Grace for All

John 3:1-12Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things."The story of Nicodemus has always intrigued me. He is a Pharisee, a member of the group that often questions and harasses Jesus. He is also an educated and thoughtful man. He appears three times in the book of John, but the first time he comes in the evening in stealth, in the dark, to testify that he believes Jesus comes from God. Yet Nicodemus testifies in a private place where no one except Jesus will hear him. And Jesus teaches Nicodemus a lesson. He states that "you must be born again."Nicodemus, fearing to recognize Jesus' power in public and mired in the reality of this world, takes Jesus' statement literally. He questions how a grown man can emerge again from his mother's womb. Jesus appears to lose patience with him and reminds him that the rebirth is of the spirit, not the flesh. The reader does not know how this encounter ends, but senses that Nicodemus left chastised.I can identify with Nicodemus. I am a person who likes to blend in with the people around me. It takes a lot for me even to disagree with others' opinions. I am rarely a verbal witness for Jesus in my life. Yet I am intrigued and in love with the promise that Jesus brings to this world of human frailty.Nicodemus appears two more times in the book of John. When the Pharisees are determined to condemn Jesus as a false prophet, he speaks up. "Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?" (John 7:51). Nicodemus has found his voice. He dares to speak against the prevailing condemnation of his Pharisee companions.After Jesus' crucifixion, Nicodemus accompanies Joseph of Arimathea to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. He helps prepare Jesus' body for burial with a mixture of spices and oils. Nicodemus has discovered the life of the spirit. In anointing the body of Jesus, he has been born again. May we all be reborn with the water and the spirit in this season of rebirth all around us.PrayerDear Lord, thank you for the examples you give us of people just like us, hesitant and guarded, who can discover the life of the spirit. Help us to embrace this life as well, and to go forth and proclaim your vision to the world. AmenThis devotional was written by Laura Derr and read by Judy Wilson.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 Saturday episode of the Grace for All podcast. Thank you for joining us today. Saturday is a special time when we take a few moments to review the scriptures that we have cited in the episodes this week. If you missed any of those episodes, you might want to consider listening to them today. And even if you heard them all, there may be one that you might want to listen to again. We hope that each of these scriptures and podcasts will bring you a full measure of joy, peace, and love. Now, let's listen to the scriptures that have been on our hearts this week.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/.

Ephesians 5:8For once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light.Winter, and the shortest, darkest days of the year, began about a month ago with the Winter Solstice. We will not see longer or lighter days, however, for another several weeks. This time of year is hard for me. I do not mind the cold, but the long, dark days of January and February zap my energy and dampen my spirit. I search for things that energize me and give me purpose to utilize my days wisely.However, when Paul writes in Ephesians that they – and we – are light and that we are to live as children of the light, he isn't talking about bright, sunny days, He is writing about the light that comes from making Christ the center of our lives and following Jesus' example of how to live. In other parts of this chapter, as well as in other letters in the New Testament, Paul admonishes the Ephesian followers of Christ to avoid sexual impurity, vulgar talk, greed. And listening to and following those who are untruthful - in other words, to seek the will of the Lord and carry it out, to be imitators of God. We are to live in love, as Christ loved us.Living this way in the first century in Ephesus was likely no easier than it is for us in 2026. Ephesus was a beautiful, vibrant city, populated with prosperous and powerful men as well as merchants, laborers, and slaves. Among ancient cities, it was considered an equal with Rome and Alexandria. Along with the wealth and Roman influence came many opportunities for what Paul calls "unclean living." A new follower would find many temptations to lead him or her astray. Today we are bombarded by a 24-hour news cycle filled with pundits presenting very different opinions and versions of events. They cannot all be telling the truth. And then we are told that the American dream involves a certain car, house, possessions, and even a certain "appearance" we must present. And worst of all, many people have their own versions of what love is and who is worthy of it. We hear and see hate in their words and actions. None of this is Christ-like. It is in stark contrast to the clear message of Christ: love one another as we love ourselves. Care for the sick, the poor, the immigrant in our land. Our lives should demonstrate the way of love and light.There are those who say it is not possible to live this way in the 21st century, that modern people must compete, love those who can help them, and build wealth and power for themselves.I know it is possible to live as a child of the light, but it involves hard choices and strength found only in the Holy Spirit. Here is a prayer for me and for you in 2026.PrayerHeavenly Father, we praise you and thank you for all the good and beautiful things in our lives. We want to live as children of the light, but we are weak. May the Holy Spirit fill us with the courage and strength required to love others as ourselves and to seek and carry out your will in our homes, churches, communities, and the world. AmenThis devotion was written and read by Pat ScruggsGrace 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/.