Forward with Faith
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the full sermon here.
Preached by Pastor Mike Woodard
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This Sunday marks three years of The Valley Church — three years of God’s faithfulness, answered prayers, late-night set-ups, tear-downs, and countless moments where God showed up in unexpected ways. We’ve seen lives changed, friendships formed, and faith awakened. Today, we celebrate all that God has done, but we also recognize a simple truth: what got us here won’t get us there.
The Apostle Paul puts it beautifully in Philippians 3 when he writes about forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. For Paul, following Jesus was never about settling for what had already been accomplished. He knew that the Christian life was a race — a pursuit — and that growth only happens when we keep moving forward.
It’s tempting to coast on the past, whether it’s our successes or our failures. Sometimes we look back with pride at what we’ve already accomplished and assume we’ve arrived. Other times we look back with regret and let past mistakes define us or hold us back. But Paul’s words are a reminder that neither pride nor regret belongs in the driver’s seat of a Christian’s life. We are called to live with forward motion, always asking what God is doing next and how we can participate.
This kind of forward motion takes effort. Paul’s language is active — he talks about pressing on, reaching forward, and pursuing the prize of God’s heavenly call. The picture is of a runner leaning forward at the finish line, straining with every muscle to take hold of the victory. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident. It requires daily steps of faith — choosing prayer when it’s easier to worry, choosing forgiveness when it’s easier to stay angry, choosing courage when it’s easier to stay comfortable.
As a church, we celebrate year three with gratitude, but we refuse to settle. There are more people in Lawrence who need to hear the good news of Jesus. There are families who need hope, students who need direction, and individuals who need a place to belong. Our best days are still ahead of us because God is still writing our story.
Maybe you’ve been feeling stuck lately. Maybe your faith has grown a little cold or your spiritual life feels stagnant. Philippians 3 is your invitation to press forward. Forget what is behind — release the weight of past mistakes and even past victories — and lean forward into what God has next for you. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the ultimate prize, and let His call shape how you live today.
The same God who brought us this far is faithful to carry us into the future. What got you here won’t get you there — but God will. And if we press forward together, the next chapter will be even greater than the last.