Grace for All

Made in His Image Romans 8:29-30 (NIV) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

When I have a little trouble wrapping my head around a passage of Scripture, I like to read it in other translations. This passage has a lot of meat in it, delivering ideas that often get misunderstood. The Message translation tries to convey the meaning of the original in modern language. It reads,

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

Say “predestination” in a lot of religious contexts, and you can know ahead of time that it is going to lead to a lot of discussion and disagreement. But I think The Message gives us an accurate flavor: Jesus wasn’t a Plan B. He was and is the ideal, the intended shape of our lives.

It makes me think of this: while still in high school, I realized writing would be central to my life. I looked up to many writers and aspired to be like them. When a fellow author wrote the foreword to a book I published last year, he compared my writing to that of Mark Twain and Lewis Grizzard. I took that as one of the greatest compliments I have ever received. They were two of the writers who shaped my life.

God knew all along that Jesus is our model, our image, our intended shape. It may almost be a cliche now, but it’s still true: what would Jesus do? When people look at you and me, do they see us shaped by Jesus?

Let’s pray: Father, thank you for the gift of your Son. Not only through his life, death, and resurrection are we connected to you and to each other, but in him we have the ideal for each of us to seek to become. Keep our eyes always on Jesus. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

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

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

Made in His Image

Psalms 139:7-12 "Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning dawn and settle in the farthest corners of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light around me will become night,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." 

Not long ago, a bumper sticker caught my eye. It read: "God doesn't believe in atheists." That statement made me pause, ponder its intent, and ultimately conclude it was a clever but narrow-minded view of people. My gut reaction was:

You know, God does believe in atheists.

In the passage we just read, the Psalmist presents a range of choices for directing our lives. We can ascend to heaven, make our bed in hell, or fly to the distant reaches of the sea. Yet, wherever we are, even if we summon darkness to engulf us, God remains present. Some may declare their disbelief in God throughout their lives, attempting to persuade others to think and act as if God never existed, as if creation somehow spontaneously arose.

These reminders in the Psalms serve as a powerful message: our attempts to distance ourselves from God are ultimately futile. Nothing we say or no place we go can remove us from His presence. He is always with us, at our right hand, ready to offer his grace and love. No matter who we are, what we say, or where we choose to be, God believes in us. And he is always there.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for the constant assurance of your presence, regardless of what we say about you or where we choose to be. You are always there, and for that, our hearts overflow with gratitude. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Jim Stovall.

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

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

Made in His image

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  CEB16 Rejoice always. 17 Pray continually. 18 Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

During our churches Vacation Bible School, I had the pleasure of being in the kitchen  As the children came through the line I watch as parents worked with their children on having good manners.  Some, when asking for their selection, had to be reminded to say “please.”  At times, the parent holds the plate as they say several times, “Now what do you say?” until the child finally says, “please.”  

Other times the “please” is almost automatic and often I heard a “good job” from the parent.  

The cutest exchange I saw was when the child did not want either selection we offered.  The parent said, “You have to choose one.”  After much resistance the choice was made.  The parent said, “Now what do you say?”  The child replied, “Why do I have to say thank you for something I don’t want.”  Mom politely said, “Because you are lucky enough to have something to eat, you are lucky that there are people here to cook this food, and besides it is the right thing to do.”  With a sullen, stormy look, the server got a “thank you” to which she replied, with just a trace of a smile, “your welcome.”

This entire exchange made me think of the words rom Thessalonians where we are encouraged to give thanks in all situations.  I picture myself being at times like that pouting child saying or thinking, “Why do I have to give thanks for this?”  We can easily list the things in life that do not spark any feelings of gratitude.  Among them are  illness, loss, anxiety and fear.  No, we may not give thanks for the specific negative things that are impacting our lives, but like the child in that situation, God wants us to pull back from the immediate moment and look at life in a broader context. 

When we do we see that we are lucky to have a loving God who is with us in this dark time and that there are loving friends and family supporting us.  

I now have a new image to hold when I come to those times where I want to sulk instead of give thanks.  I am going to picture God as that loving parent standing beside me, reminding me of all the things that are going well in my life, even in the midst of the storm,  encouraging me to say thank you.  And if I resist, God will help me see the big picture but most of all remind me, “Besides it its the right, the gracious, and loving thing to do.”

Just like the child who beamed when praised for using their good manners, I want to bask in God’s loving smile when I am at my best and doing and saying what God is trying to teach me to do.  I want to hear, “Good job!”

Life can be challenging, and it my be hard to find gratitude in the moment, but remembering that God is beside me, encouraging me to see the good in life will help those words of thanks to come a little quicker. Don’t we all want to live knowing our heavenly parent is pleased because we are doing what we have been taught to do?

Let us pray:

Loving God, we remember that you are always beside us, encouraging us and wanting us to be our best.  This loving presence is enough for us to say thank you this day and every day, no matter what might be happening in life.  AMEN.  

This devotion was written by Bill Green and read by Amy Large.

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/.

Made in His ImageJohn 8:12Again Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life”.

It is summertime and there is plenty of light!  I enjoy my wildflower gardens that thrive in that light.  I find they are a place where I can pause, reflect and enjoy God’s creation right in front of me.  It has been cited that a walk in the garden can bring down your blood pressure.  I know that I certainly feel better after a few moments there!

The Pharisees were in the crowd as Jesus taught and it is very likely that they were having a spike in their blood pressure!  It was their business to know the Scriptures and it is very likely that Psalms 27:1  may have flashed through their minds:  “The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”

Or maybe the Pharisees were thinking “The unfolding of your words gives light” Psalm 119:130.  Either way they surely looked around them and saw the definite influence that Jesus was having on the crowd and certainly felt the threat to their vaunted standing in society.

Our challenge comes in Matthew 5:16.

“ln the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

Are you teaching Sunday School? Excellent!  Are you helping to feed the hungry or shelter the homeless? Terrific!  Looking out for your fellow brother, sister, stranger to lend a helping hand or share a gesture of kindness?  Well done!  As in “Well done good and faithful servant!  Welcome!”  Yes! To hear those words in the Kingdom of Heaven!

LIght references truth and eternal life.  

In John 12: 45 Jesus cried out,

“And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.  I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness.  I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”

The chapter ends with verse fifty:

“And I know that his commandment is eternal life.  What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.”

How much clearer can the message be?  Jesus’ light is radiating before us!  

Let us pray. 

Send us Jesus out into the crowd of daily life that our actions, our words, and our behaviors would glorify your name and spread your light in this contentious world. Amen

This devotion was written and recorded by Sam Barto.

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/.

Made in His Image Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

I once saw a portrait that impressed me with its lifelike quality. The artist had captured every eyelash, pore, and freckle of the subject. A woman next to me exclaimed, “It's an amazing likeness!” Indeed, after viewing the portrait, one could easily pick its subject out of a crowd."

Scripture says humans are created in the likeness of God. So if I am the likeness of the divine, should I conclude that God is a pudgy aging man with a receding hairline who needs glasses?

I think most of us recognize that is not what the inspired author of Genesis meant. It’s worth asking, then: how is it that humans are made in the image of God? I think the Scripture shows us two clues in that same passage: “dominion” and “create.”

First, let’s consider “dominion.” When I was a child, I thought becoming an adult would be grand, that I would finally be in charge. Only after I became an adult did I realize that being in charge of something didn’t mean privilege; it meant responsibility. Plenty of kings and rulers have certainly thought of dominion as a place of privilege, of receiving and being served, but the good ones have always understood that leadership means caring for those over whom they had dominion. The idea of the leader, the king, the ruler as shepherd runs strong throughout Judeo-Christian thinking.

Second, let’s consider “create.” God’s nature is to create and nurture growth. He has imbued humans with that same urge. It gives me pleasure as a writer to bring ideas to life. We all work in different media, but humans have a natural urge to create, to foster growth in ourselves and others. This creative impulse helps us understand God's pleasure in His creation.

