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LEAVE IT BEHIND

January 4 | Discipleship Guide

Be Real Together:

Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together. Trust and friendship take time to build. If you’re launching a new DG, one person should tell their story — what do we need to know about you? Next week, have another person in your DG share their story.

Read Together:  Philippians 3:7-14 (CSB)

Paul reflects on his past achievements and failures and declares that none of them compare to the surpassing value of knowing Christ. Rather than being defined by what’s behind him, Paul actively chooses to forget the past and press forward toward the life God is calling him into. This passage invites us to consider not just the goals we set for a new year, but the mindsets, habits, and heart postures we may need to leave behind in order to fully pursue Jesus and the life He offers.

The One Question:
Ask this question at your family meal or Discipleship Group.

What is one thing from last year that God may be inviting you to leave behind as you follow Him into this new season?

Grow Together:
Use these questions to go deeper with your DG or for personal study.

  1. Paul says he is actively forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead. What makes it difficult for us to release the past—whether failures or successes?
  2. Which of the five “leave behind” areas below resonated most with you—and why do you think God is highlighting that one for you in this season?
    • Spiritual apathy >>> passionate pursuit
    • Legalistic obligation >>> joyful abiding
    • Yesterday's wins >>> today's faithfulness
    • Relational cynicism >>> hopeful connection
    • Excusing sin >>> eager repentance 
  3. Where do you currently sense passion—or apathy—in your walk with Jesus?
  4. How could you lean into joyful abiding and leave legalistic obligation behind? What helps reframe faith as a “get to” rather than a “have to”?
  5. What does steady faithfulness look like in your life right now?
  6. Where are you feeling challenged to lean into hopeful connection instead of relational cynicism?
  7. What does it look like to excuse sin instead of running to God in eager repentance? Is there anything you need to eagerly repent of right now?

Pray Together:

  • Thank God for His grace that meets us in both our past and our present.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any mindsets, habits, or sins that need to be left behind.
  • Pray for renewed passion, joyful connection with Jesus, and courage to walk forward in faith.
  • Lift up one another as you step into a new year with hope and dependence on Christ.

Next Steps:

  • Choose one intentional way to “leave it behind” this week:
    • Write down one mindset, habit, or sin God is calling you to release—and pray over it daily.
    • Establish one simple rhythm (Scripture, prayer, community) that helps you pursue joyful abiding.
    • Share with someone you trust what you want 2026 to be marked by spiritually—and invite accountability.
    • Spend time reflecting on Philippians 3:7–14 and ask God what pressing forward looks like for you right now.