Copyright ©2010 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org 1
FamilyWorshipGuide–Week17READ
o Psalm23:1‐4o Verse1:DavidusedthepictureofashepherdtorecalltheblessingsheenjoyedfromtheLord.Themetaphorwasa
naturaloneforDavid,theshepherd‐king.TheprophecyregardingthecomingMessiahusedthesamemetaphor(cf.Isaiah40:11),andJesusidentifiedHimselfastheexpected“GoodShepherd”(John10:14).Elsewhere,Heiscalledthe“GreatShepherd”(Hebrews13:20)and“ChiefShepherd”(1Peter5:4).BecausetheLordwasDavid’sShepherd,helackednothing.
o Verse2‐3:DavidgoesontodescribethosethingsthathisLord/Shepherdhasprovidedandthereforehewillneverlack.Theemphasisofversestwoandthreeisonthe“rest”whichtheShepherdprovidesforHissheep.Theexpression“liedowningreenpastures”(v.2)speaksofrestafterhavingbeenfed.Andthewords“stillwaters”literallymean“watersofrest.”Versethreeremindsusthatasashepherdleadshisflock,soalsoGodguidesHispeople.Guidanceisoneofthekeytasksoftheshepherd.NotonlydoesHeleadhissheeptoplacesofpeaceandrest(v.2),butHealsoleadsthemalongtherightpaths.WecanbeconfidentthatwewillneverlackGod’sleadinginourlifeandthatHewillalwaysleadusalongtheproperpath.Hedoesthis“forHisname’ssake”,forHishonorandreputationasaGoodShepherd.
o Verse4:Inversefour,wenoticethateventhoughGodwasDavid’sshepherd,thisdidnotkeephimfrommanytrialsandtribulations.HewassoughtwithoutcausebykingSaul,whobecamejealousofDavid’ssuccess.The“pathsofrighteousness”arenotalwayspeacefulpaths.However,thepictureofthe“rod”andthe“staff”aretheshepherd’sinstrumentsofprotectionforhissheepfromtheirenemies.Therefore,whileGodmaynotalwaysuseHispowertokeepusoutoftrials,HispresenceandHispowerwillalwaysbewithusinthemidstofourtrials.DavidwascomfortedbytheLord’spresenceandprotection.AsbelieversweareneverinsituationstheLordisnotawareof,becauseHeneverleavesorforsakesHispeople.
o Verse:5‐6:Thescenechangestoabanquethallwhereagracioushostprovideslavishhospitality.Underthisimagery,DavidrejoicesintheLord’sprovision.Accordingtotheancientlawofhospitality,onceatravelerisreceivedintotheshepherd’stent,andespeciallyoncehishosthasspreadfoodbeforehim,heisguaranteedimmunityfromenemieswhomaybeattemptingtoovertakehim.NogreatersecurityorcomfortcouldbeobtainedbyatravelerintheancientNearEastthantobeofferedthehospitalityofahome.Itwasunderstoodthatthiswasaprovisionofshelterandfood,butevenmoreit,wasaguaranteeofprotectionfromharm.DavidrealizedthattheLord’sloyallovewouldgowithhimeverywherethroughouthisentirelife.
BottomLine:OurGodistheGreatShepherd,thereforewecanfindgreatpeaceinHiscare.
Questions:HowhaveyouexperiencedtheLord’sprovisioninyourownlife?InwhatspecificwaysdoesGodprovidepeaceandrest?Whatareyourbiggestcausesoffear?Inlightofthispsalm,howshouldyourespondtothese?
PRAYo ReadWindowontheWorld,pg.54‐55Egypto UsePrayerCard
SINGo Uselyricsheetandmp3downloadof“YouNeverLetGo”o ThisweekourfamilyworshipfocusisonPsalm23.Asweconsideredasongtohighlight,MattRedman’ssong“You
NeverLetGo”cametomind.Thelyricsofthissongarerootedinthispassage.Thetruthexpressedintheselyricsisacomfortingreminderthatnomatterthecircumstances,Godisalwayspresentwithus.AsHissheep,Heisleadingusanddirectingourpaths.OurjobistofollowHimandplacecompletetrustinHisguidanceoverourlives.
MEMORIZEo Psalm23TheLORDismyshepherd;Ishallnotwant.Hemakesmeliedowningreenpastures.Heleadsmebeside
stillwaters.Herestoresmysoul.Heleadsmeinpathsofrighteousnessforhisname’ssake.EventhoughIwalkthroughthevalleyoftheshadowofdeath,Iwillfearnoevil,foryouarewithme;yourrodandyourstaff,theycomfortme.Youprepareatablebeforemeinthepresenceofmyenemies;youanointmyheadwithoil;mycupoverflows.Surelygoodnessandmercyshallfollowmeallthedaysofmylife,andIshalldwellinthehouseoftheLORDforever.
