Grace for All

Mark 14:22-23 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.

 

I am an engineer by training and experience. I like to think I have an appreciation for things that are well engineered and designed. I think the human body fits into that category, and there is one part of our bodies that I feel are particularly well done – the hands.  

Our hands are marvelous things: we use them to grip and lift things that are heavy, unwieldy, or large (or all three), but we also use them to hold a newborn infant. Some of us can cut down a tree, work on a car, or even twist the lid off a mayonnaise jar, but we can still put a piece of thread through the eye of a needle.  

Maybe your hands are soft, maybe they are rough. Maybe you work with your hands and you have the calluses to show it. Maybe they are bronzed or burned by the sun because you spend a lot of time outdoors. Maybe you worked in your garden last night and you still have dirt under your fingernails. You probably have some nicks and dings and scars, and if you’re like me, your hands are a little wrinkled, and they just might hurt a bit in the mornings.  

I would love to have seen Jesus’ hands. He was raised as a carpenter, so you know that His hands were probably rough. He spent a lot of time outdoors, so they may have been sunburned. Being a carpenter, he probably had his share of nicks and dings. Scars? Yeah, he had a few – I know of two – right in the center of His palms.  

His hands were the hands of God. The hands that created the earth and created humanity are the same hands that healed the sick and raised the dead. The hand that flung the stars and planets into space are the same hands that held children and old people.

On the night before He died, Jesus shared a meal with His disciples. Today's scripture passage describes it. He used his hands to break the bread and share it. He used his hands to pick up the cup and share the contents, Before that he used his hands to wash the feet of his disciples. Less than a day later, his hands, the hands of the son of God were nailed to a cross where he died the most agonizing and humiliating death possible.

He did that because he loves me and he loves you. Now, because he loves us, he welcomes us to take his hands and enter into life with him, starting now and for eternity.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for the gift of relationship with you. Thank you for reaching down to us and living with us. Thank you for not only telling us how to live, but showing us. Thank you for the gift of life, now and forever. Amen.

 

This devotion was written and read by Cliff McCartney.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you for joining us for Grace for All. This month, we are repeating some of our most loved episodes. We hope they will inspire and encourage you on your faith journey. Welcome.

Hebrews 11:6   And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

Another verse instantly came  to mind from the Book of Jeremiah, a prophet during the years of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s temple. Chapter 29 verses 11 through 13 were part of a letter Jeremiah wrote to the people in exile. It reads:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

How do we seek God with all our hearts? These people in exile must have struggled to believe that God exists just as we do today in difficult circumstances. It is easy to be paralyzed, afraid to act, when we don’t know the right way forward. 

This is a time when our community of Christian believers can help, we can solicit advice and counsel from those who may have experience in what we are facing. We often hear the adage “Wait on God” and it’s tempting to just do nothing.  When we have a discussion with a friend we usually don’t wait weeks to figure out what it meant. Do we put God on hold because we are too afraid to step forward? 

The times I’ve made a choice to move forward even while I’m unsure, it has quickly become apparent if I’m moving  the wrong way! Even a bad outcome can be a good example. Are we seeking God in all the ways we can? He may be speaking through those around us, through events, and through study. 

Will you pray with me?

Loving God, help us to have ears to hear you in all the ways You speak to us, minds to discern, and hearts to put your words into practice. Amen. 

This devotion was written by Leslie and 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/.

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you for joining us for Grace for All. This month, we are repeating some of our most loved episodes. We hope they will inspire and encourage you on your faith journey. Welcome.

John 20:18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘”I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

 

We don’t know much about Mary Magdalene, but we do know she was loyal to Jesus and his family. She loved Jesus very much, and she was a woman. Jesus had 12 disciples that were men, but the first person he showed himself to after his resurrection was Mary. At the time, women had certain roles they fit in society, and were not seen as extremely political or as religious leaders in this part of the world. So Jesus going to her first was incredible.

