When Jesus told this parable, he was speaking to people who understood sheep and shepherding. For centuries, the Jewish people had been known throughout the ancient world as expert shepherds. They knew how to care for flocks, how to protect them from predators, and how to find good pasture. So when Jesus began talking about a man with a hundred sheep, his listeners would have nodded along. This was familiar territory.

But then Jesus says something that must have made them pause. The shepherd loses one sheep and leaves the ninety-nine to go searching for it. Wait a minute. Would a good shepherd really do that? Would he really abandon ninety-nine healthy, obedient sheep just to track down one that had wandered off? From a practical standpoint, it doesn't make much sense. You could lose the whole flock while you're out chasing after one stubborn animal.

We understand this kind of thinking in our modern world. Business people today build losses into their calculations. They expect a certain percentage of customers to leave, a certain number of products to fail, a certain amount of shrinkage in their inventory. It's just the cost of doing business. You accept the loss and move on.

But that is not the way God does business. God is not interested in acceptable losses. He does not write off the wanderers and focus on the ones who stayed put. Every single one of us matters to him, not as a percentage or a statistic, but as a beloved child.

The image of the shepherd putting that lost sheep on his shoulders is a tender one. He doesn't drag it back by the ear or scold it for wandering. He carries it home with joy. And then he throws a party. That's what our return means to God. Not relief that the numbers are back in order, but a genuine celebration.

Our Father, thank you for seeking us out when we wander. Thank you for not treating us as acceptable losses. Help us to understand how precious we are in your sight, and to extend that same relentless love to others. Amen.

This devotional was written and recorded 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/.

This letter to the Colossians was written by Paul and Timothy, chosen by God to be apostles of Christ.

In this letter, Paul clearly teaches that Christ has paid for our sins, that Christ has reconciled us to God and that we have been given the knowledge and the ability to grow spiritually. Christ shows us how to live and provides an example of how we are to live and what He would have us become. Christ is Lord of all creation, center of our lives, and King of all. He is Lord over our lives and the head of the body, his church and we are called to nurture our connection to him.

This same scripture found in the Message includes an extra verse which may aid in our understanding. Hear these words…. “Don’t lie to one another. You are done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the creator, with His label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete.” And verse 11 adds, “From now on, everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.”

Through these two versions of this verse, we can see many rituals and seasons where we receive validation and opportunities for new life and pathways to leading a Christ-like life. The most obvious are baptism, communion, Easter, and Christmas.

As Paul has clearly taught us, when we learn what Christ is like, we see what we need to become, and all the promises and resolutions we make to be better Christians will be natural. Sin is all around us, but we can improve and conquer our personal sin, and we will then become more Christlike.

Every new year, many people in the world make promises or resolutions to begin once again and make a fresh start. Many resolutions, such as improved health, regular exercise, spend more time with family, visit parents or grandparents more, volunteer more, work on anger issues, share more love, worship more, pray more, and so forth. All these reflect the acknowledgement that our lives can be made better and we can become more Christlike.

What changes have you committed to this year to become more like Christ?

Gracious God, as we are entering this new year, let us make our faith, our church, our families, and your children our priority. May we be ever aware of your call on our lives and your desire for us to follow. Let us not only be dressed in new attire but also be filled with the desire to serve every day.

In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Leland Blackwood.

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/.

Bonnie Ware spent a number of years as a palliative care nurse. She cared for the dying. Over the course of that time she heard a great many patients express regrets, and she began to catalog them. Some were particular to an individual, but many of them she heard from a lot of patients. She listed the ones she heard most frequently, and from that list and her experiences she wrote a book, “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.” Here are a couple of them.

The most frequent regret she heard was: I wish I had had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others wanted for me. In other words, I wish I had listened to my heart and followed my own dreams rather than trying to meet the expectations of others.

Number two was: I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. Every male patient who expressed regret said this. They were saying I wish I had spent more time with the people I love.

As I reflected on the most common regrets people have as they near the end of life, what strikes me is that all of them,at the base, have to do with relationships. Jesus told us that what is most important is our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves. We call this the Great Commandment.

In contrast with those who ended up with a life of regrets, listen to the Apostle Paul. He says, “The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight (that is, I’ve given my life to what matters), I have finished the race (my life is ending), I have remained faithful.” No regrets!

It’s not too late for you and me to turn our regrets into resolutions.

I Resolve: to live an authentic life, not one someone else wants for me but one true to who I really am.

I Resolve: to put relationships first: my relationship with my Creator and my Savior, with central people in my life, and to engage everyone with kindness and helpfulness. So there are no regrets!

O Holy One, I have this one life to live. Help me not to waste it, but to make your priorities mine, and finish my race with faithfulness. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Herb 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/.