by Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN
"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
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/13/2025
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
July 13, 2026
<h2>Proverbs 3:5-6</h2><blockquote>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.</blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>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.</p><p>But here are lessons for life that I have learned from hiking:</p><p>I will not know what is around the next curve, ever, whether it be beauty or danger.</p><p>Rattlesnakes that give warning are safer than ones that lie silent on the trail.</p><p>The weather can change in an instant, and there is nothing I can do about it.</p><p>One foot in front of the other is the only way to get out of the woods.</p><p>Carry only what you need- without knowing what you might need.</p><p>Step aside to let others pass.</p><p>Trust.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.”</p><p>During our lives, are we making the path straight for the Lord or is the Lord making the path straight for us? - Yes</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><h2>Prayer</h2><p>Lord, 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.</p><p></p><p>This devotion was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves.</p><p></p><p><strong>Grace for All </strong>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.</p><p>If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: <a href="mailto:podcasts@1stchurch.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">podcasts@1stchurch.org</a>.</p><p>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 <a href="https://1stchurch.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://1stchurch.org/</a>.</p>
July 12, 2026
<p><strong>Colossians 3:12-15 – 12 </strong></p><p>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.</p><p>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!</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>We must turn away from the world and turn toward God. God is LOVE.</p><p>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.</p><p>But we will need prayer, self-control, and personal willpower – fueled by God’s LOVE.</p><p>And most of all, we will need a constant attitude of LOVE – fueled by God’s LOVE.</p><p>“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!</p><p></p><p>This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.</p><p></p><p><strong>Grace for All </strong>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. </p><p>If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: <a href="mailto:podcasts@1stchurch.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">podcasts@1stchurch.org</a>. </p><p>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 <a href="https://1stchurch.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://1stchurch.org/</a>.</p>
July 11, 2026
<p>Thank you for joining us for today's Grace for All podcast. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>Now, listen to this week's scriptures. </p><p></p><p><strong>Grace for All </strong>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. </p><p>If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: <a href="mailto:podcasts@1stchurch.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">podcasts@1stchurch.org</a>. </p><p>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 <a href="https://1stchurch.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://1stchurch.org/</a>.</p>
Discover related shows you might enjoy
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
"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
This podcast updates daily.
This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.
