(Our theme for October)

What does it take to be imitators of God? What is God like?

God is LOVE! To imitate him, we can do our best to display the Fruit of the Spirit - outlined for us in Gal. 5:22-23 – “…LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

This sounds wonderful…but it is so hard to constantly make this display! Have you noticed that an election is approaching, and ugly words are bombarding the airwaves of social media and TV?! Angry, hateful rhetoric and nasty name-calling spews from so many mouths! I just want to make the hate-mongers wash out their mouths with soap! But then I would be part of the problem! So, I will pray when I am overwhelmed by the barrage of negative words. I’ll pray over and over and I will cling to Jesus while biting my tongue!

It can be hard to get away from the negativity, so, I need to follow the advice found in Ephesians 4:29-32 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every kind of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Great advice! So, I will pray when I’m overwhelmed by the barrage of negative words. I will remember how Jesus prayed for those crucifying Him. Over and over, I will cling to Jesus while biting my tongue to keep from giving back the hate and negativity that I hear from so many sources!

My friends, please join me in striving to imitate Jesus and let’s pray right now…

“Father forgive them, they know not what they do. And forgive me too Lord, for my harsh thoughts and feelings, for my negative and nasty words. Guide me to LOVE my neighbors – all of them – and to forgive as much as I wish to be forgiven. Help me to imitate you and Jesus. And in His name we pray. Amen.”

This devotional was written and recorded 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/.

(our theme for September)

This is a story that we hear during Easter. It is indeed The Greatest Story Ever Told because of what the women found at the tomb early that morning.

But in focusing on that part of the story, I think we might miss another story. It is more mundane, but it is one that we are likely to experience in our daily lives. In this version in Mark’s gospel, a set of women – three who are named and others who are not – decide to do a good and proper deed. They mean to anoint the lifeless body of Christ with spices.

But they have a problem. Who will roll away the stone that is blocking the entrance to the tomb? The women don’t have the strength to do it. And there – right there! – the story could have ended.

How often do we think about something good we want to do, but then it occurs to us that it’s impossible. And so we stop.

For some reason, these women didn't stop. It appeared that what they were setting out to do was impossible. But they went anyway. And as it turned out, the thing they thought would be the biggest problem had already been solved by the time they got to the tomb.

In fact, what they set out to do wasn’t even necessary. Instead, they received the news that changed everything.

God has more in store for us that we can ever imagine. That’s what those women found out that day. If we just start down a path that God has laid out before us, there is no telling where we might end up.

Dear Lord, help us to focus not on the problems in our lives but on the paths of righteousness where you give us opportunity to travel. Help us to trust in your strength and your grace. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

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

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

(our theme for September)

Today’s scripture is found in Romans 15:13, reading from the New Living Translation.

This verse is found near the end of the book of Romans and even though it is not quite the end of the chapter, it still sounds like a doxology or an expression of praise to God commonly expressed as believers go forth from worship into the community. Even though it is only two sentences, there is a lot packed into these words.

The first important part is recognizing that God is the source of our hope. Hope cannot be seen, but it certainly can be felt and as we grow in our relationship with God, hope becomes a very strong and real expression of our faith and feelings. I really like where the scripture goes from here, acknowledging that God, the source of our hope will fill me completely, yes completely, with joy and peace. I want that complete feeling of joy and peace as I go through life and this verse says I can have it because I trust in God.

The second sentence only gets better. We move from being filled completely with joy and peace to overflowing with confident hope. If you think about it, there is a significant transition here between these sentences. The shift is from me being completely filled, a very personal thing, to me overflowing which is going to impact those other people around me. My hope can overflow to them and if they don’t understand my joy and peace, I can share the good news with them (the Gospel) about the source of my hope coming from God and his love for each of us. And there is one more promise in these words, that this will all be done with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us and gives us the words when we don’t know what to say. So, the hope that fills us not only comes from God, not by my efforts, but it is a gift from God with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 would be a great verse to commit to memory but it can also be easily paraphrased to be remembered.

Father, God, we thank you for these simple words of assurance that give us an understanding of the power of prayer, the promise of joy and peace, and an overflowing of hope to share with those you place in my path. Come Holy Spirit and guide us. Amen

This devotion was written and recorded by Owen Ragland.

If these words have a special meaning to you, please consider sharing them with a friend.

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/.

Hope, No Matter What (our theme for September)

Thank you for joining us for today's Grace for All podcast.

On Saturdays, we pause for a few moments to look back on our week and to review the scriptures that we have used in our podcast. We encourage you, after listening to this episode, to go back and listen to the episodes you missed, or to review the ones that were particularly meaningful for you.

We trust that the thoughts that we have shared with you this week have provided a full portion of the joy, peace, and love of Jesus Christ. Now, let's 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/.

(our theme for September)

Recently my wife and I lost our oldest son to cancer. As part of my grieving, the thought occurred to me about how I imagine God must have felt at Jesus’s death.

