Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (Psalm 23:1-4), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• God wants to reassure you with the knowledge that he is your shepherd. (See Ezekiel 34; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 15:1-7; John 10:1-18; 1 Peter 2:24-25; Revelation 7:15-17) Does knowledge of him as your shepherd reassure you? Describe your shepherd.

• [1-3] Ultimately, God has made Jesus Christ our shepherd, who always leads us to what is best for us in our life with God. What does it mean that he “leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (emphasis added)?

• [4] Is your idea of Jesus as your shepherd big enough to allow him to take you through places like “the valley of the shadow of death”? Could there possibly be any value in following him through such places? What are some reasons he might have for taking you there? What are some examples of difficult places like that in your life? What does it mean to you, knowing that your shepherd knows the route because of his own sufferings?