The Lord Is My ShepherdPsalm 23

An experienced shepherd who knew the Lord God personally wrote the beautiful words of the twenty-third Psalm. It describes the peace and calm satisfac tion of one whose trust is wholly in God. There should not be any deficit or fear for any who can claim the Lord as Shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He protects, provides for and gives His life for the sheep. Christ Himself is the only door through which one enters the fold. He came to give an abundant life to those who will follow Him, filling their lives with goodness and mercy.

Key Verse: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Psalm 23:1

Lesson Theme: Jesus cares for His people as a shepherd cares for his sheep.

The Shepherd

Lesson 1June 2, 2019

Lesson Objective: Learners will be able to list ways Jesus’ love for His people is like a shepherd’s love for his sheep.

Bible Principle: Jesus loves His people as a shepherd loves his sheep.

Lesson Application: I know Jesus loves me. He is strong enough to provide for all my needs. I will trust Jesus as sheep trust their shepherd. He will care for me wherever I go.

8 Lesson 1

Jesus Has a Little Lamb“The Lord is my shepherd.”

Psalm 23:1

Ask learners to close their eyes and create a picture in their minds as you read Psalm 23. Discuss with the learners some of the words that can create a picture in their minds such as sheep, pasture, still waters, table, oil, cup, house. Tell learners to listen for those words as you read to them. Read Psalm 23.

Read a version of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Tell learners you are going to read a familiar nursery rhyme to them. Ask them to think about why the lamb followed Mary to school.

Perhaps the lamb thought Mary was its shepherd. The lamb wanted to follow Mary. We are little lambs to Jesus. Our lesson today is about how He wants us to follow Him as our Shepherd.

Devotional

Materials Needed

Biblenursery rhyme book of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”picture of a lamb

Start UpRefer to Visual 1, attendance chart. Write learners’ names on the chart prior to class. Have each learner place his sticker or star on the chart. Discuss the importance of faithful church attendance.What is this? (Hold up picture of sheep or stuffed toy sheep.) How do you recognize this as a sheep? I will print “Sheep Facts” on the board. (See illustration.) Share what you know about sheep. (List facts from learners on lines extending out from the oval as illustrated.) Next week we will add to this list. If you learn anything more about sheep, please share it with us next week.

Story TimeOn the board is our list of facts about sheep. The people who lived in Bible times knew more about sheep than most people today. In Israel, sheep were raised for clothing, food and tents. Wool is a

Lesson 1 9

Especially for Teachers “Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

Sheep and their products were a vital part of the Jewish economy. Wool and sheepskin furnished clothing. Sheep were considered “clean” animals. There fore, their meat, milk and cheese provided food for the family and money if sold. Understanding sheep and customs surrounding their care makes teaching the next two lessons more interesting. Although your children are too young to accept “broken bones” as a source of joy, it is essential that teachers do. “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice” (Psalm 51:8). Shepherds sometimes deliberately broke the leg of a consistently wayward sheep. That sheep was then carried by the shepherd and given special, tender care as the bone healed. During this time of close contact, the animal became attached to its shepherd. When God’s people recognize sins but refuse to correct them, temporary crippling may occur. This discipline is strictly for the good of God’s children. The youngest son of the family is even today given the chore of tending sheep. As he grows up, his energy is used for heavier tasks such as plowing and harvesting crops. If a flock exceeds one hundred, a helper is sometimes hired. The paid shepherd rarely is concerned with the welfare of the flock like the owner of the sheep. Thus Jesus said, “He that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep” (John 10:12). Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

SheepFacts

fluffy

softblack

white

baa

Materials Needed

Visual 1stickers or starspicture or stuffed sheep toychalkboard, marker board or newsprintchalk or markers

Materials Needed

Biblesscrap of wool fabric or sheepskin mattress padVisual 1Abowl of water

10 Lesson 1

Time for Action

This section of the teacher’s guide will deal with the learner’s manual and make and take activities. Have each learner print his name on a learner’s manual. A timely organizational tip is to tear out and clip activity sheets together at the beginning of each quar-ter. Place each set in a ziplock bag with required supplies. Time may not permit use of all activities in the learn-er’s manual or make and take books during class time. Writing or reading activities may be most effective when shared with parents or friends outside the class.

Learner’s Manual

Learners’ manuals have an attendance sheet in front of the books. One star is to be colored by the learner for each week he attends class. An attendance award is also in the manual. Show this to the learners and explain the impor-tance of perfect attendance.

1-1—Review the Bible story. Learners may read individually or as a group. Pause during the story to ask “think-ing” questions. Discuss new words from the teacher’s guide.

1-2—Shepherd’s LoveLead learners in singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Sing the song with the new words.

1-3—Shepherd FactsDiscuss facts about a shepherd and Jesus, our Shepherd. Have learners color the J if the sentence is true about Jesus. Instruct them to color the sh if the sentence is true about shepherds. Learners are to fill in blanks at the bot-tom of the page to the question, “How are you like a sheep?”

material made from sheep’s fleece. Some clothes are made from wool. (Bring a scrap of wool fabric for learners to feel. If practical, wet the fabric and let learners smell it. Compare the odor to that of a wet pet.) Lamb chops are a popular food in many parts of our country. Sick people often lie on sheepskin pads for comfort. (If possible, bring a sheepskin mattress pad. Let learners feel the texture. Discuss how Bible-time people must have enjoyed sleeping on the sheepskin mats.)