At our son’s celebration of life service and the reception that followed, we learned many things that we hadn’t known about how his life had impacted others. Our prayer is that the impact he made in some lives will lead to a positive impact on still others.

Our experience, of course, doesn’t begin to compare to God’s grief. God – because of his love – had sent Jesus into the world to save it, not condemn it. Jesus’ presence in the world was a gift. The world, except for a few, rejected the gift. How God must have grieved over the world’s rejection of His gift and the killing of Jesus. He must have known the likely outcome from the beginning but still held out hope for a different outcome.

Not all was wasted, however, because a few accepted His gift. They shared it with others who continued to share it. Their numbers continued to increase, and it changed the world they lived in. As we live our lives each moment of every day, let’s remember God’s gift and share it so that the world around us will be more pleasing to God. Then God’s precious gift will not have been wasted on us.

Dear God help us as we live our lives this day that the gift of Jesus is not wasted on us. Help us change the world around us by sharing this gift that you have given to each and every one of us. Amen.

This devotional was written by Alvin Jenkins 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/.

(our theme for September)

Most of Revelation is less than revelatory to me. This verse is an exception.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Haven’t we all hoped for that kind of comfort? While we may receive comfort from family and friends, can you imagine being comforted by the Creator of the universe? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate comfort?

“Death will be no more.” Of all the hurt we experience on earth, being separated from our loved ones by death has to be one of the most painful. Yet this verse tells us it will be no more, nor will there be mourning or crying or pain. Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it?

That is exactly heaven. What better hope can we have than the hope promised in this verse?

I have always had a hard time with the concept of hell. I just can’t make that mesh with my understanding of a loving God.

I do, however, think hell occurs from time to time on earth. Situations that involve cruelty are certainly hellish, and for those victimized by them, simply hell.

But even in these hellish situations, we have hope. We have the promise that one day there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, and no more pain. What a gift of hope that promise provides, especially when we are at our most vulnerable.

Fortunately, I have seen heaven on earth, too. When I see church members provide meals through our Welcome Table on Thursday evening, I glimpse heaven. When a Sunday school class rallies around a member who has experienced death or illness, I see heaven. Whenever we serve others in Jesus’ name, we are not only acting out of that ultimate hope, we are providing that hope to others.

God, thank you for the hope you provide in assuring us that You will wipe every tear and that death mourning, crying, and pain will be no more. As we move through painful life experiences and separation from loved ones by death, remind us of the ultimate hope in our future.

Please work through us to bring this hope to the least and the lost as we attempt to do Your will on earth. Amen.

This devotional was written by Kathryn King 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: 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/.

(our theme for September)

Are there any scriptural passages that provide you comfort and hope?

Psalms certainly provide that for many people. Throughout my life, I’ve known lots of folks for whom Psalm 23 gives them hope.

How could one not be comforted by this Psalm? Another that provides people hope is Psalm 121.

Again, what beautiful language and imagery, especially for those of us in East Tennessee, to remind us of the comfort and guidance that God give us.

My favorite passage was featured earlier this month on this podcast. If you missed Bernice Howard’s devotion on it, I encourage you to look it up.

This passage is found in the 8th chapter of Romans, verses 38 and 39:

Friends, if you’re like me, there are days when I feel like I am letting everyone down, or I’m just not being the best version of myself. For me, though, it is this inseparableness from the love of God that brings me hope — the understanding that, even when I mess up, even when I do things that are completely unlovable, God still loves me. Even when things are overwhelming or messy or chaotic, or when it seems like evil is winning in this world, this pure, uncontaminated goodness is available to me and to all of us. And I can hope again.

God, we give you thanks for the matchless love you show us that exceeds what we deserve. On those days when we need hope, when we need a hiding place or a shield to guard us from the chaos and consternation, help us to remember the passages in scripture that renew us, that sustain us, and that give us hope. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Dwight Dockery.

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/.

Hope, No Matter What (our theme for September)

Some scholars think the book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible in terms of when it was written. If so, one of the oldest errors humans make is to assume that a prosperous and easy life comes to those who serve God faithfully, and so problems indicate a lack of faithfulness. Instead, Paul differentiates our outer circumstances from our inward response.

Paul and his companions have plenty of trouble. They’re even confused, harassed, and knocked down. Through the power of God, though, they aren’t crushed, depressed, abandoned, or knocked out. They do more than simply hold on. They are renewed.

“Renew” comes from anakainoō, which means a complete change for the better, a makeover of the mind and soul, not just a rerun or a reset, but moving from one stage to a higher stage. The verb tense means it’s not a onetime happening, but an ongoing process.

Life will batter us, but the power that belongs to God sustains us through it all.

Father, help us plug into the awesome power that is yours so that we have the strength only you can give us. Give us that experience of your ongoing renewal. Thank you, Father. In the name of 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: 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/.