2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”
February – Seeing Stewardship and Giving from God’s Perspective
Next Sunday, I will have the honor of speaking with you at Belmont Baptist Church from Ethiopia. Though we are separated by miles, time zones, and cultures, we are united by one Lord, one gospel, and one Spirit. Where I serve, the needs are real and often overwhelming. Resources are limited. Challenges are daily. But the gospel is precious here. It is not casual. It is not cultural. It is life. When I open the Word of God with you, I do not come as an expert. I come as a servant. The same Word that strengthens you strengthens me. The same Scripture that convicts your heart confronts mine. I will not come to pressure you. I will come to remind you what obedience looks like when faith must be lived every day — when trusting God is not theoretical but necessary. In difficult places, faith is not a conference theme. It is survival. It is surrender. It is dependence. And when I pray for you, I will not pray as a guest performing for a church. I will pray as a brother bowing before the same Father. There is something sacred about praying across continents — asking God to strengthen the hands that support the work here. My prayers are never polished. They are not loud. They are not rushed. They are simply dependent. I am grateful for you. Because of your obedience, villages hear the gospel. Because of your faithfulness, families are discipled. Because you give, we go. But I do not want next Sunday to simply inform you about Ethiopia. I want it to align us. I want us to remember that we are laboring together in one harvest. Come ready to listen — not to me, but to the Lord. Come ready to be stretched by His Word. Come ready to receive prayer that is born from need, gratitude, and trust. And as I pray for you, know that I thank God for you — for your generosity, your partnership, and your willingness to see beyond your borders. We are not separated. We are sent together.
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
During the first two weeks of Missions Month, you have been talking about something that changed my life. You say missions is not just something on a church calendar. You say it is the heartbeat of God. I did not understand those words before. But now I do. Because missions found me. I used to be just a girl in Kenya. I did not know your names. I did not know where Belmont was. I did not know that people across the ocean were praying. But God did. You say God’s plan has always been global — that the gospel crossed oceans and generations so that people could hear and believe. It crossed an ocean for me. Someone you may never meet prayed. Someone gave. Someone obeyed. And because of that, I am safe. You say missions begins when we stop leaning on our own understanding and start trusting God’s heart for people we may never meet. You may never meet me. But you trusted His heart anyway. You say giving is not between you and the church — it is between you and God. I want you to know something. When you prayed about Faith Promise… when you asked, “Lord, what would You have me do?” — God used your obedience to answer my prayer. Before, missions was a word. Now, missions is my bed. My food. My school. My Bible. My future. You said missions should not stay abstract. I was once a statistic. Now I am Daisy. You talked about seeing faces instead of figures. When you see the children rescued and loved by the Wachiras, I want you to know we see you too — even if we do not know your names. You are not just donors. You are part of our story. You are part of God bringing light into my darkness. You are part of hope replacing fear. You say biblical missions is incarnational love — truth with hands and feet. That is what it felt like when someone came for me. God chose to involve His people. Some go. All participate. And because you participated, I am not afraid like I used to be. So when you ask, “Lord, what would You have me do?” Please know that somewhere in Kenya, there is a little girl praying that when He answers you… you will say yes. Because obedience has a face. And sometimes… it looks like me.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
When Obedience Requires Courage
“And David said… Is there not a cause?” — 1 Samuel 17:29
There comes a moment when compassion is no longer enough. You see the need. You feel the burden. Your heart is stirred. But then comes the question: Will you step forward? Courage is not the absence of fear. It is obedience in the presence of it. Giving, going, serving — all of it eventually requires courage. Because obedience always moves you out of comfort.
When David stood before Goliath, everyone else saw risk. They saw size. They saw threat. They saw potential loss. David saw something different. He saw dishonor toward God. He saw a cause worth fighting for. The difference was perspective. From Israel’s perspective: Preserve yourself. From David’s perspective: Trust the Lord. Stewardship and missions work the same way. There will always be a reason to hesitate. There will always be uncertainty. There will always be “what if.” But obedience requires courage. Courage to trust God with finances. Courage to say yes when it stretches you. Courage to step forward when others stand back. The servant with one talent lacked courage. He buried what was entrusted to him. Not because he lacked ability. But because he lacked bold trust. Courage is the bridge between conviction and action.
