NOVEMBER THEME — Worship Is Your Most Powerful Weapon
FALL FESTIVAL – THIS SUNDAY – 5:00 – 8:00
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
There is a sacred turning point in every believer’s journey—a quiet moment when faith finally unclenches its fists. What once felt like loss begins to sound like liberty. Surrender isn’t weakness; it’s the moment heaven trades my exhaustion for His strength. It is the holy courage to stop managing what I was never meant to control and to trust the Father who governs both the plan and the timing. The instant I release my grip, peace flows in like breath after drowning—sudden, deep, and undeserved. True surrender is not about defeat; it is about devotion. It is not bowing to circumstance but believing in the character of God. Yielding doesn’t mean I’ve quit—it means I’ve confessed that His wisdom is greater than my will. Freedom begins the moment I stop rehearsing outcomes and start resting in sovereignty. In Gethsemane, Jesus showed us that victory doesn’t always roar—it sometimes whispers. He didn’t escape the cup; He embraced it. That garden became the turning point of redemption because the Son of God chose submission over resistance. Every “nevertheless” whispered in our own night seasons echoes His—an altar where divine strength meets trembling humanity. God may not take away the cup, but He never withholds the grace to drink it. Surrender is the purest form of warfare. It breaks the back of pride and silences the noise of fear. The self-life cannot rule where trust is reigning. When pride bows, grace stands tall; when my striving ceases, God begins to move. What looked like loss from earth’s view becomes resurrection from heaven’s. The grave of self-will is always the birthplace of divine power. Every tear that falls in surrender waters a seed of faith that will not be moved. The highest worship is not the shout of victory but the whisper of trust—“Lord, I still choose You here.” That is the melody that shakes hell and heals hearts. When I stop measuring results and start magnifying obedience, I find a peace that rules instead of reason that wrestles. The strong are not those who win against God’s will, but those who let His will win in them. Surrender is not the end of the story—it’s the opening scene of resurrection. What feels like burial today may be the planting of something eternal. When I bow low, God rises high. When I release, He reigns. And the altar—yes, the altar—becomes the battlefield where my will dies, His will lives, and freedom begins to sing.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Two Scripts: Mine or His
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6
My Script: Control Disguised as Faith
God has authored a path for me that threads through doors I would never choose and timings I would never schedule. My understanding writes a script of fairness and speed; His wisdom writes a story of formation and fruit. I often say I want His will, but truthfully, I want His will to fit my outline. When life edits my expectations, I grasp for control instead of grace. But my version of the story usually leaves no room for growth—only comfort. God’s version, however, stretches me in the direction of faith. My “why now?” becomes His “watch this.” The detours I despise are often the classrooms where faith learns its alphabet: wait, obey, rejoice. He is not just the God of destinations—He is the God of drafts, rewrites, and redemptions.
His Script: The Story I Would Never Write but Always Need
When I lean on my understanding, I shrink my world to what I can see; when I trust with all my heart, I enter a world guided by a Hand I cannot see. My story makes sense only from the Author’s vantage point. The chapters that begin with confusion often end with clarity when I read them in hindsight. The cross looked like the wrong script until resurrection revealed the plot. What felt like a rejection was really a redirection. What looked like a delay was a divine appointment preparing the next scene. Surrender doesn’t erase my story; it redeems it. His quill writes purpose into pain, beauty into brokenness, and triumph into tragedy. Every comma of waiting, every period of silence, every question mark of doubt—all become part of a masterpiece that declares His wisdom.
Choosing the Right Author
If I keep editing God, I will forfeit the ending only He can write. My heart must choose which script to follow: mine, which demands explanation, or His, which requires trust. His script doesn’t always read smoothly, but it always ends faithfully. The ink of His promises never fades; the paper of His providence never tears. When I acknowledge Him in all my ways—even the ones that ache—He aligns my path to His purpose. I may not understand the next line, but I can trust the Author’s pen. Today I surrender my drafts and sign my name beneath His words: “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.”
Heart Check
- Where am I leaning hardest on my own understanding?
- Which recent “detour” might actually be a divine appointment in disguise?
- What would trusting God with all my heart change about this week’s decisions?
Prayer: Author of my life, I acknowledge You in every way—wanted and unwanted. Straighten what I cannot see and steady what I cannot manage. Erase my anxious edits and replace them with Your peace. Write redemption into my chapters, and let the story of my life point to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Challenge: Identify one decision you’ve been scripting alone. Invite God into it: pray before planning, seek Scripture before deciding, and surrender the timeline before acting. Then watch how His pen turns your pause into purpose.
THURSDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Amanda Elliott
Betty Hammock
Brando Echarte
Cheryl Knight’s Brother
Danny Jarrard
Debbie Foskey – Surgery November 24th
Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene – Hallelujah Report
George & Linda Alexander
Jessica Headrick
Sheila Simmons
Jean Partee’s Sister
Kathryn Rains
Deon Lotter
Doris Loyd
Nancy Brown
Amy Garner’s Dad
Annette Ford
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Angela Bryan’s Sister
Ann Stanley
Carol Lawhead – Park Place Rehab in Monroe
Darlene Wiggins
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
James Burnette
John McClain’s Mother
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kathryn Raines
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 Shellnutts
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher