October Theme – “Crucified with Christ: Dying to Self, Living to God”
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
God has never once written your story in haste. Before you ever drew breath, He had already mapped the melody — weaving laughter with lament, beauty with brokenness, strength with surrender — until every thread told the story of His faithfulness. The life of a girl once hidden in chaos but found by grace stands as proof that Heaven doesn’t make rough drafts. What we call delays, God calls design. Every seeming setback is a sentence in a greater story only He could author. The same hand that lifted her from the ashes now writes her name in His ongoing testimony of mercy. Christ never edits around your failures — He redeems them. He doesn’t patch the old life; He trades it for His own. The gospel isn’t God polishing your performance — it’s God replacing your striving with His Spirit. He’s not waiting for you to be better; He’s waiting for you to be still. Because the moment you stop clutching the pen, He begins to write what only resurrection can explain. So today, release your need to control the narrative. Hand Him the pen, step aside, and let grace finish what glory began.
But the fiercest struggle is not fought with hands — it’s fought in the mind. The greatest strongholds are built behind quiet smiles and polite prayers. Before behavior ever changes, belief must bow. The war for control begins in thought, and the victory of trust begins there too. Scripture calls us to surrender the command center — to renew our minds (Romans 12:2), to refuse the recycled lies of the old nature (Ephesians 4:22–23), and to anchor our thoughts in the steady presence of Christ (Isaiah 26:3). Submission is not the loss of power — it’s the transfer of it. At Calvary, control dies and peace is born. Pride bows. Fear breaks. The mind is made new. When Christ takes the captain’s seat of your thoughts, panic gives way to peace, and chaos becomes calm. Worship stops being performance and becomes perspective — the clarity that comes when the Creator rules your inner world. Victory, you see, isn’t achieved by pushing harder — it’s received by thinking higher. The moment your mind bows to His truth, your life begins to rise with His triumph.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
When Fear Is Loud and Faith Is Small
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” — Isaiah 26:3
Fear Begins in the Mind, but So Does Faith
Fear always begins as a thought. It takes only one “what if?” to drain an entire day’s peace and fill the heart with unrest. The imagination that pictures the worst is the same imagination that can picture God’s best. Fear magnifies the problem; faith magnifies the Provider. When fear rises, you don’t need a louder voice—you need a clearer focus. The same storm that frightens you is still under the Savior’s feet. Fix your mind on His presence, not the problem’s pressure. Perfect peace doesn’t come from controlling the situation; it comes from being controlled by His Spirit.
Faith Doesn’t Deny the Storm; It Declares Who’s in It
Faith is not pretending the waves aren’t real—it’s remembering Who walks above them. When fear says, “You’re sinking,” faith says, “He’s still holding.” Peace is not the absence of storms but the awareness of His nearness. The heart that stays fixed on Christ cannot be capsized by chaos. When you feel overwhelmed, remember that Jesus doesn’t calm storms from a distance; He steps into them. You may not be able to silence fear, but you can starve it—by feeding faith through worship, Scripture, and prayer.
Peace Is a Person, Not a Place
We often search for peace as if it’s a destination we must reach, but peace is found in a Person we must trust. True peace is not when everything is calm—it’s when Christ is close. Fear feeds on uncertainty, but faith feeds on intimacy. The more your heart leans into His presence, the quieter fear becomes. God’s peace guards not just your emotions, but your imagination—it keeps you from building false futures that never happen. Fix your thoughts on Him, and He’ll fix your heart in Him.
When Peter walked on water, he didn’t sink because the storm grew stronger—he sank because his focus shifted (Matthew 14:29–31). Faith isn’t about ignoring waves; it’s about keeping your eyes on Jesus above them.
A violinist once said, “The secret to beautiful music isn’t the strings—it’s what you tune them to.” When your thoughts tune to fear, chaos follows; when tuned to faith, peace returns.
Prayer: Lord, help me to fix my thoughts on You. When fear shouts, let Your voice speak louder. Teach me to walk by faith, not by sight. Anchor my heart in Your promises until peace becomes my reflex, not my reward. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Challenge: Replace every fearful thought today with a spoken promise from Scripture. Speak it aloud until your mind realigns with peace. Let faith set the tone of your day and fear lose its voice.
WEDNESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Kathryn Rains (96) – 2 of her 3 daughters passed away this week
Deon Lotter
Doris Loyd
Mike Bryan
Mike Hollinhead
Nancy Brown – Rehab
The Barksdale Family – Bobbi Jackson’s Brother In Law Passed Away
Allysa Elliott
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
Danny Jarrard
Darlene Wiggins
Debbie Foskey
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
Jessica Headrick
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
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Mays
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
Sheila Simmons
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shellnutts
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher