United Methodist Church McKinney Memorial United Methodist Church The Church where “The Holy Spirit Makes the Difference”

SERMON TITLE: Traveling With Too Much Stuff McKinney Memorial United Methodist Church The Church where “The Holy Spirit Makes the Difference” PASTOR EVANGELIST TEACHER VISIONARY Dr. Janice Gilbert Senior Pastor SERMON TITLE: Traveling With Too Much Stuff 1 Peter 5:7

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.

Amplified Bible 1 Peter 5:7 Casting the 'whole of your care - all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on him for he cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully.

Support Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, "for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

SERMON TITLE: Traveling With Too Much Stuff McKinney Memorial United Methodist Church The Church where “The Holy Spirit Makes the Difference” PASTOR EVANGELIST TEACHER VISIONARY Dr. Janice Gilbert Senior Pastor SERMON TITLE: Traveling With Too Much Stuff 1 Peter 5:7

Commentary In this text there was concern that God wasn't promoting some in the way in which they thought should have happened. Nevertheless Peter tells his listeners that God knows exactly what he is doing. In other words they did not have to bear their anxieties. They are told to "toss them over" to God.

My friend this morning I want us to know that we don't have to travel with excessive stuff in our lives, full of anxieties, because God cares. Carrying your own worries is too heavy and burdensome . This can cause us to carry to much stuff that God has already said in his word that we can cast on him.

In this scriptural text Peter reminds the reader to throw off anything and everything that consumes and weigh you down. My friend sometimes we all have a tendency to travel with way too much stuff that is useless that we think we need.

I believe that learning how to cast off, throw off and put off any and everything that weighs us down is a developmental process. By this I mean that learning that some things are useless, some things are not easily traveled. When traveling the journey of life, we learn that God enables us as we travel. God teaches us as we travel that traveling lite is beneficial so that he does the equipping with what is necessary and not what we desire.

We sometimes on our own decide that we will pack stuff that makes it difficult to travel and to get to the place called "there". I am reminded of the passage in Matt 11:28-29 when Jesus tells his disciples, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will gain rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’’ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’’. It is right hear that we see that Jesus takes the overwhelming burden of heaviness if we learn to allow him. There are times my friends that life's situations can cause us to carry too much stuff. Stuff that makes it difficult to move, stuff that makes it difficult to think and make decisions,

too much stuff that God never told us to carry and yes stuff that we want others to carry. What would it look like if we asked God what is needed for this next journey in your life? What if we are led by the Holy Spirit when we pack for our next journey? I believe that we won't over pack with things that make it difficult to travel.

Dr. Janice Gilbert, Senior Pastor McKinney United Methodist Church "Cast your cares, every care, every concern, every issue, everything on him because he not only cares but he knows plans and directions for your life. Dr. Janice Gilbert, Senior Pastor McKinney United Methodist Church

Life Application Statement Getting rid of some of the unnecessary stuff will lighten your load and help you travel better on your spiritual journey. Today I want us to learn to cast our cares upon the Lord so as to travel lite;

Life Application Principles 1. For some it may mean letting go and throwing off frustration, fear, and discouragement. 2. For some this is getting rid of complaining, murmuring and offenses. It only weights you down and allows hopelessness to remain.

Life Application Principles 3. Lastly carrying too much stuff clutters our mind. Learning to throw off things that weight us down will enable God to carry things that were never meant for us to carry in the first place.

Life Application Conclusion If your luggage is too full, cast it out! If you are carrying unnecessary things? Cast it off! If you find yourself not able to close life's luggage. Yeah! Cast if off because not only can He carry you but, He knows exactly where you are going and how to get you there.