Preparing For The New Year Ahead. Part #1 Leaving The Past Behind. Isaiah 43:18-19 Series

Leaving the Past Behind. Isaiah 43:18-19

Stand with me and raise up your Bible and repeat after me.

This is my Bible.

I am what it says I am.

I have what it says I have.

I can do what it says I can do.

Today I will be taught the Word of God.

I boldly confess:

My mind is alert.

My heart is receptive.

I will never be the same.

I am about to receive

The incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed

Of the Word of God.

I will never be the same—

I’ll never be the same—

In Jesus’ Name!

Amen.

The Weight of the Past

As we step into a new season—whether a new year, a new chapter, or a new calling—many people are still dragging yesterday behind them. Regret. Shame. Failure. Trauma. Sin. Loss. Even success that has passed can become a weight if we live looking backward.

God speaks clearly in Isaiah 43:18–19:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

Notice something important:

God does not say the past didn’t matter.

He says don’t dwell there.

You cannot move forward while constantly replaying what’s behind you.

Imagine trying to drive a car at highway speed while staring only into the rearview mirror. That mirror is important—it tells you where you’ve been—but it was never meant to be your primary view. The windshield is far bigger for a reason.

Some of us are trying to build a future while living in reverse.

Point 1: Forget What Is Behind

Philippians 3:13–14 says:

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…”

Paul is not speaking as someone with a clean past. He persecuted the church. He imprisoned believers. Yet he says, “I press on.”

Forgetting is not denial—it is refusing to let the past define or dominate your present.

The enemy loves to remind you of what God has already forgiven.

God reminds you of who you are becoming.

If Satan can’t keep you bound in sin, he’ll try to keep you bound in shame.

Sarah lived for years replaying her worst decisions. Though forgiven, she still punished herself mentally. One day during prayer, she felt led to physically write down every regret she carried. She placed them in a box, knelt, and prayed, “God, I give You what I was never meant to carry.”

That moment didn’t erase her memory—but it broke the power of her past. Within a year, she stepped into leadership, mentoring women with the very testimony she once tried to hide.

Ask yourself: What memory still controls my emotions?

Write it down.

Pray over it.

Say it aloud:

“This no longer defines me. I am forgiven. I am free.”

Point 2: You Are a New Creation (Live From Identity, Not History)

2 Corinthians 5:17

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”

God does not renovate your old life—He gives you a new one.

Too many believers accept forgiveness but reject transformation. They say:

“That’s just how I am.”

“I’ll always struggle.”

“I messed up too badly.”

That language denies the power of the cross.

A caterpillar does not become a better caterpillar—it becomes something entirely new.

And once it becomes a butterfly, it is never called back to crawl.

Your past explains where you came from—but identity explains where you’re going.

God doesn’t introduce you by your failure; He introduces you by your future.

Boldly say:

“I am who God says I am.

I am redeemed, restored, and renewed.

My past is under the blood.

My future is in God’s hands.”

Point 3: Lay Aside Every Weight (Healing Is Part of Obedience)

Hebrews 12:1

“Let us throw off everything that hinders…”

Notice Scripture says weights and sin.

Not everything that slows you down is sinful—but it is still harmful.

Unresolved grief

Unforgiveness

Fear of failure

Old labels

Self-hatred

These weights don’t always feel wrong—but they keep you from running well.

John experienced business failure and divorce. Though forgiven, he stayed stuck. Fear told him, “Don’t try again.”

But when he surrendered the fear—not just the sin—God birthed a ministry through him that reached hundreds.

What once broke him became the platform God used.

Ask: What am I still carrying that God never asked me to hold?

Commit to daily release through:

Prayer

Journaling

Accountability

Confession

Healing is not weakness—it is obedience.

Point 4: God Specializes in New Beginnings

Isaiah 43:19

Lamentations 3:22–23

God’s mercies are new every morning—not recycled.

Your new season does not depend on your past performance but on God’s present grace.

Every sunrise proves God is not finished yet.

Darkness never gets the final word.

The new year—or new season—is not just a reset; it is a calling forward.

God wants to: