JUNE THEME – SET Free To LIVE Free – Embracing Liberty Through Christ
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
Jesus died to make you free indeed—not just from outward sin, but from the invisible chains that bind your heart, your mind, and your identity as a man. These chains often hide behind strength, success, or smiles: shame buried beneath silence, addiction masked as stress relief, approval-seeking disguised as humility, and trauma left unhealed. The fear of man, especially, becomes a hidden snare—leading good men to slowly surrender their convictions in exchange for acceptance. Like Peter warming himself by the fire, we don’t stop believing—we just stop standing. Over time, our desire to be liked replaces our call to be holy. But Jesus didn’t set us free to live behind masks. Real freedom comes not by image but by surrender. What your family needs is not your perfection—they need your posture at the altar. When men kneel before God in repentance, heaven rejoices, homes shift, and generations are changed. Every time a man humbles himself before the Lord, the enemy loses ground in his home. And every time a father leads in brokenness, his children learn what true strength really is.
The addiction to approval is not just a weakness—it’s idolatry in a suit and tie. Men ruled by image often carry silent chains: hidden lust, secret addictions, and deep compromise. But freedom doesn’t come from hiding—it comes from humbling. You were not made to impress crowds; you were made to walk in obedience, empowered by the Spirit. Jesus stood silently before His accusers because He knew the Father’s approval was enough. That same security can be yours when you stop striving for validation and start trusting in God. The call is not to macho pride, but to brokenness, courage, and repentance. Your children don’t need a flawless man; they need a surrendered father. Your wife doesn’t need louder words—she needs to see living faith. This generation doesn’t need more polished men—it needs more present men, anchored in truth and marked by grace. So come boldly, break the silence, and live the kind of faith your family will never forget
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
“THE SECRET OF STILLNESS”
“Be still, and know that I am God…” — Psalm 46:10a,
Stillness is not the absence of activity—it’s the presence of God filling the room where our striving once lived. In a culture that rewards hustle and noise, choosing to be still before the Lord becomes an act of holy defiance. It declares, “I don’t need to run the world—because You already do.” Stillness is the posture of a heart that trusts even when it doesn’t understand, that waits even when nothing seems to be moving.
We are wired to fix, to react, to fill silence with opinions, and to rush resolution. But God’s ways often require the opposite. The greatest breakthroughs are rarely born in chaos, but in calm. When we grow still, the internal storm begins to settle, and the voice of the Shepherd becomes clearer. The world yells, but God often whispers—and if our souls are noisy, we’ll miss Him. Elijah didn’t hear God in the dramatic signs, but in the “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). Stillness unveils the presence we were too distracted to notice.
It takes great courage to be still when your flesh screams for control, when circumstances are urgent, and when fear taunts you to act. But stillness says, “God is bigger than my panic. I trust Him more than I trust my impulse.” In that quiet, God becomes clearer. It’s not passive resignation—it’s active worship. Stillness is the place where our questions begin to quiet and our confidence is reborn. It’s where tears become prayers, and sighs become surrender.
Just as Mary sat still at Jesus’ feet while Martha busied herself in service, the one who chose presence over performance was commended (Luke 10:42). Stillness invites revelation. Moses stood still with the Red Sea in front and Pharaoh behind—and that pause became the platform for the miraculous. “Stand still,” God said, “and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13). When we stop scrambling, God starts showing.
Stillness is not weakness. It is strength under submission. It is not a delay. It is preparation. It is not avoidance. It is alignment. And more often than not, stillness is the prerequisite for your next divine instruction. You’ll never outrun what stillness can heal, nor fight what stillness can resolve. Stop. Breathe. Wait. He’s already speaking. Stillness is the sacred space where the Spirit writes His will on the tablets of your heart.
Moses stood still before the Red Sea, caught between impossible odds. The Israelites feared for their lives, but God instructed, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13). That moment of stillness preceded a divine intervention that split the sea and made a way where there was none.
A camera cannot capture a clear image if it’s shaking. In the same way, a heart that never rests in stillness cannot fully perceive God’s leading. It’s in spiritual stillness that the blurry becomes focused, and what felt uncertain begins to make sense.
Prayer: Father, I confess that I’ve often tried to outrun my fears and fix things in my own strength. I fill silence with noise and busyness, when You are calling me to be still. Help me resist the urge to move ahead of You. Teach me to be still—not just outwardly, but inwardly. Let my heart wait in quiet surrender. Quiet the anxious voices. Let Your whisper be louder than my fear. I choose to sit at Your feet like Mary, to trust like Moses, and to listen like Elijah. Still me until I hear You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Challenge: Take 10 undistracted minutes today to be still. No phone. No music. No multitasking. Just sit in God’s presence. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. Wait with expectancy. At the end, journal one sentence God places on your heart. You might be surprised how loud He speaks in silence.
MONDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Sarah Parker
Ann Stanley
Doug Stephens
Mary Williams – Rehab
Paula Ferus
Sadie Almand & Unborn Baby
Scotty Nix
Lynn Garner’s Daughter
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shellnutts
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shellnutts
Jill Haines
Angela Bryan’s Sister
Danny Jarrard
Darlene Wiggins
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
James Garner
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
Lonzo Christian
Lori Blount’s Mother
Mary Williams
Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom
Marynell Ford
Mike, Gwen, Michael Rice Family – Friends of Blount’s – Car Accident
Mrs. Franklin
Nora Allison
Pastor Driskell
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Roy Loyd
Scarlett – Marynell’s Granddaughter
Scott Lanier
Steve Michaels
Theresa Bain’s Granddaughter
Tom Witcher