Aug. 28, 2026: LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND

BIG IDEA: Your PAST may explain where you've been, but it doesn't have to determine where you're GOING.

Reading:
Philippians 3:13-14
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal...”

Devotional:
Paul had a past. Before following Jesus, he persecuted Christians and helped imprison believers. He couldn't erase those memories.

So when Paul talks about “forgetting what lies behind,” he isn't talking about pretending the past never happened. He's refusing to let it determine his direction.

Some people remain stuck because they spend their lives looking backward. They replay their failures, their regrets, what someone did to them, or what they wish they could change.

You can't change yesterday. But because of Jesus, yesterday doesn't have to control tomorrow. Paul chose to press forward. We can too.

Reflection:
What from your past are you allowing to define you today?

Practical Application:
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. Write down one old label you've carried about yourself. Then replace it with what God says is true about who you are in Christ.

Song of the Day:
New Name Written Down in Glory — Charity Gayle