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

You don’t want to miss this Sunday—the final service of 2025. God’s Word promises a foundation for the year ahead that can truly change how you live.

This focus is not about learning how to manage life more efficiently—it is about learning how to see life more clearly. As we step into 2026, God is calling us to lift our eyes above pressure, fear, and reaction, and to begin living from His perspective. This will be a year of holy realignment—where hearts are gently corrected, faith is strengthened, and trust replaces striving. God is inviting us to rest in His wisdom, rely on His ways, and respond to every season with confidence rooted in Him. We will begin this journey in January with Prayer from God’s Perspective, because prayer is where vision is restored and hearts are reshaped. This is not about getting God to agree with us; it is about allowing Him to bring our hearts into agreement with His will. What God is preparing to do among us will require clear spiritual sight, surrendered hearts, and a listening spirit.

This Sunday we will cast vision for 2026, share where God is leading us, introduce a clear and life-giving way to read the Bible throughout the year, and invite you into a sacred moment that may quietly—but profoundly—transform how you walk with God. Special music by Miss Mae will help prepare our hearts as we worship, listen, realign, and step forward together into a season of renewed faith and holy clarity.

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY

This morning we did not gather to watch a performance—we stepped onto holy ground. Through worship and song, we were drawn into God’s redemptive story from Bethlehem to the cross and the empty tomb. As we came to the Lord’s Table, the room grew still with reverence; hearts were examined, grace was received anew, and lives were surrendered. Faith was renewed, decisions were made, and we left rejoicing that Emmanuel has come, Emmanuel has saved, and Emmanuel reigns—changed by the presence of God among His people.

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

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Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Carry Christmas Forward

“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” — Luke 2:19
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” — John 1:14
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” — Hebrews 13:8

Christmas is not a moment to be admired and then set aside—it is a miracle meant to be carried. While the shepherds returned to their fields and the wise men went back to their journeys, Mary did something quieter and far more lasting: she kept what God had done. She carried the wonder, the promise, and the presence of Christ in her heart long after the angels’ song faded. The birth of Jesus was not merely an event to remember, but a reality to live from. In the same way, God calls us not to pack Christmas away with decorations, but to let it shape our ordinary days.

Christmas Begins in the Heart

Mary teaches us that the work of God is often preserved internally before it is displayed outwardly. Scripture says she pondered these things—she reflected, prayed, and treasured them. The miracle did not end in the manger; it took root in her heart. Many miss this truth: spiritual power is sustained by inward devotion, not outward celebration. If Christmas never moves beyond tradition, it fades quickly. But when Christ is welcomed into the heart, His presence remains steady through every season.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” — Proverbs 4:23

Christmas Walks With Us Into Ordinary Life

The Christ of Christmas did not stay in Bethlehem. He walked into Nazareth, into obscurity, into carpentry shops, and into daily life. That same Jesus walks with us into workplaces, hospital rooms, difficult conversations, and unanswered prayers. Christmas assures us that God is not only present in holy moments, but in ordinary ones. Emmanuel—God with us—means God with us on Mondays, in trials, and in seasons that feel anything but magical.

“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” — Matthew 28:20

Carrying Christmas Requires Intentional Living

Mary’s example shows us that what we carry shapes how we live. To carry Christmas forward means choosing Christ-centered responses when the world encourages self-centered ones. It means speaking grace instead of frustration, choosing forgiveness over offense, and hope over fear. The miracle we celebrate must become the message we demonstrate. Christmas continues wherever Christ is allowed to rule—not just in worship services, but in attitudes, priorities, and relationships.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 2:5

Christmas was never meant to be confined to a calendar date. It is the ongoing reality of God stepping into human life and remaining there. When the lights are put away and routines return, the presence of Jesus does not diminish. Like Mary, we are called to keep what God has done alive within us. Carrying Christmas forward means living daily from the truth that God is near, God is faithful, and God is at work—still.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Son and the miracle of Your nearness. Help me to carry the wonder of Christmas into every day that follows. Guard my heart, shape my responses, and let my life quietly reflect Your presence. May Christ be seen in me long after the season has passed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge: This week, choose one intentional way each day to reflect Christ—extend kindness where it isn’t expected, offer forgiveness where it is difficult, or speak encouragement where there is weariness. Let Christmas live on through you.

FRIDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Cheryl Knight’s Brother Passed on Tuesday

Marsha Layfield

Amy Garner’s Dad

Brando Echarte

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  

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