We reflect our Creator most clearly when we creatively care for His creation, nurturing and tending it with love and responsibility, rather than demanding it serve us. In doing so, we truly embody the image of God.

Let’s pray:

Father, thank you for the love you exercised when you created us. Thank you for continuing to love us and care for us. Guide us, in turn, in caring for your creation and for each other. Help us to reflect you so that when others see us, they see you. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

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

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

Made in His image

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 firstchurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome, and thank you for joining us.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace.

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

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

Made in His Image

Colossians 3:8-10“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

 

Can you imagine yourself in the image of our Creator? 

God is LOVE!  The image of LOVE!  What would that look like?

Thankfully, we have the perfect example - Jesus modeled that image for us!

So, to present ourselves in the image of LOVE (like Jesus), we must start by removing all our old selfish clothing – including the robes of anger and rage, the shoes of malice and slander, and the belts of nasty thoughts and words.

Having removed these, we must consciously dress ourselves each morning in the new image of Jesus.  When attired in our new self – the image of LOVE, we can move through our day with peace, wearing LOVE and the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:14-17.

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Dressed in this new self, our best image of Jesus, we can be renewed daily in the image of our creator.  We will find the strength to be able to forgive as the Lord forgave us.  And wearing God’s loving image, we will breathe out PEACE, and share LOVE, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  We will be made new and will help God to make others new as well.

Please pray with me – “Dear Loving God, help me to remember to take off my old self each morning and to put on the new self that you gave me when I came to believe in your LOVE! Help me to wear that beautiful image of Jesus every single day and to never forget to share as generously as you have shared with me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This devotion was written and read by Bernice Howard.

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

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

Made in His Image

Welcome to Grace for All, the daily devotional podcast produced by the members of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us. Our theme this month is Made in His Image. Many of the episodes will explore the idea that we are fashioned and formed by a loving God to reflect His grace and love to the world.

Psalm 8:4-5, CEB  What are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them? You’ve made them only slightly less than divine and crowned them with glory and grandeur.

And like the Psalmist, I wonder aloud about the place of humans in God’s creation. Depending on the translation this verse reads:

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

Or “What are human beings, that you think about them?” 

Or “Why do you bother with us?” 

Not only does God bother with us, but He is also always working in our lives if we listen. Recently I was visiting with a friend, a dear friend who is confined to a wheelchair. She was excited that her grandson is coming to visit her. But she was also very anxious. She said, “I don’t know if people here will accept him. He is coming with his partner.“

I realized she meant her grandson is gay. I asked her to tell me more about him. She said, “Oh he has a wonderful musical voice. He sings with the Gay Chorus in Los Angeles.” That sparked a memory for me. Another friend and neighbor has a gay son in Los Angeles who sings in the Gay Chorus. I have watched his performances on Zoom and marveled at the artistry of this chorus. I suggested to her that she visit with our other friend and share her concerns. 

The next day I received this text from my other friend: “Thank you for encouraging our friend to reach out to me. She was showing me a message about the Gay Men’s Chorus Los Angeles concert that her grandson was taking part in, when my son walked in front of the camera! He sings in the back row and her grandson in the front row. What a delightful discovery!“

I realized that these two friends of mine had become friends on a much more emotional level. All this happened because of a casual conversation. 

Or did it? When I heard about their connection, it made me get down on my knees and thank God. God thinks of us and bothers with us every day of our lives. And when we are awake enough to realize it, we are crowned with glory and grandeur. 

Let us pray

Dear God, keep bothering with us and making us open to those around us and their hopes, fears, and needs. Help us to connect with and give comfort to those who are isolated. Thank you for connecting us to one another! Amen

This devotion was written by Laura Derr and ready by Judy Wilson.

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

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

Pray Always

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.  (1 Thessalonians 1:11)

What does it mean to pray constantly for the church, for other followers of Christ?  What does it mean to be made worthy of God’s calling?  

