July 16th, 2026
by Pastor John Pool
by Pastor John Pool
Day 4: Pressing Forward, Not Looking Back
Devotional
One of the quietest traps in the Christian life is living off of past experiences with God. It is easy to look back at a powerful moment, a season of breakthrough, or a time when God felt close, and mistake the memory for the reality. Gratitude for the past is healthy. But parking there is not. Paul understood this tension deeply. In Philippians 3, he counted everything he had accomplished and everything he had been as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He was not coasting on his history with God. He was pressing forward, straining toward what was still ahead. His hunger refused to let him settle. That same posture is available to you today. No matter how powerful your past encounters with God have been, He has more for you. Revival, whether personal or corporate, is not a one-time event you look back on. It is a forward-moving pursuit of a God who never stops inviting you deeper. You do not have to manufacture excitement or pretend the past did not matter. Simply make the choice today to press forward. Tell God you want more of Him, not just more memories of Him. That honest prayer is exactly where new moments with Christ begin.
Bible Verse
"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." - Philippians 3:7-8 (New King James Version (NKJV))
Reflection Question
Are you currently pressing forward in your pursuit of God, or have you been living off of a past experience with Him that you have mistaken for your current reality?
Quote
"Hunger refuses to live in the past. In other words, we’re thankful for the past, but we’re not reliving old events. We’re looking for new moments in Christ.” Pastor John Pool
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for every moment I have experienced Your presence. But I do not want to live in the past. Give me a hunger that presses forward and a faith that expects new things from You. Amen.
Devotional
One of the quietest traps in the Christian life is living off of past experiences with God. It is easy to look back at a powerful moment, a season of breakthrough, or a time when God felt close, and mistake the memory for the reality. Gratitude for the past is healthy. But parking there is not. Paul understood this tension deeply. In Philippians 3, he counted everything he had accomplished and everything he had been as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He was not coasting on his history with God. He was pressing forward, straining toward what was still ahead. His hunger refused to let him settle. That same posture is available to you today. No matter how powerful your past encounters with God have been, He has more for you. Revival, whether personal or corporate, is not a one-time event you look back on. It is a forward-moving pursuit of a God who never stops inviting you deeper. You do not have to manufacture excitement or pretend the past did not matter. Simply make the choice today to press forward. Tell God you want more of Him, not just more memories of Him. That honest prayer is exactly where new moments with Christ begin.
Bible Verse
"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." - Philippians 3:7-8 (New King James Version (NKJV))
Reflection Question
Are you currently pressing forward in your pursuit of God, or have you been living off of a past experience with Him that you have mistaken for your current reality?
Quote
"Hunger refuses to live in the past. In other words, we’re thankful for the past, but we’re not reliving old events. We’re looking for new moments in Christ.” Pastor John Pool
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for every moment I have experienced Your presence. But I do not want to live in the past. Give me a hunger that presses forward and a faith that expects new things from You. Amen.
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