Winter Warmers: The Lord is My Shepherd

Sermon & Small Group ResourcesThis is the second sermon in our mini series in ‘Winter Warmers’. This sermon is ‘The Lord is My Shepherd’. Preacher: The Rev’d Michael Calder. Bible Reading: Psalm 23DOWNLOAD the Small Group Questions, Going Deeper, and Sermon Transcript (PDF). Next Steps this Week BIBLE READING: Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters,he refreshes my soul.He guides me along the right pathsfor his name’s sake.Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows.Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the LORDforever. SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Download in PDF format.CONNECT: How can your choices and actions this week be sensitive to the needs of others?WARM-UP Where have you heard this Psalm before but not in a Sunday service? Why do you think this Psalm is so popular even in the world?How have your friends who aren’t christian reacted to the past 18 months of uncertainty?Read Psalm 23What was the role and purpose of a shepherd in these times of David? Why were the sheep so dependant on the shepherds?How does God provide for us the best and most fruitful place to live and thrive?Can you recall a time when you have felt the refreshment of the soul that David speaks of in V3? Where does our greatest refreshment and restoration come from?What does it mean to walk in the right paths? Who do we follow to guide us along these paths?What does V4 assume for us this side of eternity? How can we possibly not be afraid in this darkness and even in the face of death?How has the Lord provided for us in abundance? Where do we primarily see God’s goodness and love poured out for us?How can we have the confidence of dwelling in the house of the Lord even after death?What could it look like for us to act more like a sheep in our lifetime? How can we continually keep our eyes on the shepherdRead John 10:11-18What does the good shepherd do for his sheep? How have we seen this? Why does the shepherd do this for us?How well does the shepherd know us? How could that shape our relationship with him?What does the opposite of this Psalm say to the person who isn’t a believer? Who could we tell of the comfort of the shepherd this week?APPLY:  hat prompts you to look to the shepherd? What troubles or concerns this week could you bring to him? PRAYER Gracious God, thank you for your compassion for us in being our shepherd. Please help us to remember that we are your sheep, that you care for us, and that we can call upon you to help us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  GOING DEEPER On Your Frontline This Week: Alpha begins Monday 12 July. Who could you invite along? Listen, Watch, and Read: AUDIO: The Future! by Dick LucasAUDIO: The Psalm of the Sheep by D.A. CarsonVIDEO: Psalm 23 by Peter OrrAUDIO: The Shepherd Who He Is and What He Does by Simon ManchesterSONG: I’m Not Alone by Church by the Bridge Series Resources:Some helpful resources for our Series:Series Outline by St Bart’s Toowoomba: https://stbarts.com.au/blog/2021/6/20/winter-warmers-miniseries-outlineWebsite: “Psalms” by the Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/learn/psalms/Book: “The Case for the Psalms” by Tom WrightDevotional: “My Rock and My Refuge” by Tim KellerCourse: “Introduction to Psalms” by the Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/psalms/Course: “The Psalms” as part of the Ridley Certificate (6-week online course). WITH CHILDREN Grow as Families Each week St Bart’s Kids and CHARGE Youth provides resources for you to use at home. Join the livestream and then spend 30 minutes to work through these together.Families: Read, Chat, Do, and PrayHigh School: CHARGE Discussion QuestionsKids’ Talk: Watch the Kids’ TalkeBook: Watch the eBook