Church of the City New York FREED | Past - Jon Tyson
Apr 20, 2026
A pastor wrestles with whether people can be free from their past and how past-negative time perspectives trap us. He shares a personal ACEs story and warns against numbing or spiritual bypassing. Paul’s life in Philippians models intentional forgetting and pressing toward a future identity. The sermon invites a gospel-shaped time orientation that reshapes past, present, and future.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
How An ACE Score Changed Their Marriage
- Jon Tyson recounts his and his wife Christy's experience with a Making Peace With Your Past class that exposed their high ACE scores.
- He reveals they scored nine out of ten on the ACE assessment, which launched their long healing journey.
Sin Traps People In Their Past
- Sin and trauma keep people trapped by converting past events into present control points that sabotage flourishing.
- Jon Tyson cites an Adverse Childhood Experiences score of nine to make the past's grip concrete and urgent.
Time Orientation Predicts Mental Health
- People's orientation toward time predicts wellbeing: past-negative leads to rumination and depression while future orientation yields planning and achievement.
- Jon Tyson uses Philip Zimbardo's time-perspective categories to map present behaviors to outcomes.