(Show day scene of Visual 1A.) What do you see? (Call attention to details such as sheep eating, water, nearness of shepherd.) Sheep cannot protect themselves or find their own food. When the animals eat all the grass in one pasture, they must be led to another. They become scared and get lost easily. Sheep are nervous. They like to drink from quiet pools of water. Loud, splashing streams frighten them. The shepherd must keep a careful watch over the sheep. His job is to keep them safe and comfortable.

When night comes, the sheep must be led into a fold or pen. (Fold Visual 1A to show the night scene.) The shepherd counts his sheep every night. He wants to be sure each one is safe. Only a careless shepherd does not know how many sheep are in his flock. The shepherd often sleeps at the gate of the sheepfold or pen. There he hears anything that tries to harm his sheep.

David was a shepherd in Israel. He cared for his father’s sheep when he was a young boy. As an adult, he remembered his love for sheep. He wrote the twenty-third Psalm. Please find it in your Bibles. (Allow time and provide help as needed. Read Psalm 23. Learners may follow as you read or read aloud as a group.)

Shepherd—one who cares for sheep

Flock—group of sheepPasture—grassy field where

sheep feedSheepfold—pen for sheep

New Words

Materials Needed

crayons or markerslearner’s manualBibles

Discuss the following questions with learners.Who is my shepherd? What “wants” will He give? (Those which are good for me.) Why would sheep like green pastures better than desert sand? (They eat grass.) What did we learn that explains why a good shepherd leads sheep beside still waters? (They frighten easily.)

David said the Lord was his Shepherd. That means David felt like a little sheep who needed a shepherd. Help me list facts showing how people and sheep are alike. We will call this list People Facts. (Make diagram like Sheep Facts substituting facts about people instead of sheep. List facts on lines extending from the oval. Facts include biological needs such as food, water, clothes and shelter; protection; healing; friends [church and school] and family. Save this list for the following week.)

The Good Shepherd cares for each of our needs. In addition to food, water and protection, He will lead us in safe places. The Good Shepherd never stops loving His sheep. David says in the last verse of this psalm that he will dwell or live in the house of the Lord forever. It is important to believe God’s Word. It helps us when we are young or old, sick or well, happy or sad.

Our Key Verse says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Please repeat this with me. If you memorize all six verses of Psalm 23, you may place a sticker on the attendance chart.

Let’s Live It!Today we learned about sheep and shepherds. We also learned that the Lord is our Shepherd. He loves us and cares for us as shepherds care for their sheep. Next week, we will learn what happens when sheep do not stay with their shepherd. Come and bring a friend.

Lesson 1 11

1-4—Key Verse ReviewReview Psalm 23:1.

Vocabulary BuildingConnect the word with the picture that defines the term.

Prior to class, remove make and take sheets from the books. Learners are to create a frame for Psalm 23 by gluing it to construc-tion paper. Have learners remove the sticker from the sticker page and attach it to the sheep on the X. Glue cotton balls on the sheep. Grass may be colored with crayons or made from green strips of paper glued to the bottom of the pic-ture. Encourage learners to display Psalm 23 and memorize it during the quarter. Offer a small prize or sticker as incentive for memory work.

MAKE AND TAKE

Materials Needed

cotton ballsconstruction papergluepencilscrayons

12 Lesson 1

Supplemental ActivityDuring the next few weeks challenge your learners to memorize the entire twenty-third Psalm. Many Christians throughout the ages have recalled the words of this beautiful psalm to comfort them in times of fear, in times of sorrow and in times of rejoicing.

The following activities are some that will help learners memorize Bible passages. Choose activities that are relevant to the needs of your class. Learners can be challenged to memorize Psalm 23 for homework and be rewarded with a pencil or bookmark when they recite it at church. Visual 1 has a space indicated for each learner to add a sticker if he memorizes Psalm 23.

Choral ReadingChoral reading is a group activity that may be used to help learners memorize Bible passages. Read the passage aloud with different readers or groups of readers alternating lines or phrases. Choral readings can be printed on chart paper or other large paper.

“The Lord is my shepherd; (boys)I shall not want. (girls)He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: (boys)He leadeth me beside the still waters.” (girls)

Bible Quiz BowlAssign a passage of Scripture to your learners. Divide the class into teams. You are master of ceremonies. Give the first two or three words of the verse. The first person on a team to jump up gets to quote the remainder of the verse. If the person jumps up before the clues are completed, he must say the whole verse.

Picture CluesProvide picture clues for the verse.Learners must look at the picture clue and recite the verse that goes with the picture.

Example for Psalm 23:

Clue—Shepherd“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Clue—green pasture“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

Clue—dark valley or staff“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Materials Needed

pencils or bookmarkersstickerspaperpicture clues