A pivotal figure in the book of Psalms is King David. Each of the Psalms shows a different aspect of the life of King David and his unwavering faith in his Lord, which is what I find perhaps the most impressive about David as a character.

What I find even more impressive about David is how far back this faith traces: to his battle with Goliath, in which it seemed the odds were stacked against him, armed only with a slingshot and several stones, while his adversary towered over him and wielded a sword. However, despite these terrifying odds, David stood strong in the face of adversity, placing his trust in the Lord, and was able to slay the giant.

David is a testament to the Lord being his strength and shield, as the Lord helped him through what should have otherwise been an impossible battle. However, due to his unwavering faith and trust, he was able to stand strong in the faith of adversity and have God as his strength and shield. In modern times, it is easy to feel that our battles are impossible or likened to Goliaths, however, we should all strive to be like David and let the lord be our strength and shield, for as long as we place our trust in him, he will help and protect us always.

Dear God, help us always remember that while we may face some harsh battles, like David, that you are with us. May we place our faith in you so you may be our strength and shield now and always. Amen.

This devotion was written and recorded by Grace Jonas.

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/.

A very wealthy man publicized that he was willing to pay a substantial price to the artist who could best illustrate the presence of peace. Several artists submitted pictures depicting sunsets, lazy rivers, and serene landscapes, but none of those were what he was looking for. One day he came across two paintings: one was a quiet mountain lake as still as glass and reflecting the bright blue sky and the mountains. Sitting next to it was a painting of the same lake, but choppy waves, dark clouds, rain, and lightning.

The people who were following this exercise watched as the man examined the paintings, thinking that of those two paintings, surely he would choose the one with the still lake and mountains. They were shocked as he chose the second picture - the one depicting the stormy lake.

The crowd looked to man, understandably confused. He explained his choice: The first painting was peaceful, but it didn’t describe where peace came from. Peace is easy to see in a crystal-clear lake with white clouds drifting across the sky.

Then he pointed out something in the second painting. There was a waterfall, and tucked into a crevice of the mountain near it was a small nest on which a mother bird sat on her eggs.

The man said, “This second painting is a picture of true, perfect peace because because it is within the storms of life we find real peace in God, knowing His presence will guard and protect us even in the midst of this world’s storms.”

Peace is not the absence of strife or despair or hope. It is not the absence of anything. It is the presence of God. The word for peace used in our scripture today - eirēnē - is the same word used in Galatians chapter 5 in which the fruits of the spirit are listed: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is the same word used in Paul's letter to the Phillipians in which he says that the peace of God "which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Strong's Concordance beautifully defines eirēnē as, "the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is."

When Jesus said he was leaving his peace with us he was speaking of an active component of a life lived under the influence of the Holy Spirit; a peace that is unlike what passes for peace in our world today. It is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of Jehovah Shalom - the "God who brings peace."

We all can have that peace. We just have to ask—and receive.

Father, thank you for your peace. Thank you for always being with us. Give us the strength to share your peace with all those we meet. Amen.

This devotional was written 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/.

Welcome to the first day of 2025 and the Grace for All podcast, written and recorded by the members of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

My name is Owen Ragland, and I am so thankful you chose to listen to our devotion as one of the first things you do this year. Perhaps you made a resolution to spend more time with God either through the written or the spoken word, if so, I pray you will be successful in your endeavor.

Let’s begin the year with an instructive verse from Philippians 4:6 (the NIV translation);

This is a great verse to kick off our January theme:

Let Not Your Heart be Troubled.

For many people, even though it is a new year, it brings with it old problems. We have concerns about job security, food or housing security, reliable transportation, relationship issues with loved ones, and concerns about the state of our country and world. These can be very real issues and seemingly insurmountable problems. How is it then that the scripture instructs us not to be anxious about anything, but instead to lift up our prayers with thanksgiving? I can understand praying about these issues…I pray all the time for them to get better. The question is how do you pray with thanksgiving when you are praying for difficult issues to get better.