In Acts 4, the early church faced opposition for preaching Christ. They did not pray for safety. They prayed for boldness. “And now, Lord… grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” They understood something powerful: God does not always remove the risk. He strengthens the obedient. Courage is not produced by certainty. It is produced by confidence in who God is.
Imagine standing at the edge of deep water. You believe the lifeguard is capable. You trust the structure is sound. But you still must step off the edge. Faith is not proven while standing still. It is proven mid-step. Many believers agree with missions. Few move when it requires courage. The difference is not knowledge. It is surrender. There is always a cause. There is always a need. There is always a giant that intimidates. The real question is not: Is there risk? The real question is: Is there not a cause? When obedience requires courage, perspective determines movement. Fear says preserve. Faith says proceed. And heaven always honors courageous obedience.
Warfare Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I bind every spirit of fear that attempts to paralyze obedience. I reject hesitation rooted in insecurity. I renounce the voice that magnifies risk over trust. Holy Spirit, clothe me with boldness. Give me courage to step forward. Give me faith to obey beyond comfort. Give me confidence in Your character. Where fear has whispered, let faith speak louder. I will not bury what You entrusted to me. I will not shrink back from participation. Strengthen my resolve to obey. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Challenge
- Identify one area where God has been prompting you to step forward.
- Write down the fear attached to it.
- Pray over it.
- Take one tangible step of obedience today — even if it feels small.
Courage grows with action.
TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Baby Mary Marin – RSV – ICU CHOA – Still Very sick but better
Britany Smith ~ Breast Cancer
Jason Gibson – Improving
Darlene Kelley – Cancer Treatment
Don And Carol Franklin – Mae’s Uncle
Ed Franklin’s Son In Law – Heart Surgery
Sandra Mitchell
Tammy Shelnutt
Jean Partee
Aston Savage
Gloria Young
Amy Garner’s Dad
Bentley Smith – Broken Leg
Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers
Joni Oberhage
Linda Mays
Myles Elliott
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
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
James Burnette
Jessica Headrick
John McClain’s Mother
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kim McClain’s Mother
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
Lee Cronan
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
2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE” February – Seeing Stewardship and Giving from God’s Perspective
NEXT SUNDAY
From where I sit as a Senior Citizen, living on a fixed income and counting every dollar carefully, missions is not just a church theme or a special month on the calendar. It is part of my daily walk with the Lord. I may not travel across the ocean, but I can pray. I may not have much to give, but I can sacrifice. And I have learned that when something costs me a little, it means something to God. When we connect live with the Wachira family in Kenya, you will hear real voices and see real faces. You will hear how your prayers and obedience help children sleep safely at night, how believers are being discipled, and how families who once felt forgotten are now finding hope in Christ. That is not theory—that is fruit. You will also hear from Marli and learn how Medical Missions Worldwide carries life-saving care into places of deep poverty. In those places, compassion speaks loudly. A bandage, a prescription, a listening ear—those simple acts often open hearts to the gospel. Sometimes healing the body becomes the doorway to healing the soul. As you listen, I encourage you to pray—not just about what to give, but about your availability. Ask the Lord if He might want you to go on a future two-week medical mission trip or serve in some other way. I may not be able to go myself, but I can help send someone. I can help hold the rope. And that matters. Whether you pray, support, or go, your faithfulness is not small in God’s eyes. I have learned that He multiplies even widow’s mites. So together, let’s ask one simple, honest question: “Lord, would You have me do?”
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
Missions Month isn’t just another emphasis on the church calendar to me. I grew up in Calvary Children’s Home. I am living proof that missions and giving are not theories—they are lifelines. When your church talks about seeing missions from God’s perspective, I don’t hear pressure or obligation. I hear gratitude. I hear opportunity. I hear love in action. There were people who gave when they didn’t know my name. People who prayed for children they would never meet. People who trusted God with their firstfruits and responded in Faith Promise, not because it was easy, but because it was obedience. And because they did, I had a safe place to sleep, people who discipled me, and a future that once felt impossible. When Pastor teaches on giving, I don’t hear a financial lesson—I hear a freedom lesson. Honoring God with our firstfruits isn’t about money; it’s about surrender. It’s about saying, “Lord, I trust You more than I trust my understanding.” I watched missionaries visit the Home. I saw how churches sustained ministries year after year. I saw how obedience—quiet, consistent obedience—changed lives like mine. Through Scripture, testimony, and decades of faithful ministry, we’re reminded that when we stop calculating and start obeying, God moves. He uses our prayers to strengthen weary missionaries. He uses our gifts to rescue children. He uses our trust to push light into places we may never personally see. Missions is not a program to me. It is the reason I had stability. It is the reason I found Christ-centered mentors. It is the reason I graduated from college with hope instead of hurt defining my future. Missions is love with a name. It is obedience with a face. It is our privilege to partner with God in reaching the world—and sometimes, that world is a child like I once was.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
1 Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Putting Your Wages in a Bag with Holes
“Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:6
Few things are more frustrating than working hard and still feeling behind. The hours were long. The effort was real. The income came in—but somehow, it never seems to stay. Bills rise unexpectedly. Resources vanish quickly. There is motion without progress and effort without reward. God, through the prophet Haggai, reveals a sobering truth: sometimes the problem is not the amount earned, but the order in which God is honored. When firstfruits are withheld, blessing is not merely delayed—it leaks.
Activity Without Alignment
The people in Haggai’s day were busy. They were planting, harvesting, eating, drinking, and clothing themselves—yet nothing satisfied. Their labor produced exhaustion instead of fruitfulness. God exposed the root issue: they had prioritized their own houses while neglecting the house of the Lord. Productivity without spiritual alignment leads to frustration. When our lives are full but our priorities are off, God allows us to feel the emptiness so we will return to His order.
Spiritual Leaks Often Feel Natural
A bag with holes doesn’t announce itself. Money doesn’t disappear all at once—it slips away gradually. Unexpected expenses. Broken appliances. Medical bills. Repairs you didn’t plan for. The enemy loves to disguise spiritual consequences as “just life.” But God was clear: the loss had a spiritual explanation. When God is not honored first, He does not curse—He removes protection. What we call coincidence may actually be correction, lovingly designed to draw our hearts back into obedience.
Firstfruits Restore Flow and Covering
God never demanded firstfruits to impoverish His people but to position them under blessing. When Israel returned to honoring God’s house, He promised to rebuke the devourer and restore fruitfulness. Firstfruits are not about percentages—they are about lordship. When God is first, provision flows with purpose. When God is delayed, provision leaks without explanation. The order of giving determines the outcome of living. God does not desire His children to live exhausted, anxious, or always behind. He reveals the holes not to shame us, but to heal us. The moment the people obeyed, God responded with favor. What feels like financial frustration may actually be a merciful invitation to reorder your heart. When God is honored first, the bag holds. The harvest lasts. And peace replaces pressure. Imagine filling a bucket from a well, only to realize there’s a crack at the bottom. You draw water again and again, growing tired and confused as it drains away. The solution isn’t more water—it’s fixing the leak. God’s Word identifies the cracks so restoration can begin. Increase never fixes a spiritual leak—obedience does.
Warfare Prayer: Father God, I come before You in humility. Reveal any area where I have placed myself before You. I repent for honoring my needs before Your command. I ask You to close every spiritual leak, rebuke the devourer, and restore what has been lost. I choose obedience over understanding and trust You as my Provider. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Daily Challenge: Review your finances and your priorities today. Ask the Lord, “Am I honoring You first or fitting You in later?” Take one concrete step of obedience—whether in tithing, giving, or reordered trust—and watch how God begins to restore peace and provision
WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Brittany Smith ~ Breast Cancer
Darlene Kelley – Cancer Treatment
Don And Carol Franklin – Mae’s Uncle
Ed Franklin’s Son In Law – Heart Surgery
Sandra Mitchell
Tammy Shelnutt
Jean Partee
Aston Savage
Gloria Young
Amy Garner’s Dad
Bentley Smith – Broken Leg
Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers
Joni Oberhage
Linda Mays
Myles Elliott
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
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
James Burnette
Jessica Headrick
John McClain’s Mother
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kim McClain’s Mother
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
Lee Cronan
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