Sermon Tone Analysis

Story

Bags.

Backpacks.

Shoulder Packs.

Fanny packs.

Bags come in all shapes and sizes.

I have a slight issue when it comes to backpacks.

I like them!

Like, a lot.

I’m always searching for the ultimate and perfect backpack.

Just when I think I’ve found it, I find a better one.

Just this past summer, I bought not one, but two bags just because I thought I needed both.

I love that bags come in all shapes and sizes.

They all serve different purposes…

[ Pause here and get serious.]

Baggage in all shapes/sizesYou know… everyone has baggage.

And it comes in all shapes and sizes.

Like me, you probably pick up a lot of baggage thinking it’s going to change things and make your life better.

Some baggage you can’t help.

Some baggage you can.

Either way, we all have a baggage journey.

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Your Baggage Journey

• [Beginning the Journey] The journey that brings us to pick up so much baggage starts early.

It may be a small negative comment that a parent or someone says to us; that makes us feel like we aren’t good enough.

It could be a mean comment on the playground.

These comments may seem small, but they cut deep.

[Put on small bag]

• [Parent’s Divorce] Some of you come from split homes.

You remember your parents arguing constantly until one day they finally give up.

You wished when you were little that they would get back together, but it never seems to happen.

You finally come to the realization that your family is broken.

[Put on bag]

• [Abuse/Family Conflict] It’s so sad to realize that many children face abuse of some kind during their childhood.

It could range from verbal to physical to sexual to psychological.

In every family, there is conflict.

You soon realize that those closest to you can inflict the most harm.

Some of you have baggage from abuse or maybe a family dynamic (like constant tension) or both.

[Put on bag]

• [Jr.

High] Eventually we get to Jr. High… Enough said, right?! The first bag you pick up happens when you wake up one morning, head to the mirror and see a huge white mound on your forehead… That zit is so large it has its own zip code!

Acne takes no prisoners.

[Put on bag]

Then, you see that cute girl or guy that you didn’t notice was so cute last year because you still thought girls or guys had cooties and were weird.

You walk up to her or him hoping to make a good impression, but you find that her or his eyes are stuck on that older Jr. High kid (or even worse, a high schooler), not on you.

[Put on bag]

Or maybe he or she does notice you.

You start “going out” even though neither of you can “go out” anywhere.

Three days later, he or she is talking to someone else already and never let you know.

[Put on bag]

• [Sr.

High] Fast forward to Sr. High.

For some reason, the friends you hung out with in Jr. High don’t want to be your friend anymore.

Maybe your parents suddenly got divorced.

Maybe you’re trying to fit in and started using drugs or alcohol to do that.

Maybe you turned to sex to try and fit in.

[Pick up bag]

Some have started using pornography by this age and don’t even realize they’re addicted to it.

There’s some more baggage you pick up, though.

Your relationship with Jesus has cost you friends.

You are singled out because you’re a Christian.

Maybe you were asked a question about your faith, and you didn’t know what to say or feel like you said the wrong thing.

Some of you may feel like your relationship with God is cold and distant.

[Pick up bag]

There’s so many more things that becomes baggage.

New cars.

New girlfriends.

New boyfriends.

New schools.

New parents.

[Keep picking up more bags]

Before we know it, we are completely overloaded with what?... Baggage!

That’s right.

It’s easy to be overloaded with baggage, and it seems to come from everywhere.

Baggage can make us feel unworthy.

It can make us feel like we must act a certain way to disguise the baggage or adapt to the baggage.

Instagram is a great way to do that.

Think about it.

Who honestly posts all their baggage on Instagram?

Not many people.

Instead we post the “ideal version” of our lives.

We want to project to others what we think the ideal version of our life would be.

We lie, plain and simple, because we intend to hide what’s really going on in our lives.

[Make sure you leave all the bags on while you teach this lesson until prompted to take them off]

Scripture

I know I’ve got a lot of baggage.

It makes me wonder, does Jesus has anything to say about this?

Does the Bible talk about baggage?

Better yet, does the Bible tell us WHY we have baggage?

We could find out…

This is a letter that is written by the Apostle Peter.

This means he walked with Jesus in person, and he wrote this letter to Christians all over who were experiencing persecution; one type of carrying baggage.

When you read this section of his letter, which is the conclusion, you get a mixture of reality and hope.

Let’s read it again.

I Peter 5: 6-13 ESV

Let’s dig into this passage tonight and see what it can teach us.

This passage can help us understand WHY we have baggage.

You may wonder why those memories come back.

You may wonder why you can’t escape the porn addiction.

You may be discouraged that you can’t seem to change even when you really want to.