DECEMBER THEME — FROM CHRISTMAS TO CALVARY – The Story Love Wrote

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY

God has been faithful behind us, He is fighting for us today, and He goes before us into every battle—which is why worship is our only reasonable response. In 2 Chronicles 20, God put the worshipers in front because praise changes the atmosphere before it changes the outcome. Thanksgiving is not courtesy; it is warfare. It summons Heaven into places where human strength falls short. This week, many will walk into holiday rooms filled with tension, old history, or painful memories. But God is sending you in not just to share a meal—but to carry His presence. Gratitude is how you shift the room. When thanksgiving rises, heaviness breaks. When praise lifts, the enemy’s grip weakens. You may not mend every relationship in a day, but you can change the atmosphere the moment you walk in with a thankful heart. Thanksgiving becomes most powerful in imperfect places—whispered when conversations turn sharp, breathed when emotions flare, spoken in faith when healing hasn’t yet happened. That’s when you become a thanksgiver… an atmosphere shifter. You’re not entering as a fixer—you’re entering as a carrier of God’s peace. Pray together. Speak blessings. Let worship fill the background. Tell what the Lord has done. These are seeds Heaven will water long after the dishes are cleared. Anyone can attend a holiday, but God is raising worship warriors who turn rooms by their presence.

You carry peace.
You carry gratitude.
You carry the atmosphere of Heaven.                                                                                                    Where others bring stress, you bring Jesus. And wherever a thanksgiver stands, the battle begins to turn.

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

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Gratitude Is a Weapon, Not a Feeling

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1Thes 5:18

Gratitude is not something you wait to feel—it’s something you choose to release. Paul didn’t say “for everything give thanks,” but in everything. Why? Because thanking God when life is imperfect is one of the most powerful acts of warfare a believer can practice. Gratitude is not denial—it is defiance. It is standing in the middle of a storm and declaring, “My God is still good, and He is still in control.”

The enemy thrives in environments filled with complaining, tension, and negativity. But gratitude suffocates his influence. Satan cannot operate freely in an atmosphere where God is being honored. When you say, “Lord, I thank You,” in the middle of stress, you’re not denying the battle—you’re denying the enemy victory over your spirit. Gratitude reclaims the atmosphere and anchors your heart in God’s sovereignty.

But there is another truth we rarely talk about: gratitude breaks strongholds internally, not just externally. Complaining fuels anxiety and magnifies problems. Gratitude quiets the mind, humbles the heart, and aligns you with God’s perspective. It is impossible to stay bitter while giving thanks. It is impossible to stay fearful while remembering God’s faithfulness. A thankful heart becomes spiritually untouchable.

And here’s a deeper layer: gratitude creates space for God to move. When you thank Him before anything changes, you are declaring faith ahead of the breakthrough. You’re telling heaven, “I trust You,” and telling hell, “I refuse to bow to fear.” This is why gratitude is not just a response—it is a weapon. It shifts the atmosphere, strengthens the spirit, and reminds every power of darkness that God still reigns over your story.

A heart without gratitude becomes heavy, scattered, and easily influenced. But a heart practicing thanksgiving becomes a sanctuary where God’s peace can rule. Gratitude doesn’t just change what you see—it changes how you see. It turns chaos into clarity and fear into focus because it reminds you that God is working when you cannot see it.

The enemy cannot stay where God is being honored. Complaints attract oppression, but praise attracts God’s presence. When the enemy wants to weigh you down with frustration, worry, or discouragement, thanksgiving shuts the door in his face. Every “thank You, Lord” is a spiritual eviction notice against Satan’s strategies.

It takes no faith to thank God after He works. But it requires spiritual maturity to thank Him before the answer comes. Gratitude is your statement of trust—your declaration that God is good, God is faithful, and God is already working behind the scenes. Every moment you choose gratitude, you are planting seeds of expectation for what God is about to do next.

Every time irritation rises today, respond with one quiet sentence of gratitude: “Lord, I thank You that You are working in this.” Train your heart to interrupt negativity with praise.

Prayer: Father, teach my heart to thank You in imperfect places. Let gratitude become my weapon, my shield, and my declaration of trust. Drive out negativity and fill my spirit with Your peace. Help me to choose thanksgiving, not because life is perfect, but because You are faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge: Write down 5 things you’re choosing to thank God for—before any of them change. This is your first step in learning to fight battles with thanksgiving.

TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Betty Hammock

Brando Echarte

Cheryl Knight’s Brother

Debbie Foskey     

Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David

Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards

George Alexander’s Family

Gloria Young

Jake Jenkins

Louise Jackson – Richard’s sister – Open Heart Surgery

Jean Partee’s Sister

Deon Lotter

Doris Loyd

Amy Garner’s Dad

Annette Ford

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Angela Bryan’s Sister

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’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda 

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