DECEMBER THEME — FROM CHRISTMAS TO CALVARY – The Story Love Wrote
SERMON SUMMARY
This morning we move from the promise of the prophecy to the message of the manger—from Eden’s first whisper of hope to Bethlehem’s first cry of grace. Throughout Scripture, God has preached some of His greatest sermons through simple, silent things. The burning bush preached that when God shows up, ordinary ground becomes holy. Noah’s ark preached that judgment is real but grace always provides a door. Jacob’s stone pillow preached that God is near even in lonely places. Manna preached that our Father wants us to depend on Him daily. The potter’s wheel preached that broken lives can be reshaped in His hands. The cross preached that love is stronger than sin. The empty tomb preached that death has lost and Christ is alive forevermore. Creation has always been God’s pulpit. And He still preaches today through hospital rooms where tears fall, car rides where prayers rise, and kitchen tables where families open His Word. At the center of all these “sermons” stands the manger—a rough, forgotten feeding trough that became a pulpit of grace. For over 2,000 years, the manger has preached that the King of glory chose the lowest place to reach the lowest hearts. It preaches that no one is too low, too ashamed, or too tangled for Jesus to meet. It preaches that God does not enter through the front doors of pride, but through humble, hidden places where His glory loves to dwell. The manger declares that Christ is not hard to reach, because He came down so we could come near. And if God can preach through wood and straw, He can preach through your cancer room, your classroom, your job at the plant, your wheelchair, or your widowhood. He is not waiting for your perfection—He is waiting for your surrender. Bring Him your lowest place, your emptiness, your “nothing.” Watch Him turn it into glory. The manger is not a decoration—it is God’s declaration of how far His love will bend to reach you.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Friends, would you help me pray today about giving a gift that not only gives—but keeps on giving? Marriages all around us are hurting, and the greatest gift we can offer is helping couples put Christ back at the center of their home. If the Lord brings a couple to your mind, consider sharing this life-changing resource with them: 31-Day Reset for Struggling Marriages by Pastor Counselor Nolan Jackson.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Love Someone Who Cannot Pay You Back
“…remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
We often say Christmas is about giving—but in practice, it quietly becomes about exchanging. We buy for people who buy for us, bless those who bless us, and naturally give where we know the kindness will return. But Jesus came for people who could never repay Him. That is the heart of Christmas generosity.
True Giving Is One-Way Love
Real love does not calculate. It doesn’t wait for repayment or recognition. Jesus washed feet that would later run, healed people who never said thank You, and died for sinners who rejected Him. When you give where nothing comes back—not even gratitude—you join the kind of love that changes the world.
The People Needing Love Often Stand Out the Least
This week you’ll see someone exhausted behind a register, someone holding back tears at the gas pump, someone who feels invisible in a crowded store, or someone who slips into church alone. Heaven always bends toward the overlooked. Jesus chose shepherds—society’s lowest—to receive the first Christmas announcement so we would remember: God notices the people we forget.
Your Gift May Be the Answer to Someone’s Silent Prayer
Someone today is asking God for a sign that they matter. Someone is praying, “Lord, do You see me?” Your kindness—a meal, a tank of gas, a gentle word, a patient response—may become the exact moment they realize God has not forgotten them. The greatest gifts this Christmas won’t be wrapped—they will be sacrificial moments of compassion that cost something: time, pride, patience, money, or comfort.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You loved me long before I could ever love You back. This Christmas, open my eyes to the unnoticed, the overwhelmed, and the overlooked. Give me a heart that reflects Yours—a heart that gives quietly, humbly, and sacrificially. Lead me today to someone who feels alone or forgotten, and let my kindness become a reminder of Your love. Use my hands, my words, and my generosity to answer a prayer someone is too weary to speak. Help me give without expecting anything in return, just as You gave Yourself for me. In Your precious name, amen.
Challenge: Today, intentionally bless one person who cannot bless you back—a stranger, a single parent, a struggling coworker, a frustrated cashier, or someone isolated. No credit. No applause. Just love in Jesus’ name.
TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Betty Hammock
Brando Echarte
Cheryl Knight’s Brother
Debbie Foskey
Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David
Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards
Gloria Young
Jake Jenkins
June Cronan
Louise Jackson – Richard’s Sister – Home
Jean Partee’s Sister
Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda
Deon Lotter
Doris Loyd
Nancy Brown
Amy Garner’s Dad
Annette Ford
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Angela Bryan’s Sisters
Ann Stanley
Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers
Danny Jarrard
Darlene Wiggins
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
Linda Alexander
James Burnette
Jessica Headrick
John McClain’s Mother
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kim McClain’s Mother
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
Lee Cronan
Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom
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
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher