The Apostle Paul calls us Jars of Clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). As followers of Jesus we must allow the Word of God to fill us with it's message of Truth and Grace. In this way, we become a "vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21).

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Jack - May 13, 2020 Devotional

Jack from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Grandma's House - May 12, 2020 Devotional

Grandma's House from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Cats on the Kitchen Counter - May 11, 2020 Devotional

Cats on the Kitchen Counter from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Milton the Cockroach - May 8, 2020 Devotional

Milton the Cockroach from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Manure On Your Face - May 7, 2020 Devotional

Manure On Your Face from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Lessons From a Palm Tree - May 6, 2020 Devotional

Lessons From a Palm Tree from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Laughing at God - May 5, 2020 Devotional

Laughing at God from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Jesus and the Lightning Bug - May 4, 2020 Devotional

Jesus and the Lightning Bug from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Inconceivable - May 1, 2020 Devotional

Inconceivable from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Hypocrite - April 30, 2020 Devotional

Hypocrite from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Google Earth - April 29, 2020 Devotional

Google Earth from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Finding Just What You Need at Walmart - April 28, 2020 Devotional

Finding Just What You Need at Walmart from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Caving Lessons - April 27, 2020 Devotional

Caving Lessons from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

His Name is Steve - April 24, 2020 Devotional

His Name is Steve from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Frosted Flakes - April 23, 2020 Devotional

Frosted Flakes from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Eyes Tight Shut - April 22, 2020 Devotional

Eyes Tight Shut from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

INTP - April 21, 2020 Devotional

INTP from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Contentment - April 20, 2020 Devotional

Contentment from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Fall From Grace - April 17, 2020 Devotional

A Fall from Grace from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

An Eye For An Eye - April 16, 2020 Devotional

An Eye for An Eye from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Gift of Truth - April 15, 2020 Devotional

A Gift of Truth from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

An Abnormal Desire - April 14, 2020 Devotional

An Abnormal Desire from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Hollow Faith - April 13, 2020 Devotional

A Hollow Faith from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Cowboy Jake - April 10, 2020 Devotional

Cowboy Jake from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Are You My Mother - April 9, 2020 Devotional

Are You My Mother from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Don't Act Like a Fool - April 8, 2020 Devotional

Don't Act Like a Fool from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Can You Hear Me Now - April 7, 2020 Devotional

Can You Hear Me Now from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Can a Christian Go to a Bar - April 6, 2020 Devotional

Can a Christian Go to a Bar from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Broken Timbers and Falling Bricks - April 3, 2020 Devotional

Broken Timbers and Falling Bricks from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Antibacterial Wipes - April 2, 2020 Devotional

Antibacterial Wipes from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Single Act of Love - April 1, 2020 Devotional

A Single Act of Love from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Psalm of Greg - March 31, 2020 Devotional

A Psalm of Greg from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Nameless Face in the Crowd - March 30, 2020 Devotional

A Nameless Face in the Crowd from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Key in Your Wallet - March 27, 2020 Devotional

A Flash of Genius - March 26, 2020 Devotional

A Flash of Genius from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Confident Faith - March 25, 2020 Devotional

A Confident Faith from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Child Went By - March 24, 2020 Devotional

A Child Went By from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

A Bent and Twisted World - March 23, 2020 Devotional

A Bent and Twisted World from Frederick COB on Vimeo.

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Reach - January 26, 2020 sermon



