NOVEMBER THEME — Worship Is Your Most Powerful Weapon
FALL FESTIVAL – THIS SUNDAY – 5:00 – 8:00
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
There comes a holy moment when faith loosens its grip, and what once felt like loss becomes liberty. Surrender is not the end of strength—it is the beginning of divine exchange. It is the quiet courage to release what was never mine to control, and to trust the Father who holds both the plan and the process. When my hands stop clinging, His peace rushes in like the calm after a storm. True surrender is not defeat; it is devotion. It is not bowing to circumstance but believing in sovereignty. To yield is not to quit—it is to confess that God writes better endings than I do. The freedom of surrender begins where the illusion of control finally breaks. In Gethsemane, Jesus showed us that victory is not earned by resistance but received through rest. The garden was not a place of escape, but of exchange—where self-will was crucified and divine will prevailed. Every “nevertheless” we whisper in our own dark night becomes an altar where heaven bends low and grace strengthens trembling hearts. God does not always remove the cup, but He always provides the grace to drink it. Surrender is not weak; it is warfare in its purest form. It dethrones pride and silences panic. It frees the heart from the tyranny of self and the slavery of control. When pride bows, grace rises; when our striving stops, God begins to move. What once looked like death becomes a doorway to resurrection. Every tear shed on the soil of surrender waters seeds of unshakable faith. The greatest worship is not found in applause but in abandonment—the whispered confession, “Lord, I trust You even here.” When we stop measuring outcomes and start magnifying obedience, the peace that passes understanding takes command. It is not the strong who win the will of God—it is the surrendered who are won by it. In that holy yielding, resurrection power is born. Surrender does not end in loss; it ends in life. What feels like burial is often the planting of something eternal. When we bow low, God stands tall. When we release, He reigns. The altar becomes our battlefield—the sacred ground where our will dies, His will lives, and freedom begins to sing.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Let Go of the Rope
“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” — Exodus 14:14
The Battle Between Control and Trust
The tug-of-war picture is my life: blistered hands, stubborn will, little movement. I call it perseverance; God calls me to release. Letting go does not mean losing—it means handing the rope back to the only One who never lost control. The Israelites couldn’t outthink Pharaoh’s army, but they could outtrust him—because faith stands still when flesh wants to strive. The more I thrash in the water, the harder it is for the Lifeguard to carry me; stillness is not passivity—it is consent to be rescued.
The Stillness That Opens Seas
I mistake noise for faith; heaven often meets me in silence. Control seems safe, but it keeps me in shallow peace and constant fatigue. Israel’s deliverance came not by noise or panic but by obedience and waiting. God parts seas for still hearts, not striving hands. Sometimes the sound of faith is quiet breathing in His presence, the whisper of surrender between clenched teeth. The Red Sea did not part because Israel engineered a plan; it opened because God honored a surrendered people led by a trusting shepherd.
The Freedom of Yielded Hands
Peace is not the reward for a solved problem; it is the gift for a yielded will. Every rope I refuse to drop becomes a leash that ties me to fear. Every time I let go, heaven proves that surrender isn’t weakness—it’s worship. Trust feels risky, yet it ushers me into God’s custody and calm. If I live clenched, I live small; if I open my hands, I make room for God’s grip. Today I choose to stop arguing with outcomes and start agreeing with God’s government over my heart.
Heart Check
- What rope am I burning my hands on right now?
- How do I confuse frantic activity with faithful obedience?
- Where do I need to practice stillness so the Lifeguard can carry me?
Prayer: Lord, I unclench my hands. Fight for me as I hold my peace. Govern my thoughts, settle my breath, and lift me with Your strong arm. Teach me to rest, to wait, and to trust that You part seas in Your time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Challenge: Practice a 5–5–5 today:
- Five minutes of Scripture (read Psalm 46)
- Five minutes of silence
- Five minutes of simple prayer: “Lord, I trust Your grip.”
WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Debbie Foskey – Surgery November 24th
George & Linda Alexander
Jessica Headrick
Sheila Simmons
Amanda Elliott
Brando Echarte
Danny Jarrard
Betty Hammock
Cheryl Knight’s Brother
Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene
Jean Partee’s Sister
Kathryn Rains
Deon Lotter
Doris Loyd
Nancy Brown
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
Darlene Wiggins
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
James Burnette
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
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 Shellnutts
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher