 Psalm 23:6
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” When the sheep listen to and obey the shepherd it is for their good and their flourishing. As Matt pointed out, part of misunderstanding the character of God is also misunderstanding his intention for our obedience. He is not looking for begrudging submission. Rather, his commands are intended to bring us joy because they bring him glory and are for our good. When you think about obedience, is “goodness” something that you imagine it leading you toward? What situations make it difficult to believe that God wants good things for you? How does this affect your obedience and trust in Him? In what ways does goodness follow us because Jesus is the Good Shepherd? Inevitably, no matter how faithfully we pursue obedience, there will be times in which we fail. That’s true in every area of life. We will come up short before God, in our marriages, in our jobs, in our friendships, and so on. That’s why the second characteristic that chases after those who follow the Lord is so significant. How do you tend to respond to your own failures? In what ways do you find it difficult to believe that God would respond to them with mercy rather than punishment? Where are you in need of mercy today? How should the truth that God’s mercy follows you through faith in Christ meet you in that need?
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 Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. How does the picture of God throwing a feast fit into your typical view of God? As Matt pointed out in the session, all of verse 5 builds to an overwhelming vision of God’s delight in his people, one we often struggle to incorporate in to our own views of God. It’s easier to think of God as a distant judge—one who gives us rules to live by and who doles out punishment when we come up short. But that’s not the picture of God we receive here in Psalm 23. If you belong to the Lord’s flock, he delights in you today. What’s one way the truth that God delights in you here and now could change how you approach your relationship with him today? Sometimes it is difficult to say along with David “my cup overflows.” Jesus said that he came that we may have abundant life. In what ways do you struggle with feeling like God is distant? In what ways do you experience the feast David is talking about? How can we say along with David “my cup overflows” even in the midst of our enemies as well as in the valley?  Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Think back to some of the times when you have faced a “dark night of the soul,” as Matt described. While suffering is never enjoyable, one of its benefits is that it shows us when we are following false shepherds. Matt specifically mentioned the “shepherds” of health and wealth. When we place our confidence in our bank accounts, what happens when we come up short one month on our mortgage? Or can’t afford groceries? When we place our confidence in our health, what happens when we get sick? Or find ourselves on the other end of a freak car accident? These are false shepherds and cannot provide for us the way Jesus can. Reflect on the suffering you have faced in the past or may be facing presently. How has it revealed to you the ways in which you might have followed false shepherds? Where did you place your confidence? In what ways has this lead to fear? In verse 4, David proclaims that he will “fear no evil” while facing the valley of the shadow of death. The reason he gives for this is because God is with him. How does God’s presence remove our fear of evil? In what ways would a deeper focus on God’s presence have changed the way you responded to difficulty in the past? David shows that not only is God with us, but God comforts us in the midst of trials. Have you experienced this? Why is God truly the only thing that can comfort us no matter what valley we are facing. How can God comfort our world in the valley we currently are walking through?  If you haven't yet, watch this week's video here
In a comment at the bottom of the page, answer some or all of the questions below: (Some of this content is taken from the study guide. For more in-depth personal study download the study guide here: STUDY GUIDE ) Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. We began this series confronting the question of whether or not an Old Testament psalm applies to us today. And what we see here is that it clearly does. God has led us in paths of righteousness by way of his Son, Jesus Christ. But he does so for a specific reason. What does verse 3 list as the reason for the Lord’s shepherding care? In John 10 we see how Jesus leads us to righteousness. He provides us with a perfect right standing before God, and gives us the fuel to pursue righteous behavior. John 10:11-18 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” God isn’t after our white-knuckled discipline. He wants to set us free. Our righteousness comes about not by our own efforts, but by the obedience of Jesus Christ. And by faith, his righteousness is counted as our own. That’s what sets us free and fuels our obedience—the free gift of God’s grace. In what ways have you found yourself resorting to white-knuckled discipline? How should the truth that Christ purchased your righteousness on the cross change the way you think about obedience? Many think that grace encourages licentiousness. How does a true understanding of God’s grace fuel obedience? How has the Lord led you in righteousness? How has your life changed as a result of coming to know Christ? Where do you find yourself discouraged today? What is fueling that discouragement? What ought the gospel fuel in you today?  If you haven't yet, watch this week's video here In a comment at the bottom of the page, answer some or all of the questions below: (Some of this content is taken from the study guide. For more in-depth personal study download the study guide here: STUDY GUIDE ) Psalm 23:2
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. As Matt pointed out in the session, God invites us to follow him out of drought and weariness and in to spaces of rest. It’s a perpetual invitation because our need for rest ebbs and flows throughout life, but it will always remain a need this side of glory. What does your land of drought look like? Where do you find yourself facing weariness? What causes that exhaustion? What are some ways that you have sought rest outside of the Lord as a response to your exhaustion, either today or at some point in the past? How are those pursuits unable to give you the rest you are looking for? John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. How does Jesus provide the rest we are looking for? How have you seen this in your life? How do you need to pursue it today?  If you haven't yet watch this week's video here In a comment at the bottom of the page, answer some or all of the questions below: (Some of this content is taken from the study guide. For more in-depth personal study download the study guide here: STUDY GUIDE ) Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Many times, we think about God in awe-inspiring terms (which we should). He is creator, sovereign, Lord, and so on. But as Matt pointed out, “shepherd” does not inspire awe so much as nearness and care. It communicates a level of intimacy that God has with his people. How does the idea of God as your shepherd add to your understanding of who God is? What implications does this aspect of God’s relationship with us have on our lives? John 10:7-11 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. One of the characteristics Matt pointed out is that the sheep that belong to Jesus hear his voice and follow wherever he leads. But Jesus is not the only voice we hear in our world today. There are many different things vying for our attention. Matt specifically mentioned three examples: our personal desires, culture, and relationships. What are some of the things you tend to look to as a shepherd other than Jesus? How do these things rob joy and life from you and leave you wanting? How are the struggles associated with this current pandemic revealing some of the false shepherds you look to? How is Jesus the only good Shepherd who can give life and cause us to say “I shall not want”? How ought the reality behind the phrase “I shall not want” transform our lives and relationships? How does it affect the way we face the current difficulty our world is in? IN A COMMENT BELOW ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
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