Grace for All

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/.

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. 

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. 

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/.

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. 

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? 

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. 

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/.

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. 

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/.

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. 

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/.

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: 

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. 

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/.

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. 

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/.

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. 

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/.