Copyright ©2010 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org 2
SUGGESTIONSThese suggestionswere created by the age‐groupministry leaders as away to help parents better communicate thebiblical truths discussed in the Family Worship Guide. These activities and questions can replace or serve as asupplementtothequestionsunderthe“Read”sectiononPage1.RememberthatthesesuggestionsareintendedtohelpparentsfacilitateGod‐centereddiscussionswiththeirchildren.Parentsshouldprayerfullyusethesesuggestions,andanyothermeansnecessary,tohelptheirchildrendiscoverthetruthsofGod’swordandworshipHimtogether.
Preschool(Birth‐Kindergarten)o Beforeyoubegin:Grabapictureofasheeporatoyorstuffedsheep.Askyourchild,“Doyouknowwhotakescare
ofsheep?”Explaintoyourchildthatashepherdisthepersonwhowatchesoversheep.Shepherdsmakesurethesheeparefed,safeandcaredforeveryday.Theshepherdknowsthesheepbynameandthesheeptrusthimandfollowhim.GodislikeashepherdandwearelikeHissheep.Helovesus,watchesoverusandcaresforus,justliketheshepherdwatchesoverhissheep.HeknowsusbynameandwetrustHimtoprovideforuseveryday.
o Seechildren’sactivitybelow.Thiswouldbeagoodgametoplaywithyourpreschoolers.
Children(Grades1‐5)o ToassistyouinillustratingtheLORDasourShepherd,werecommendplayingagameof‘FollowTheShepherd
(Leader).’o Haveyourchild(ren)lineupandfollowbehindyou.Askthemtocopyeverythingyoudo.Havefunwiththis—turn
around,jumpupanddown,zigzag,tapthewall,ticklethem,laydownandrest,pretendtoeat,etc.Makesuretheydoeverythingyoudo.
o Afterplayingthisgameforafewminutes,askthemthesequestions:WhowastheShepherd?DidyoufollowtheShepherdwell?DidtheShepherdtellyoueverythingyouneededtodo?DidtheShepherdaskyoutodoanythinghedidn’tdohimself?
o Afterthesequestions,youmaywanttosummarizethetruthsyouaretryingtoemphasizewithyourchildren.GoddesirestoleaduslikeaShepherd.WeareHissheep(Ps.100:3).AsHissheep,weshouldfollowandobeytheLORD,ourShepherd.WecanfollowtheLORD,ourShepherd,withcompletetrust.Godwouldn’taskustodoanythingHeisn’twillingtodoHimself(Phil.2:5‐10).
Students(Grades6‐12)
o RecentlyourstudentslearnedaboutthePassoverbyhostingaSederMealatourchurchfacilityforallofourstudents.Aspartoftheillustration,wehadtwobabylambspresent.Astheywerehereduringtheday,Inoticedthattheywouldfindsomeoneandfollowthem.Thesheephadnoideawheretheywerebeingled,buttheywouldmovefromoneleadertoanotherandgowherevertheywereled.Theywerewillingtofollowwhoeverhappenedtocatchtheirattentionatthatmoment!Howarewesometimeslikethoselambs?Whataresomeinfluences/influencersyouaretemptedtofollow?
o Whataresomeoftheconsequencesoffollowinga‘falseshepherd’,someoneorsomethingotherthanGod?o WhyisitthatGodcancallhimselftheGoodorGreatShepherd?WhyshouldwefollowHimandHispathsforus?
Howdoweknowwecantrusthisleadership?
Pra
yer
W
eek
17In
terc
essi
onIn
terc
essi
on m
eans
pra
ying
for o
ther
s’ s
piri
tual
and
phy
sica
l nee
ds.
God
tells
us
in H
is W
ord
to p
ray
for
othe
rs.
If yo
u de
sire
to re
ad s
ome
pass
ages
from
Scr
iptu
re a
bout
this
, som
e ar
e lis
ted
belo
w.
Bibl
ical
Bas
is fo
r In
terc
essi
on:
1 Co
rint
hian
s 10
:3-5
; Gal
atian
s 6:
2; E
phes
ians
6:1
8-21
; 1 T
imot
hy 2
:1-8
Take
an
oppo
rtun
ity fo
r tho
se g
athe
red
with
you
in w
orsh
ip to
men
tion
spec
ific
pray
er n
eeds
of o
ther
s.
Pray
for
each
one
of t
hese
requ
ests
spe
cific
ally
.
Nati
ons:
Egy
ptCh
risti
ans
are
trea
ted
like
seco
nd-c
lass
citi
zens
. Pra
y fo
r G
od to
sus
tain
bel
ieve
rs in
Egy
pt a
s th
ey
• fa
ce v
aryi
ng d
egre
es o
f per
secu
tion.
A
lmos
t 14
.2 m
illio
n pe
ople
live
on
less
tha
n $1
/day
. Ask
God
to
prov
ide
for
the
mill
ions
in n
eed
• fo
r H
is n
ame’
s sa
ke.
Pray
for
the
chur
ch in
Egy
pt to
be
stre
ngth
ened
in G
od’s
Wor
d.
• Pr
ay t
he G
ospe
l will
be
spre
ad t
o al
l the
28
peop
le g
roup
s in
Egy
pt, a
ll of
whi
ch a
re c
onsi
dere
d •
unre
ache
d.
Sour
ce: O
pera
tion
Wor
ld b
y Jo
hnst
one
and
Man
dryk
Scr
iptu
re M
emor
y
Wee
k 17
Psal
m 2
3 Th
e Lo
rd is
my
shep
herd
; I s
hall
not w
ant.
He
mak
es
me
lie d
own
in g
reen
pas
ture
s. H
e le
ads
me
besi
de s
till w
ater
s.
He
rest
ores
my
soul
. He
lead
s m
e in
pat
hs o
f rig
hteo
usne
ss fo
r hi
s na
me’
s sa
ke. E
ven
thou
gh I
wal
k th
roug
h th
e va
lley
of th
e sh
adow
of d
eath
, I w
ill fe
ar n
o ev
il, fo
r yo
u ar
e w
ith m
e; y
our
rod
and
your
sta
ff, th
ey c
omfo
rt m
e. Y
ou p
repa
re a
tabl
e be
fore
m
e in
the
pres
ence
of m
y en
emie
s; y
ou a
noin
t my
head
with
oil;
m
y cu
p ov
erflo
ws.
Sur
ely
good
ness
and
mer
cy s
hall
follo
w m
e al
l the
day
s of
my
life,
and
I sh
all d
wel
l in
the
hous
e of
the
LORD
fo
reve
r.
You
Nev
er L
et G
oBy
Matt
and
Bet
h Re
dmon
Even
thou
gh I
wal
k th
roug
h th
e va
lley
Of t
he s
hado
w o
f dea
thYo
ur p
erfe
ct lo
ve is
cas
ting
out f
ear
And
eve
n w
hen
I’m c
augh
t in
the
Mid
dle
of th
e st
orm
s of
this
life
I won
’t tu
rn b
ack
I kno
w Y
ou a
re n
ear
And
I w
ill fe
ar n
o ev
ilFo
r m
y G
od is
with
me
And
if m
y G
od is
with
me
Who
m th
en s
hall
I fea
r?W
hom
then
sha
ll I f
ear?
Chor
us:
Oh
no, Y
ou n
ever
let g
oTh
roug
h th
e ca
lm a
nd th
roug
h th
e st
orm
Oh
no, Y
ou n
ever
let g
oIn
eve
ry h
igh
and
ever
y lo
wO
h no
, You
nev
er le
t go
Lord
, You
nev
er le
t go
of m
e
And
I ca
n se
e a
light
that
is c
omin
g Fo
r th
e he
art t
hat h
olds
on
A g
lori
ous
light
bey
ond
all c
ompa
reA
nd th
ere
will
be
an e
nd to
thes
e tr
oubl
esBu
t unti
l tha
t day
com
esW
e’ll
live
to k
now
You
her
e on
the
eart
h
Yes,
I ca
n se
e a
light
that
is c
omin
g Fo
r th
e he
art t
hat h
olds
on
And
ther
e w
ill b
e an
end
to th
ese
trou
bles
But u
ntil t
hat d
ay c
omes
Still
I will
pra
ise
You,
stil
l I w
ill p
rais
e Yo
u
Copy
righ
t©20
05 T
hank
you
Mus
ic (A
dmin
: EM
I Ch
risti
an M
usic
Pub
lishi
ng)
Due
to c
opyr
ight
lim
itatio
ns, w
e ar
e on
ly a
llow
ed
to p
rint t
he ly
rics
to th
is s
ong
with
no
chor
ds.
We
enco
urag
e yo
u to
dow
nloa
d an
mp3
of t
his
song
fr
om iT
unes
.
Cop
yrig
ht ©
2010
The
Chu
rch
at B
rook
Hill
s
