This week’s study speak powerfully to the God who makes a way in the wilderness and calls us to press forward—not by clinging to the past, but by trusting in the new thing God is doing.

? Scripture Readings:

• Isaiah 43:16–21
• Psalm 126
• Philippians 3:4b–14
• John 12:1–8

? Focus:

God is always doing something new in our lives, but we must be willing to let go of the past. Letting go is not forgetting—it’s trusting that God’s promise of renewal is greater than anything we leave behind.

? Discussion Questions:

• What “former things” do you need to release in order to move forward with God?

Reflect on habits, regrets, fears, past failures, or even past successes that might be holding you back. How might they be keeping you from seeing the new thing God is doing?

• How does Mary’s extravagant act of love in John 12 challenge your own expressions of devotion?

Mary's gift was costly, vulnerable, and misunderstood. Do you ever hold back your love or generosity toward God or others out of fear or judgment?

• How can we trust God’s promise of renewal in our own lives?

Consider the stories of transformation in Scripture and in your own life. How do they encourage you to trust God for new beginnings?

? Practice for the Week

Take time this week to prayerfully create a "Letting Go List."

Write down the “old things” that you sense God may be inviting you to release—emotional burdens, toxic mindsets, unhelpful attachments, or anything that keeps you stuck in the past.

Then, each day, pray over one item from the list, asking God to give you the strength to let it go and the courage to embrace the new thing God is doing in you.

You may even choose to symbolically release the list—tearing it up, burning it (safely), or placing it at the foot of a cross—to mark your intention to move forward in faith.

? Prayer for Trusting God’s Faithfulness in the Wilderness

God of the wilderness and the way forward,

You make paths where there were none and streams in the desert places of our hearts.

Give us eyes to see the new thing you are doing and the faith to let go of what no longer gives life.

Like Mary, may we offer you our most extravagant love, holding nothing back.

Renew us, restore us, and lead us into the joy of resurrection life. Amen.