September Theme – The Mind of Christ: Breaking Free From Earthly Thinking to Embrace Christ’s Mind
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
When the eternal God entered our world, He did not arrive with thunderbolts, armies, or jeweled crowns. He came in meekness—born in a stable, walking dusty paths, touching lepers, washing feet, and dying on a rugged cross. The One whose voice spun galaxies into orbit bent low before broken men. The Captain of heaven’s hosts said, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). From Eden’s rebellion to Babel’s pride, arrogance has always been humanity’s undoing. Yet in Jesus we see its reversal—He humbled Himself, and the Father exalted Him. In God’s Kingdom, exaltation always follows surrender, and the way up is always found by going down. This reality shatters our self-centeredness and invites us to wonder at His love. Holiness is not simply a doctrine to define but a pattern to live. Jesus shows us that greatness is never measured by how high we climb, but by how deeply we stoop in love. Here lies the Gospel’s paradox: pride destroys, but humility restores. Pride demands, “My will, my way, my rights,” while humility bows and whispers, “Not my will, but Thine.” The mind of Christ calls us to lay down our pride, our position, and even our reputation, so that His life might be seen in us. In marriage, humility disarms bitterness. In the church, it dissolves division. In everyday life, it opens the floodgates of grace. When we bow low, we step into the very heart of Christ and taste the power of His resurrection flowing through us.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
The Weight You Must Lay Down
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” — Hebrews 12:1
Not Every Weight Is Sin, But Every Weight Slows You Down
Some things are not inherently evil, yet they distract and drain your spiritual energy. Career ambitions, hobbies, or even relationships can take up so much space in your heart that they hinder your walk with Christ. God calls us not just to avoid sin, but to discern what slows us from fully pursuing Him.
Unreleased Burdens Sap Spiritual Strength
Carrying guilt, resentment, or fear is like trying to run with chains around your ankles. These hidden weights may not be visible to others, but they keep you from experiencing the fullness of God’s joy. The race of faith requires endurance, and endurance comes only when we learn to release what God never intended us to carry.
Freedom Comes When We Trust Christ With Our Load
The Lord doesn’t just command us to lay aside the weights—He invites us to hand them to Him. Christ bore the ultimate burden of sin on the cross so that you could run free. The moment you surrender your baggage to Him, you exchange heaviness for His strength, fear for His peace, and distraction for His direction.
Martha loved Jesus, yet her busyness in the kitchen kept her from sitting at His feet (Luke 10:40–42). She wasn’t sinning by serving, but her distractions became a weight that robbed her of peace and presence. Like Martha, we often choose activity over intimacy, carrying more than God asks. Mary, on the other hand, laid her burdens aside to receive from Jesus—and He said she had chosen the better part.
A runner wouldn’t strap on a backpack full of rocks before a race. Yet many believers attempt to run the spiritual race while weighed down with anxiety, resentment, or worldly distractions. The lighter you travel, the stronger you finish.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I confess that I often carry things You never intended for me to bear. Forgive me for clinging to worries, pride, and distractions. Today, I lay these burdens at the feet of Jesus. Teach me to trust You with every weight, to rest in Your grace, and to run with patience the race set before me. Help me live in freedom, unshackled by the past and undistracted by the temporary, pressing forward toward the eternal prize. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Challenge: Identify one weight—whether it’s fear, bitterness, overcommitment, or distraction—that is slowing you down in your spiritual walk. Write it down, pray over it, and take one intentional step today to lay it aside. Share it with a trusted believer if needed, and let Christ carry what you cannot.
THURSDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Nancy Brown – Fall
Allysa Elliott
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