2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”

This focus invites us into something deeper than learning new habits or managing better reactions—it calls us to see life as God sees it. Instead of responding to circumstances through emotion, culture, or pressure, we are being drawn into a year where our hearts are trained to recognize God’s wisdom, discern His purposes, and trust His ways. Throughout the year, God will gently but firmly challenge us to lift our eyes higher, realign our thinking, and discover what changes when heaven’s perspective begins to shape our decisions, priorities, and responses. We begin this journey in January with Prayer from God’s Perspective, because prayer is where vision is corrected and hearts are aligned. This season will stretch our understanding of prayer beyond asking and speaking into listening, surrendering, and transformation. Prayer is not about persuading God to move our way—it is about allowing Him to shape us to move His way. As we begin the year in prayer, we are laying a spiritual foundation that will sharpen our sight, steady our faith, and prepare us to walk through every season with clarity, discernment, and trust.

Don’t miss this Sunday as we cast vision for 2026. We will share the heart of where God is leading us, what it will mean to see life from His perspective, and how this year can become a turning point for spiritual growth. We will also introduce a special, church-wide way to read the Bible through in 2026, designed to be clear, doable, and deeply life-shaping. Come ready to listen, to align your heart, and to take the first step into a year of renewed vision and faith.

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY

This morning we did not gather to watch a performance—we stepped onto holy ground. Through the choir’s worship-filled music, we were drawn into God’s great redemptive story, from the promise of Eden to the hope born in Bethlehem, and onward to the cross, the empty tomb, and the sure promise of Christ’s return. Hearts were lifted as heaven seemed near, and the wonder of Emmanuel—God with us—was deeply felt. As we came to the Lord’s Table, the room grew still with reverence. Communion was sacred and unhurried as we examined our hearts and received anew the grace poured out through Christ’s broken body and shed blood. In worship and quiet surrender, decisions were made, faith was renewed, and lives were yielded to the Lord. We left rejoicing that Emmanuel had come, Emmanuel had saved, and Emmanuel reigns—and nothing is ever the same when God meets with His people.

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

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Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

When Heaven Breaks the Silence

“The people which sat in darkness saw great light.” — Matthew 4:16

When God Seems Quiet

There are seasons in life when God feels silent. Prayers rise, but answers do not come quickly. Questions linger, yet heaven seems still. Between the last words of the prophet Malachi and the first cries of a newborn Savior, there were four hundred years of silence. No fresh prophecy. No new revelation. No public movement of God. To human eyes, it may have seemed as though heaven had gone quiet. But Christmas reminds us of a powerful truth: God’s silence is never God’s absence. When God is quiet, He is not idle. When He is unseen, He is not uninvolved. Heaven may be silent—but heaven is always working.

Silence Does Not Mean God Has Stopped

The people of Israel waited generation after generation for God to speak again. Parents passed down promises to children who had never heard a prophet’s voice themselves. Many likely wondered if God had forgotten them. Yet Scripture reveals that during those silent years, God was still orchestrating history—aligning empires, fulfilling prophecies, preparing hearts, and setting the stage for redemption. God often does His deepest work before He says His next word. If you are in a season where prayers seem unanswered, do not assume God has stopped working. Silence is often the space where God prepares something greater than you expected.

God’s Light Often Breaks Forth Suddenly

The silence did not end gradually—it ended dramatically. A cry in Bethlehem shattered four centuries of quiet. Angels sang. Light pierced the darkness. Hope was born. God’s timing is never rushed, and it is never late. When God speaks, He speaks exactly when the moment is ready—when hearts are prepared, when circumstances are aligned, and when His glory will be fully revealed. If you feel like you have been sitting in darkness, remember this: light does not need permission to shine. When God breaks the silence, clarity often comes suddenly, not slowly.

Waiting Is Not Wasted Time

Waiting seasons shape us in ways that immediate answers never could. In silence, faith deepens. Trust matures. Dependence grows. God forms character long before He reveals direction. Many people want God to remove the silence, but God often wants to use it. If God has you waiting right now—waiting for healing, guidance, restoration, or peace—know that He is strengthening you in ways that will sustain what He is about to bring. Bethlehem proves this truth: what is born after silence is often stronger, purer, and more glorious.

Prayer: Lord, help me trust You when I cannot hear You. Help me believe that You are still working when I see no evidence. Teach me to rest in Your faithfulness during quiet seasons. Strengthen my faith while I wait, and prepare my heart for Your perfect timing. Amen.

Daily Practice: Spend five uninterrupted minutes in silence today. Do not ask God for anything. Do not explain your needs. Simply sit in His presence and rest, trusting that He is near—even when He is quiet.

The Silence Will Not Last Forever

The silence before Christ’s birth was not the end of the story—it was the setup for salvation. If heaven feels quiet today, take heart. God is still faithful. He is still near. And He will speak again. Light always follows darkness. Hope always follows waiting. And God always keeps His promises—right on time. Sit still. Trust deeply. Heaven knows exactly when to break the silence.

TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Brando Echarte

Cheryl Knight’s Brother

Debbie Foskey 

Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David

Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards

Luther Roach

Tammy Parker  

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