OCTOBER THEME – “Crucified with Christ: Dying to Self, Living to God”
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
God has never once improvised your story. Long before your first breath, He was composing a masterpiece—thread by thread, joy by sorrow, light by shadow—until every strand revealed His glory and your good. The story of a once-forgotten girl—born amid chaos, pursued by mercy, anchored in God’s house, and called to walk beside a preacher’s heart—proves that Heaven never drafts in pencil. What we mistake for detours are often divine directions. The hand that lifted her from despair now sets her as a living chapter of grace. Christ never discards a broken page; He rewrites it in blood and resurrection power. The gospel is not Jesus enhancing our effort—it is Jesus exchanging our life for His. He is not asking you to do better but to bow deeper, until self-sufficiency dies and His Spirit breathes through surrendered flesh. So today, stop editing the script. Place the pen in His nail-scarred hand and let Him write what only redemption could imagine.
But the fiercest front line is not the world around us—it’s the battlefield within us. The war for control is waged in the mind before it ever shows in behavior. Every defeat begins as a thought; every victory begins as belief. Scripture calls us to yield the cockpit of our reasoning—to renew our minds (Romans 12:2), discard the worn-out lies (Ephesians 4:22–23), and fix our eyes on the One who steadies storms (Isaiah 26:3). True submission is not surrender to loss—it’s surrender to life. At Calvary, pride bows, fear breaks, and the mind is remade. When Christ governs your thoughts, panic gives way to peace, confusion yields to clarity, and grace flows like a steady current through the soul. Then worship becomes more than a song—it becomes your sanity. For victory is not earned by effort, but released through renewal. When the mind bows to His truth, the heart finally rises to His triumph.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
When You Feel Disrespected or Overlooked
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 2:5
The Hidden Gift of Obscurity
Few wounds cut deeper than being unseen. You give, serve, sacrifice—and still go unnoticed. But being hidden is not being forgotten. God often does His greatest shaping in obscurity. Jesus, who deserved all honor, chose humility and servanthood. When you feel overlooked, remember that Heaven never misses faithfulness done in secret. The waiting place becomes the worship place when your heart chooses humility over validation. The applause of man fades quickly, but the approval of God echoes through eternity.
Heaven Sees What Earth Ignores
Being disregarded doesn’t disqualify you; it develops you. God never wastes a season of silence. He uses it to polish motives, purify desires, and prepare hearts. What you call being sidelined, Heaven calls being sanctified. Every unnoticed act of love and service is a seed that will bloom in due time. Others may not see your tears or your toil, but God collects every one. Stay steady—He is watching the faithfulness that no one else applauds, and He will honor it in His perfect time.
Humility Is the Pathway to Promotion
The world teaches us to demand recognition; Christ teaches us to defer it. To feel disrespected yet respond with grace is to live like Jesus. The proud strive to be noticed; the humble serve to be useful. When you release your need for validation, God can trust you with greater visibility. True elevation always begins in hidden surrender. Your silence in offense is not weakness—it’s worship. Every time you choose humility, you declare, “My worth comes from God, not people.”
David was forgotten by his own father when Samuel came to anoint the next king (1 Samuel 16). Yet God saw him tending sheep and declared, “Arise, anoint him.” Man’s dismissal never cancels God’s destiny.
A jeweler polishes diamonds in low light because bright light hides the flaws. God refines us in hidden seasons so our brilliance won’t blind us later.
Prayer: Father, when I feel unseen or undervalued, remind me that Your eyes are always upon me. Teach me to serve with joy even when no one applauds, knowing You are preparing me for Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Challenge: Today, intentionally bless someone who has overlooked or hurt you. Speak encouragement instead of offense, and let humility silence pride.
TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
The Barksdale Family – Bobbi Jackson’s Brother In Law Passed Away
Doris 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
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