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Letting Go of the Past: Trusting God

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 02:48:25 GMT

Learning to Forgive, Let Go, and Embrace What God Has Ahead

What's Behind Me Is Not Important

Learning to Let Go, Trust God, and Move Forward

By Pastor Jeff Watson | Kingdom Church Las Vegas

Have you ever watched the 1976 comedy movie The Gumball Rally?

There's a scene in that movie that has always stuck with me.

Raúl Juliá plays Franco Bertollini, an Italian race car driver and Grand Prix champion. As the drivers prepare for an illegal coast-to-coast race, Franco reaches up, tears the rearview mirror off his Ferrari, and throws it away.

Then he looks over at his friend and says:

"And now my friend, the first-a rule of Italian driving. What's-a behind me is not important."

Now, that's a funny scene in a comedy movie, but there's a powerful spiritual truth we can learn from it.

The Apostle Paul said something very similar.

Philippians 3:13 (NKJV)

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,"

Paul understood something that many of us struggle with.

You cannot keep moving forward into what God has for you while constantly looking backward at what someone did to you.

A Lesson God Taught Me in Construction

Years ago, while working in the construction business, I had just finished framing a man's house.

Before the framing was even completed, the homeowner began requesting all kinds of changes and modifications.

Now, anyone who has worked in construction knows that changes mean additional labor, materials, and expenses.

These weren't just a couple of little adjustments. This was an extensive amount of extra work.

When I finished calculating everything, I presented him with a bill for $7,000 in additional work.

He grabbed that bill, threw it on the ground, and told me:

"I'm not going to pay that!"

Now, I had done the work. I had invested the labor and time, and I believed I was owed that money.

So I went to God in prayer.

I said, "Lord, this man has wronged me. Should I take him to court?"

And the Lord brought me back to His Word.

What Does the Word of God Say?

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul addresses disputes among believers.

1 Corinthians 6:7 (NKJV)

"Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?"

Now, that's a difficult scripture to swallow when somebody owes you $7,000!

But that's what God was showing me.

The passage was challenging me to consider something greater than winning an argument or collecting a debt.

It was challenging me to trust God.

So I asked the Lord:

"Are You telling me to let this $7,000 go? To accept being wronged?"

And what I felt the Lord speaking to my heart was:

"Yes. Give it to Me. Focus on the new work that's coming. Concentrate on what's ahead of you, and I'll bless you."

That wasn't necessarily what my flesh wanted to hear.

But I made the decision to obey.

I let the $7,000 go, and I turned my attention toward the work God was putting in front of me.

And do you know what happened?

Within three weeks, I made $21,000!

I could have spent those three weeks angry, frustrated, fighting, and concentrating on the money I believed someone had taken from me.

Instead, I trusted God and moved forward.

God had something greater ahead of me than what I was leaving behind.

Don't Let Yesterday Steal Your Tomorrow

Here's what I've learned.

Some people are still talking about something that happened to them 20 years ago.

Someone offended them.

Someone cheated them.

Someone betrayed their trust.

Someone said something hurtful.

And here they are, years later, still living in that moment.

They're still rehearsing the offense. They're still carrying the anger. They're still waiting for somebody to make it right.

But here's the problem.

Something that happened years ago has now become the very thing controlling their lives today.

The offense may have lasted only a moment, but they've allowed it to occupy years of their lives.

And all that time, God has been calling them forward.

Listen, I'm not saying what happened to you wasn't wrong.

I'm not saying the hurt wasn't real.

I'm saying you don't have to spend the rest of your life living in it.

At some point, you have to give it to God.

You have to let Him be your judge.

You have to trust Him with the things you cannot change.

Because if you don't, something that should have been left in your past can become the defining story of your entire life.

Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

The Bible tells us:

1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'"

We need to learn to be quick to forgive.

Not because everybody deserves our forgiveness.

Not because everybody has apologized.

And not because what they did was acceptable.

But because we belong to Christ, and His love is greater than the offenses committed against us.

Forgiveness doesn't mean pretending something never happened.

It means refusing to allow what happened to keep you from walking in what God has prepared for you.

There is freedom in letting go.

There is peace in trusting God.

And there is a future ahead of you that deserves more of your attention than the offenses behind you.

What's Behind Me Is Not Important

I think back to that old movie and Franco ripping the rearview mirror off his Ferrari.

"What's-a behind me is not important!"

Now, I wouldn't recommend doing that to your actual car!

But spiritually, some of us need to quit spending so much time staring into the rearview mirror.

Paul said he was forgetting what was behind and pressing toward what was ahead.

He wasn't saying he had no past. He was saying his past wasn't going to determine his future.

And that's the lesson I want you to take away today.

Don't allow a $7,000 offense to keep you from a $21,000 blessing.

Don't let yesterday's disappointment blind you to tomorrow's opportunity.

