The author of the book of Hebrews wrote this letter of encouragement to the Jewish Christians those Israelites who faced persecution and even death for believing Christ to be the Messiah. Then these words encouraged Christians to declare Jesus as Messiah and to sing his praises in their assemblies.

Friends, we may not face direct persecution, though many do, but we may be ridiculed or scored for our belief in Christ. We may find ourselves at crosshairs with other Christians who don't agree with our theology.We may be tempted to judge those whose theological interpretations don't align with ours.

I wonder what would happen to the arguments, the bitter disputes and the hard feelings between Christians, if we kept our words aligned with this powerful verse. What if when assembled with our brothers and sisters in Christ, instead of arguing points of theological differences, we declared Jesus Christ as our Lord and sang his praises together?

Join me as we offer a few of these praises right now. From Exodus 15:2: “The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation. This is my God and I will praise him, my father's God and I will extol him.” Psalm 21:13: “Be exalted oh Lord in your strength.We will sing and praise your power.” Psalm 40:3: “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and trust in the Lord.” Psalm 63:3: “Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise you.” Psalm 90:51: “Come let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.”

And, friends, as we close today, pray with me from Isaiah 25:1: “Oh Lord, you are my God. I exalt you and praise your name for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Today's podcast was written and read by Bernice Howard.

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/.

One of the greatest joys of my life has been the opportunity to share a love of music, and a beloved musical, with my daughter. When I was a little girl, I watched “The Sound of Music” each year with my mom when it aired on television. Thanks to the magic of DVD players, when my daughter was little, she and I could not only watch this classic any time we wanted, but because we had the sing-along version, we could belt our hearts out along with Julie Andrews as the words scrolled across the screen for each musical number.

Recently, my now young-adult daughter experienced a girl’s dream come true when she traveled to Salzburg, and took “The Sound of Music” tour, visiting many of the places where those iconic movie scenes were filmed. My favorite photo from that tour is one she sent of herself on a hill, arms outstretched, the mountains rising behind her just as they do behind Maria as she runs and twirls and sings, “The hills are alive with the sound of music…” I cannot help but hear the mountains singing when I look at that picture.

Here in East Tennessee, in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, where this podcast originates, it is easy to imagine the mountains bursting into song. Something about the majesty of mountains, the beauty of forests and brooks, the sound of leaves rustling and trees dancing in the wind lifts our spirits heavenward and inspires hymns of praise and Thanksgiving. The words of the prophet Isaiah, praising God who would redeem and restore Israel, are no less relevant today than when they were written. The hills are indeed alive with the sound of music! God’s creation in its beauty and majesty endlessly proclaims God’s glory, and moves us to sing along. As we go through this day, may we have eyes to see the beauty, ears to hear the music, and hearts moved to join the chorus.

Lord, thank you for the infinite beauty of your creation. May our hearts never become hardened, and our ears never deafened to its music. May we always be moved to sing your praise along with the mountains, forests, and trees. Amen.

This devotion was written and recorded 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/.

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/.

The concept of servant, either having a servant or being a servant, is unfamiliar to most Americans. Only a very small percentage are served by butlers, housekeepers, or personal assistants in our homes. While we may supervise others in the workplace, those individuals are usually considered fellow workers rather than servants.

It is no wonder that we often struggle with the concept of “serving God,” especially when our lives are filled with endless responsibilities and tasks, but Isaiah tells us in this verse that serving is how we show others God’s power and greatness, his splendor. Our American ideals of individualism and personal achievement as success also conflict with the idea of humbling ourselves to do the sometimes unpleasant, dirty work of serving others.

Yet service is our calling. The United Methodist Book of Discipline calls us specifically to live lovingly and justly as servants of Jesus Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, being a compassionate presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel.”

Wow! That is a tall order, and one that no one person can fulfill alone. The question becomes: “What can I do to serve the mission of God in the world?”

I often say I am a “cradle Methodist.” Except for a brief stay in a Presbyterian church while living in another state, I have been first a Methodist and then a United Methodist all my life. My parents were wonderful examples of serving others through our church, and I have tried to follow their example. When my children were growing up, my service took the form of helping with children’s and youth ministries. Since my daughters are now adults, I have served in many different capacities.

Recently I felt called to help develop a new ministry in our church to serve the growing community of those dealing with dementia and their caregivers. Thanks to outstanding leadership on the part of our ministers and other members of our church who saw a similar need and felt called to address it, that new ministry is well on its way to becoming a reality.

God, thank you for the many and varied gifts and abilities you give us. Open our eyes to the needs of others in our church, community, nation, and world. Help us use our gifts and abilities to meet those needs through joyful service. Amen

This devotional was written by Pat Scruggs and read by Bernice Howard.

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 any given moment around the world someone is singing. These songs can happen inside or outside, in groups or choirs, or even alone. Singing can certainly be spontaneous or well-rehearsed. It is also a way that our emotions can be expressed, such as joyfulness, love, sadness, or praise. Even when we listen without singing, music seems to move our hearts into a place of incredible connection to God.

I once had the privilege of being part of a small tour group visiting the Middle-Eastern country of Jordan. Desiring to attend worship of some kind on Sunday, the group asked our local guide if we could worship with him at his home church. He seemed a bit surprised but agreed and made the arrangements. His church was a contemporary, light-filled Roman Catholic structure built on an ancient site and beautiful, melodic voices were already singing as we entered the sanctuary.

