September Theme – The Mind of Christ: Breaking Free From Earthly Thinking to Embrace Christ’s Mind
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
The fiercest battle you will ever fight is not with people, weapons, or circumstances—it is with the thoughts that run through your own mind. Wounds from the past, words of rejection, and cycles of failure whisper lies that try to shape your identity. If those thoughts are allowed to linger, they harden into chains that enslave your heart. The enemy fuels this by sowing poison into your thinking: “You’ll never change. You’re unworthy. You’ll never measure up.” Lies like these grow into fear, shame, anger, and hopelessness. Scripture warns us, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). In other words, the atmosphere of your mind will become the direction of your life. But God refuses to leave His children trapped. He knows every thought before it is formed (Psalm 139:2), and He offers truth powerful enough to demolish strongholds of deception. That is why the Word instructs us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Freedom doesn’t come from willpower—it comes from surrender. The answer is not trying harder but yielding quicker. To put on the mind of Christ is to exchange our broken patterns for His perfect wisdom. Just as He bore our sin and gave us His righteousness, He takes our distorted thoughts and fills us with His clarity, humility, purity, and peace. When Christ rules your mind, fear loses its authority, confusion loses its influence, and despair loses its ability to write your story. The battleground is in the mind, but the victory is in the Lord.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
From Persecutor to Preacher
“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” — Acts 9:4
Paul’s story proves that no past disqualifies a person from God’s purpose. Once a persecutor of the church, he became its boldest preacher. What changed? His mind was overtaken by the voice of Christ on the Damascus road. The man who once carried letters of death became the messenger of life because he surrendered his thoughts to the Lordship of Jesus.
Grace Overrides Our Past
Saul was not neutral toward Christians; he was their sworn enemy. He had blood on his hands and zeal in his heart to destroy the people of God. Yet, on the Damascus road, Jesus didn’t cast him off—He called him by name. That is grace. God is not intimidated by our past; He rewrites it for His glory. If He can transform a persecutor into a preacher, He can transform you, no matter what your record looks like.
A Voice Stronger Than Shame
When Saul fell to the ground, he heard a voice greater than his guilt. The risen Christ spoke directly into his rebellion. Notice: Jesus didn’t say, “Why are you persecuting them?” He said, “Why persecutest thou me?” To attack the church was to attack Christ Himself. Saul’s shame was real, but the Savior’s mercy was greater. When the voice of Christ overtakes your mind, shame no longer writes the last chapter—grace does.
A New Mind, A New Mission
The very passion that once fueled Saul’s destruction became the engine for his ministry. Redeemed minds don’t lose their fire—they redirect it. God doesn’t just erase your past; He repurposes it. The man who once carried death warrants now carried the message of eternal life. The mind of Christ doesn’t just stop us from sin; it sends us into service.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Thank You for calling me by name, even when I was far from You. Thank You that my past failures, sins, and regrets do not disqualify me from Your purpose. Help me to silence the voice of shame and to hear only Your truth. Renew my mind with Your Spirit. Redirect my passion, my gifts, and even my scars into a testimony of Your grace. Use me, Lord, as You used Paul—to carry life where once there was death. In Your mighty name I pray, Amen.
Challenge: Think of the darkest chapter of your past. Write it down on paper or speak it aloud to God in prayer. Then declare: “This is no longer my identity—it is my testimony. God’s grace is greater than my failure.” Share that testimony with one person this week as evidence of His redeeming power.
TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Amy Garner’s Dad
Annette Ford
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Angela Bryan’s Sister
Ann Stanley
Carol Lawhead – Park Place Rehab in Monroe
Danny Jarrard – Knee Surgery Soon
Darlene Wiggins
Debbie Foskey
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
Jessica Headrick
John McClain’s Mother
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kathryn Raines
Kim McClain’s Mother
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
Lee Cronan
Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Mays
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
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Scott Lanier
Scotty Nix
Sheila Simmons
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shellnutts
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher