Embracing New Beginnings: Faith and Forward Movement

This morning, we gathered to seek God’s heart for “stepping into the new.” We began by interceding for our city, our first responders, and those facing spiritual and emotional battles, asking God to raise up a standard against the enemy’s schemes. The Lord is calling us into a season of new things—new opportunities, new breakthroughs, and new levels of faith. Just as He led Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, God is making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland for us. He is not limited by our circumstances or the impossibilities we see; His character and faithfulness remain unshakable.

God’s word in Isaiah 43 urges us to “forget the former things” and not dwell on the past. The new things He is declaring over us require spiritual perception and a willingness to let go of what was. Often, we love the idea of newness when it’s comfortable—new jobs, new homes, new experiences of God’s presence—but sometimes the new comes with uncertainty or even fear. God is a God of movement, always leading us forward by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit stirs desires within us, sometimes in ways that surprise us, and it’s our responsibility to discern and respond to His leading.

Stepping into the new will not be without opposition. The Israelites faced giants in the promised land, and many shrank back in fear, missing out on God’s best because they allowed grumbling and complaining to disqualify them. Opposition is not always a sign that we’re in the wrong place; often, it’s confirmation that we’re on the threshold of destiny. God tests our hearts in these seasons, especially with the principle of first things—what we give to Him first sets the tone for what follows.

As a church, we’ve experienced this firsthand—letting go of the old name, embracing a new identity, and establishing new structures of accountability. These changes are not just organizational; they are spiritual steps of obedience, positioning us for the greater things God has in store. The call is to be attentive to the Spirit, willing to leave the past, discerning about the voices we listen to, prepared to fight the good fight of faith, and committed to putting God first in all things. This is a season of new things—let’s be ready to receive and walk in them.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Perceiving the New Requires Spiritual Sensitivity God is always at work, often birthing new things in our lives before we even recognize them. To perceive what He is doing, we must cultivate closeness with Him—through prayer, time in the Word, and attentiveness to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. The new things of God are discerned in the spirit, not the mind, and require us to tune our hearts to His voice. [52:38]
• 2. Letting Go of the Past is Essential for Embracing the Future We cannot hold onto the comfort or pain of former seasons and expect to fully receive what God has next. The call to “forget the former things” is not about denying our history, but about refusing to let it define or limit us. God’s new work often requires us to release old mindsets, relationships, or even successes, so we can step into the spacious place He has prepared. [32:25]
• 3. Opposition is Often a Sign of Destiny, Not Defeat When God leads us into new territory, we should expect resistance—spiritual, emotional, or circumstantial. The presence of giants in the promised land did not mean God was absent; rather, it was an opportunity for faith to rise and for God’s power to be displayed. The enemy opposes what he fears, and the intensity of the battle often reveals the significance of the breakthrough ahead. [27:57]
• 4. The Voices We Listen To Shape Our Journey Not every voice in our lives will encourage us to pursue God’s new things—sometimes even well-meaning friends or family can sow doubt or fear. We must learn to discern which voices align with God’s word and His Spirit, and which ones are rooted in human reasoning or past disappointments. The right counsel can confirm God’s direction, while the wrong voices can delay or derail our obedience. [54:30]
• 5. God Tests Our Hearts with the Principle of First Things When God brings us into a new season, He often asks for the first and best as an act of trust and worship. Just as Jericho was to be devoted to the Lord, our willingness to honor God first determines the fruitfulness of what follows. Passing these tests of obedience and priority positions us for sustained blessing and victory in the new things He is doing. [43:10]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:32] - Praying for Our City and First Responders
• [04:08] - Introduction: Stepping Into the New
• [05:24] - Remembering God’s Deliverance
• [06:39] - God’s Promise of New Things
• [08:32] - Knowing God’s Character and Integrity
• [11:38] - Loving and Fearing the New
• [15:20] - Apostolic Leadership and Healthy Church Models
• [17:09] - God is a God of Movement
• [20:25] - God Works in Us: Desires and Direction
• [24:12] - New Levels, New Opposition
• [27:18] - The Promised Land and the Reality of Giants
• [31:47] - Letting Go of the Past to Embrace the Future
• [36:43] - Learning from Israel’s Mistakes
• [39:13] - Jericho, Ai, and the Test of First Things
• [45:10] - Embracing Change: New Name and Structure
• [48:13] - The Importance of Spiritual Accountability
• [51:59] - Five Keys to Embracing the New
• [57:36] - Prayer and Prophetic Declaration for the New Season

Bible Reading

Isaiah 43:16-19 (ESV) — > Thus says the Lord,
> who makes a way in the sea,
> a path in the mighty waters,
> who brings forth chariot and horse,
> army and warrior;
> they lie down, they cannot rise,
> they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
> “Remember not the former things,
> nor consider the things of old.
> Behold, I am doing a new thing;
> now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
> I will make a way in the wilderness
> and rivers in the desert.”

Numbers 13:30-33 (ESV) — > But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Observation Questions

1. In Isaiah 43, what does God tell His people to do with the “former things”? What is the new thing He promises?
2. According to Numbers 13, what was the difference between Caleb’s response and the other spies’ report about the promised land?
3. The sermon mentioned that God is “making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” What does this say about God’s ability to work in impossible situations? [07:55]
4. What did the Israelites’ grumbling and complaining lead to when they faced the giants in the promised land? [34:20]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God tells His people not to dwell on the past in Isaiah 43? What might happen if we hold onto the past too tightly? [32:25]
2. The sermon said, “Opposition is not always a sign that we’re in the wrong place; often, it’s confirmation that we’re on the threshold of destiny.” How does this change the way someone might view challenges or resistance in a new season? [27:57]
3. The pastor shared that the voices we listen to can either confirm God’s direction or delay our obedience. How can someone discern which voices to trust when stepping into something new? [54:30]
4. The principle of “first things” was highlighted using the story of Jericho. Why do you think God asks for the first and best when He brings us into a new season? [43:10]

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenged us to “forget the former things” and not let our past define or limit us. Is there something from your past—good or bad—that you sense God is asking you to let go of so you can step into something new? What would it look like to release it? [32:25]
2. When facing a new opportunity or season, do you tend to focus more on the “giants” (challenges) or on God’s promises? Can you share a recent example? How might you shift your focus this week? [27:57]
3. The pastor talked about spiritual sensitivity—paying attention to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. What is one practical way you can make space to listen for God’s leading in your daily routine? [52:38]
4. Think about the voices that influence you when you’re making big decisions. Are there any voices (friends, family, media, your own fears) that you need to tune out or pay less attention to? How can you seek out voices that align with God’s Word and Spirit? [54:30]
5. The Israelites missed out on God’s best because of grumbling and complaining. When you face opposition or discomfort, what is your usual response? How can you practice gratitude and faith instead of negativity? [34:20]
6. The principle of “first things” means giving God your first and best. Is there an area of your life (time, finances, talents, relationships) where you sense God is asking you to put Him first in a new way? What step could you take this week to do that? [43:10]
7. The church recently embraced a new name and structure as a step of obedience. Is there a “new thing” God is stirring in your heart—big or small—that you’ve been hesitant to step into? What’s holding you back, and how can the group pray for you as you move forward? [46:25]