DECEMBER THEME — FROM CHRISTMAS TO CALVARY – The Story Love Wrote

”Friends, today I want to share a resource that has the power to transform hurting marriages. All of us know couples who are struggling—silent tension, emotional distance, repeated misunderstandings, or wounds that never seem to heal. That’s why I created the 31-Day Reset for Troubled Marriages: a daily journey of Scripture, reflection, prayer, and practical steps to help couples rebuild what’s been broken and rediscover the hope God promised.

This Reset is designed to guide them day by day—softening hearts, breaking strongholds, restoring communication, healing old wounds, and renewing covenant love. No marriage is beyond God’s reach, and every couple can find beauty for ashes when they take one humble step at a time.

If you know a couple who could benefit from this journey, please pass this link to them:

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQCQB2KS

Let’s help families heal, homes strengthen, and marriages experience the restoration only Jesus can bring.

— Pastor Nolan Jackson

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

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Waiting While Working

“Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” — Luke 12:43

While Israel waited for Messiah, faithful men and women still served—building, praying, teaching, raising children, and obeying God in their generation. Waiting did not mean sitting with folded hands; it meant being faithful with what God had given them until the promise was fulfilled. Jesus teaches the same principle about His return. He does not bless the servant who talks the most about His coming, but the one who is found “so doing”—serving, loving, giving, witnessing, forgiving, and building His kingdom.

Waiting for the Second Coming is not an excuse to withdraw from life; it is a call to invest your life in what matters most. Every act of kindness, every prayer whispered, every soul you point to Christ is part of how you wait. You are not killing time—you are sowing seed until the King appears.

Faithfulness in the Ordinary

Biblical waiting is never idle; it is lived out in the ordinary rhythms of life. Sometimes we imagine that only big, dramatic acts count for God—but Scripture shows otherwise. Ruth gleaned in fields. Joseph served in a prison. Daniel prayed behind closed doors. Mary raised Jesus in an ordinary home. Their faithfulness in the small places became part of God’s eternal plan. Your daily obedience—showing up, keeping your word, loving your family, doing your work with integrity—is part of how you wait for the Lord. Heaven measures faithfulness differently than the world does. God is glorified not just in the mountain moments, but in the consistent, unseen acts of obedience that no one applauds but Him.

Working With Kingdom Priorities

Waiting well means learning to reorder your life around what truly matters. It means asking: What will last when Jesus comes? What will matter in eternity? Many believers grow weary because they pour energy into things that drain them instead of things that strengthen them. But when your purpose shifts from self to service, from accumulation to eternal investment, your heart grows lighter. Serving others becomes joyful, not burdensome. Giving becomes worship, not obligation. Forgiving becomes freedom, not loss. Loving people becomes your mission, not your struggle. When Jesus returns, He is not looking for perfection—He is looking for servants who used whatever they had to advance His kingdom.

Faithfulness as Warfare

Working while waiting is not just discipline; it is spiritual warfare. The enemy wants you distracted, discouraged, disappointed, or disengaged. He wants you waiting passively, not working purposefully. But every time you pray for someone, darkness loses ground. Every time you share Christ, hell trembles. Every time you choose forgiveness over resentment, the enemy’s chains weaken. Every time you serve with humility instead of pride, heaven smiles. Faithfulness is not glamorous, but it is powerful. It keeps your heart ready, your mind steady, and your spirit alert. The most dangerous Christian to Satan’s kingdom is not the loudest—it is the one who quietly, consistently obeys God day after day.

Prayer: Lord, I don’t want to be a passive watcher; I want to be a faithful worker. Show me where You want me to serve, who You want me to bless, and how You want me to use my time. Protect me from spiritual laziness and distraction. When You come, let me be found “so doing” the will of God, not living for myself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge: Choose one practical act of service today—call someone who is lonely, encourage a struggling believer, share Christ with someone, or help meet a need. Do it consciously as part of “waiting well” for His return.

WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Amy Garner’s Father

June Cronan

Louise Jackson – Richard’s Sister – Open Heart Surgery

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

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  

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