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Recently I was on a lengthy trip.  Due to a family emergency, travel plans were made very quickly.  Then came the time to pack.  What should be in my suitcase?  Certainly, some items were optional.  But I needed my phone charger.  I could not do without travel documents and toothpaste.  We were going to a warm climate, so best to put in the swim shorts.  In the end, one of most helpful things I packed was a large number of handkerchiefs.  Yup, I am old...but they sure came in handy when I was dripping with perspiration!  And as always when I travel, there were some things that I packed which turned out to be quite unnecessary.

When it comes to your spiritual journey, have you ever thought about what are the most important things to pack?  Over six weeks we are going to survey some very important things needed in the life of a follower of Jesus.  You might call this series “Sermons from a Suitcase”.  It was on my recent physical journey that I had time to reflect on what are some important things for our spiritual journey with Jesus.  Now, this is not an exhaustive list.  There are many more spiritual necessities.  However, these sermons will feature six indispensable spiritual realities which must shape our Christian experience.  We will explore such themes as the importance of death’s defeat, finding a healthy pace, and repentance.

What have you “packed into your spiritual suitcase” as it were?  Have you packed the appropriate values, practices, and disciplines for a successful spiritual walk with Christ?  As you ponder that question, there is one more important thing to keep in mind.  In a very real sense, all that we have to put in our “spiritual suitcase” comes from God.  In other words, this is not an exercise in self effort.  It is our Heavenly Father who alone can be our provider.  We read in II Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  As grateful recipients of God’s grace, we must be certain to incorporate only the most important things into our lives as we follow Jesus.