2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”                      

MARCH THEME: SEEING SCRIPTURE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE

FROM AN OBEDIENT READER:

HEARTBEAT — TRANSFER THE INVESTMENT

What you fund, you value. What you invest in, you believe in. When you give to missions, you are not reducing your life — you are expanding it into eternity.” I love that truth. It is foolish to spend the bulk of our time, effort, and resources investing in a world that Scripture says will pass away. Jesus was clear in Gospel of Matthew 6:19–20 — lay not up treasures where moth and rust corrupt, but lay up treasures in heaven.  We understand investments. In Sunday School we talk about financial wisdom, growth, return, stewardship. And that matters. But if my earthly portfolio outweighs my eternal one, something is misaligned. If the investment I make here is greater than the investment I make there, I am mishandling the talents He entrusted to me. Here, they depreciate. There, they multiply. Here, they expire. There, they echo forever. Heaven is my home — not this earth. So perhaps what we need is not just a financial adjustment, but a change of address. A transfer of value. A deliberate decision to move what we treasure most from temporary accounts into eternal ones. Missions is not subtraction. It is expansion. When you give, you are not losing — you are sending treasure ahead. Let’s invest where forever lives.

THANK YOU

Pastor to our precious church family,

Every February, I stand in quiet awe of what only God can do in the hearts of His people. I am always amazed to watch and witness the miracle God performs as so many of you choose to obey His command to bring the tithe into the storehouse. What may look like a simple act of faithfulness on paper is, in reality, a profound act of trust in heaven. It is worship. It is alignment. It is obedience that opens the windows of God’s provision and protection over our church family. I am equally moved each year by the new team members who join hands and hearts with us to reach the world for Christ through Faith Promise giving. Watching individuals and families step forward and say, “Count us in for the nations,” is nothing short of a miracle of grace. You are not merely pledging dollars—you are declaring that eternity matters more than comfort, and that souls matter more than surplus. And then there are the sacrificial gifts—many given quietly, humbly, without recognition—offered not only from within our congregation but even from friends in other states who believe in what God is doing through this church. That kind of generosity cannot be manufactured. It is Spirit-born. It reflects hearts that see beyond themselves and invest in something far greater than this present world. Church family, what happens each February is not pressure—it is partnership. It is not fundraising—it is faith rising. It is the evidence that God is shaping us into a people who see from His perspective and live for eternal impact. Thank you for your obedience. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for trusting God. I count it one of the greatest honors of my life to serve alongside a church family that gives, prays, and believes so boldly.

With deep gratitude and love,
Pastor

GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

YOUR LIFE IS A VAPOR — SPEND IT BOLDLY

James 4:14
“For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Life feels solid while we are living it. Our schedules are full, our responsibilities are real, and our plans stretch years into the future. Yet Scripture cuts through that illusion with sobering clarity: your life is a vapor. Not a monument. Not a mountain. A mist. It rises for a moment, visible and measurable, and then it dissolves. The issue is not how long you live, but what you live for. One day you will stand before Christ, and in that moment comfort will not matter, accumulation will not matter, applause will not matter. Obedience will. The harvest is ready now—not someday. Delayed obedience quietly hardens the heart, but immediate obedience shapes eternity. The safest investment you can make is surrender, and the greatest legacy you can leave is souls. You have one vapor. Spend it where it echoes forever.

We live under the illusion of plenty.

We assume tomorrow belongs to us. We speak of “when things slow down” or “when the timing is better.” But James reminds us that life does not linger at our command. Like mist in the morning air, it appears briefly and then vanishes. Jesus told of a rich man who built bigger barns and congratulated himself on years of security, only to hear heaven say that his soul would be required that very night. His tragedy was not wealth—it was miscalculation. He mistook time as guaranteed and obedience as optional. God does not measure life by length, but by faithfulness. A short life surrendered to Christ is infinitely greater than a long life spent circling comfort.

Delayed obedience is rarely dramatic; it is subtle.

