The Lord is My Shepherd: Finding Gratitude in God’s Guidance
Our sermon delved into Psalm 23, exploring the meaningful implications of declaring “The Lord is my Shepherd” our lives. We examined how this truth can help us remain thankful even when we’re not feeling grateful. The message emphasizes God’s personal, unwavering love and care for each of us, highlighting how His role as our Shepherd provides comfort, guidance, and restoration in all circumstances.
As we continue our series on “How to be Thankful when it’s hard to be Grateful,” I encourage you to meditate on the truth of Psalm 23 and the fact that the Lord is YOUR Shepherd. I also encourage you to look back over Psalm 22 and look over Psalm 24 for next Sunday.
May your personal relationship with God our Father, Jesus Christ, His Son, and the Holy Spirit be a source of strength and thankfulness in your daily life. May you feel the presence of our Good Shepherd guiding and comforting you this week.
Blessings,
Pastor Jeremy
Last week’s recap from Psalm 22
- Approach God with Disappointment
- Acknowledge Your Difficulties
- Draw near to God
- Dare to Dream of God’s future blessings
This week: Learning what it means that The Lord is
My Shepherd
- The Christian God is a personal God
- Exodus 6.7
- Jeremiah 29.11
- Isaiah 41.10
- Psalms 32.8
- Hebrews 13.5
“He restores your soul”
- Spiritual Renewal
- Emotional Healing
- Guidance to righteousness
- Deepening relationship with God
- God’s role in renewing, healing, guiding
The Good Shepherd’s Promises
- Rooted in unconditional love
- Based on His character, not our actions
- Essence of grace
Psalm 23.4-6
- God’s presence in dark times
- God’s provision and protection
The Lord as Our Shepherd
- Guiding every step
- Ahead of us and behind us
- Making us the head, not the tail
- Call to embrace the Good Shepherd
- Trusting in His faithfulness
- Allowing Him to lead and provide
- Entrusting burdens to Him
Small Group Guide:
The Lord is My Shepherd | Finding Gratitude in God’s Guidance
Opening Prayer:
Begin by praying together and asking for the “Lord, to restore your souls”
Key Takeaways:
- The Lord is a personal God who invests in His people individually.
- God promises to never leave or forsake His people.
- As our Shepherd, God restores our souls, providing spiritual renewal and emotional healing.
- God’s promises are rooted in His unconditional love and character, not our actions.
- The Good Shepherd guides us through dark valleys and prepares blessings for us even in difficult times.
Discussion Questions:
- What does it mean to you personally that “The Lord is MY shepherd”? How does this impact your daily life?
- The sermon mentioned God’s promises in Exodus 6.7, Jeremiah 29.11, and Isaiah 41.10. Which of these promises resonates most with you right now, and why?
- How have you experienced God’s soul restoration in your life? Share a time when you felt spiritually renewed or emotionally healed by God.
- The pastor asked, “Is it possible that some of you have left that righteous path because your soul is weary and weak?” How can we recognize when we’re straying from God’s path, and what steps can we take to return?
- Discuss the concept of God being both ahead of us and behind us in our life journey. How does this perspective change how you view your current challenges?
- The sermon emphasized God’s unconditional love. How does understanding this affect your relationship with God and others?
- What does it mean to you to “fear no evil” even in the darkest valleys of life? How can we practically apply this in our daily lives?
Practical Applications:
- Daily Affirmation: Start each day this week by saying aloud, “The Lord is MY shepherd.”
- Gratitude Journal: Write down three ways you’ve seen God’s goodness and mercy following you each day.
- Trust Exercise: Identify one area of your life where you struggle to trust God fully. Commit to surrendering this area to Him daily in prayer.
- Soul Care: Set aside time for intentional “soul restoration” this week through prayer, meditation on Scripture, or time in nature.
- Community Support: Share with the group one “valley” you’re currently walking through and allow others to pray for and encourage you.
Closing Prayer:
End by praying Psalm 23 together, personalizing it by using “I” and “my” as you recite it.