Many children and people feel undeserving of the Lord’s love. I myself wondered for a little while whether God cared about me. I’m just a small girl, what could I do for the God whose son could make the dead alive? And perform miracles!

Who am I to God?

I am everything! And you are everything!

It doesn’t matter if you’re homeless or rich, your gender doesn’t matter, your age, race, or who you chose to love doesn’t matter. God will give you the chance to make a difference, just like Mary!

Let us pray: 

Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for our opportunities to serve you. We thank you for the wonderful world you’ve given us, and we pray you will continue to love us as we are, whoever we are, wherever we are, and whoever we want to be. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.  

Today’s devotional was written and read by Clara Simpson.

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/.

Mentioned in this episode:

This month on Grace for All, we are replaying some of our most listened to episodes. If you are enjoying these devotions and would like to have them in written form, our first six months of content is now available in print. You can find it by searching Grace for All, a book of daily devotions, by Jim Stovall on Amazon. As always, thank you for joining us, and we pray that you will be blessed.

John 21:15-17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you 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 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 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.

At one point during his ministry on earth, Jesus called Peter “a rock“ and said that Peter would be the foundation of his church. Not long after that, Peter was put to the test, and he failed spectacularly. When Jesus was arrested and tried, Peter denied Jesus three times.

What happened to that man who was supposed to be the Rock, who was supposed to be the foundation of the new religion and new life that Christ wanted to introduce?

In this passage, we see Christ, going to some length to redeem Peter. Yes, Peter denied Christ. It was no accident. He had done it three times. So here, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?“ Of course he does, Peter says why do you keep asking?

This scene tells us something about our own lives and our relationship to Christ. We failed spectacularly, not just once but many times. We do the wrong thing. We say the wrong thing. We let our cowardice overcomer courage.

And yet, for every time we fail, Christ offers us a way back. Do you love me? That’s the question he continues to ask. Of course, we do. Then feed my sheep, he says. Do not just confess yourself, but put your confession into action. Feed my sheep. 

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/.

Mentioned in this episode:

This month on Grace for All, we are replaying some of our most listened to episodes. If you are enjoying these devotions and would like to have them in written form, our first six months of content is now available in print. You can find it by searching Grace for All, a book of daily devotions, by Jim Stovall on Amazon. As always, thank you for joining us, and we pray that you will be blessed.

John 4:16“And we know and rely on the LOVE God has for us.  God is LOVE.  Whoever lives in LOVE lives in God, and God in him.”

God loves you!  

Let that soak in. The God of all creation loves you!

His unfailing love is a free gift; and He gives it to all his children.

And what are we to do with all that LOVE?!

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

We need to soak in this great LOVE, to believe it, to relish it, to let it fill us.

We need to absorb it until we feel so full, that we must give it away!

Can you imagine being so aware and full of the feeling of LOVE that you are brimming over!

Doesn’t that sound great!?

So, why are we not feeling full of God’s LOVE continually and constantly giving it away?

Maybe life gets in the way, smothering our awareness of God’s LOVE.

Maybe we spend so much time tuned into noise of the world through our many devices, that we don’t have much time for the things of The Spirit. 

Maybe worry, bitterness, anger, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and pain take up too much room for LOVE to fit in.

Perhaps you have heard the story of the old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life.  “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.  “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.  One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  The same fight is going on inside you – inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Every time the battery on our phone gets low, we feed it. We plug it in to charge it up.

And just like that battery, we need to be fed with a daily charge from God. We need time sitting quietly with no noise or distractions, just plugged into God, to get ourselves recharged with his GREAT LOVE!

The stronger our charge, the more LOVE we have to share!

Prayer:

Lord, help us to keep a full charge!  Pull us to your LOVE that we may be brimming over and sharing your LOVE with everyone we encounter!