Don't allow someone else's actions to determine your future.

Give it to God.

Forgive.

Trust Him.

And move forward.

Because what's behind you doesn't have to control what's ahead of you.

With love and encouragement,

Pastor Jeff Watson
Kingdom Church Las Vegas

Where Are Your Accusers?

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:38:51 GMT

FREEDOM FROM LIES

Stop Believing the Lies of an Already Defeated Accuser

By Pastor Mike | Kingdom Church Las Vegas

Imagine standing before Jesus, surrounded by people who know your failures, your mistakes, and your past. They have already judged you. They have already decided who you are.

This is exactly where we find the woman caught in adultery in John 8.

Her accusers dragged her before Jesus, demanding judgment. But Jesus responded with something they never expected: grace.

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone.” — John 8:7

One by one, her accusers walked away.

Then Jesus asked a question that still speaks to us today:

“Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She answered, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus declared, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” — John 8:10–11

What If We've Misunderstood the Message?

For generations, we've focused on the final words, “Go and sin no more,” often turning them into another demand for perfect performance.

But what if Jesus was revealing something much greater?

The Greek word hamartanō, translated as “sin,” carries the fundamental meaning of missing the mark or falling short.

Consider this through the lens of identity and inheritance. Sin causes us to live beneath the fullness of who we were created to be.

Jesus wasn't giving this woman permission to continue in destructive behavior. He was inviting her into an entirely different way of living.

Stop living beneath your identity. Stop allowing your failures to define you. Walk in the fullness of the life God has given you.

This is the beauty of grace. Jesus didn't begin with condemnation. He began by restoring dignity.

The Accuser Has Been Cast Down

Revelation 12:10 speaks of the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before God day and night, being cast down.

We often read this passage as though we're waiting for another heavenly battle, another victory, or something else Jesus must accomplish.

But listen to His words from the cross:

“It is finished.” — John 19:30

Not partially finished. Not temporarily finished. Finished.

The cross wasn't the beginning of a struggle Jesus might eventually win. It was the decisive revelation of His victory.

And Scripture tells us that the Lamb's redemptive purpose was established before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19–20).

From this perspective, Revelation 12 isn't a prediction of some future battle God still needs to fight. It reveals the defeat of accusation through the victory of Christ.

Who Is Still Accusing You?

Romans 8:33–34 asks:

“Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?”

Think about that.

If God Himself has justified you through Christ, why are you allowing your past to continue defining your future?

So many believers live trapped beneath shame, guilt, condemnation, and a constant feeling that they are never good enough.

We spend our lives trying to become accepted by a Father who has already demonstrated His love for us through Jesus.

We keep listening to accusations that contradict the finished work of the cross.

The greatest prison many believers live in isn't their circumstances. It's the false identity they've accepted about themselves.

You Were Created for More

Jesus came to reveal the Father and restore our understanding of who we are in Him.

Our identity was never meant to be rooted in our worst moments, our religious performance, or the opinions of others.

It is rooted in Christ.

This doesn't mean our choices don't matter. It means transformation flows from knowing whose we are, rather than desperately trying to earn a place in His family.

When we begin to understand our identity as sons and daughters, we no longer have to live beneath the weight of accusation.

We begin living from acceptance instead of fighting for it.

So Let Me Ask You Again: Where Are Your Accusers?

Where are the voices that told you you'd never be enough?

Where is the condemnation that kept you from approaching your Father?

Where is the shame that convinced you your past was greater than God's grace?

Jesus has already answered.

“Neither do I condemn you.”

It's time to stop identifying with the accusations and start identifying with the One who redeemed you.

You weren't created to spend your life defending yourself against a defeated accuser.

You were created to walk in freedom, reveal the Father, and demonstrate His Kingdom on earth.

Your accusers do not get the final word. Jesus does.

And His word is life.

Pastor Mike

Kingdom Church Las Vegas

Discover your identity in Christ. Experience His love. Live in the freedom of His finished work.

Identity in Chrst

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:22:25 GMT

Discover Your Identity in Christ: Embracing the Father’s Love and Finding Freedom from Performance

What Does Identity in Christ Mean? From Performance to Belonging

By Pastor Mike | The Kingdom Church LV

Have you ever felt that you had to earn your place—even with God? If you prayed enough, served enough, or managed to get everything right, perhaps you could finally feel accepted.

That is an exhausting way to live.

Identity in Christ means understanding who you are because of your relationship with Jesus: forgiven, made new, loved, and welcomed into the Father's family. Your deepest identity is rooted in Him, rather than in your achievements, failures, or other people's opinions.

At The Kingdom Church LV, we believe this truth matters in everyday life. Knowing that you belong to the Father changes how you pray, how you face failure, and how you love the people around you.

When You Have Learned to Earn Love

Some people have experienced the actual loss of parents or abandonment. Others grew up with family around them but still felt unseen, unwanted, or accepted only when they performed well.

Perhaps affection depended on good grades, good behavior, or keeping everyone happy. Perhaps you learned that being useful was the safest way to keep a place in someone's life.

Those experiences can shape how we approach God. We may believe He loves us in theory while living as though one mistake could make Him turn away.

Christians sometimes describe this as an “orphan mindset”: the inward fear that we are alone, must provide for ourselves, and have to earn belonging. This is a description of an experience, not a label to place on people who have been orphaned or adopted.

Jesus speaks directly into that fear:

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” — John 14:18, KJV

In this passage, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure and promising the Holy Spirit. His promise offers more than encouragement from a distance. He assures them of His continuing presence.

You do not have to face life abandoned.

You Have Received the Spirit of Adoption

Paul describes our relationship with God this way:

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” — Romans 8:15, KJV

Notice the movement: from bondage and fear into family and relationship.

“Abba” is an intimate address to a father. Alongside the word “Father,” it expresses the closeness believers are invited to share with God. For those of us who affectionately call Him “Papa God,” this is the heart of that language: a Father we can approach with trust.

Romans 8:16 goes on to describe the Spirit bearing witness that we are God's children. Identity in Christ is more than positive thinking. It is learning to receive what God says about our relationship with Him.

You are allowed to come close. You are allowed to ask for help. You are allowed to be loved while you are still growing.

Acceptance Comes Before Performance

At Jesus' baptism, before the public ministry described afterward, the Father declares:

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” — Matthew 3:17, KJV

Jesus' sonship is unique. Yet this moment beautifully reveals the Father's delight in His Son before the miracles and public ministry that follow.

For believers, Ephesians 2:8–10 gives us the order of grace: salvation is God's gift, received through faith, rather than something earned by works. Then, as people made new in Christ, we are created for good works.

Grace gives us a place from which to live. We serve because we belong. We obey because we are learning to trust the One who loves us.

Acceptance does not make growth unnecessary. It gives growth a healthy foundation. When you know you are loved, you can acknowledge a mistake without making that mistake your identity.

The Father's Welcome in the Prodigal Son

In Luke 15:11–32, Jesus tells the story of a son who leaves home, wastes his inheritance, and returns expecting to ask for a servant's place.

The father sees him coming, runs to him, embraces him, and celebrates his return. The robe, ring, and sandals express a welcome back into the household.

The older brother also reveals something important. He stayed home and worked faithfully, yet spoke about his years of service with resentment. He struggled to share his father's joy.

We can recognize ourselves in either brother. We may feel too far away to be welcomed, or we may be busy serving while quietly measuring what we believe God owes us.

The story invites us to receive the father's welcome and share his heart. Being near the house and knowing the Father's heart are experiences we must learn to bring together.

Your Failure Does Not Have to Become Your Name

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV

Your history may include rejection, addiction, broken relationships, religious pressure, or choices you deeply regret. Those experiences matter, but they do not have the final authority to define who you are in Christ.

Romans 8:1 declares freedom from condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. That freedom does not erase responsibility. It allows us to face the truth, repent, repair what we can, and receive help without believing we are beyond love.

Healing may take time. Trusted community, pastoral care, and professional counseling can all have a place in that journey.

You can be a beloved child of God and still be learning how to live like one.

How to Live From Your Identity in Christ

Begin by bringing your honest heart to the Father. Prayer can sound like, “Father, I know what the Bible says, but I am struggling to believe that I belong. Help me receive Your love.”

Read Romans 8:14–17 slowly. Let its language of adoption, family, and inheritance challenge the belief that you must face everything alone.

When you make a mistake, practice returning to God. Confess honestly, receive forgiveness, and take the next faithful step. You do not have to hide until you feel worthy of approaching Him.

Make room for time with God that produces no visible accomplishment. Sit quietly. Worship. Walk and talk with Him. Relationship has value even when there is no task to complete.

Finally, surround yourself with people who help you grow in both grace and truth—people who can encourage you, challenge you, and remind you that love is not a paycheck for religious performance.

There Is a Place for You

What does identity in Christ mean? It means your life has a new foundation: Jesus has brought you into relationship with the Father. You can learn to live as someone who is loved, welcomed, and being made new.

If you are in Las Vegas and looking for a church where you can explore identity in Christ, grace, and the Father's love, we invite you to connect with The Kingdom Church LV.

You do not have to have everything figured out before you come.

Learn more about The Kingdom Church LV and plan your visit.

A prayer: Father, help me see myself through Your love. Where rejection has taught me to hide, help me come close. Where performance has taught me to strive for acceptance, teach me to rest in Your grace. Let Your Spirit remind me that I belong to You. From that place of love, help me grow, obey, and love others. In Jesus' name, amen.