2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”

This focus calls us beyond managing life’s pressures and reactions—it invites us to see life as God sees it. In 2026, God is drawing us into a year of realignment, where our hearts learn to recognize His wisdom, trust His ways, and respond with faith rather than fear. We will begin this journey in January with Prayer from God’s Perspective, discovering that prayer is not about persuading God, but about allowing Him to shape and align us with His will.

Don’t miss this Sunday as we cast vision for 2026. We’ll share where God is leading us, introduce a clear and doable way to read the Bible through this year, and invite you to take the first step into a season of renewed faith and clarity. Special music as Miss Mae does a mini-concert of our favorite songs to help prepare our hearts as we listen, align, and step forward together.

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY

This morning we did not gather to watch a performance—we stepped onto holy ground. Through the choir’s worship-filled music, we were drawn into God’s redemptive story, from the promise of Eden to Bethlehem’s hope, the cross, the empty tomb, and the sure promise of Christ’s return. As we came to the Lord’s Table, the sanctuary grew still with reverence. Communion was sacred and unhurried as hearts were examined, grace was received anew, and lives were surrendered. Faith was renewed, decisions were made, and we left rejoicing that Emmanuel has come, Emmanuel has saved, and Emmanuel reigns—forever changed by the presence of God among His people.

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

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Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Christmas Eve Challenge: Make Room

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” — Luke 2:7

Christmas Eve carries a sacred hush all its own. Lights glow a little softer. Voices lower. Hearts feel the nearness of something holy. It is the night the world was changed—not with fanfare, but with a baby’s cry. No palace opened its doors. No throne was prepared. No crowd made room. The Son of God entered the world quietly, laid not in silk but in straw, not welcomed by society but received by those who had eyes to see. The manger stands as both a miracle and a mirror—revealing not only who God is, but asking us who we are willing to make room for.

NO ROOM—NOT BECAUSE OF EVIL, BUT BUSY

The inn was not hostile. It was simply full. There is no record of cruelty or rejection—only overcrowding. Lives were busy. Travel was demanding. Schedules were full. Every space was taken. And so the Savior of the world was laid in a feeding trough. How often is that still true? Jesus is rarely crowded out by rebellion. More often, He is crowded out by distraction. Busy calendars. Full minds. Good things—family, traditions, responsibilities—quietly take all the room. And without meaning to, we leave Jesus at the edge of our lives, welcomed in celebration but not always in surrender.

THE MANGER WAS HUMBLE, BUT IT WAS HOLY

Though the manger was not grand, heaven chose it. Straw became sacred. A stable became a sanctuary.
What looked small and unimpressive became the dwelling place of God. Jesus has never demanded perfection—only availability. He does not ask for polished spaces or flawless lives. He asks for open hearts. The manger reminds us that when we make room, no matter how humble the space, God will fill it with His presence. The question of Christmas Eve is not, “Do I have everything in order?” It is, “Have I made room?”

MAKING ROOM IS AN ACT OF SURRENDER

Making room is not a feeling—it is a choice. It means slowing down when everything says hurry. It means quieting our hearts when the world is loud. It means yielding control and welcoming Christ not only as Savior, but as Lord. The baby in the manger came to rule—not through force, but through love. To make room for Him is to say, “Jesus, You belong here. You lead here. You dwell here.” Christmas does not end at the manger.
It begins there.

CHRISTMAS EVE CHALLENGE: MAKE ROOM

Before this day ends, pause. Turn off distractions. Create a quiet moment—alone or with those you love. Read Luke 2:1–14 slowly, letting each word settle into your heart. Then pray together—or quietly on your own: “Jesus, I make room for You. Not just tonight, but in my heart and in my life.”

PRAYER: Jesus, today I welcome You. Clear away whatever crowds You out—busyness, distraction, worry, or control. Take Your rightful place in my heart. Let my life become a dwelling place for Your presence.
Amen.

CLOSING THOUGHT: THE DOOR IS STILL OPEN

The inn may have been full, but heaven was not closed. And today, the door is still open. The same Jesus laid in a manger stands ready to dwell with all who make room. This Christmas Eve, may your heart become His home.

WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Cheryl Knight’s Brother

Marsha Layfield

Amy Garner’s Dad

Brando Echarte

Debbie Foskey 

Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David

Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards

Luther Roach

Tammy Parker  

Gloria Young

Jake Jenkins

June Cronan

Louise Jackson  

Jean Partee’s Sister

Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda

Deon Lotter

Doris Loyd

Nancy Brown

Annette Ford

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Angela Bryan’s Sisters

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 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 Shelnutt’s

Steve Michaels

Tom Witcher