Grace for All

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...

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, so...

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. No...

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 kingd...

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 t...

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 j...

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 — ourselves, our work, our family? What about our religion? Are we a com...

Mark 9:23-24 (NRSV) "Jesus said to him, 'If you are able! — 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 whol...

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...

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...

Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus said: “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and correct them when you are alone together. If they listen to you, then you’ve won over your brother or sister. But if they won’t 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 won’t pay attention, report it to the church. If they w...

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 m...

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 w...

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 nei...

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...

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...

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 podca...

Luke 7:47-48 “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Once 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...

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 th...

John 3:7-8 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 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...

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...

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’” — Acts 9:4-6 (NRSV) You’ve heard the phrase. Maybe you’ve used it yourself. “It was a real Damascus Road moment” — meaning something stopped you...

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 celebration...

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...

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 b...