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you for joining us for Grace for All. This month, we are repeating some of our most loved episodes. We hope they will inspire and encourage you on your faith journey. Welcome.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

I cannot remember a time when music was not part of my life. Growing up in a small, country Methodist Church, I learned hymns from the old Cokesbury hymnal at a very young age. I started taking piano lessons at age 10 and by age 12 I was playing those hymns for Wednesday night services. And now, as an adult, the words of those hymns come to mind frequently in different situations I am facing.

Throughout my life, music has carried me through many difficult times. When my father died unexpectedly, I, along with my whole family was devastated. My siblings asked me to choose the music for his funeral. Remembering the hymns he had loved and deciding which ones to include in the service was comforting to me. A long-time close friend sang “How Great Thou Art,” his favorite. As he sang, I thought about my father’s faith and how he lived a life that exemplified it.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

He was a humble man who loved God and others; his whole life was one of praise and thanksgiving.

Several years later, I was facing another difficult time. My mother’s health was in decline, and she was in denial. My siblings and I were constantly on alert for the next phone call telling us she had fallen or developed bronchitis or pneumonia because she preferred not to seek medical attention. 

It was a very stressful time, to say the least. My respite was Wednesday night choir practice. For those two hours, I was able to lose myself in the lyrics and melodies and leave refreshed and renewed in faith, ready to deal with whatever the next day would bring. During our closing prayer time, I always lifted my mother to God, giving thanks for the years of love and care she had given our family, and asking for guidance in providing for her needs. Those years never got easier, but music and giving thanks to God enabled me to persevere and remain positive. 

Through good times and bad, praising God through music and glorifying him with thanksgiving provides a path that gives life meaning. He knows we aren’t all great singers or musicians, but He deserves our praise and thanks however we can express it.

“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

Let us pray.

God, thank you for the gift of music and its transformative power in our lives. All good and great things come from you, and we praise you. Amen.

This devotional was written by Pat Scruggs and read by Joey Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you for joining us for Grace for All. This month, we are repeating some of our most loved episodes. We hope they will inspire and encourage you on your faith journey. Welcome.

Matthew 17:5 “While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

Blaise Pascal lived in the 1600’s and wrote, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  These words are so appropriate for today!  Except, we do sit still in rooms, not in quiet, but with a device speaking to us.  We are constantly bombarded with noise, news, and sound. 

God is not very likely to yell at us from a cloud, as he did Peter! He is more likely to come as he did to Elijah on that mountain, not in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire, but in a “still, small voice.”  Without sitting in the quiet, how can we hear God’s still, small voice?  How can we “listen to Him”?

Jesus modeled this way of listening for us.  He withdrew alone from the crowds and noise, to pray.  He listened and heard when God spoke in that still, small whisper.  We must emulate Jesus!  We need to withdraw, to be alone, to pray silently and to listen for that “still small whisper.” We need this daily.  But we won’t make it happen without disciplining ourselves as Jesus did.  Make a vow to withdraw, unplug, turn off electronics and find time to tune in to God.  Just listen!  He might be whispering right now…

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Mentioned in this episode:

This month on Grace for All, we are replaying some of our most listened to episodes. If you are enjoying these devotions and would like to have them in written form, our first six months of content is now available in print. You can find it by searching Grace for All, a book of daily devotions, by Jim Stovall on Amazon. As always, thank you for joining us, and we pray that you will be blessed.

Galatians 5:22 “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Many people use the refrigerator door for more than keeping cold stuff in. They put messages there. And lists. And reminders. And pictures! And, sometimes, inspirational words.

On our refrigerator door there are pictures of our grandkids. And a small cross. For a few years now we have had a list. Not a grocery or to-do list, but a list of words. These words—there are 30 of them—came from a sermon given by our pastor at the time. She told us of research that revealed that some words are slowly disappearing from usage. They have been in decline for the past 50 years. All of these words had been common in the first half of the 20th Century and well into the second half, but they are now in significant decline in regular conversations and discourse. They all, these 30 words, are virtues or values. Here are some of them: patience, kindness, sincerity, generosity, humility, faith, love, perseverance, courtesy, modesty, gratitude.

