Thesis
Drawing from Philippians 3:13-14, Pastor Daniel challenges the congregation to reject the cultural myth that January 1 is a magical reset button. Instead, he calls believers to build real momentum right now by doing the one thing Paul prescribes: letting go of past failures and fixing their gaze forward on Jesus. How we finish 2025 will directly determine how we begin 2026, and breakthrough is available to anyone willing to press on today rather than wait for the calendar to turn.
Key points
- 1
Paul, one of the greatest figures in the New Testament, openly admits he has not arrived — no one has a point of final arrival in this life.
- 2
The one thing you must focus on is forgetting the past — letting go of failures, disappointments, and unforgiveness that keep you anchored to yesterday.
- 3
What you look at determines the direction your life heads — you must fix your gaze directly ahead rather than drifting toward yesterday's pain.
- 4
You cannot move forward into what God is doing if you are still anchored to what He has already forgiven you for.
- 5
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus — He is the author and finisher of your faith and the one who can take your pain and do something redemptive with it.
- 6
Press on — purpose is not coasted into; it requires effort, contending, falling, and getting back up.
- 7
Training for godliness is better than physical training because it holds promise for both this life and the life to come.
Outline
Opening Illustration — The Relay Race
Pastor Daniel uses the junior-high relay race to show that how you finish a race determines your starting position in the next one — the strongest finisher becomes the anchor and sets the bracket for what follows.
The Myth of the Magical New Year
He challenges the cultural belief that January 1 automatically changes things, arguing that your past will still be waiting for you on that day unless you make a deliberate decision to let it go now.
Philippians 3:13-14 — Forget the Past
Pastor Daniel unpacks Paul's instruction to focus on one thing: forgetting what is behind. He warns that holding on to yesterday's failures will directly limit tomorrow's faith, and uses the driving illustration to show how our vision steers our direction.
Look Forward — Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
Turning to Hebrews 12, he calls the church to fix their gaze on Jesus as the only reliable forward anchor, reminding them that Jesus is both the author and the finisher of their faith.
Press On — Contend for the Life God Has for You
Pastor Daniel closes by exhorting the church to press on rather than coast, citing 1 Timothy 4:8 on the superior value of godliness training, and calling everyone to begin building momentum today so that 2026 becomes a genuine year of breakthrough.
Memorable moments
you can't move forward into what God is doing if you're still anchored to what he already forgave you for
if you continue to hold on to yesterday's failure, what it will impact the most is tomorrow's faith
Every intention you had was to move forward, was to keep the car going straight. But there's something about our vision. When you begin to look to the left, all of a sudden subconsciously, you just begin to turn the car to the left
you are not going to coast into purpose. You are not going to just stumble your way into a life of significance and meaning
If you're wanting 2026 to actually be a year of breakthrough for you and your family, make the end of 2025 pivotal for you
Application
Pastor Daniel's call is straightforward: don't wait for the calendar to flip. Start now. Identify the past failures, wounds, unforgiveness, or disappointments you are still rehearsing in your mind and make a deliberate decision to release them — not because they didn't matter, but because Jesus has already dealt with them. Then redirect your gaze. Fix your eyes on Jesus rather than on what you lack or what has gone wrong. Finally, press on. Set a goal — physical, financial, relational, or spiritual — and begin today. The church is also invited to lean into the corporate momentum of twenty-one days of prayer and fasting at the start of 2026, trusting that how you finish this year will carry directly into how you begin the next.
