Grace for All

About Grace for All

"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

Publisher

Jim Stovall, Greta Smith, First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN

Category

health & fitness · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Mar 2025

Latest episode

16 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

571 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Oct 2026

   Faithful through Every Season (encore)

   2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. Sometimes I think if I were God, I would have given up on people a long time ago. Do you ever feel that way? As if the rest of the world has quit trying, and you might as well, too? My walk with Jesus has led me through many seasons—seasons filled with hope and gratitude, seasons rich with promise and potential, seasons in which my spirit was so attuned to Christ I could see evidence of God’s presence everywhere I looked. There have been seasons of fear and uncertainty, seasons heavy with weariness, seasons of spiritual drought in which I could not seem to find God, no matter how hard I tried. And then there have been times when I was tempted to give up trying altogether, because the future seemed bleak, the world seemed to be moving backward in time rather than forward, and by comparison, my own efforts seemed so small. In such seasons, I want to throw in the towel, throw up my hands, and just give up on doing my part to try to make the world a better place. The apostle Paul’s words to his protégé, Timothy, offer a lifeline in moments like these. Paul encourages Timothy to persevere, to keep running the race of faith despite every obstacle. Paul knows the mix of triumph and tribulation, delight and despair, energy and exhaustion of following in Jesus’ footsteps. And to steady Timothy—and us—he offers a trustworthy saying: Remember, even though you may give up, God never does. That’s not who God is. Or, as The Message translation puts it, “If we give up on him, he does not give up—for there’s no way he can be false to himself.” Faith is the fruit of the Spirit because God is faithful, and God cannot be otherwise. Today, Paul is reminding us that when our faith wavers, we can find hope in God’s unwavering faithfulness. No matter what, God remains steadfast and true. Let us pray: Faithful God, when we lose heart, when out of sadness or frustration or weariness we feel like giving up, help us, like Timothy, remember this “trustworthy saying.” Remind us of your faithfulness across all generations. May we draw near to you and receive the gift of faith, the fruit of your Holy Spirit. Amen. Today’s devotion 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 (mailto: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/ (https://1stchurch.org/).

2. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Speaking the truth with love

   Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Is it possible to be both kind and truthful in our relationships with others? Can we be both true to ourselves—our thoughts and feelings—and kind at the same time? Some of us are kind to others and hardly ever criticize. We overlook acts and words that are harmful. When someone else is harsh to us or others, we say “They didn’t really mean it.” No feedback is given and nothing changes. Some of us criticize others freely and make hurtful comments. Some people call out anything they think is wrong. But the person who is called out has hurt feelings and strikes back, defends themselves, or retreats into silence. Nothing changes. What is the best way to speak your own point of view when you disagree with others? Can you do it kindly? Can we be both kind and honest about what is said or done? Words are very important. They can soothe or inflict harm. They can invite or exclude others. Jesus gave instruction about this dilemma in our lives. He said, “Treat others as you want to be treated.” Correct them or tell them about a better way in the way you would want someone to talk to you. Suggest a better way without being authoritative, as if you know the truth. You may be wrong in your suggestion but you care enough to have your say. Some of us learned early on in our families to keep our mouths shut. To say only kind words, to never criticize. But living around injustice means that keeping quiet isn’t a fair option. Keeping quiet is the same as agreeing with all that is said or done. Correcting a wrong word or act won’t get you elected Most Popular Person, but keeping your words inside will make you an imposter. Relationships matter. They are sustained with kindness and honesty. Consider how you would feel if the words you speak were spoken to you. Say four words: “I see things differently.” Speak up, but be kind. Keep learning how to speak the truth in love. Our prayer today: God, help us to treat others as we want to be treated. Embolden us to speak the truth as we know it with care for how it is received. Amen. This devotional was written by Kay Shurden and read by Sally 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 (mailto: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/ (https://1stchurch.org/).

3. 

   14 Oct 2026

   A Warm Hug (encore)

   Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” I have, unfortunately, heard this verse quoted by well-meaning people as they apologize for their tears at the loss of one they loved. They will say, “I know I shouldn’t grieve, for the joy of the Lord is my strength.” When you understand the setting in which Nehemiah spoke these words, you come to understand that it is saying nothing about what we should feel at such moments in our lives. The people of Israel had returned from exile in Babylon. Ezra and Nehemiah are engaged with the people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah brings the people together to hear the words of Moses. He wants them to remember all that God had done for them, why they were a special, called-apart people, and what God required from them. As Ezrah reads and explains Moses’ words, some began to weep because they realized that they were not following God’s word. Nehemiah says, “Do not weep, this day is Holy to the Lord. Eat, send food to those who do not have any. Don’t be sad because the joy from the Lord is your strength.” They're coming to an awareness of their failings and with it the resolve to do better should be a time of joy, not sadness. This reminds me of when our children were small. They had committed some infraction. We would sit down and talk about what they had done, why it was wrong, and the consequences of their actions. Usually, after some tears, but more importantly, requests for forgiveness and pledges to do better, we would hug and in that moment they felt reassured and went away, not in sorrow, but in joy. This warm hug is what God offers to each of us. When we confess, we are not to dwell on our mistakes with tears and grief, but instead to hear the words of forgiveness and love. And, like my children, we are to turn to the future filled with joy. Through God’s forgiveness, we are strengthened to face the future and, like the people of Israel, we are encouraged to share this joy with others. Let us pray: Loving God, we are so grateful that you love us, forgive us, and teach us. Remind us when we fail that you are with us and in your presence, and we find strength and joy. AMEN. This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Joey 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 (mailto: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/ (https://1stchurch.org/).

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

5 ratings

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