Grace for All

Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Christianity

"Grace for All" is a daily devotional podcast from the laity of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Each episode presents scripture and a brief reflection, written and recorded by members of our church. These short episodes are meant to inspire you and support your journey of understanding and faith. We believe the central message of Jesus is one of grace. Grace for all human beings. Grace for All is a podcast ministry of First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN

  1. 6h ago

    God Delivers a Shocking Revelation

    Amos 5:24 (ESV)But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos was a shepherd called by God to deliver a stinging message to the northern kingdom of Israel. On the outside, the nation was thriving. Religion was booming. The people packed the temples, offered expensive sacrifices, and sang beautiful songs of praise. Yet, beneath this glossy veneer of piety lay a rotten core. The wealthy were exploiting the poor, judges were taking bribes, and the marginalized were being crushed in the streets. God’s people had separated their worship of Him from their treatment of others. Through Amos, God delivered a shocking revelation: God did not want more ritual; He wanted reality. He wanted their faith to move from the temple walls into the marketplace. He wanted justice to roll down like a mighty waterfall and righteousness to flow like a stream that never runs dry. Centuries later, this ancient prophetic cry became the bedrock of modern transformation. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. thundered these exact words to a nation fractured by racial oppression. He declared that civil rights activists would never be satisfied "until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream." Dr. King understood that Amos's words were not a relic of history, but a living demand. By weaving this Hebrew scripture into his most inspirational speech, Dr. King did not just demand political reform; he demanded a spiritual awakening. He reminded the world that a society cannot claim to be good, just, or godly while systematically crushing the dignity of its people. It is incredibly easy to fall into the same trap as ancient Israel. We can check all the spiritual boxes—attending church, reading our devotionals, and singing the songs—while remaining completely indifferent to the pain, loneliness, and unfairness around us. True worship cannot be contained within a church building. It must spill over into how we treat our coworkers, how we speak to our spouses, how we manage our finances, and how we advocate for those who have no voice. When we allow God’s justice and righteousness to flow through us, we become conduits of His healing. We stop asking, "How is that person different from me?" and start asking, "How can I bring God's fairness and love into this situation?" Then we begin to bring healing to the hurting areas of our communities with kindness, honesty, and active compassion. Let us prayHeavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have offered you lip service while keeping my heart detached from the needs of others. Give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Let Your Holy Spirit dig deep channels into my soul, so that Your justice and love can roll through my life like a mighty, unstoppable stream. Amen. This devotion was written by Gary Hensley 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    6 min

  2. 1d ago

    Roots, Ruts, and Curves

    Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. I hike a lot. I have gone on short hikes, and I have gone on long hikes. Some hikes are easy and some incredibly challenging. Some days the weather has been beautiful. Other days the weather has been life-threatening. I have been charged by boar, deer, and bear. I come around a curve in the trail to be greeted by a field of wildflowers in bloom. I have hiked trails so steep that it was like climbing a ladder with the rungs two feet apart. But here are lessons for life that I have learned from hiking: I will not know what is around the next curve, ever, whether it be beauty or danger. Rattlesnakes that give warning are safer than ones that lie silent on the trail. The weather can change in an instant, and there is nothing I can do about it. One foot in front of the other is the only way to get out of the woods. Carry only what you need- without knowing what you might need. Step aside to let others pass. Trust. When hiking, the path is rarely straight. It is filled with curves and climbs, roots and ruts, and yet, I have always made it home. Here is something that today’s verse from Proverbs teaches us about trust. It does not ask us to make the path straight for the Lord. It says that if we acknowledge Him, he will make straight our path. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” During our lives, are we making the path straight for the Lord or is the Lord making the path straight for us? - Yes The Way that Jesus has shared with us does not level and pave the path for us. It does not give us power, wealth, or control. Jesus did not preach that life would become easy. It requires much of us. What Does the Lord Require of us? Trust in Him. He will provide. When we are lost, tired, and hungry, we must keep walking the path shared with us. When we are healthy, strong, and righteous, we make straight the way for our Lord. So every day that we fill the ruts and remove the stumbling blocks, we are straightening the path for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the prisoner, the naked, and the sick. And whether you notice it or not, His grace will make straight the path for you. PrayerLord, when I am blind, please let me see your grace. When I stumble, please help me to stand. When I am scared, please bring me comfort. When I lose faith, please give me strength to trust in you. And when I am weak and try to rely on my own insight, please bring me the wisdom to trust and rely on you instead. Amen. This devotion 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    5 min

  3. 2d ago

    Set Our Minds on Things Above

    Colossians 3:12-15 – 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. It can be hard to stay centered in and focused on love, when the chatter all around us seems to be just the opposite. The world is noisy and loud, filled with sounds of turmoil, negativity, and hate. Wars and rumors of wars abound. But we must stop right there! We must refocus. Colossians 3:2 tells us to “set our minds on things above…” I believe that means not only on God above, but on thoughts that are “above” the negativity and turmoil we generally hear. To “set our minds on things above,” we will need space to stand apart from the fray. Quiet space to pray and listen to God. That quiet time and space with God will allow Him to teach us how to LOVE as He does. To LOVE even the ones we don’t like very much and time to put on those virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, mentioned in today’s Bible verse. We may be overwhelmed by the noise of constant news, opinions, and experts, but we must be examples of a different way of operating in such a busy, noisy world. We must learn to follow the way our scripture directs us, instead of jumping into the ugly, negative fray of hate speech, anger, and violence. We must turn away from the world and turn toward God. God is LOVE. Jesus modeled the Way for us. He turned the other cheek. He forgave those torturing him. He prayed, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” But we must know what we do. It is going to take time – quiet time – focus – refocus on LOVE – change – change of heart, so as not to give anger for anger, hate for hate. Time to give LOVE to the people we don’t like. God will help us to clothe ourselves with the accessories we need – Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Forgiveness, and Patience. But we will need prayer, self-control, and personal willpower – fueled by God’s LOVE. And most of all, we will need a constant attitude of LOVE – fueled by God’s LOVE. “Father forgive them, they know not what they do”, this must be our constant prayer, as we walk through our day. Help us develop a habit of this prayer! Help us to make it our constant mantra in our overloaded world! Father forgive them… I’m sure we will feel much better walking around wrapped in LOVE, instead of fear, anger and hate. LOVE feels GOOD! Let’s walk in LOVE today, help us Lord, and in all our tomorrows! Help us LORD! In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN! 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    8 min

  4. 3d ago

    Scripture Saturday (July 11, 2026)

    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, listen to 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    4 min

  5. 4d ago

    What to Wear?

    Colossians 3:12-14Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. I have a closet full of clothes, but when I get dressed, I tend to reach for the same things over and over. You might say they’re my favorites, and that’s probably true. It’s also true that I have made a habit of choosing those items. I know they fit. They’re comfortable, I haven’t had any problems with them in the past, and I don’t have to give much thought to wearing them. I like them because I can put them on in the morning and then rarely think about what I’m wearing for the rest of the day. In the scripture reading for today, we receive both promise and instruction. The promise is that we are a people chosen by God, a holy people. The instruction is that as a chosen people striving to live into that holiness, we are to ‘put on’ compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We are to clothe ourselves in these virtues, to bear with each other, and to forgive as God has forgiven us. And above all, we are to clothe ourselves in love, which binds all these together in perfect unity. If I make it a daily practice, a discipline, to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience before I begin my day, and cover them with an overcoat of love, soon it becomes a habit. Interacting with others in these ‘clothes’—especially those I need to ‘bear with’ and offer grace and forgiveness to—becomes familiar and natural. Make a habit of ‘putting on’ Christ in the morning, and it will transform the way you relate to people throughout the day. And when you can bear with someone else in love, offer compassion and forgiveness rather than defensiveness and retribution, it might just transform the way they relate to others throughout the day. It’s like offering someone the coat off your back. Sadly, I can testify that clothing yourself in selfishness, fear, frustration, bitterness and resentment instead also transforms the way you relate to people throughout the day. Dressing in these vices can easily become a habit as well. And interacting with others in this state of mind exerts its own influence. Have you ever run into someone who sours your mood? Dressing in the ‘clothing’ of fear and anger is like taking the coat off someone else’s back. So, as we prepare to go out into the world today, let’s consider what to wear. Let us pray:God of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, as I go about this day, dress me in love—dress me in Christ. Help me to bear with those who try my patience and to offer forgiveness to those who grieve me. In so doing, may I freely share the love of Christ which you have so generously given to me. Amen. Today’s 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    5 min

  6. 5d ago

    Genuine Love

    Romans 12:9-10Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. A few years ago, while I was still serving churches, my district superintendent had an idea. Instead of the one annual meeting to train incoming chairs of local church committees, why not have several smaller events around the district? He believed that reducing travel time would encourage more people to show up. It was a good idea but a lot more work for the people planning it. I was invited to be on the planning committee. The reason being, my church was hosting one of the training events, a surprise to me. We, as a committee, worked long hours and in the end pulled off his vision. Imagine my surprise when he was recognized for this creative model of training the leaders of the local church at our annual conference. He accepted an award from the bishop and smiled and said, “I hope to expand it to even more places next year!” No mention was made of the committee that made it all happen. I have to admit to being a little upset. But our God has a sense of humor. That day I had read this passage from Romans as part of my devotions. The last part, “love others with mutual affection,” in the translation I was reading said: “Take delight in honoring others.” Those words had made an impression on me. I had prayed, “God help me today to delight when others are honored.” I remembered that prayer and, after taking a deep breath, released my anger. We had done something that made a difference. It really didn’t matter if I got any credit. Have you ever had a time like I experienced? We all have. It’s hard to do the work and see another recognized. But the Apostle Paul says genuine love is about uplifting others, not about getting your own pat on the back. It is about doing things because you are embracing the good that is happening instead of doing it because you want others to see your good deeds. If we all try to build others up, God’s kingdom is glorified. My district superintendent must have reflected afterward on that award ceremony and what he said and did not say because I got a nice thank-you note from him. Will you pray with me?Loving God, forgive us when our love and service have not been done with humility and joy. Help us to strive to love as Jesus did, with an open heart, making sure we do all we can to build others up. For when we do, we realize that you are flooding our lives with love and peace. AMEN. This devotion was written and read by Bill Green. 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    5 min

  7. 6d ago

    A Straight Path?

    Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. I freely admit that I prefer reading the New Testament over the Old Testament. I know it is important to understand the history of the Old Testament, as it prepares the way for us to experience the birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, it doesn’t speak to me as the New Testament does. . .except for Psalms and Proverbs. To me the words of these two books are beautiful in their praise and expressions of the human condition, and they give us words to live by. Proverbs is considered a “wisdom” book, providing guidance for living a good life. However, Proverbs do not provide promises. “If you do this, then this will happen.” No, rather, if you do this, you have a better chance of experiencing fulfillment and happiness. There is no guarantee that our paths will be straight if we trust in the Lord, but relying on our own knowledge and understanding is definitely a more hazardous path. Is there a time when all you could do is trust in the Lord? Some circumstance that you could not see around or past? A time of confusion, sadness and darkness? Unless you have led an exceptionally unusual life, then we can all answer yes to those questions. For me, a recent time in my life that I felt this way was my husband’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. I wanted to believe that he would beat the odds and survive longer than a few months, but in my heart of hearts I knew that our time together was going to be short. When he passed away four months later, I could not conceive of a path forward without him. I could not see a future with any joy in it, although we had talked extensively about my going forward with plans we had made together. I trusted the Lord to guide me because I had to. Now a little over a year later, I can look back and see that, although the path was quite crooked and still filled with uncertainty, the Lord did guide me. It wasn’t a straight path, but it led me to where I am today, trusting the Lord to continue to guide me and able to honor my husband’s memory by living a meaningful, happy life. To me, these verses in Proverbs lead directly to Jesus’ promise as he ascended into heaven: “. . .and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Let us pray.Thank you God for your guidance and wisdom in the Book of Proverbs, your assurance that relying on you is always the best choice. Even more, thank you for the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of your son Jesus Christ, whose last promise assures us that we will never be alone, no matter our circumstances. He will always be with us. Amen. This devotion 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    6 min

  8. Jul 7

    What Does the Lord Require?

    Zechariah 7:9-10Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgment, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress, the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in you hearts against one another. The prophet Zechariah is mentioned in passing in Ezra 5:1. Both he and the prophet Haggai were part of the generation that returned to the land of their ancestors after the King Cyrus of Persia released the exiles. They went to Jerusalem to settle and rebuild the city and the Temple of the Lord. A small number of the people who traveled were part of the exiled generation. The majority, though, were the descendants of people who experienced the destruction of the city, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and the Temple. We may marvel at the courage involved in going to a place they have never seen and starting life anew. The nagging question on everyone’s mind had to be what will we do when we get there? They would rebuild, live, be the people of God again were among those answers. But what do we rebuild first? Do we build our own houses, the Temple, or the city walls? How should we live when we are settled? Haggai will argue that the people need to complete the Temple. Zechariah will say, “We need to do what God is doing.” What does God want? Our text says God wants this new generation to do community life better than the previous one did. These verses in Zechariah 7 repeat the teaching of the prophets of those earlier generations. We should live honestly and never mistreat another person. While we may desire to leave the lesson there, Zechariah names the people whom he saw as the most vulnerable. He wants his readers to ask, “How are we treating orphans, widows, aliens, and the poor?” He suggests the key is to ask how are we treating another person? Are we devising evil against someone else? Are we excusing our attitudes by the unholy imagination that someone is planning to do us harm? Is our golden rule, do unto others before they do unto you? The people of Zechariah’s day probably responded by saying their situation was more desperate than the times of their ancestors. They may have claimed that they would never act like their ancestors did. People living in our time would say, “This is not who we are.” The fact is Zechariah knows his neighbors. He knows himself. And he knows everyone experiences the temptation to be dishonest in their actions and their relationships with others. This is who we are. Zechariah and the other people who returned know they did not release themselves. It was the grace of God working through the Persian emperor. The prophet seeks to remind his neighbors of that fact. When we ask what the Lord requires, we acknowledge we are saved by grace and not works. This is the truth we rely on when we fail to do what is right. That truth also means we know better and should work to be examples as citizens of Heaven. People should acknowledge their need for grace. We should also know God gives grace to other people. We cannot mistreat someone without God knowing it. This devotion was written by Don Jones 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: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 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/.

    7 min
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About

"Grace for All" is a daily devotional podcast from the laity of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Each episode presents scripture and a brief reflection, written and recorded by members of our church. These short episodes are meant to inspire you and support your journey of understanding and faith. We believe the central message of Jesus is one of grace. Grace for all human beings. Grace for All is a podcast ministry of First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN

Information

  • Creator
    Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN
  • Show Website
    Grace for All

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