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

Please begin preparing your hearts now for a deeply special morning together this Christmas Sunday, December 21 at 10:30 AM. There will be no Sunday School, so we can come with unhurried hearts, ready to savor the sweet presence of our Lord. We will gather around the Lord’s Table for a beautiful Christmas Communion, remembering that the Child of Bethlehem came for the Cross of Calvary. Our choir will lead us in powerful Christmas worship, lifting songs that draw our eyes, not to the sentiment of the season, but to the Savior who stepped out of glory for us. Let this be a morning of awe, a morning of worship, a morning where Heaven feels especially near. Come expecting the wonder of Christmas, the warmth of God’s people, and the presence of Jesus that melts every burden and fills every heart with hope. Invite someone, come early, and enter with anticipation—Christmas Sunday is coming, and we cannot wait to worship Him with you.

SERMON SUMMARY

This morning, we moved from the promise of prophecy to the message of the manger—from the first hint of hope in Eden to the first breath of grace in Bethlehem. All through Scripture, God has whispered His greatest truths through ordinary things: a bush that burned, a boat that floated, bread that fell, and a wheel that spun. These silent sermons remind us that God often speaks loudest through the simple and the overlooked. And at the center of them all stands the manger—a rough, forgotten trough that became Heaven’s most unexpected pulpit. It tells us that the King of glory stepped into the lowest place so He could lift the lowest hearts. It announces that no story is too tangled and no soul too distant for Christ to enter. It assures us that God does not wait for our worthiness—He comes to the place where we’re most empty. And if He could fill wood and straw with glory, He can fill your weary places, your silent battles, and your aching nights with His redeeming presence.

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 blesses—but strengthens marriages long after Christmas is past? Even the healthiest marriages need regular moments to pause, reflect, and realign their hearts with Christ. Strong couples aren’t exempt from drift; they simply choose regular “checkups” to stay grounded, grateful, and growing together. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give a thriving marriage is the opportunity to grow even stronger—deeper communication, renewed tenderness, fresh spiritual connection, and intentional time with God and one another. If the Lord brings a couple to your mind—whether they’re flourishing or simply wanting to build an even stronger foundation—consider sharing this Christ-centered resource with them:   31-Day Reset for Struggling Marriages by Pastor Counselor Nolan Jackson. It’s a tool that encourages reflection, strengthens unity, and equips couples to build marriages that last a lifetime. A gift not just for struggling homes—but for strong homes that want to stay strong.

1

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Worship With Your Whole Heart, Not Your Holiday Habits

“O come, let us worship and bow down…” — Psalm 95:

Too many Christmas services are attended with hearts on autopilot. We know the songs by memory. We know the order of service before the first note is played. We know the rhythm of December so well that we stop listening for the voice of the One we came to worship. But Christmas worship was never meant to be familiar—it was meant to be transformational. It should not feel routine; it should feel holy. The first Christmas was filled with trembling shepherds, startled angels, and a teenage girl overwhelmed by God’s presence. Nobody showed up casually. Nobody worshiped carelessly. Every heart was awake.

What We Carry In

Think about the difference between their world and ours. People walk into church today carrying phones buzzing with sale alerts, minds overloaded with schedules, and hearts weighed down by family pressure, grief, or exhaustion. But the shepherds walked into Jesus’ presence holding nothing but awe. They didn’t arrive prepared—they arrived undone. Their worship wasn’t polished; it was pure. And maybe this year, God wants to strip away everything polished so He can restore everything pure.

What God Deserves

Holiday habits make worship predictable, but God is anything but predictable. He stepped into the world through a virgin’s womb, laid in a borrowed manger, and surrounded Himself with the overlooked and the unknown. He deserves more than songs sung from memory—He deserves praise poured out from adoration.
Worship is not singing about God; it is surrendering to Him. It is bowing before the King who left heaven to be held by human hands. It is giving Him not just our voice, but our heart… not just our attendance, but our affection.

What He Wants to Do in You

What if, this year, worship wasn’t something you attended—but something you entered? What if the Nativity didn’t just warm your heart—but woke your spirit? What if the Holy Spirit whispered through a familiar carol and opened a door of healing you didn’t know you needed? What if you walked in carrying stress, but walked out carrying peace? This Christmas, Jesus doesn’t want your tradition—He wants your attention. He doesn’t want your perfect performance—He wants your presence. He delights in the soul that comes humbly, honestly, and wholly His.

Prayer: Lord, awaken my heart this Christmas. Shake me out of routine and pull me into wonder. Let my worship rise from gratitude, awe, and hunger for more of You. I refuse to give You casual praise—I give You my whole heart. Meet me in worship and make this Christmas a holy encounter with Your presence.

Challenge: At your next service, prepare your heart in the car. Pray out loud: “Lord, I refuse to worship You casually today.” Walk into His house expecting to encounter Him—not just Christmas tradition,
but the living Christ who still transforms lives.

THURSDAY’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