I believe the answer lies in the four words that precede this scripture. You see, before these words of instruction, you are told, “The Lord is near.” For me, everything changes when I know God is present with me. It reminds me of when I was a child and frightened; if my father or mother were close by, I knew that I did not have to be scared. They loved me and would protect me. God’s presence also gives me comfort and assurance, even when I am dealing with difficult situations. There is a great story in the Old Testament found in Deuteronomy chapter 31. Moses is commissioning Joshua to be the new leader of the Hebrew people and in verse 8 he says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” The issues we deal with in today’s world are real and many of them are difficult. In my marriage, my wife and I committed to deal with issues together, I am not alone. We also committed to acknowledge God’s presence in our lives, as the Bible confirms in both the Old and New Testaments, the Lord is near, we are not alone.

Would you pray with me: Father God, I know you love me and desire relationship with me. I pray that I feel your presence with me, especially when I am struggling with difficult issues. Thank you for being near me, to give me strength to deal with the problems. Amen.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote nearly two centuries ago that God’s grace is free to all and free for all. We are glad to proclaim that message today. As we enter 2025, the Grace for All podcast completes its first year of production having posted a new episode every day. More than 50 people of our congregation have been involved in the writing and recording of the devotions, and the podcast has had listeners in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. If you have been blessed by one of the devotions, please consider sharing it with a friend or directing them to find it listed on the podcast websites. The first six months of the daily devotions have also been published in a book that is

As the Christmas season neared, the gift shop in the hospital where I worked at the time displayed three lovely little porcelain angels. These were unlike most Christmas angels. Each, about 6 inches high were dressed in a bulky coat and cap. One held a loaf of bread, one a Christmas tree, and the third held a lighted candle. They captured my heart, but were considerably outside my pocket book. Each day I would go by the gift shop and look in at these angels always fearful that someone would have purchased them. Then about a week before Christmas, the gift shop had a 50% off sale on all Christmas items. I hurried into the shop and to my joy what I had become to think of as my angels were still there and I bought them. I knew exactly where I would display them.

That evening when I got home I had several things to carry in – including my precious angels. As I placed the items on my kitchen counter, the package holding the angels slipped from my hand and hit our tile floor with a shattering sound. All were broken. I felt heartbroken as well. I gathered all the pieces, sorted them and over the next few days did my best to glue them together. When I was done I looked at these poor broken angels and loved them even more.

Since that incident over thirty plus years ago, I have left my three broken Christmas angels on display year round as a reminder that it is through our broken places that the love of Christ can most easily shine in. Over time I have also discovered that it is through our broken places – those places that Christ has lovingly mended – that we can most often become angels for others who are broken.

This was reinforced most recently when I saw a verse written by Leonard Cohen, a Canadian song writer, singer, and poet. He said, “There is a crack in everything, and that is where the light comes in.”

Where we are cracked, the light of Christ shines in. And where we are cracked the light and the love of Christ can shine back out to all we meet.

Dear God, help me to always be grateful for the cracks that have occurred in my life. Help me to accept your loving hand in mending me, and help me have the courage to shine your light back out through my cracks to others. In the loving name of Jesus the Christ, Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Barbara Sadler.

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/.

I have often thought of the many passages in the Bible that refer to a “Rod.” Some sound comforting and some sound almost harsh.

This entire chapter is full of guidance for individual and group living.

I’ve often thought of that rod as a tool for punishment, but a pastor friend of mine taught me that the rod is an instrument for guiding not abusing or punishing. The question then is How do I guide?

My wife was born in Scotland, so it was natural that we took a nice long vacation to the old country. On that trip we were in a lovely bed and breakfast overlooking Eilean Donan Castle. From our second-floor window I could see the castle and a fenced pasture of about two acres with a hundred or more sheep grazing.

Early in the morning, looking out that window, I was amazed to see the sheep lined up two or three abreast from corner to corned in that square field. Amazed at this behavior, I watched for an extended time. To my left was a hill overlooking the field. From over the crest of that hill came a lady shepherd and her dog. She even had the picturesque shepherd’s rod. She opened the gate where the sheep were lined up. She then proceeded, with her dog’s help, to escort the herd over the hill and out of my view.

Over the years, I’ve often thought of that scene as a message to me about doing my duty as a follower of our shepherd. As a retired member of the military, I understand the use of the rod. To be good shepherds we must use the rod to guide others. The Teddy Rosevelt quote “Speak softly and carry a big stick” brings us to another passage Luke 20: 25 “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God (CEB).”

Puzzling as this might be, we must remember that the shepherd’s rod is to be used to guide ourselves and others. The sheep dog I observed in Scotland seemed to gently nudge and occasionally bark to guide his charges.

As we approach the end of one year and the beginning of the next, I think this lesson can be applied to us both individually and collectively. As a church, we guide one another and provide opportunity to show our discipline to the world. That same lesson can even be extended to each of us as we have leadership responsibilities as part of a family, a city, a state, a nation, or even the world. In Matthew, Jesus said, “…, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 CEB).

Let us pray:

Father God, please continue to guide each of us to be the example of how to follow you our shepherd and to gently yet firmly do our part in shepherding others with a loving rod. Amen.

This devotion was written by Ed Cherry and 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/.

In 1863, when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned “Christmas Bells,” his personal and communal world were wrought with grief. Henry’s second wife of 18 years had died two years earlier in a house fire, a freak accident started with a candle. America was at war, and none remained untouched by the pervasive loss of life, and the decimation of land. Henry’s own son had returned home, mortally wounded in battle. This was after he had enlisted in the Union army without his father’s knowledge, and left home without a goodbye. Henry was feeling the weariness of war and of personal grief. Where can one find peace in the midst of battles, both inner and outer?

Henry pondered this, first writing:

Wrestling with the dissonance between those old familiar carols and his embattled, embittered world, he responds:

In Henry’s dialogue with the Christmas bells, the bells have the final word.

Right will prevail. Peace will prevail.

It is possible for the world to be at peace, and for me to experience inner turmoil. But this poem also reminds me that it is possible for the world to be in turmoil, and yet for me to find inner peace–peace that makes no sense, peace that passes understanding. It is a peace that is born of faith, faith that what is unseen and eternal transcends what is seen and temporary.

God, this day, grant us peace. We long to receive your peace, a peace that is not as the world gives, but a peace that drives out fear, that we may serve you with courage. Amen.

Today’s devotional was written by Greta Smith 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/.

Welcome 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 firstchurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. 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/.

Reverend Bates Burt, an Anglican pastor in Pontiac Michigan, had an interesting Christmas tradition. Every year he wrote an original Christmas carol as a gift to his family and friends. When Reverend Burt died in 1949, his son Alfred decided to keep the tradition going, but with his father gone, he found himself without a lyricist.

Wilha Hutson, a friend of the family and organist at his father's church, agreed to help him. He wanted the carol for 1949 to also an announcement of he and his wife Anne's first child. Hutson wrote the lyrics for Sleep, Baby Mine, but she also wrote a second set of lyrics.

Diane Burt, the granddaughter of Alfred and Anne Burt, describes what inspired Wilha Hutson to write that second set of lyrics:

We know the song Wilha Hutson wrote as Some Children See Him.

Some Children See Him has been recorded many times. I love the version by James Taylor, from his album, James Taylor at Christmas. The song moves me profoundly, and it is rare that I hear it without ending up with tears in my eyes.

Jesus said that we should "receive the kingdom of God like a child." We should simply see Jesus like the children of Hutson's song see him; like us, but at the same time the Son of God. Hutson's words hit the nail on the head:

The simple but miraculous fact is that God took on human form and became one of us. He lived among us, loved us and served us. Ultimately, he loved us enough to give his life for us and pay the price for our sins, once and for all, and because of that, he is worthy of our worship.

The last verse of the song says it best:

Father, thank you for loving us enough to become one of us. Thank you for the gift of salvation. Always make us mindful that we should love others with love like yours; love that not only sent your son to Earth, but put him on the cross. Amen.

This devotion was written 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: