. To me, the message here, my friends, is that Jesus heals, Jesus saves, and Jesus sends us not just in spite of these wounds, but in fact, he recognizes and empathizes with us because he understands what it is to be wounded. We worship a wounded healer. And we are all wounded. Our scars give us understanding. The pain of our wounds allows us to share in the pain of others. Jesus didn’t come to earth to be a god among men, but to be one of us. He came to know what it is to be truly human. May we take that lesson with us, acknowledging that just as our Lord was wounded, so are we, and so are all whom we meet. May our sharing of that knowledge allow us to meet others with even greater love. Let us pray. God, we thank you for the gift of Jesus, fully human and fully divine, who teaches us to share the burdens of others. Through the knowledge of our humanity, our scars, may we be able to help others through this life just as you help us. In Christ’s name we pray. 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.
S24 · E995
August 9 · 4 min
Named
John 20:16 (CEB) Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher). Sometimes people read this story and wonder how Mary could possibly have mistaken Jesus for the gardener. How could she not recognize someone she knew so well? I had an experience last week that helped me understand. I was conducting the funeral for one of our longtime church members. During the service, I invited people to stand and share a memory or two. A woman stood up in the back of the sanctuary, and I said, “Go ahead, ma’am.” Only after she started speaking did I realize it was someone I knew well—someone I simply hadn’t seen in quite a while. After the service I apologized. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.” She smiled and said, “I knew you didn’t.” I laughed and replied, “If I’d recognized you, I wouldn’t have called you ‘ma’am.’" Recognition isn’t always as simple as we think. Sometimes we don’t recognize someone because we aren’t expecting to see them. Mary certainly wasn’t expecting to see Jesus that morning. Three days earlier she had watched him die a horrible death on a cross. Even after hearing his voice, she still didn’t realize who he was. Then everything changed with one word. “Mary.” Whenever I read this passage aloud, especially around Easter, I always pause there for just a moment. I imagine the tenderness in Jesus’ voice as he spoke her name. It wasn’t simply that he knew her name. It was the way he spoke it, I’m sure—with love, with compassion, with complete understanding. In that moment, Mary knew exactly who was standing before her. I’m convinced Jesus knows each of us that way. He knows our names. He knows our stories. He knows our joys, our failures, our fears, and our hopes. And he still calls us with love. It’s one thing to know about Jesus. It’s another thing entirely to realize that he knows you. Sometimes all it takes is hearing your name spoken by the One who has known you all along. Let’s pray. Father, thank you so much, not only that Jesus knows us to the depth of our being, but that we can know Jesus, not just know about Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. This devotional was written and read by Donn King. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

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