AUGUST THEME – “Experiencing God: From Knowing About Him to Walking With Him”

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY  

Sunday’s message didn’t just speak to my situation—it entered it. In a season where pain felt louder than hope and brokenness seemed permanent, I was reminded that God isn’t just a distant protector—He’s my present refuge. When I finally stopped striving and leaned into His presence, I didn’t feel judged—I felt held. The altar wasn’t a place of pressure—it was a place of peace. In that moment, I didn’t find a quick fix… I found Him. The Healer. The Restorer. The One who doesn’t ignore the damage but lovingly rebuilds from the inside out. And now, I know—what once looked like the end is just the beginning of a holy restoration under the wings of my Redeemer.

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

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

The Refuge that Rebuilds What’s Been Broken

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. —Psalm 62:6

Refuge isn’t just about hiding—it’s about healing. God’s refuge is not a place to escape and forget—it’s a sacred place where broken things are not discarded but restored. It’s where the shattered pieces of your soul are not swept under the rug, but picked up by the gentle hands of a Father who still sees purpose in them. He doesn’t just protect you from pain—He works right in the center of it, rebuilding what the enemy tried to destroy. His presence becomes a workshop for restoration, not a waiting room for denial. What you thought was the end of your story can become the foundation for a glorious new chapter. His hands know how to rebuild hearts that have been betrayed, hopes that have been crushed, and dreams that have collapsed under disappointment. God does not waste brokenness—He transforms it.

Your marriage may feel shattered. Your heart may barely be beating. The foundation you built your life on may feel cracked beyond repair. But in His presence, stones are turned into altars, and ashes into beauty. When you surrender the ruins, He brings the blueprint. He is the Rock beneath you when everything else collapses. He is the Defender around you when you feel vulnerable and exposed. He does not promise a painless path—but He guarantees a redemptive one. In His refuge, the pieces you thought were useless become part of a testimony far more powerful than if they had never been broken. Let Him rebuild what you cannot. Let Him write what you’ve stopped hoping for. What seems too damaged for you is not too difficult for Him.

Prayer:  God, I bring You the ruins. I bring You the broken pieces that I’ve tried to hold together on my own. I don’t know how to start again, but I know You are the Master Builder. Rebuild my heart, my hope, and my home from the inside out. Make beauty from what’s been crushed, and turn these ruins into a testimony of Your glory.

Challenge: Write down one area in your life that feels too broken to fix. Speak Psalm 62:6 over it daily this week—and expect God to begin rebuilding.

FRIDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

The Sigmon Family in passing of their 12 year old daughter, Bria

Jessica Headrick – Surgery went well

Sheila Simmons

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda – Good News

Linda Mays – Rehab    

Debbie Foskey – Home

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shellnutts

Angela Bryan’s Sister

Ann Stanley – Home

Danny Jarrard 

Darlene Wiggins

Doris Loyd

Dr. and Mrs. Davis

Eric Magnusson’s Mother

Eric Ward

Friend of Linda Hodge

Gayle Sparks

George & Linda Alexander 

James Burnette

James Garner

Jason Parker  

John McClain’s Mother

John Parillo

June Cronan’s Sister

June Davis

Kailey Bateman

Kathryn Raines

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Lee Cronan

Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom

Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah 

Lonzo Christian 

Lori Blount’s Mother

Mary Williams

Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom

Mrs. Franklin 

Nora Allison

Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA

Sadie Almand 

Scott Lanier 

Scotty Nix

Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shellnutts

Steve Michaels

Tom Witcher