📖 Scriptures to Read and Ponder

Main Teaching Text:

• Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Other Key Scriptures from the Sermon:

• Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV) – God’s promise of redemption and presence in difficult seasons.

• Isaiah 43:4 (NIV) – You are precious and honored in God’s sight.

• Romans 15:4 (NIV) – The Old Testament was written for our instruction and encouragement.

• 1 Corinthians 10:11 (NIV) – The stories of Israel serve as examples for us.

• Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) – We are God’s masterpiece, created for His good works.

• 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NIV) – We were bought at a price; we belong to God.

• John 14:6 (NIV) – Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) – In Christ, we are a new creation; old things have passed away.

• John 10:10 (NIV) – Jesus came to give us life to the full.

📝 Sermon Recap

I. Introduction: A Call to Newness

• We stand at the threshold of a promise—God is calling us forward!

• He does not want us stuck in the past—He is bringing forth something fresh and new in our lives.

• Often, we must break with the old to make room for the new.

II. Context: Israel in Captivity

• Isaiah wrote to God’s people in Babylonian captivity—they felt stuck and abandoned.

• Their disobedience led to exile, but God’s mercy provided hope for deliverance.

• Just as He delivered Israel, God promises freedom for us today.

III. Forget the Former Things (Isaiah 43:18)

• God is not saying to ignore the past, but not to dwell there.

• We can be trapped in cycles of regret, pain, or nostalgia that stop us from seeing what God is doing now.

• Illustration: The Rearview Mirror

• If you drive while only looking in the rearview mirror, you will crash.

• It’s okay to glance at the past, but our focus must be on the road ahead!

IV. See! God is Doing a New Thing (Isaiah 43:19)

• “See” (or “Behold”) is a call to pay attention—we need spiritual eyes to perceive God’s work.

• God is not a God of stale routines—He is creative, fresh, and ever-moving!

• Too often, we limit God by only expecting Him to work like He did in the past.

• Jesus is the ultimate “new thing” God has done—He is the fulfillment of all God’s promises.

V. A Path in the Wilderness, Streams in the Wasteland

• “A path in the wilderness” – God provides direction where there seems to be none.

• “Streams in the wasteland” – God brings life where there is only dryness.

• Illustration:

• In biblical times, streams represented life—without water, life could not exist.

• God is pouring fresh, living water into the dry areas of our lives today.

VI. Fulfillment in Christ

• Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).

• At the Cross, He made a way where there was no way.

• He has called us to step into new life, leaving the old behind.

VII. Call to Action

• What is holding you back?

• Old wounds?

• Unforgiveness?

• Fear of change?

• God is making a way in your wilderness—WILL YOU WALK IN IT?

• God is pouring out rivers in the wasteland—WILL YOU DRINK FROM THEM?

💬 Memorable Quotes

• “God will give you fresh wind for the fresh assignment. Don’t let yesterday’s burdens block today’s blessings.” – T.D. Jakes

• “God is not limited by what He did before—He is doing a new thing! Will you perceive it?”

• “The past is a point of reference, not a place of residence!”

• “Some of us are stuck in past failures, others are stuck in past victories—either way, we must move forward!”

• “Jesus is the ultimate ‘new thing’ God has done—He is the way, the truth, and the life!”

🗣 Questions for Discussion

1. What does it mean to ‘forget the former things’? How can we apply this practically?

2. Have you ever missed something new God was doing because you were too focused on the past?

3. In what areas of your life do you feel like you are in a “wilderness” or “wasteland”?

4. How does Jesus fulfill the promise of Isaiah 43:19?

5. What steps can you take this week to walk in the “new thing” God is doing?

📚 Further Reading

• Isaiah 35:5-8 – The coming of God’s kingdom brings transformation.

• Lamentations 3:22-23 – God’s mercies are new every morning.

• Philippians 3:13-14 – Forgetting what is behind and pressing forward.

• Revelation 21:5 – “Behold, I make all things new!”

• John 7:38 – Jesus, the source of living water.

🙏 Prayer Points

1. Pray for fresh vision – Ask God to open your eyes to perceive the new thing He is doing.

2. Pray for a breakthrough from past struggles – Surrender past hurts, regrets, and failures to God.

3. Pray for direction – For those who feel lost or uncertain about the future.

4. Pray for the dry places – Ask for the Holy Spirit to bring living water into areas of spiritual dryness.

5. Pray for the courage to step into the new – That we would not just hear the Word but act on it.

🔥 Final Charge

This week, don’t just reflect on this message—ACT on it! God is moving, but will you perceive it?

Step into the new. Walk in the way He is making. Drink deeply from His streams of life!