Psalms: Getting to Know the Ways of God, Part 4 (Psalm 23)
Experience does not define what is true, but what is true defines experience.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this Sunday?
- Read and discuss Psalm 23. What does this tell us about us? What does it tell us about God? What are the three sections of this psalm? What is the big picture concept of this psalm?
- How does this psalm point us to life as a pilgrimage?
- Why is it important that we see the Lord as our own, personal Shepherd? What does this have to to with fulfillment and contentment in life?
- Why does the psalm specify “for His name’s sake”(v. 3)? Why is this significant and what does it mean for us?
- Discuss this statement: Experience does not define what is true, but what is true defines experience. What are the practical implications of this? How do we tend to lean on our emotions and experiences to define truth?
- What is the significance of the “valley of the shadow of death”?
- What is the significance of the cup in verse 5? If your cup were to overflow, what would spill out?
- What does it mean to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (v. 6)? How does this frame life for us? How does the gospel enable us to walk through the “valley of the shadow of death” toward the “house of the Lord”?
- Is there an area of your live where you are fearing some real or potential evil (v. 4)? Spend some time in prayer, thanking God that we have a perfect Shepherd in Christ. Pray that He would comfort you and remind you of His presence that you may “fear no evil…”