Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• This week we continue our time in the Psalms, turning our attention to Psalm 23. Read Psalm 23.
• In what ways does this Psalm describe the work of the Lord? How is the Lord pictured in this Psalm?
• What would it look like to be a sheep under the shepherding care of the Lord? What would be the benefits and blessing of such care?
• Where does the OT use the language of shepherding in predictive ways concerning the Messiah? (See especially Ezekiel 34:12-24 and Micah 5:2-6). What is the trajectory of the predictions of the OT concerning the shepherding work of the Lord?
• What does the NT say about the shepherding work of Christ? (See especially John 10, Matt 2:6, 9:36)
• The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

• How can we legitimately connect the dots between Psalm 23 and the work of the Messiah?
• List out the ways that Jesus cares for his sheep in John 10:1-30.
• How do these 2 passages correspond to one another?
• How should we think about the coming of the Messiah in light of what we read concerning his shepherding work?
• Read Revelation 7:17. What do we have to yet look forward to concerning the shepherding work of the Messiah?