The concern, of course, is not primarily with the lessening of the use of the words themselves, but with the corresponding lessening of the presence of the virtues. The less we champion these qualities the less they are part of the world we live in.

Did you notice that this list corresponds closely with the list Paul gives us in Galatians of the qualities of one who has God’s Spirit within him or her. We who belong to Jesus Christ are to demonstrate these virtues, making our lives and our world better. Let’s reclaim these words by living them. And in the process, make our society a kinder, gentler place.

Prayer:

Dear God, Post on the door of our hearts your to-do list for us. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Herb Sadler.

Episode notes

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/.

Mentioned in this episode:

This month on Grace for All, we are replaying some of our most listened to episodes. If you are enjoying these devotions and would like to have them in written form, our first six months of content is now available in print. You can find it by searching Grace for All, a book of daily devotions, by Jim Stovall on Amazon. As always, thank you for joining us, and we pray that you will be blessed.

Joshua 1:1–2, 5–6 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of nun, Moses, his minister, Moses, my servant is dead; now, therefore, arise, go over this, Jordan, you and all this people, into the land, which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong, and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong, and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law, which Moses, my servant, commanded you; turn not from it to the right, or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

In this passage, we see the transfer of leadership of the children of Israel from Moses to Joshua. It is a political transfer, but God infuses it with his presence and makes it holy. God makes some incredible promises to Joshua. No one, he tells Joshua, will be able to stand before him throughout his life. He promises Joshua success.

Joshua, of course, has his role to play. He has his decisions to make. He is not some wind-up toy that God simply sets in motion. He is a human being with free will to make his own choices, but God cautioned him to follow in the ways of Moses, and to turn neither to the left or to the right. Joshua will be successful only as long as he acts in concert with God.

This is a powerful passage, one that demonstrates God’s direct intervention into the life of a person. Joshua is to “go and do,” as we all are, but we are always to go with the Lord. What do we see and hear when we imagine the conversation between God and Joshua? Does God treat us any differently from Joshua?

God makes promises to us. What are we to do to fulfill our part of those promises? Joshua, as we know from later parts of the story, had many successes in leading his people into the land of Canaan. What successes does God have in store for us?

Let us pray together:

Dear God, give us the strength to fulfill your promises. Give us the wisdom to turn, neither to the right, nor to the left, but to follow in your Paz, and to act with your guidance. Amen.

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/.

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you for joining us for Grace for All. This month, we are repeating some of our most loved episodes. We hope they will inspire and encourage you on your faith journey. Welcome.

John 20:21(NIV) Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

What words do you associate with the word, “go”? Go home? Go away? Go ahead? Go back? 

Do you envision a crowd shouting “Go!” at a sporting event, cheering on your favorite team? Do you think of places you want to visit, of going on a trip, or a vacation? 

Chances are that these associations to the word “go” are much more likely to come to mind than the concept of being sent. But when God instructs God’s people to go, it is almost always a “sending to,” and not a “sending to” a place as much as a “sending to” a person or a people. 

This is the message of Christ to his disciples when he appears to them after the resurrection. Remember, he says, that God sent me to you. And now I am sending you so that the grace of God will be multiplied. And he breathed on them, saying Receive the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Holy Spirit, then, we are moved. We are sent.

As God sent Jesus into a world in need, and as Jesus throughout his earthly ministry personally touched people in need, God sends us as the Body of Christ to serve one another in love, to reach into the loneliest and lowliest places, to continue to minister to a world in need.  

In this season of life, where and to whom are you being sent?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, love of God in the flesh, you were sent to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Now send us to those who need an extra measure of your grace this day. Amen.

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/.

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you for joining us for Grace for All. This month, we are repeating some of our most loved episodes. We hope they will inspire and encourage you on your faith journey. Welcome.