There is a lot of emphasis put on being productive in our culture. I guess staying busy and accomplishing things makes us feel needed or even important. But all things must be balanced whether we acknowledge it or not. If production is all we focus on then we are missing something—even devaluing it. And this leaves us out of balance.

Many would say that the opposite of being productive is relaxing, and in some circumstances maybe it is. But for today, let us consider the opposite of producing to be pruning. Each year brings new growth, but that growth will be enhanced by pruning. Learning how and when to prune is an art. Personally, I have always found pruning to be intimidating. My ignorance makes me reluctant to trim anything. I do not want to make a mistake. Much like my fear of saying the wrong thing in one of these devotions, I fear that I will cut the wrong branch, at the wrong time, in the wrong place.

Knowing whether to prune before new growth begins or right after a bloom is important to the long-term health and production of the plant. If we prune at the wrong time, we can cut off next year’s blooms. If we don’t deadhead faded blooms, we get fewer new blooms. We will lose the beauty. We will lose the harvest. But even more importantly, we will lose the seeds of the next generation. Rampant growth on some plants leads to destruction when the limbs become so heavy the tree splits in half. In other plants, production dwindles as lack of care chokes the plant.

Deciding what to keep and what to remove takes insight. Some plants break from old wood, others do not. Knowing what is going to bud and where takes study and understanding. I confess that I am guided by my intuition almost always. That is a nice way of saying I fly by the seat of my pants more often than I would like to admit. There is a not-so-fine line between going with the flow and being a completely unprepared fool.

In following the Way of Christ, I like to think that I am guided by the Holy Spirit in the moment. But if I have not put the time in quietly listening, learning, studying, and being guided by the Word, then I am kidding myself that in a noisy, busy situation I will hear the Spirit in my heart guiding me. What a fool I would be! But learning when and how to prune is the first step in becoming a disciple of Christ.

Lord, show us the ways of your seasons. When we work in your garden, allow us to learn the ways of Christ. Teach us when to prune and when to nurture. Give us insight to know how to become productive for years to come. Help us to grow in abundance and yet know when to prune away what is no longer needed. Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope 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.

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/.

All of us are part of a family, the people with whom we grew up. We don’t choose them, and they certainly don’t choose us. If we are fortunate, our families work as they should with members supporting and loving one another. Some are less fortunate with families torn by strife and dysfunction. No matter how we feel about them, however, those people are our family. As the saying goes, we can’t deny them.

Some have read this passage in Mark as Jesus rejecting his physical family and preferring those who are seated around him. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on here at all. Jesus can’t deny his earthly family, just as we can’t deny ours.

What he is doing instead is identifying those who are around him and those who “do God’s will” as part of his family. Can you imagine the connection you would have if you could say Jesus was your nephew, your cousin, or your brother? What if you could think of Jesus as a family member, a person who would be loyal, a person on whom you could always depend, no matter what.

And beyond Jesus himself, we become part of a spiritual family that loves and supports us and to whom we can give love and support. Our family becomes anyone who does God’s will. Jesus in these verses is offering us a powerful and inclusive invitation.

Our Father, help us to recognize the opportunity to be part of your family, and help us every day to be always worthy of membership in that family. Amen.

This devotion 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/.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

At first glance, this verse may inspire a reaction of scepticism. “Hope does not disappoint us?!?” How many times have we hoped for something that simply didn’t come into being?

In my house when there is potential for something good to come our way, my wife has said to me on more than one occasion, “I’m not getting my hopes up. If it ends up happening, I’ll just be pleasantly surprised. I’d rather that than be disappointed.”

But I don’t think that’s exactly to what this verse refers.

In the verses leading up to this one, we read, “we boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” before we read that hope does not disappoint.

So, are we to understand, then, that we cannot have hope without first enduring suffering? That doesn’t seem right.

In Romans 8, we read “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” And later on, that we “who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved.” And finally, it says “the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”

In other words, this is not the hope we might feel for something that we think might happen, which may or may not actually materialize. This is a different hope. The hope for God to hear us, the hope for eternal peace with our Maker, the hope for “adoption and redemption.” That hope is one about which we can have greater certainty. And it isn’t saying that in order to be with God, we must first face affliction. No, it is saying that when we face affliction, we must remember that the surety of God can still give us hope. Our hope is grounded in knowing that, whatever suffering we may experience, we have the goodness of God’s redemption to hope for. Thanks be to God.

God, when we face affliction in this world, remind us that we have the surety to hope for your adoption and redemption. Remind us that it is never futile to hope in you, for you will not disappoint us. 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/.

Originally aired 2024-09-02

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 hear 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/.

Who is my neighbor?

This is as difficult a question today as it was in Jesus’ time on earth. It is a question that begs for limits. Is it my next-door neighbor? Is it my brother-in-law? Is it the homeless person I drive by at highway entrances?

I have a story. Back in the 1980s we lived in Cedar Rapids, Indiana and were members of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. St. Paul’s is a historic church. Its building was designed by Louis Sullivan, a brilliant architect and mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. St Paul’s was for many years the flagship Methodist church in the state of Iowa. But that is not the story.

At St. Paul’s, I was a member of a church committee dedicated to outreach. The neighborhood around the church was changing and many of our members had moved to the suburbs. We decided we needed to establish an event titled “Who is My Neighbor?” We wanted to identify and celebrate people in our city who had been good neighbors to others. We found that our first good neighbor was a member of our church.

In 1961, Dr. Percy Harris was a renowned physician in Cedar Rapids and the only Black member of St. Paul’s UMC. He and his family wanted to build a home on a lot in a residential community owned by the church. The problem was that Dr. Harris was a Black man. Even though he was Linn County Medical Examiner and County Clinic Director at St. Luke’s Methodist Hospital, his desire to build a home in a white neighborhood was controversial. The church members had to vote on whether to approve the sale. The vote was 460 yes and 291 no, and some members left the church afterwards. But the property was sold to Dr. Harris and his wife Lileah, and he built a home for his family and lived there for many years.

In 1981, the first “Who is My Neighbor” award was presented to Dr. Percy Harris, and the award was named “The Percy and Lileah Harris Award ” in honor of their leadership and lifelong roles in bringing the community together.

44 years later, the “Who is My neighbor” Award continues to be presented at St. Paul’s. When Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” he told the story of the good Samaritan, a stranger on the margins of society who stopped to help another stranger in need. This year’s award was presented to Mike and Toni Loyal, a same sex couple who serve as leaders in arts and education in the Cedar Rapids community. The plaque they received states, “In recognition of your commitment to live in harmony with others and promote equality and social justice in the community.” St. Paul’s UMC has raised up many in the community who reach out to expand the meaning of neighbor and to heal divisions and bring people together.

Dear Lord, be with us as we seek to be neighbors to those whom we are tempted to pass by, or overlook in our everyday lives. Give us the courage and strength to stop and connect with new and unexpected neighbors. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Today’s podcast was written by Laura Derr 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...

Simeon was an old man by the time that magic day described in this passage had arrived. He was devout and righteous, and many years before, he had been informed that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. It was a promise from God, but it did not happen immediately. Simeon had to wait.

When we look back to the Old Testament, the first thing we are told about Sarah, the wife of Abraham, was that she had been unable to have children. Her condition had placed a heavy burden on her marriage and on her personally. But then, God promised that she and Abraham would be the ancestors to a great nation and that she would indeed bear a child. We know from reading through Genesis that God’s promise to Sarah was kept. But it did not happen immediately. Like Simeon, she had to wait.

What has God promised you? What are you waiting for?

All of us have longings, things we wish we had, things in our lives we wish were different. God encourages us to present these things to Him, to “ask and ye shall receive.” We should be bold in our asking. But we should also be patient. Because our requests are not fulfilled immediately is no reason to abandon them or to abandon God. The examples of Sarah and Simeon tell us that waiting is sometimes part of God’s plan.

