Looking Back To Looking Forward

 When we are looking back at our past hurts, our past memories that might be bad or toxic, how can we let go? When we see our past memories that are good, how can we start looking forward than keep looking back on the memories that were good or bad from our past and use those memories in the present to look forward? Let's see what the scriptures have to say as we go into tonight's topic. Luke 9 verse 62, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17, Jeremiah 29 verse 11, Philippians 3 verse 14, Isaiah 43 verse 18, Proverbs 16 verse 3, Joshua 1 verse 9. Philippians 1 verse 6, Romans 10 verse 10, Luke 1 verse 37, Isaiah 41 verse 10, John 14 verse 6, Proverbs 4 verse 25, Philippians 4 verse 13, Psalm 31 verse 24, and Isaiah 43 verse 7.

In the scriptures we see how when we can start looking forward and not look back, we see our past erase. We see that God has had us on His Mind always and that we are never too far gone in life.

We look back & Thank God, We look forward & Trust God.  

The concept of the study in what I hope to get across is that how we are looking back at past experiences good or bad but then as we are and we are looking back at those moments, so this is sort of in a way going off of my study title Moments We Spotlight For Jesus because when we are in the spotlight for Him then we can stop looking back to be able to know that we are looking forward to what lies ahead in the plans that God has for our lives, so that when our time comes to be with Him we are to be looking forward in rejoicing in being with Jesus for Eternity, rather than looking back at past hurts and what we cannot change, so to looking back is to now looking forward into what we do and how we grow deeper into our Faith in order to see God has been with us all the time.

Look back and Thank God.

Look forward and Trust God.

Look around and Serve God.

Look within and Find God.

My name was lost till your love reached down, You rescued me, now my name is found, I was a slave to my sin and shame, But those chains fell off when you changed my name, You changed my name

You changed my name, From too far gone to saved by grace, And now I am forever changed, All because You changed my name, You call me out from the grave I knew, The old is gone now my name is new, I once was guilty but not anymore, You paid my price now my name is yours, Yes, You paid my price now my name is yours, You changed my name, You changed my name, From too far gone to saved by grace And now I am forever changed, All because You changed my name, Oh-whoa-oh

Now I don't have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me, I don't have to answer to any name but chosen child of God, No, I don't have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me, I don't have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.

Stop looking back. There is nothing there. Your healing, blessings & miracles are ahead of you, not behind you.

I've read the words in red, How You leave the 99, To find the one missing, Feels like that was written

With me on Your mind And the prodigal son who ran, leaving his home behind, The part where the father came running to meet him, Did You say that with me on Your mind? Who am I that the King of the world, Would give one single thought about my broken heart?, Who am I that the God of all grace, Wipes the tears from my face and says, "Come as you are"? You paid the price, You took the cross, You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh), Me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh), Just knowing You're mindful of me, Just knowing You call me Your child, It's flooding my soul with unspeakable hope, Thank You, Lord, that it's me on Your mind, Who am I that the King of the world, Would give one single thought about my broken heart?, Who am I that the God of all grace, Wipes the tears from my face and says, "Come as you are"?

There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

You paid the price, You took the cross, You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh), There was me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh), Oh, oh (Hallelujah), Thank You, Jesus (Hallelujah), Lord, it was me on Your mind, I've read the words in red of a heavenly home on high

Look forward with Hope. Not Backwards with Regret.

You're preparing a place where the sorrow's erased, And when I stand before You, I'll find, All along, it was me on Your mind.

Don't let yesterday use up too much of Today.

I wanted to end with all of this as way to show that when we are looking back when we can also see that it is now to looking forward with hope, because just like a song by Matthew West says: No regrets, in the end, I wanna know I got no what-ifs.