Letting Go of the Past, Embracing God's Future

New Year transitions are a gift from God—built-in pauses where endings and beginnings meet, and hearts are invited to take stock. Moving forward well requires more than a calendar change; it requires dealing rightly with the past. The call is clear: refuse the “mic drop” approach to one year and the next. Name what has been—both pain and victories—then consciously say goodbye so that heart, mind, and habits can be free for what God is doing next. Philippians 3:13–14 frames the posture: forget what lies behind, fix your gaze on Christ’s call, and press on.

Grace makes this possible. In Christ, old things pass away and all things become new. That truth not only releases the shame of former sin; it redefines identity. What happened may explain a chapter, but it no longer defines the person. Yet the invitation cuts deeper: it is often harder to release good things than bad ones. Maps worked, but GPS works better. Some methods, roles, and comforts once served well; now they may be crowding hands that must be emptied to receive God’s present assignment.

Scripture grounds this rhythm of holy release. Jesus told His disciples it was better that He depart so the Helper could come—loss making room for a greater gift. Paul could say, “I have fought…finished…kept,” not as a curtain call but as a runway to what’s next. Galatians 2:20 reframes all of life: Christ lives in His people; therefore surrender is not passivity but an active trust that yields real peace. Elisha burned his plow and fed the town—no backup plan, only holy obedience. The disciples dropped nets without delay. Peter, even when confused, confessed, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life.”

The path into 2026 is the same: name what must end, mourn what needs mourning, celebrate what God has done, and then let go—so hands are free to take hold of His next assignment. Peace is not found in accomplishment or distraction but in Jesus. The prayer is simple and bold: “Free us for excellent service.” With forgiven pasts, unclenched hands, and surrendered futures, God’s people can run the next lap with clarity, courage, and joy.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Name and release former things [50:33] Naming what happened—and then saying a deliberate goodbye—creates space for healing and clarity. Unnamed grief festers; unnamed success quietly calcifies into nostalgia. Both can tether the soul to yesterday. Freedom often starts with honest language before God, followed by a conscious letting go. [50:33]
• 2. Let go of what still works [56:05] The enemy of God’s best is often yesterday’s good. Methods, roles, and rhythms that once bore fruit can become sacred cows that crowd out today’s assignment. Wisdom asks not “Does it work?” but “Is it what God is asking now?” Obedience may require laying down a working tool to take up a better one. [56:05]
• 3. You are not your past failures [53:49] In Christ, the old truly passes away; your forgiven sins no longer define your name. Sometimes the hardest person to convince is yourself—and occasionally, others. Keep aligning self-talk (and boundaries) with the gospel’s verdict: cleansed, new, and called to walk forward without the chains of former shame. [53:49]
• 4. Trust God to write your future [01:04:41] Peace increases as control decreases. Surrender is not inertia; it is active faith that yields the pen of your story to a faithful Author. When He leads, provision and placement follow—even through uncertainties. The question shifts from “How do I secure outcomes?” to “How do I stay yielded today?” [64:41]
• 5. Burn the plow; choose no backup plan [01:08:02] Elisha’s feast was also his farewell to the old life. Some transitions require irreversible steps that align heart and pathway with God’s call. Not recklessness, but decisive obedience clears the fog of divided options. Wholeheartedness simplifies the soul and accelerates formation. [68:02]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [44:13] - Built-in transitions and reflection
• [47:05] - Decluttering the past to move forward
• [50:33] - Principle 1: Name and say goodbye
• [53:49] - New creation and forgiven identity
• [56:05] - Letting go of what still works
• [58:34] - Hands full: release to receive
• [61:54] - Jesus must go; Spirit will come
• [64:41] - Finished well, but not the end
• [68:02] - Elisha burns the plow
• [71:23] - To whom shall we go?
• [74:12] - Peace by trusting God with tomorrow
• [76:04] - Gospel invitation and prayer
• [77:50] - Surrender what hinders; seek the Lord
• [83:50] - Prayer: Freed for excellent service

1. In Philippians 3:13–14, what two actions does Paul name, and what is the prize he’s pressing toward?
2. What specific practice was urged for moving into a new season: “naming and consciously saying goodbye to former things” ([50:33])? How was that described?
3. What everyday picture was used to show why it’s hard to release good things: “Maps worked… the GPS works better” ([56:05])? What does that image highlight?
4. In the story of Elisha, what concrete step showed total commitment: he “used the wood from the plow to build a fire” ([01:08:02])? What did that mean for his future?

1. How do Paul’s commands to “forget what lies behind” and “press on” (Philippians 3:13–14) fit with the call to “name it… and formally say goodbye” ([50:33])? Why might both be needed for a clean release?
2. Why might letting go of something that still works be an act of faith, not just efficiency? Consider Jesus’ word, “it is best for you that I go away” ([01:01:54]). What does that teach about loss making room for better?
3. What does it mean that surrender is not passive but “a step of action in faith” ([01:04:41])? How would active trust look when outcomes are uncertain?
4. What does “there was no backup plan” in Elisha’s story ([01:08:02]) teach about undivided loyalty? How does removing a safety net change a person’s posture before God?

1. Name and release: What is one grief and one win from this past year that you need to name before God—and then deliberately say goodbye to so you can move forward “with freedom” ([50:33])? What words would a simple goodbye prayer include?
2. Let go of what still works: Is there a method, role, or rhythm that “worked,” but may now be crowding your hands? What is your “maps vs. GPS” example ([56:05])? What first step this month would look like opening your hands?
3. You are not your past: Where does old shame still try to name you? What gospel truth will you rehearse this week to answer it (“the old things have passed away… all things have become new,” 2 Corinthians 5:17 referenced at [53:49])? Do you need to set any loving boundaries with people who keep old records?
4. Trust God with tomorrow: Where are you gripping for control right now? Since “the greatest peace for the future comes from trusting God to write [it]” ([01:04:41]), what daily practice (prayer, Scripture, silence, surrender prayer) will help you yield the pen today?
5. Burn the plow: Is there any “backup plan” that is quietly dividing your loyalty—an escape hatch, a habit, a comfort? What decisive but wise step would look like breaking down the plow and feeding the town ([01:08:02])? Who will you tell for accountability?
6. Words of life: Peter said, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” ([01:11:23]). What lesser “sources of life” do you run to when you’re tired (achievement, distraction, applause, purchases)? What will you reach for instead this week?
7. Free for excellent service: Pray simply, “Free me for excellent service” ([01:23:50]). If God answered that today, what one specific act of service, obedience, or reconciliation would you do this week with unclenched hands?