By Pastor Greg

On July 2, 1982, Larry Walters made an unusual flight in a homemade airship made of an ordinary patio chair and 45 helium-filled weather balloons.   Larry took along a parachute, his pellet gun, a CB radio, some sandwiches, some beer, and his camera.  When his friends cut the cord, Larry and the chair rose to 15,000 feet and floated from San Pedro, California all the way to controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport. After 45 minutes in the sky, Walters shot several balloons. He descended slowly, until the dangling balloon cables got caught in a power line in Long Beach.  Soon after he was safely grounded, reporters asked him three questions: "Where you scared?" "Yes," he replied.  "Would you do it again," they asked? "No," said Larry.  And lastly, they wondered, "Why did you do it?"  And I love Larry’s response.  He said, "Because you can't just sit there."
          But most of us do, even Christians.  We just sit there… or worse, we just sit here.
          If you are not yet a Christian, I ask for your patience this morning.  Today, I need to speak specifically with those who are already followers of Jesus.  But maybe this will help you understand just what Jesus meant when He challenged His followers to “count the cost” (Luke 14:28 NLT).  The salvation Jesus offers you is free; yes, however, the Lord does not save us to a life of leisure.  We become “disciples,” and a disciple is someone who follows the Master’s example.
Just out of curiosity, what example did Jesus give us when it comes to reaching out?  The Bible lists many examples, but in each instance, the Lord’s “reach” would upset many religious leaders.  According to Luke, “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them[1] (Luke 15:1-2).  To confront the Pharisees and the teachers for their attitude toward “outsiders,” Jesus tells them three parables; one about a lost sheep, another about a lost coin, and finally the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  And what Jesus was implying here was that the Pharisees and religious teachers really didn’t care about those who were lost or separated from the Heavenly Father.  These religious leaders were content to let the sinners and the outcasts suffer the consequences of their actions; to permit them to burn in hell.  They were the older brothers who grumbled when the Father demonstrated grace and forgiveness to the younger son.
Jesus associated with all the “Not-quite’s” and the “Never-get-it-right’s.”  He would sit down next to the outcasts and talk about their spiritual needs.  And He instructed His followers to do the same.
To His followers, His Disciples, Jesus proclaims, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).[2]  Later, Jesus gives His followers a commissioning; He tells them where they should “therefore, go.”  In Acts 1:8 He says, “And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [3] Therefore, go, says Jesus.  He doesn’t say, “Build a glorious building with lots of meaningful programs so the people will come;” “Don’t just sit there,” He says; “but GO.”
Unfortunately, His disciples didn’t listen.  They stayed.  Oh, their relationship with Jesus was transformed, as Pastor Kevin shared last week.  But that inner transformation did not have an external effect on these new Christians… not at first. They didn’t leave their comfort zone until there was persecution.   When a Christian named Stephen was stoned to death, “a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.”[4]  Please notice how Luke phrased this; believers were scattered to where?  To Judea and Samaria.  And where had Jesus told His followers to take the Gospel message?  To Judea and Samaria (Acts 1:8).
          It seems the early followers of Jesus were content to not reach.  In fact, the Lord had to intervene and change even Peter’s heart just to go out and proclaim the message of Jesus to a non-Jewish Roman soldier named Cornelius.  In Acts 10:28, Peter confesses, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But (this is where we see his change of heart) God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean[5] (Acts 10:28).  No longer think,” confessed Peter.  Which means, prior to this, he did indeed view non-Jewish individuals as outsiders.  He had no love for them, nor did he have any concern for them.  It seems Peter cared little for the eternal destiny of people like Cornelius.  And neither did the rest of the new Christians back home in Jerusalem.  Acts 11:2-3 says, “But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.” [6]  Yes, Jewish Christians criticized Peter for reaching out to an unbelieving Roman soldier.  They had become just like the Pharisees.
As you can see, this reluctance to “go” is not new; we are not the first generation that has failed to reach.  And, as history has taught us, the Lord will often put us in a situation that moves the Church beyond the walls of a building. 
So, as this sermon series states, is this us?  Are we a church that is reaching, or have we become content to merely “sit there?”  However, before you answer that question, lets consider what it means to “reach.”
In the story of the Prodigal son, let’s say that the older brother learns about his younger brother’s misfortune.  Feeling compassion, he gathers some food and clothing and takes these items to his brother.  Maybe he even buys a couple of gift cards for Levi’s Convenience store out along the Jericho Road.  Would you say he “reached” his younger brother?  Not exactly.  Sure, he showed compassion for him, but the younger brother would have still been alienated from his father.  Caring for the younger brother does not restore the boys broken relationship with his father.  And surely the older brother would have noticed their father watching for the younger brother to return; the older brother surely must have known how heartbroken the father was by this separation.  Although he may have shown compassion by his actions, he still would not have helped bring the young son back to the father; he would not have “reached” the Prodigal Son.
Now, permit me to ask the question again; is this us?  Do we truly “reach” the lost people in this world, or do we merely demonstrate compassion?  Oh, don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with showing the lost and wondering people of this world some compassion and care, but until we go and make disciples – help heal a broken relationship with God – we are not fulfilling the Lord’s command.
          Jesus said this Himself; I did not make this up.  To “reach” is to go and tell people everywhere about Him (Acts 1:8).  And caring for the needs of others is not the same as “making disciples” (Mathew 28:19).  Showing people that we have compassion does not help restore their broken relationship with the Father.
To “Reach” the world with the message of Jesus we must first learn to love the people of this world.  To “reach” the world, we also must realize just how much God the Father desires a restored relationship with those who are lost and separated from Him.  And, as Jesus has pointed out to the Pharisees, people search diligently and tirelessly for the lost item they value the most.
          What would He say to us?  If the Lord were to examine us as a church, what would He say we value the most?



[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 15:1–2). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mt 28:18–20). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 1:8). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 8:1). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 10:28). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[6] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 11:2–3). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Empty Boxes - December 24, 2019 Christmas Eve Devotional



By Pastor Greg

Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love.  You know, I’ve been staring at those 4 boxes under that Christmas tree for about a month now.  So, when can we unwrap them and find out what’s inside?  I asked Pastor Kevin and he said they’re just empty boxes.
Yeah, right.  How gullible do you think I am (picks up a box and shakes it)?
Um… Anyway, as I was saying, these are just empty boxes made to look like a real gift.  But, doesn’t it seem a bit odd to you that boxes marked Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love are, in fact, empty?  Maybe odd isn’t the right word; sad is probably a better way to describe how it makes me feel.  It’s sad because I have met so many people over the years whose hearts were just as empty.  They may have looked good on the outside, but inside they had no hope, joy, peace, or love.
Would that describe you?
Be honest with yourself for a moment; how much joy does Christmas really bring?  Do you find yourself filled with peace during the stressful Christmas season?  Are you able to cling to hope when you reach the end of your rope?  Is there love in your heart for the other holiday shoppers, or does the whole holiday season cause your heart to be mangled up in tangled up knots?  Yes, I know some people who, during Christmas, are as cuddly as a cactus, as charming as an eel; their heart’s an empty hole.
I ask you again; does that describe you?  Do you find yourself crawling out of bed in the morning and covering your heart so no one would know just how empty you feel inside?  Do you find yourself searching or longing for that one perfect thing that will give your life meaning and purpose?  As you search for the perfect thing, or place, or job, or amount of money, or person who can fill the emptiness in your heart, do you find them to be just like the decorative wrapping on these empty boxes; helping you look good on the outside, but inside, there is still nothing; no Hope, Peace, Joy, or Love?
Let me be open and honest with you for a moment.  For a long time in my life, I was just like those four empty boxes.  From the outside, I may have looked like I had it together, but inside, my heart was empty.  I didn’t know how to love because I didn’t feel loved.  I pretended to be full of joy, but each night my heart was filled with tears.  I was always anxious, restless, and doubtful.  And nothing I did filled the emptiness I felt within me.
And then I opened my heart to Jesus.
I want you to take a moment and consider something with me.  As God the Father looked upon humanity, with all our wickedness, loneliness, anger, and fear, why do you suppose He felt Jesus would be the solution for all the emptiness inside us?  How could a baby born in Bethlehem untangle our mangled-up hearts?  It’s because when that Baby grew to be a Man, He would be the One to mend the broken relationship we have with God.  Jesus would lay down His life as a ransom to set us free from sin and death.  And those are not my words; Jesus said this about Himself (“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” – Mark 10:45[1]). 
Something happens to us when we surrender our lives to Jesus.  We are changed from the inside; Jesus calls it being “born again” (John 3:7).  Peter, one of the Apostles of Jesus, says that the ransom Jesus paid saved us from the empty life we inherited from our ancestors (1 Peter 1:18).  Paul, another Apostle of Jesus, says that when we are transformed, God gives us a new nature; the Spirit of God comes and lives within us.  And the Spirit fills the emptiness of our heart with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control[2] (Galatians 5:22-23).  This is what God promised to do; long ago He said “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart[3] (Ezekiel 36:26).
By opening your heart to Jesus, a heart that is two sizes too small can be completely transformed.  And instead of emptiness, a person can find within themselves what they have been searching for all their lives.
Their life is no longer an empty box.



[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mk 10:45). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ga 5:22–23). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Eze 36:26). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.