Grace for All
"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
A Holy Life
Leviticus 19:1
The Lord said to Moses, Say to the whole community of the Israelites: You must be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.Leviticus 19:18
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.Has your morning prayer ever started like this: "Lord, today make me more holy." Probably not. I know that is not how I start my prayers. Unfortunately we often equate holy living with the phrase "holier...
Scripture Saturday (April 11, 2026)
Thank you for 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...
Your Sins Are Forgiven
Luke 7:47-48
âTherefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven â for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, âYour sins are forgiven.âOnce when Jesus was attending an exclusive dinner party for an elite group of people, an outsider, a woman of ill repute, one of those to be avoided, crashed the party, perhaps slipping in the back door. When the other guests saw her, they shunned her and perhaps whispered about her to each other. How dare she enter here!
She...
The Actions of Love
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.This passage is probably one of the most well-known in the New Testament. I bet many of us who are married had this verse read at our weddings. It took me a while...
The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowinâ in the Wind
John 3:7-8
Do not marvel that I said to you, âYou must be born again.â The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.The longer I live the more beautiful and frightening I find John 3. In my opinion, it contains some of the most comforting and the most challenging statements in all of Christianity. When we listen to the teachings that Jesus shares with us, the bar...
Love is a Verb
Leviticus 19:17-18 (ESV)
You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.When Jesus declared that the second great commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself, many Christians assume he was introducing something new. He was not. Jesus was quoting directly from Leviticus, and he was standing squarely within one...
The Road We Think We Know
âHe fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, âSaul, Saul, why do you persecute me?â He asked, âWho are you, Lord?â The reply came, âI am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.ââ â Acts 9:4-6 (NRSV)
Youâve heard the phrase. Maybe youâve used it yourself. âIt was a real Damascus Road momentâ â meaning something stopped you cold, turned you completely around, changed everything.
The expression has become so common that itâs easy to assume we already know the sto...
He has Risen, just as He said! (Easter)
You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.
Today is Easter Sunday when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It is the most important and most joyous day in the Christian calendar, and we are happy that you have joined us today.
The first Easter morning did not start with celebrations of Hallelujah! It began with sadness, followed by fear and confusion. A group of women went to tend to Jesusâ grave, still grieving from the horror of hi...
Tomb Moments (Lent) Holy Saturday
Holy Week
Holy Saturday
Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us today. This is Holy Week, a time when Christians everywhere observe the days leading up to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This week, we present a special set of podcasts that day by day, trace the activities and words of Jesus during this time. Again, thank you for joining us on this journey.
Matthew 27:62-66
The next day...From a distance (Lent)
Holy Week
Good Friday
Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us today. This is Holy Week, a time when Christians everywhere observe the days leading up to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This week, we present a special set of podcasts that day by day, trace the activities and words of Jesus during this time. Again, thank you for joining us on this journey.
Luke 23:44-49 (NLT)
By this...Maundy Thursday (Lent)
Holy Week
Maundy Thursday
Welcome to our special Holy Week Podcast for Maundy Thursday.
The word âmaundyâ comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning command. The English word mandate comes to mind. This term Maundy Thursday helps us to recall Jesusâ mandate to remember Him, using the observance of Holy Communion/The Lordâs SupperâŚ
Todayâs scripture comes from two segments of Luke Chapter 22.
Luke 22:19-20
âAnd he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, âThis is my body given for y...Holy Wednesday (Lent)
Holy Week
Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us today. This is Holy Week, a time when Christians everywhere observe the days leading up to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This week, we present a special set of podcasts that day by day, trace the activities and words of Jesus during this time. Again, thank you for joining us on this journey.
âCrucify him!â
Matthew 26:14-16 (KJV)
"Then one of t...By What Authority (Lent)
Holy Week
Hello, and welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee! Iâm Grace Jonas, the reader and writer of todayâs devotional, which Iâve entitled âBy What Authority?â. Thank you so much for joining me on this Holy Tuesday! Now, Iâd like to invite you to take a moment and pause with me as we meditate on todayâs scripture:
Luke 20:1-2
âOne day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming...Turning the Tables (Lent)
Mark 11:15-17
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, âIs it not written: âMy house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it âa den of robbers.âIn this scene, an event which is recorded in all four gospels, Jesus calls out injustice toward the poor...
