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

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY  

This morning we were reminded that information about God is not the same as intimacy with God. Head knowledge can recite His names, but only His presence makes those names real. He shows Himself as Refuge when storms rage, Healer when our hearts are torn, Deliverer when the fire surrounds, and Consuming Fire when idols must fall. Trials are not barriers—they are open doors for God to prove Himself strong. From Moses at the bush, to Isaiah at the altar, to Peter by the shore, God’s fire has always refined, not ruined; prepared, not destroyed. But fire calls for a decision. Holiness cannot be treated casually. You cannot watch from a safe distance—you must step in. Revival begins when we let Him burn away what binds us. Today the invitation is clear: bring every idol, secret, and wound to His flame. Trade shame for grace, fear for peace, ashes for beauty. The fire is falling—not to consume you, but to consume what holds you back. Choose surrender over regret, and rise with the mark of the Refiner upon your life.

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

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

The Prison of Bitterness

“Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” — Ephesians 4:32

Bitterness is a prison with invisible bars. You may not see them, but you feel their weight. Every memory of the offense tightens the chain, dragging you back to the hurt. Unforgiveness does not protect you from pain—it magnifies it. The enemy whispers that holding on to the wound gives you power over the offender, but in truth, it gives the offense power over you. Bitterness makes you relive the betrayal long after the betrayer has gone on with life. You are the one replaying the scene, rewriting arguments, and rehearsing words never spoken. The cell door is not locked from the outside—it is bolted shut by your own refusal to release.

Joseph’s story reminds us that forgiveness is not weakness—it is strength wrapped in surrender. He was betrayed, enslaved, and abandoned, yet when he faced the very brothers who caused his suffering, he chose release over revenge. By declaring, “God meant it for good,” Joseph walked out of the prison of bitterness before Pharaoh ever opened the doors of his dungeon. Forgiveness is not saying the wrong never mattered; it is saying the wrong no longer masters me. To forgive is to unlock the prison and discover the captive who walks free is yourself. Christ forgave you on the cross—before your repentance, before your confession—He released you from the debt you could never repay. How, then, can we hold another in chains He has already broken?

Corrie Ten Boom once carried bitterness like luggage from a journey that was long over. She said that refusing to forgive is like dragging a heavy suitcase after the trip is done. It only exhausts you. The day she laid it down at Jesus’ feet, she discovered the weight was gone and her soul finally free.

Prayer:  Lord, break the chains of bitterness in me. Where my heart is hard, soften it with Your mercy. Where I want to cling to hurt, teach me to cling to the cross. Help me to forgive as You forgave me—freely, fully, and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge:  Think of the person you have struggled most to forgive. Speak their name in prayer today. Release them into God’s hands and ask Him to replace bitterness with blessing. Write their name down and every time the offense replays in your mind, pray for them instead of resenting them.

WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Carol Lawhead

Sheila Simmons – Surgery Friday

James Parker

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Ann Stanley – Surgery Tomorrow

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shellnutts

Angela Bryan’s Sister

Debbie Foskey – Home

Jessica Headrick – Pray As She Recovers From Surgery

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda  

Linda Mays – Rehab – Going Home Friday   

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