OCTOBER THEME – “Crucified with Christ: Dying to Self, Living to God”
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
God is not improvising your story; from eternity He has been weaving every thread—dark and bright—into a sovereign plan for His glory and your good. The testimony of a quiet, overlooked girl—raised in chaos, rescued by grace, planted in the house of God, and joined to a preacher’s calling—reminds us that there are no accidents in His kingdom. What we call coincidence is often Providence behind the curtain. The same hand that lifted her through shame and scarcity now sets her as a living trophy of grace. Christ does not waste chapters; He redeems them. And when we stand “in Christ alone,” we discover the gospel is not Christ plus our effort, but Christ our life—our Cornerstone, righteousness, and victory. He is not asking you to try harder, but to die deeper—so the old self yields and His life lives through you. Today, lay down the pen, give Him the page, and watch Him write what only resurrection power can author.
Yet the fiercest battleground is not out there; it is the six inches between our ears. Before sin is committed, it is considered; before victory appears, it is believed. Scripture calls us to surrender the control tower of our thoughts—renewing the mind (Romans 12:2), putting off the old patterns (Ephesians 4:22–23), fixing our gaze on Jesus (Isaiah 26:3), and guarding every thought (2 Corinthians 10:5). Submission is not weakness; it is worship. At Calvary, pride dies, fear loosens, and the mind is made new. When Christ rules our thinking, peace replaces panic, clarity quiets confusion, and grace flows unhindered—until the song we sing is not performance but transformation: “Lord, reign here first.” For the battle is won not by might, but by the renewing wind of His Spirit. When your mind bows to His truth, your whole life begins to rise in victory.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
When Your Mind Won’t Stop Racing
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
Some of the loudest storms never make a sound—they rage in the hidden corners of the mind. We replay yesterday’s words, rewrite tomorrow’s worries, and rehearse outcomes that never happen. Every “what-if” becomes another wave in an ocean of mental noise. But God invites us to step off that treadmill of thought and rest in His perfect sovereignty.
Anxiety thrives on the illusion of control. It tells us that if we think long enough, plan hard enough, or worry loud enough, we can keep bad things from happening. But stillness isn’t weakness—it’s worship. Stillness says, “God, I trust Your unseen hand more than my visible panic.” It’s surrender in motion, the quiet confidence that the One who holds the stars can hold our circumstances too.
The enemy’s favorite weapon isn’t always destruction—it’s distraction. If he can keep your mind racing, he can keep your faith from resting. He knows that a restless mind produces a weary soul. That’s why God calls us to a different kind of strength—the strength that stands still. When your thoughts bow to His sovereignty, your heart begins to breathe again. Peace doesn’t come when the storm stops; it comes when you finally stop fighting the storm within.
When the disciples panicked in the storm (Mark 4:35–41), Jesus slept—because He trusted His Father’s authority over the waves. The storm wasn’t stronger than the Savior; it only revealed who was resting in His power. Every crash of thunder exposed the contrast between human fear and divine faith. Jesus’ calm wasn’t ignorance of the storm—it was intimacy with the Father. He didn’t need to wake up and find peace; He was peace, even while the boat rocked.
Likewise, our panic often comes when we forget who’s already in the boat. We try to bail water with our own hands instead of realizing that the One who made the sea is seated right beside us. The moment the disciples cried out, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” Jesus arose—not because He was unaware, but because He wanted them to see His authority firsthand. The same voice that created the sea now commands it to be still in you.
A pilot once said, “It’s not the turbulence that brings a plane down—it’s the pilot who panics.” The instruments may shake, the wings may rattle, but the flight is safe as long as the one in command keeps his composure. When your thoughts spiral and panic grips the cockpit of your soul, let Christ be the Pilot. He has never once lost control of a storm. The winds obey Him. The waves recognize Him. And your heart will too when you yield the controls back to His hands.
Think of your mind as a dashboard full of blinking lights—notifications, reminders, fears. When every light demands your attention, you can’t see the horizon. But when you lift your eyes to Christ, the clutter fades, and His peace becomes your flight path. He doesn’t always remove the turbulence, but He teaches you to fly through it with faith. Prayer: Lord, calm the storm within me. Quiet the racing thoughts that keep me from hearing Your voice. Teach me to rest in Your sovereignty when I can’t control my surroundings. Let Your peace guard my mind like a watchman through the night. When I start to fear what’s ahead, remind me that You’ve already gone before me. I surrender every anxious thought into Your capable hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer: Lord, calm the storm within me. Quiet the racing thoughts that keep me from hearing Your voice. Teach me to rest in Your sovereignty when I can’t control my surroundings. Let Your peace guard my mind like a watchman through the night. When I start to fear what’s ahead, remind me that You’ve already gone before me. I surrender every anxious thought into Your capable hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Challenge: Every time your thoughts begin to race today, whisper, “God is in control.” Say it slowly—once for every breath—until your soul starts believing what your lips declare. Write this truth somewhere visible: “I don’t have to think my way out—I can trust my way through.” Then take five minutes to sit in silence before God. No music, no phone, no distractions—just stillness. You’ll be amazed how loudly peace begins to speak when your mind finally stops shouting.
MONDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
The Barksdale Family
Dorie Loyd
Deon Lotter
Mike Bryan
Mike Hollinhead
Nancy Brown – Rehab
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
Darlene Wiggins
Debbie Foskey
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