Do I Qualify? (Lent)
John 8:3-11
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the groupand said to Jesus, âTeacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?âThey were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, âLet any one of...Blessed are the Meek (Lent)
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.Merriam-Webster.com defines meek as enduring injury with patience, and without resentment. The Bible offers meekness as a virtue that means to be humble, gentle, and submissive to Godâs will. It is often associated with patience and putting aside oneâs own desires, to follow God.
Jesus was meek while the soldiers arrested him in the garden, where he was only praying.
Jesus was meek while Herod and the soldiers mocked and ridiculed him. He was meek as they...
Fruits of the Spirit (Lent)
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.Years ago, I was giving the childrenâs message on Sunday morning, and this was our verse. I gave each child a different piece of fruit â a banana, an apple, an orange, a pear, small clusters of grapes, red and white. After getting through the comments âI like oranges, I donât like pears, my mother cuts my grapes up,â and so on, I asked them why it is important to include fruit in your diet. Again, the expected answers we...
Room at the Table (Lent)
Luke 5:29-32 NRSV
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, âWhy do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?â Jesus answered them, âThose who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.âWe look down on the Pharisees for assigning people or groups into fav...
God's Mercy and Forgiveness (Lent)
Psalm 103:8-12 (KJV)
âThe Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.âThis verse from Psalms allows me to breathe easier. I certainly have accumulated a long list of actions and thoughts that could provoke Godâs anger and retribution. But I know from this verse and many others that this is not how God deals with us. He forgives us over and ov...
Torchbearers (Lent)
Lamentations 3:23
They (compassions) are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness.Last night, I came home from work exhausted. Monday was a âlong week,â and Tuesday was even longer. I was out of energy. I cried my laments as I ate a late dinner and had no time to relax. I got to Friday and celebrated the end of another week.
As a culture, we are in love with a sense of accomplishment. We relish marking things off our to-do list. We idolize our own laments. We bask in our productivity and lett...
Redeemed (Lent)
Isaiah 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me for I have redeemed you.The word redeem means to atone or make amends for error or evil. The thief on the cross beside Jesus, is a perfect example of redemption. This man by a single act of faith was redeemed for a life of evil.
When we confess our sins and errors, God is faithful and redeems us. And he offers this redemption to ALL who return to him. But there is...
Suffer the Little Children (Lent)
Matthew 19:13-15
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.Jesus said, âLet the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.â When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
As part of the morning services at our church, there is children's time. It is one of my favorite parts of the service. Usually, it consists of an object lesson and a brie...
A New Direction (Lent)
Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, 10 lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out saying, âJesus, Master, Have mercy on us!â When he saw them, he said to them, âGo and show yourselves to the priests.âAnd as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus his feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, âWere not 1...Be Made Clean (Lent)
Luke 5:13 (NRSV)
âThen Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, âI do choose. Be made clean.â Immediately the leprosy left him.â
This encounter with a leper occurs as Jesus is teaching and healing throughout the land. Growing crowds are following him, amazed by the authority of his preaching. Many are hoping for healing from conditions from which they have suffered for years, even their whole lives. Despite the crowds, Jesus recognizes and reaches out to individuals such as this leper. The leper bows his head and begs Jesus for healing. In the preceding verse, t...
Let it be Known (Lent)
Isaiah 12:5
Sing to the Lord for he has done glorious things. Let this be known to all the world.Many years ago when my kids were young we had the pleasure of welcoming the African children's choir to our church. This choir was founded in 1984 by a man named Ray Barnett who was traveling in wartorn Uganda and gave a small boy a ride to a safer village. During the journey the child began to sing in the midst of all the surrounding chaos.
Out of this was born the choir which...
No more excuses (Lent)
Isaiah 1: 10, 16â20
Here, the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.Come, now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they should be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they should become like wool.If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat th...Like a Little Child (Lent)
Matthew 18: 1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, âWho, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?â He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: âTruly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
As I write this, a good three weeks into Januar...
Holding Godâs Hand (Lent)
Isaiah 41:10 (Common English Bible)
Donât fear, because I am with you;donât be afraid, for I am your God.I will strengthen you,I will surely help you;I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.I recall a story I heard a pastor tell. His granddaughter and another girl got into a lively game of comparison. One would say what they could do and then the other would come back with something even better. Finally his granddaughter said, âI can walk fifty-nine miles.â The other girl said, âYou canât!â His granddaugh...
More Than Enough (Lent)
John 6:11-12
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.This story of Jesus feeding the five thousand appears in various forms in other Gospels.
A childrenâs book tells this story. A young boy has heard that Jesus is coming near and he wants to go...
Fighting our Goliaths (Lent)
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.A pivotal figure in the book of Psalms is King David. Each of the Psalms shows a different aspect of the life of King David and his unwavering faith in his Lord, which is what I find perhaps the most impressive about David as a character.
What I find even more impressive about David is how far back this faith traces: to his battle with Goliath, in which it seemed the odds were stacked...
Fear Not Your Inadequacies (Lent)
John 6: 5-9
Lifting up his eyes then and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, âHow are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?âPhilip answered him, âTwo hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.âOne of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peterâs brother, said to him,âThere is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?âThis is the famous story of Jesus and his disciples feeding the 5,000, the...
Have Faith - Believe! (Lent)
Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.Isaiah 40:31
. . . but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.When I was in elementary school, I loved to read biographies written for young readers. The one that had the biggest impact on me was on Glenn Cunningham, the great middle distance runner. In one part of the book, he...
Collective Effervescence (Lent)
Psalm 149:1
"Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people."Have you ever been in a group of people who are all in the same place for the same reason and felt the energy of the room gathering together? For me, itâs like youâve taken a bunch of lightning bugs and scooped them up in a jar. Itâs vibrant - much brighter than they would be on their own. You can still see each one of the creatures doing their own thing...
United to Receive Godâs Grace (Lent)
Matthew 18:20 (KJV)
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.and
Psalms 133:1 (KJV)
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!We hear the word unity in many labels, slogans, admonitions, and challenges.
In simple arithmetic, we know that 1+1=2 and 2+2=4, but when Godâs people come together, a new way to add comes to our attention. Each person comes into a group with their individual ta...
Food for Everybody (Lent)
Luke 9:12-13 (The Message Version)
As the sunset, the Twelve said, âDismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. Weâre out in the middle of nowhere.â âYou feed them,â Jesus said. They said, âWe couldn't scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of fishâunless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food for everybody.â (There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.)
As a child I remember...
The Sheep and the Goats (Lent)
In Matthewâs Gospel, Chapters 24 and 25, Jesus is teaching his disciples and telling parables. Our scripture for today tells one such parable and clearly emphasizes how we should treat strangers in need.
Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)
âWhen the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left...Love with Everything You Have (Lent)
Luke 6:32-36
âIf you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you wi...The One Mark That Matters (Lent)
John 13:34â35 (CEB)
âI give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.âIn a world divided by politics, denominations, and doctrinal disagreements, we often look for ways to distinguish whoâs âinâ and whoâs âout.â Is it the way we baptize? The name on the church sign? The theological statements we affirm? But Jesus cut through all of that with a single, unmistakable command: âLove each other.â
T...
Kindness in the Face of Need (Lent)
1 Corinthians 10:24
No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.Several years ago, I was heading up a USAID project in Southern Africa and I found myself in Mozambique at an agricultural experiment station. The grant I had contained little room for unplanned expenses. But with that grant, we trained more than 15,000 farmers in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe and greatly improved...
Feeding the Hungry â Part of True Worship? (Lent)
