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Grace for All

Grace for All

By: Jim Stovall Greta Smith First United Methodist Church Maryville TN
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About this listen

 "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, TNCopyright 2026 Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN Christianity Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • No Greater Love

    No Greater Love
    Apr 13 2026
    John 15:12-13This 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 loving one another, he does not mean only that we should be fond of one another, or have good intentions toward each other. The kind of love Jesus is talking about is sacrificial. It puts the other first. Loving like Jesus means being willing to give up everything for the needs of another person, even to the point of death.

    Throughout history, there have been those who are willing to love with the boldness, and the selflessness, of Jesus. Some have given up their lives to stand with the vulnerable, to speak out for the oppressed, just as Jesus did. There have also been many who claim to follow Jesus, but whose actions betray their true motives of selfishness and personal gain.

    Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker whose family sheltered hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. Corrie and her family were deeply convicted by their Christian faith to provide refuge and safe passage for their Jewish neighbors through the Dutch underground, but they were ultimately betrayed and arrested for their courage and sacrifice. Corrie survived the concentration camps. Many members of her family did not.

    At a pivotal and dangerous time in history, the ten Booms understood Jesus' commandment to love as he loved, and they were willing to risk their lives in order to live it. How is Jesus calling us to love one another as he loves today?

    Prayer

    Lord Jesus, you have given us a powerful and challenging mandate, to love one another as you have loved us. Inhabit our hearts. Embolden our actions. And strengthen us to follow you, 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: 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/.
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    4 mins
  • A Holy Life

    A Holy Life
    Apr 12 2026
    Leviticus 19:1The 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 19:18You 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 is not how I start my prayers. Unfortunately we often equate holy living with the phrase "holier than thou" an attitude where one sees themselves as better, more righteous than others. Holier than thou people look at others with a condescending attitude. Who would want to pray to be like that? When we turn to chapter 19 of Leviticus we find a totally different concept of living a holy life. It is one of the most important chapters in all of the Old Testament. It is a call for the people to be Holy because the Lord is Holy. This means a prayer to be Holy is a prayer to be more God like in our thoughts and actions. Now that is something we all strive for. But what does a holy life really look like? Chapter 19 goes on to give practical illustrations. Contained within the chapter is much of what we know as the Ten Commandments, with an emphasis on holy living in trying to live out those laws. Being Holy because God is holy in this context means caring for the poor, living with integrity towards all, and not taking advantage of those who are vulnerable, among other things. The summary of this whole section on holiness is "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The best measure of how we are doing in living a holy life is by looking at how we treat our neighbors. For Christians this takes on even greater importance because when Jesus was asked what law of Moses was most important he said, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself." Matthew 22:38 & 39. Jesus again emphasizes that love of God and living a holy life is seen and lived out in community. So what does it mean for us to be Holy today? To be Holy is to roll up our sleeves and join whatever God is doing in the world. Leviticus gives us examples. To be holy is to care about and for the poor and vulnerable. What can you do this day, this month for the "least of these?" To be Holy is to love your neighbor. How can we show hospitality to the stranger, to be willing to forgive and all the rest that this challenge contains? To be Holy is to be a person demanding justice for all. Where have we stayed silent in the face of injustice? Being Holy is hard work! Loving like this is hard work! There are so many excuses we want to give for why that person or those people are not meant to be neighbors that we have to love. But we know when Jesus was asked who is my neighbor he told the story of the Good Samaritan showing that a neighbor is everyone, even people we might despise.We can't do this alone. But God is with us. God is Holy and wants us to be holy so God will give us the strength to live a holy life in the world. It isn't easy, we will likely fail, but we will also find forgiveness and the encouragement to try again.So this month where we celebrate love I am starting my day praying "Lord make me Holy as you are Holy." Perhaps you will pick up that challenge as well.PrayerLoving God who calls us to be a Holy People help us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Give us the eyes to see where there are needs, a voice to speak up when there is injustice and a willing heart when action is needed. Forgive us when we fail but continue to encourage us to love everyone we meet. AMENThis devotional was written by Bill Green 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: 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/.
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    6 mins
  • Scripture Saturday (April 11, 2026)

    Scripture Saturday (April 11, 2026)
    Apr 11 2026

    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 podcasts.

    Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. Welcome and thank you for joining us.

    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/.
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    4 mins
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