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

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY  

Scripture calls us sheep not to flatter, but to remind us of our weakness, dependence, and tendency to wander, unable to survive without a shepherd. Yet the glory of the gospel is that we are not left alone—“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” In Him we find provision when hungry, safety in fear, and restoration when cast down. He knows the pastures before we hunger, the valleys before we tremble, and the battles before we see the enemy. When we stumble, He lifts us; when we are weary, He carries us close to His heart. The Christian life is not about our strength but His supply; not our grip on Him, but His grip on us. Our Shepherd provides, guides, protects, restores, and secures us until goodness and mercy follow us all our days, and we dwell in His house forever.

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

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

The Shepherd Guides by Correcting

“For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” — Proverbs 3:12

The rod of the shepherd wasn’t meant for abuse but for guidance and defense. When a sheep wandered toward danger, the rod redirected its steps, keeping it safe. Likewise, in our lives, God’s correction may come through Scripture piercing our hearts, the Spirit’s quiet conviction, or even circumstances that stop us in our tracks. Jonah ran from God’s command, but the storm and the great fish became God’s rod of correction—painful, yet merciful—guiding him back to obedience. Correction isn’t rejection; it’s evidence that we belong to the Shepherd and are precious in His sight.

One profound truth is that correction is the surest sign of sonship—God disciplines only His children, never strangers (Hebrews 12:6–7). To feel His rod is to know you are His. Another truth is that correction flows from His delight; He does not discipline in anger but in love, because He takes pleasure in those He calls His own (Proverbs 3:12). At the same time, correction serves as protection from destruction. The Shepherd sees the cliff far before the sheep does, and His rod steers us away before we stumble into disaster. Beyond protection, correction is also training for holiness—discipline is never just about what we leave behind, but about what we are being shaped into. God’s rod prepares us to bear His image, to walk uprightly, and to grow in obedience (Hebrews 12:10–11). And finally, every act of correction is aimed at restoration. He never disciplines to leave us broken, but to heal, to restore, and to set us back on the path where His goodness and mercy follow (1 Peter 5:10).

Sometimes correction feels like loss, delay, or even heartbreak, but it is often God’s mercy disguised as discipline. When the Shepherd corrects, He is not breaking us down—He is building us up in holiness. His correction is an anchor that keeps us from drifting into destruction and a compass that keeps us headed toward His best. To despise correction is to miss the very love that keeps us safe in His fold.

Prayer:  Father, thank You for loving me enough to correct me when I drift. Teach me to see Your discipline as mercy, not punishment, and to trust that every correction comes from Your delight in me. Keep me humble, quick to repent, and ready to follow Your leading. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge:  Reflect on a time when God corrected your course. How did it save you from a deeper loss or greater danger? Write down a prayer of thanksgiving today for the Shepherd’s rod of mercy in your life.

TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Ann Stanley – Surgery Went Well

Carol Lawhead – Park Place Rehab in Monroe

Sheila Simmons – Surgery Went Well

James Parker

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Angela Bryan’s Sister

Debbie Foskey – Home

Jessica Headrick   

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda  

Linda Mays – 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

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