Am I, personally, disciplined enough to intercede continually on behalf of God’s family, that each may be transformed by the Holy Spirit so that all their works are prompted by faith?  Or am I more likely to criticize, judge and blame the church–my own family–for its shortcomings?

In Luke 11, Jesus teaches about prayer, and he points us toward God’s goodness.  He tells us to ask, seek and knock, to pursue and keep on pursuing God.  He does not promise that by being persistent in prayer we will receive whatever we want.  Instead he promises that by continuing to seek God, we will receive the greatest Gift of all–the Holy Spirit.  And when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we will become Christ’s witnesses, empowered to share the good news of grace with everyone we meet.

When we relentlessly keep our attention trained on God, and on heavenly things, we learn to see them.  This, I think, is what it means to pray always, and especially to pray for one another always–to be so intent on pursuing God and God’s kingdom that we–all of us together–cannot help but be attuned to God’s presence, that we and our brothers and sisters cannot help but see evidence of God’s goodness and grace.  And the more attuned we are to God, perhaps the more we become participants in God’s goodness and grace. Perhaps, the more attuned we are to God, the more we are transformed into vessels through which grace flows, bringing about God’s kingdom on earth.

Let us pray…

God of goodness and grace, teach us how to pray always, and especially to pray always for one another, to be persistent in our pursuit of you, that we may be transformed by your Holy Spirit and equipped to share your good news with everyone we meet.  In Christ’s 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/.

Pray Always

Today’s podcast ws written and read by Bernice Howard.  It contains a paraphrased excerpt from Ronald Rohlheiser’s book, Prayer Our Deepest Longing. 

Our scripture for today is Romans 8:26 NIV:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

It is in our weakness that we face the greatest temptation from our personal demons.  The temptation to give in to our emotions, our urges, our hopelessness.  Who hasn’t felt the guilt of saying or doing the wrong thing and then being burdened with a guilty conscience?!

“Inside each of us there is both a saint and a sinner.  We waver between grace and sin, angels, and demons. 

               Demons, Jesus tells us, are to be confronted in the desert.  Whether the devil is a person, an addiction, or a paranoia, in the end we still need to do battle at exactly the same place.  We meet Satan where the prodigal son and his older brother met him:  in weakness and bitterness. 

·   Grandiosity is the demon of self-preoccupation and self-centeredness, that tells us we are the center of the universe, that our lives are more important than those of others. 

·   Loneliness is the demon of unhealthy restlessness.  This is a demon of fear, which torments us by telling us constantly that, at the end of the day, we will be alone, unloved.

·   Unbridled sexuality is the demon of obsession, addiction, and lust.  It urges us to set aside everything else for a single furtive pleasure.  It is a demon with ten thousand faces, obsessing us all, whether we admit it or not.

·   Paranoia is the demon of bitterness, anger, and jealousy.  It makes us believe that life has cheated us. This demon fills us with the urge to be cynical, cold, and distrustful.

·   Woundedness is the demon that tells us our innocence and wholeness are irretrievably broken and that, for us, it is too late. 

·   And finally, the last demon in this family is the demon of self-pity that tells us that joylessness is maturity, cynicism is wisdom, and bitterness is justice.

               All of these demons are inside every one of us.  To stare them in the face is to enter the desert.  A scary thing?  Yes, but the Scriptures assure us that, if we muster the courage to face them, God will send angels to minister to us, and these angels will bring along calm, restfulness, patience, empathy, humility, joy, playfulness, and humor.”

               And as promised in Romans 8:26, when we are facing these demons and feel overwhelmed and overburdened… “the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”  And if we let him, he will show us a way out of the demon filled desert.  He will show us a way to the light, a way to the right, a way to follow Jesus.

Will you pray with me…

Dear God, we need you when we are overwhelmed by our demons, when we are weak and about to fall prey to desperation.  Help us, Lord.  Help us to rely on your promises, to follow Jesus to the light and to overcome our temptation to give in to our demons.  Make us strong, Lord, as we stand under your wings and say no to the lies of the demons!  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Today’s 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/.