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

SUNDAY SUMMARY

This morning we move from the PROMISE of the PROPHECY to the MESSAGE of the MANGER—from Eden’s first word of hope to Bethlehem’s first cry of grace. All through Scripture, God has been preaching 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 our loneliest places; manna preached daily dependence; the potter’s wheel preached that broken lives can be reshaped; the cross preached that love is stronger than sin; and the empty tomb preached that death has lost and Christ is alive forevermore. From Genesis to Revelation, creation itself becomes God’s pulpit, and He still preaches today—through hospital rooms, car rides home in tears, kitchen tables where families open the Bible, and all the ordinary places where He meets us.

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 quietly preached that the King of glory chose the lowest place to meet the lowest hearts; that no one is too low, too ashamed, or too tangled for Jesus to reach; that God does not enter through the front doors of pride, but steps gently into humble, hidden places and fills them with His glory. The manger’s sermon is clear: Christ is not hard to reach; He came down so you could come near. If God can preach through wood and straw, He can preach through your cancer room, your classroom, your job at the plant, your stay-at-home season, your wheelchair, your widowhood. He waits, not for your perfection, but for your surrender. Bring Him your lowest place, your “nothing,” and 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, and the invitation of this sermon is simple: come as you are, let the message of the manger become the message of your heart, and let Jesus change you forever.

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.

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Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Slow Down So You Can See Him Again

“Be still, and know that I am God…” — Psalm 46:10

Christmas Gets Noisy Because We Do

Christmas doesn’t get noisy because God gets louder—it gets noisy because we do. December has a way of piling up expectations like snowdrifts: Amazon boxes at the door, school programs that all land in the same week, pressure at work to “finish the year strong,” and a grocery list long enough to feed the entire neighborhood. We rush from one obligation to another, brushing past the very God who came near.

How many Decembers have slipped by in a blur? How many Christmas Eves were you physically present—but mentally exhausted? How many times did Jesus whisper, “Spend time with Me,” and your heart replied, “After this next thing…”? He is not found in the frantic, but in the still. The miracle of Christmas is not discovered by those who move fastest, but by those who are willing to stop and look.

God Speaks Best Into a Quieted Heart

The shepherds did not run until after they heard. Mary did not serve until she had pondered. Joseph did not obey until he had rested long enough to dream. Every major movement in the Christmas story began with stillness, not motion.

Today, stillness is rare. Our phones buzz like a second heartbeat. The world screams “urgent,” even when nothing is truly important. We check messages before our feet hit the floor. Some believers go an entire week without five uninterrupted minutes of silence in God’s presence. But God has not changed. He still speaks clearest to hearts that slow down long enough to listen. A quieted soul becomes a Bethlehem of its own—small, humble, still, but full of His glory.

This Christmas Must Be Different

If you want this Christmas to feel different, you cannot live it the same way. You cannot worship deeply while running on empty. You cannot hear God clearly if your soul is constantly vibrating with hurry, noise, and distraction. Imagine this: You sit in the living room before anyone wakes up. The tree is lit. The house is still. You breathe slowly. Tears come—not because you’re overwhelmed, but because for the first time all month, your soul remembers who this season is really about. Jesus came quietly. He still arrives quietly. And He reveals Himself most deeply to hearts that refuse to rush past Him. This year, let the miracle of Christmas happen inside you, not just around you.

Prayer: Jesus, You who came in the quiet of a Bethlehem night—low my heart until it matches the rhythm of Yours. Silence the noise that crowds You out. Pull my mind away from everything urgent and anchor it in what is eternal. Lord, I confess how easily I hurry past You. I fill my days, my schedule, my thoughts, until there is no Bethlehem left in me—no stillness, no wonder, no room. But today, I stop. I breathe. I wait for You. Make my heart a humble manger again, a place where You are welcomed, wanted, and worshiped. Let Your peace settle over me like fresh snow. Let Your voice rise above the noise. Let Your presence fill every quiet place within me. Jesus, I don’t want a Christmas filled with activity—I want a Christmas filled with You. Slow me down until I see You clearly again. Amen.

Challenge: Take five minutes of silence today—no phone, no music, no multitasking. Just breathe, listen, and whisper: “Lord, I don’t want to rush past You this Christmas.”

MONDAY’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