AUGUST THEME – “Experiencing God: From Knowing About Him to Walking With Him”
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
Scripture does not flatter us when it calls us sheep. We are weak, dependent, prone to wander, and unable to survive on our own. A sheep cannot find safe pasture, cannot defend itself against predators, and without a shepherd, it will quickly perish. That’s our condition without Christ. But the glory of the gospel is this: we are not left without a Shepherd. Psalm 23 begins not with what the sheep can do, but with who the Shepherd is—“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” In Him we discover provision in our hunger, safety in our fear, and restoration when we wander. If you have ever felt cast down, overwhelmed, or forgotten, know this: your Shepherd has not left you. He comes, He carries, He restores, and He brings His sheep home.
To experience God as Shepherd is to learn what the sheep itself testifies: “I never worry about my next meal; my Shepherd already knows the pastures before I hunger. I never fear the valley; His rod and staff defend and guide me. I never despair when enemies surround me; He prepares a table, anoints my wounds, and fills my cup until it overflows. And when the journey ends, I know He will bring me safely into His fold forever.” The Christian life is not about striving in our strength, but resting in His supply. We are not kept by our grip on Him, but by His grip on us. The Shepherd provides, guides, protects, restores, and secures—until goodness and mercy have followed us all our days, and we dwell in His house forever.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
The Shepherd Guides Through Our Blind Spots
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” — Psalm 37:23
A sheep’s eyes are set wide apart, giving it a broad view of the side but almost no ability to see what lies directly in front. In many ways, we are the same. We can glance back at yesterday, we can stare sideways at the distractions of today, but the next step in front of us is often hidden. That’s why the Shepherd’s guidance is not optional—it is life itself. Abraham had no map when God called him to leave his homeland; he had only a voice. And that was enough. He trusted a God who could see the end from the beginning, even when his own sight failed.
When we panic because we cannot see the future, we are forgetting that the Shepherd already stands in tomorrow, arranging provision, guarding against pitfalls, and opening the right doors. Blindness to the future is not weakness—it is invitation. Invitation to lean, to listen, and to live by faith instead of frantic control.
Blind spots aren’t just about the future—they are about ourselves. We often fail to see the pride that clouds our hearts, the sin that quietly entangles, or the subtle compromises that steer us off course. But the Shepherd sees clearly what we cannot. His rod corrects before we stumble off the cliff; His staff pulls us back when temptation lures us away.
Joseph couldn’t see God’s purpose when his brothers betrayed him and left him in a pit. From his perspective, his future was gone. But the Shepherd was guiding every unseen step—through Potiphar’s house, through prison, into Pharaoh’s palace—until one day Joseph could say with clarity: “God meant it for good.”
Beloved, your blind spots are not barriers to God—they are places for Him to display His wisdom. Where you see confusion, He sees clarity. Where you only see today, He sees eternity.
Driving with a blind spot is dangerous. Without mirrors or guidance, accidents are inevitable. But when someone says, “I’ve got your blind spot,” you can move forward with confidence. That’s what the Shepherd does for His sheep—He has your blind spots covered.
Prayer: Lord, help me to trust Your leading when I cannot see the way. Blind my fear, and open my ears to hear only Your voice. Keep me from stumbling in pride or self-reliance, and guide me in paths of righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Challenge: Ask God to reveal one area where you’ve been trying to figure out the future on your own. Release it to Him today, then take one obedient step forward in trust—letting His voice, not your vision, guide the way.
MONDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Ann Stanley – Surgery Went Well
Carol Lawhead – Park Place Rehab in Monroe
Sheila Simmons – Surgery Went Well
James Parker
Kim McClain’s Mother
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Angela Bryan’s Sister
Debbie Foskey – Home
Jessica Headrick
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
Linda Mays – Home
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
Jason Parker
John McClain’s Mother
John Parillo
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kathryn Raines
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
Mrs. Franklin
Nora Allison
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Sadie Almand
Scott Lanier
Scotty Nix
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shellnutts
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher