September Theme – The Mind of Christ:                                                                                                      Breaking Free From Earthly Thinking to Embrace Christ’s Mind

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY  

There are days when the load of sorrow, failure, and fear feels like a ceiling dropping toward our chest, and every prayer evaporates before it finds a word. Effort seems pointless; the heart mutters, “I’m done.” Yet right at the point of collapse, God stoops into our dust. He stands between us and the serpent’s accusations, steadies our chin when shame forces our eyes to the floor, and sets us on heights we could never climb above the tide of anxiety. The good news is not that we prove ourselves strong, but that we are held by One who is: Christ grips us when our hands slip, bears us when our legs give out, and wraps us in faithful love until hope rises and we stand again.

GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Drowning in the Dark Waters

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” — Isaiah 43:2

The Drag of the Current
Your feet search for stones that aren’t there. The river grabs your legs like ropes and yanks you sideways. Cold water climbs—waist, chest, throat. Your chest tightens; your prayer is bubbles. The flood hisses, “This is where you end.” Then—He is beside you. The Shepherd plants His feet like bedrock; the surge rips past Him and loses its voice. His hand closes around your wrist; your head breaks the surface; breath returns. He hoists you onto a ledge you could not reach. From this Rock, the river that ruled you runs beneath you. Your breathing steadies; your pulse takes its rhythm from His calm. And when the current reaches for you again, you set your eyes on the Shepherd, step where He steps, and the water slides past like a story already told.

The Undertow of Memory
Night comes, and with it the black water of what-ifs and if-onlys. Regret pulls like an undertow you can’t see but feel. You sink by inches—one heavy thought at a time. Suddenly a warmth in the icy dark: His presence. He wraps you in Himself and speaks your name. Shame loosens; panic quiets. He steps upward through the deep—each step a promise—and sets you on a high cliff of mercy. From there you notice: the waves still move, but they no longer move you. What once dragged you under becomes a testimony—a thin silver ribbon pointing back to the Rock. And when the undertow reaches for you again, you anchor your mind to His promise and it slips away like water off stone.

The Rip Current of Temptation
The water looks calm, then a sideways pull snatches you—just this once… no one will know. You fight wrong and tire fast. Over the roar you see a scarlet line cutting the current—the rope of the Cross. You grab; He bears the weight. You are not escaping on your strength; you are being rescued by His. He straps the life-jacket of His Word around your mind and walks you to shore. Temptation still calls from the surf, but your feet stand on covenant sand. Your hunger shifts from the thrill of the pull to the safety of His presence; what once glittered in the foam goes dull in His light. And when the rip rises again, you lean your whole mind into His nail-scarred grip, fix your gaze where the Cross meets the horizon, and the wave folds at your feet like a spent lie.

Prayer: Lord, when the waters overwhelm me, lift me to the Rock that is higher than I. Drown the lies, steady my breath, and keep my mind above the flood in Jesus’ name. Speak “Peace, be still” to the storm within, and anchor my thoughts to Your truth. Guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus; let Your Word be the lamp that cuts through the dark. Teach me to take every thought captive, to trade panic for Your presence and fear for Your perfect love. Turn what threatened to drown me into a testimony beneath my feet. Fill me with Your Spirit, keep me near, and carry me safely through. Amen.

Challenge: Each time you feel “swept under” today, pause and say aloud: “This flood will not have the last word—my Shepherd carries me.” Breathe in: “You are with me.” Breathe out: “Lead me to the Rock.”

WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Gayle Sparks

Ron And Johnnie Barry – Friends Of Ashton & Glenda Bateman

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

Debbie Foskey  

James Parker

Jessica Headrick   

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda  

Linda Mays       

Sheila Simmons  

Darlene Wiggins

Doris Loyd

Dr. and Mrs. Davis

Eric Magnusson’s Mother

Eric Ward

Friend of Linda Hodge

George & Linda Alexander 

James Burnette

James Garner

Jason Parker  

John McClain’s Mother

John Parillo

June Cronan’s Sister

June Davis

Kailey Bateman

Kathryn Raines

Lee Cronan

Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom

Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah 

Lonzo Christian 

Lori Blount’s Mother

Mary Williams

Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom

Mrs. Franklin 

Nora Allison

Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA

Sadie Almand 

Scott Lanier 

Scotty Nix

Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shellnutts

Steve Michaels

Tom Witcher