We were welcomed with great warmth and we began to quiet our hearts for worship. No one in our tour group could understand Arabic, the language spoken in the Jordanian church, but we could follow the progression of the service. Since the hymns all had several verses, we could eventually join in with a bit of quiet humming or attempt to vocalize part of the refrain.

We somehow knew when the Lord’s Prayer began and were able to pray along silently with the rest of the worshippers. The final hymn sounded like one of praise and we could feel the joy within it. Our group left with a sense of having been filled with God’s grace and love, incorporating this special experience into our faith journeys.

Sacred music has its own language and message wherever it is shared. It knows no boundaries or limits. It reaches deeply into our hearts whenever we hear it, sing it, or play it. For this we give God praise.

Loving God, fill our hearts with your boundless love that reaches around the world. Help us always to nurture our connection to you, whether it be through music and singing, through worship, or through praise. We open our hearts to you. AMEN.

This devotion was written by Jenny Green and read by Susan Daves.

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/.

Those words, I first heard from the pulpit, exploded in my mind as his declaration brought my Christian experience full circle from Old to New Testament. Jesus is telling me that he was there too on Mt. Sinai. Of course, He fully knows the ten commandments, and now he is adding his! Wow!

My childhood experience in worship always included lessons from the Old and New Testaments. Let alone one of my earliest Sunday School classes was based on the theme of love thy neighbor as thy self. That was difficult to absorb as a child. However, as I matured, my interpretation of that was to show kindness to my classmates, and I also found that they honored me with reflections of the same. Also as Jesus said, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”

“What a friend we have in Jesus,” another refrain from my formative years. “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” To me another “wow!” moment.

Love, of course, is a recurring biblical theme, as in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world….” How powerful is that?

Yet in this passage, Jesus alludes to what is to come at Calvary. As mere humans, did the disciples really understand? They experienced so much with Jesus, his miracles, his teachings, his mastery of the Old Testament. Ultimately all the dots were connected in the upper room, and they were truly his friends.

Jesus wants us to be his friends too!

God in Heaven, may Jesus’ words motivate us to love one another as he loves us! Let our words and our actions be our own testament as followers of Christ. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Sam Barto.

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/.

By anyone's definition, Horatio Spafford was a successful man. A loving husband and father of four, he was an attorney and successful real estate investor in in Chicago, Illinois in the second half of the 19th century.

He was also no stranger to disaster and personal loss. He lost most of his real estate fortune in the Chicago fire of 1871. Two years later, the family was scheduled to take a vacation in London, England where his good friend Dwight L. Moody would be preaching. Spafford was delayed due to business issues, but sent his wife and four daughters ahead. He was to meet them in London when he was finished with his business.

On the voyage, the ship carrying his family collided with an iron sailing vessel. The ship sunk in 12 minutes, and 226 people lost their lives, including Spafford's four daughters. His wife Anna survived, and when she reached Cardiff, Wales after being rescued, sent Spafford a telegram in which she simply stated, "Saved alone."

Spafford immediately left for England. The captain of his ship was aware of the tragedy, and when the ship passed the point of the disaster, he summoned Spafford to the bridge to see the site. As Spafford contemplated the fate of his family, his heart, though broken, was filled with comfort and hope. It is believed that Spafford, when he returned to his cabin, put that comfort and hope into words:

Even after facing heartbreaking tragedy, Horatio Spafford's faith never wavered. He may not have understood the whys of the tragedies he faced, but he understood the God he served, and that understanding allowed his spirit to sing of the peace he and his wife experienced.

We might not understand all that happens to us or those we love, We can, however, understand that God made a way for us to be His children, and as His children we have access to the peace and comfort only God can provide.

The words Horatio Spafford wrote in 1873 are as true today as they were then:

Father, thank you for making a way. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sins. Thank you for the peace and understanding that comes from that gift, and for the blessing that comes from singing to you with our spirit. Amen.

This devotion was written and recorded 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...

As far back as my memory allows, I remember singing. I don’t necessarily remember singing well until after I joined the church choir in my teens. That’s when I discovered the absolute joy of singing and making beautiful music with others. I looked forward to each rehearsal as it was a time of singing and fellowship. Maybe it was the fellowship that really attracted me initially.

It wasn’t until even later that I discovered the joy of singing to the Lord…specifically. I can’t recall the exact moment or the exact piece of music, but I do know that one day in church, as we were singing an anthem, I suddenly got a little choked up. Was it the beauty of the music we were making? Was it the looks on the faces of the congregation? You know, that look of peace and appreciation and worship. Or was it the feeling of joy that so many people had come together in this place at this time to share their burdens and praises?

I feel this feeling more frequently as a grow older. I can tell you this, it definitely happens at some moment each Christmas season as we sing our annual Cantata to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Even though I know it’s going to happen at some point, there is absolutely nothing I can do to stem the tide. Suddenly, as the brass and strings are soaring, or as the choir crescendos in perfect harmony, there it is. I can’t help it. I get choked up. Thank goodness for the other choir members around me who perfectly fill in the gaps when my voice waivers just a bit.

Singing for the Lord weakens my voice in those brief moments, but singing for the Lord gives me my strength to journey on every day. I love to sing. I love to sing for joy to God, MY strength.

“Lord, I will forever sing to you for my strength. I know that even when my voice weakens, you will be there to lift me up and strengthen me again. Praise to you for lifting us up in strength. Amen.”

This devotion was written and recorded by John Cherry.

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/.