2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”
MARCH THEME: SEEING SCRIPTURE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE
March is not just about reading the Bible differently — it is about a family choosing to build their home around God’s truth instead of their own ideas. From a parent’s perspective, bringing children to Awana and church is not about raising good reciters, but about raising steady believers whose lives are shaped by Scripture. The goal is not perfect memory but planted hearts, trusting that even one hidden verse can anchor a lifetime of decisions. Rather than asking God to adjust His Word to fit their schedule, they are asking Him to shape their schedule, attitudes, and choices around His Word. In a world filled with confusion and fear, they believe the greatest gift they can give their children is not success or applause, but a light strong enough to guide every step.
SUNDAY’S SERVICE SUMMARY
From heaven’s vantage point, this year has not been about events but about alignment—teaching us to see life through God’s unchanging authority while the nations tremble and headlines shift. When conflict rises in places like Iran and fear tries to mentor our thoughts, we remember that the Lord reigns and Scripture, not panic, interprets the world for us. In January He corrected how we view prayer, in February how we view stewardship, and now in March He is correcting how we view His Word—not adjusting the Bible to fit us, but adjusting us to fit it. We repent of familiarity, distraction, and pride, choosing instead to pray for our leaders, submit to God’s order, and refuse rebellion dressed as discernment. And as we sang “Break Thou the Bread of Life,” we did not for information but for transformation—hungering for revelation that silences culture, steadies fear, and anchors our lives under the authority of His Word.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Opinion Has Become Your Authority
Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Most believers do not reject Scripture outright — they override it. We rarely declare that we disagree with the Bible. Instead, we consult our feelings first. We weigh convenience. We compare culture. We calculate outcomes. And once our decision is already formed, we sprinkle a verse on top and call it spiritual. Unchecked opinion quietly becomes authority, and self-authority is a subtle cancer. It does not erupt loudly; it erodes slowly. It weakens reverence, softens obedience, and gradually shifts the throne of your heart from God’s Word to your own understanding. The issue is not whether you own a Bible — the issue is whether it governs you.
Leaning is subtle.
Proverbs does not warn against ignorance; it warns against self-reliance. You do not collapse dramatically onto your understanding — you shift weight onto it gradually. You begin to trust your reasoning more than His revelation. You filter Scripture through your preferences rather than submitting your preferences to Scripture. Leaning feels reasonable. It feels intelligent. It feels responsible. But your understanding has limits. Your perspective is partial. Your emotions fluctuate. God’s Word does not. When you lean on your understanding, you become the final authority. And whenever you become the authority, obedience becomes negotiable.
Opinion in itself is not evil, but when elevated above Scripture, it becomes idolatrous.
We say things like, “I feel peace about it,” or “It makes sense to me,” or “Everyone else is doing it.” But peace is not proof of obedience. Logic is not lordship. Popularity is not permission. When personal opinion governs your decisions, reverence fades and conviction dulls. The Bible becomes advisory instead of authoritative. You consult it, but you do not submit to it. Self-authority feels empowering at first, but over time it produces instability, because when your opinion rules, your direction shifts with every mood, season, and circumstance. God never asked you to trust your analysis; He asked you to trust Him.
The real question is not whether you believe the Bible.
The real question is whether the Bible overrides you. In your last major decision — about marriage, finances, parenting, relationships, or ministry — did you truly submit to Scripture, or did you search for validation? Submission feels slower. It requires surrender before strategy and obedience before outcome. But trusting the Lord with all your heart means you stop leaning before you start planning. There is only room for one King on the throne of your heart.
Imagine building a house while treating the blueprint as optional. You glance at it occasionally but adjust measurements to what feels right. You move walls based on convenience. You ignore structural instructions because they seem restrictive. The house may appear stable at first, but when storms come and weight increases, what was casually altered becomes dangerously unstable. Scripture is the blueprint. Your opinion is not load-bearing.
Most believers do not burn their Bibles; they simply override them. They lean. They justify. They reinterpret. They negotiate conviction. And slowly, the throne shifts. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart” is not a poetic suggestion — it is a command to surrender fully. Not partially. Not selectively. Not when convenient. With all your heart. Because when opinion becomes authority, instability follows. But when Scripture governs you, direction becomes clear and peace becomes anchored.
WARFARE PRAYER: Lord, break my dependence on my own understanding. Expose every place where my opinion has replaced Your authority. Tear down every mental stronghold that exalts my reasoning above Your Word. Silence the voice of convenience and culture that pressures compromise. Teach me to surrender before I strategize and to submit before I decide. Reclaim the throne of my heart and let Your Word govern my thoughts, decisions, and direction. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Today, before making any decision — large or small — pause and ask yourself: What does Scripture clearly say? Am I seeking guidance or validation? Have I surrendered, or am I leaning? Refuse to lean. Choose to trust. Let the Word govern you.
TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Roy Roach
Paul Bateman
Baby Mary Marin – Home – A Miracle
Britany Smith ~ Breast Cancer
Jason Gibson
John McClain’s Mother
Phillip Roach – Linda & Luther’s Son – Cancer
Darlene Kelley – Cancer Treatment
Christopher Kelley
Don And Carol Franklin – Mae’s Uncle
Ed Franklin’s Son In Law – Heart Surgery
Gloria Young
Jean Partee
Sandra Mitchell
Tammy Shelnutt
Amy Garner’s Dad
Bentley Smith – Broken Leg
Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers
Joni Oberhage
Linda Mays
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Brando Echarte
Debbie Foskey
Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David
Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards
Jake Jenkins
June Cronan
Jean Partee’s Sister
Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda
Deon Lotter
Doris Loyd
Nancy Brown
Annette Ford
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Angela Bryan’s Sisters
Ann Stanley
Danny Jarrard
Darlene Wiggins
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
James Burnette
Jessica Headrick
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kim McClain’s Mother
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
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
Scott Lanier
Scotty Nix
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher