GETTING PASTYOUR

PERSONALFAILURES

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too

heavy to bear.Psalm 38:4

MOVINGPAST A FAILURE

YOURYOURBIGGEST SINSBIGGEST SINSARE NOTARE NOTTOO BIG FORTOO BIG FORGOD’S GOD’S GRACEGRACE1

If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful

and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from

all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their

sins no more.

Jeremiah 31:34

YOU ARE NOTYOU ARE NOTWHAT YOU HAVE DONE,WHAT YOU HAVE DONE,BUT WHAT GOD HASBUT WHAT GOD HASDONE FOR YOUDONE FOR YOU2

…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

YOU CAN’TCHANGE YOUR PASTBUT CHRISTCAN CHANGEYOUR FUTURE!3

I don't mean to say that I have already achieved

these things or that I have already reached

perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first

possessed me.

Philippians 3:12-15 NLT

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I

focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and

looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the

end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is

calling us.

Philippians 3:12-15 NLT

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or

praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have

learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.(NIV)

Philippians 4:8-9

The term “forget” as Paul used it means to “not regard the past as having any

bearing or influence on your present

spiritual outlook or behavior”

It is not an issue of the memory

functions of the brain, it is an issue of the motivation to

go beyond our history and not get

stuck in it.

God’s Spirit gives us the strength and power to move on no matter the failures of our past.  His

love brings healing for past pains; His love grants total forgiveness from past sins,

we are allowed the emotional freedom to begin again, fresh and whole – as

though we had never sinned before!

PRESENT POSITION

PERFORMANCE1

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I

press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Philippians 3:12

PROGRESS IS A

PROCESS!

PURSUIT2

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I

press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Philippians 3:12

“I PRESS ON”The word means literally

to“CHASE AND CAPTURE.”

The only thing to do with past failures is

to ask God for forgiveness and then accept that forgiveness and move forward!

PERSONAL PLAN

PARTICIPANT  1

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is

behind and straining toward what is ahead

Philippians 3:13

God provides the way, God provides the strength, God

provides His Spirit, but we provide the

will and the submission to His

ways!

POINTED2

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is

behind and straining toward what is ahead

Philippians 3:13

Essentially this is what God does with our past when we present our failures to Him – He forgives and forgets it in the same sense of forget

here, God still knows everything, but He forgets

it in terms of not remembering it against us

anymore, as though it never happened – this is called

GRACE!

PURSUING THE PRIZE

I press on toward the goal to win the prize

for which God has called me

heavenward in Christ Jesus.Philippians 3:14

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or

praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in

me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with

you.Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or

praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in

me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with

you.Philippians 4:8-9

PRESSING1

PRIZE2

The prize Paul is referring to is yet

future – the resurrection body and

eternal life!

…for though a righteous man falls

seven times, he rises again.

Prov 24:16

Everyone has past failures in their lives. If you dwell on the past you can get stuck

there! We are to learn from the past, not live in the past! Paul’s call to “forget what is behind” means to not allow the past to

influence your present and future behavior, let the prize at the end of life influence your

present and future behavior. Keep focus and run! When you’re running a race it

makes a difference where you’re looking, look straight ahead to the goal line

CONCLUSION