It sounds responsible. It feels reasonable. But “later” can become the enemy of surrender. The harvest is not waiting for convenience. Souls are not pausing for our readiness. Each time we delay a prompting of the Spirit, the heart grows slightly less sensitive. Immediate obedience strengthens spiritual courage; hesitation strengthens fear. When Peter stepped out of the boat, the miracle met him in motion. He did not experience the power of Christ while remaining seated in safety. Bold obedience may cost comfort, but it always carries eternal consequence. You are not called to guarantee results—you are called to respond.

The only truly safe investment is surrender.

We protect our finances, our reputations, and our futures, but none of those cross the threshold of eternity. Souls do. Scripture declares that those who turn many to righteousness will shine forever. When you stand before Christ, the question will not be how much you accumulated, but how faithfully you obeyed. Your vapor can drift into trivial pursuits, or it can be directed toward eternal impact. Comfort will fade. Titles will fade. Possessions will fade. But obedience done in faith will remain. The safest place you can live is fully surrendered to the will of God.

Imagine stepping outside on a cold morning and seeing your breath in the air. For a moment it looks substantial, almost tangible, and then within seconds it disappears. That is life. It feels strong and steady, but it is fragile and fleeting. Picture standing before Christ at the end of your vapor. Would you regret conversations left undone, invitations never extended, prayers never prayed? Or would you rejoice that though your life was brief, it burned bright with obedience? The difference will not be time. It will be surrender.

Life is brief. Eternity is not. You cannot lengthen your vapor, but you can aim it. You can decide today that your days will not be spent merely maintaining comfort but advancing the kingdom. Let your life burn bright rather than fade quietly. Let your decisions reflect eternal priorities. Spend your vapor boldly.

Warfare Prayer:


Father, in the name of Jesus, awaken me to the urgency of eternity. Break the illusion that I have unlimited time. Silence the voice of comfort that whispers “tomorrow.” Expose procrastination as a subtle thief of obedience. Guard my heart from distraction and complacency. Fill me with holy boldness to act when You speak. Let my life burn with eternal focus. I renounce fear that keeps me passive and choose surrender that shapes eternity. Align my steps with the Great Commission and make my vapor count for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Daily Challenge:


Write a one-sentence life mission centered on the Great Commission—clear, specific, and eternal. Then take one bold step today to live it. Make the call. Share the truth. Give sacrificially. Pray intentionally. Do not wait. You have one vapor. Spend it boldly.

FRIDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Baby Mary Marin – Home – A Miracle

Britany Smith ~ Breast Cancer

Jason Gibson

John McClain’s Mother

Phillip Roach – Linda 7 Luther’s Son – Cancer

Darlene Kelley – Cancer Treatment

Don And Carol Franklin – Mae’s Uncle

Christopher Kelley

Ed Franklin’s Son In Law – Heart Surgery

Gloria Young

Jean Partee

Sandra Mitchell

Tammy Shelnutt

Amy Garner’s Dad

Bentley Smith – Broken Leg

Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers

Joni Oberhage

Linda Mays

Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA

Brando Echarte

Debbie Foskey 

Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David

Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards

Jake Jenkins

June Cronan

Jean Partee’s Sister

Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda

Deon Lotter

Doris Loyd

Nancy Brown

Annette Ford

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Angela Bryan’s Sisters

Ann Stanley  

Danny Jarrard  

Darlene Wiggins

Dr. and Mrs. Davis

Eric Magnusson’s Mother

Eric Ward

Friend of Linda Hodge

Gayle Sparks

James Burnette

Jessica Headrick  

June Cronan’s Sister

June Davis

Kailey Bateman

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda 

Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom

Lonzo Christian 

Lori Blount’s Mother

Mary Williams

Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom

Mrs. Franklin 

Nora Allison

Ron And Johnnie Barry – Friends Of Ashton & Glenda Bateman

Scott Lanier 

Scotty Nix

Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Steve Michaels

Tom Witcher