So ask yourself today, “What am I waiting for?”

Our Father, help us to be bold in our faith and our requests to you, but give us the patience and the courage to wait. Remind us that we should live in your time, not ours. Amen.

This devotion was written 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/.

I must have read these verses before. In fact, I must have read them a dozen times or more. I do not recall it. I do not recall having heard a sermon based on these verses. But this time when I read them, they spoke to me. Isn’t that the way it is with our favorite verses? They speak to us with a deeper meaning when we both hear and understand them in our heart, in our mind, and in our world.

Sometimes I have thought that people are like mirrors, and that I receive back what I give. If I am angry, I get an angry reaction. If I am calm, I get a calm or calmer reaction. Maybe people are more like lamps than mirrors. In either case, I have the ability to shape what is about to happen. How my eye sees what is before me, whether in light or shadow, affects how I then choose to behave.

So what creates a healthy eye? An eye filled with the light of the Holy Spirit is a Christlike eye that sees what is not visible. It casts light that makes the unseen seen. True vision begins with the heart, is led by the heart, and loves the beloved.

There are many dark and trying circumstances in life. Every day has its challenges. The eye that focuses light and love on these challenges brings hope. It is not about fixing problems. It is about shining a light over what we see and sharing love with those around us.

I learned a long time ago that I don’t fix other people’s problems. That frustrates me and the people around me. I shine a light that makes their path easier. In my best moments, I illuminate dark corners that bring understanding to myself because I am spirit led. How dark my world is when I allow myself to think I know what others need or focus only on my own wants. It is God’s light that shows the way for us and for others, not mine.

Let us pray. God, give us healthy eyes that cast your light into your world that illuminates your love. May our eyes shine your light and not reflect the world in a mirror image. Allow us to make a righteous path more visible for those we are among. Help us understand that we are followers of your light not the light itself. When we love, it is you that we share, and may we remember this today and always, Amen.

Today’s devotional was written by Jill Pope 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/.

God has always known us. After all, he made us, crafted us from dust, breathed life into us, set the world in motion and called it good. As our Creator, God has always understood us better than we understand ourselves.

But there’s a difference between knowing something from the outside and experiencing it from the inside. God knew what it was like to be human. But in Jesus, God became human. Because we couldn’t make our way to God, God came to us.

The writer of Hebrews puts it like this: “We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son.” And then comes the heart of it: “We don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses, but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin.”

Jesus didn’t skip over the hard parts. He didn’t float above the pain, immune to hunger or exhaustion or betrayal or grief. He lived it. He felt it.

That matters.

Because sometimes what we need most is not a lecture on the meaning of suffering, but a companion who won’t leave us in the middle of it.

That’s why Jesus means so much more than words can express. He is not just the Son of God. He is the Son of Man. He walked dusty roads, got blisters, cried at funerals, and was abandoned by friends. When he faced temptation, it wasn’t some cosmic formality. It was real. When he suffered, he didn’t get a divine exemption. He felt every lash, every nail, every heartbreak.

The book of Job may be the oldest book in the Bible in terms of when it was written, and it wrestles with one of the oldest human questions: why do good people suffer? Job never got an answer. Maybe that’s because some things are too deep for explanation. But what Job didn’t get, what no one got until Jesus, is presence.

God didn’t just speak out of the whirlwind. He came wrapped in skin and bone and walked among us. Jesus is the final Word, not explaining suffering but entering it with us.

That’s why we can “hold on to the confession” as the Hebrew writer urges us. We don’t hold on to doctrine alone. We hold on to a person who knows what it’s like to be us.

So when you’re hurting, when the questions come with no answers, remember this: You are not alone. You have a high priest who gets it, not just because he’s God, but because he’s been here.

Lord Jesus, thank you for stepping into our world and sharing in our pain. When life overwhelms us and answers fall short, help us remember that you are with us, understanding not just as God, but as one who has walked in our shoes. Strengthen our grip on hope through your presence. Amen.

Today’s 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