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
Lord, You Have My Attention
John 21:17
The third time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."This wonderful encounter occurs at the end of John chapter 21 with the resurrected Christ speaking directly to his disciple Simon Peter. Three times, Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Three times, Peter responds with "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." The same...
Not Your Own
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."I'm reading C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity again - third or fourth time through, I've lost count. You'd think a book I've read that many times wouldn't surprise me anymore. But yesterday, I hit Book 3, Chapter 1, and something clicked that I'd completely missed before.
Lewis uses this landlord-tenant...
Born of the Spirit
John 3:1-12
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's...Scripture Saturday (May 9, 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...
Love Rightly Ordered
Luke 10:38-42
While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me." The Lord answered, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary...Willing to Be Wrong
John 1:47-50 (NIV)
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel." Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that."Not everyone comes to Jesus the same way...
We just need to call his name
John 20:16
"Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).It must have been dark in that place of tombs when Mary Magdalene went very early on that Sunday morning and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. Simon Peter and the other disciple, who also came very early, had already gone home. But Mary stayed outside the tomb crying. She thought someone had taken his body. She wanted to know where he had been taken.<...
The Miracle of Water
Genesis 1:2
The Spirit of God moving over the surface of the water.Revelation 22:17
Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.There was a natural spring on our small farm where I grew up. It was always one of my favorite places to hang out. It was fascinating to watch the clear, pure water bubble up through the sand. My father decided to enlarge the spring to increase the flow of water to give the cattle better access to the...
Getting a Call
Matthew 9:9
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him.As a tax collector, Matthew most likely had a fairly lucrative business. And yet, at the request of Jesus, he left his tax booth and followed.
Similarly, Peter went ashore, laid down his nets, and followed Jesus when summoned. And their lives would never be the same. All of his disciples left their well established lives to follow Jesus...
Hiding in Plain Sight
Leviticus 19:18 (NRSV)
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.Picture a lawyer â sharp, well-trained, an expert in the Torah â approaching Jesus with what he thinks is a test question. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He probably expected Jesus to wade into the theological debates of the day, maybe pick a side in some ongoing rabbinic argument. What he got instead was Jesus reaching straight into the lawyer's own Bibl...
Scripture Saturday (May 2, 2026)
Welcome to the Saturday episode of the Grace for All podcast.
Thank you for joining us today. Saturday is a special time when we take a few moments to review the scriptures that we have cited in the episodes this week.
If you missed any of those episodes, you might want to consider listening to them today. And even if you heard them all, there may be one that you might want to listen to again.
We hope that each of these scriptures and podcasts will bring you a full measure of joy...
Believe!
John 20:27-28
Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe." Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!"Believe, Believe, Believe! Search engine results show that word used 98 times in John alone! The other Gospels of Mark show nine uses of believe, 14 in Matthew and nine in Luke.
Jesus continues in verse 29 in his revelation to Thomas with, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have...
Need vs Want
Matthew 6:30-34
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe youâyou of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about to...The Person in Front of You
Acts 9:3-6 (NIV)
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."Saul of Tarsus was not a villain. He was a serious man, a learned man, a man of deep conviction who believed with everything...
Servants First
1 Kings 19:19â21 (NIV)
"So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. 'Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,' he said, 'and then I will come with you.' 'Go back,' Elijah replied. 'What have I done to you?' So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned th...Mary
John 20:13-16, CEB
The angels asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" She replied, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they've put him." As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and...Do You Love Me?
John 21:15-17
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes Lord," he said, "You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time, "Do you love me?" He...Scripture Saturday (April 25, 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...
Let the Children Come to Me
Mark 10:14-16
But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it. "Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up...Your Sins Are Forgiven
Luke 7:44-48
Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your home, you didn't give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn't greet me with a kiss, but she hasn't stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You didn't anoint my head with oil, but she has poured perfumed oil on my feet. This is why I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven; so she has shown great love. The one who...Longing to Be Loved
Mark 10:14-16
But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.Children can be a blessing, a burden, a joy, and a challenge all at the same time. Children can be...
Commitment
Jeremiah 7:23
But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'Commitment.
The word commitment has been on my mind lately. What does it mean to be committed? What are we committed to â ourselves, our work, our family? What about our religion? Are we a committed Christian?
This is what the Word says in Jeremiah 7:23:
Ho...
Help My Unbelief
Mark 9:23-24 (NRSV)
"Jesus said to him, 'If you are able! â All things can be done for the one who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'"Honestly, this is my favorite prayer in the Bible. Not because it's the most eloquent, or the most theologically precise. Because it's the most true.
"I believe; help my unbelief."
Seven words that hold the whole complicated reality of what faith actually feels like from the inside â at least for me. Not the vers...
Love One Another
1 John 3:18 (Common English Translation)
"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and truths."This passage is probably written in the late 1st century by the same John who wrote the Gospel of John. But it could also have been written in the late 21st century by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an African Episcopalian leader and visionary. The life of Desmond Tutu reveals how God's word is alive and powerful in our time.
Desmond Tutu lived in South Africa in the late 20th century when 'apartheid', the...
Scripture Saturday (April 18, 2026)
Welcome to the Saturday episode of the Grace for All podcast. Thank you for joining us today. Saturday is a special time when we take a few moments to review the scriptures that we have cited in the episodes this week.
If you missed any of those episodes, you might want to consider listening to them today. And even if you heard them all, there may be one that you might want to listen to again. We hope that each of these scriptures and podcasts will bring you a full measure of joy, peace, and love.
<...Not So Fast
Matthew 18:15-17
Jesus said: âIf your brother or sister sins against you, go and correct them when you are alone together. If they listen to you, then youâve won over your brother or sister. But if they wonât listen, take with you one or two others so that every word may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses. But if they still wonât pay attention, report it to the church. If they wonât pay attention even to the church, treat them as you would a Gentile and tax collector.A...
Living as a Child of the Light
Ephesians 5:8
For once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light.Winter, and the shortest, darkest days of the year, began about a month ago with the Winter Solstice. We will not see longer or lighter days, however, for another several weeks. This time of year is hard for me. I do not mind the cold, but the long, dark days of January and February zap my energy and dampen my spirit. I search for things that energize me and give me purpose...
Grace, Not Condemnation
John 8:10-11 (NRSV)
Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."This passage comes from the end of the story of the woman caught in adultery. In it, the scribes and Pharisees come to the temple where Jesus was teaching, bringing a woman who was caught in the act of a sin that is punishable by stoning. Many of us are...
Love Each Other
John 13:34-35
I 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.Jesus says this is a "new commandment." But love itself is not new. Long before Jesus, scripture had already summed up faithful living this way. Love God with everything you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. That much was already familiar. What is new is the standard. Just as I have loved you. That...
No Greater Love
John 15:12-13
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.Jesus commands his followers to love as he loves. He does not suggest that it would be a good idea, or that it's something nice to do. He does not mince words at all. "This is my commandment," he says. And then, he makes it clear that by loving one another, he does not mean only that we should be fond of one another...
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.
