Psalm 23: My Good Shepherd gives me new life

1. Lesson (based on Psalm 23:3)

HOOK

• Have you ever messed your room or home up really, really bad? Maybe you didn’t pick up all your toys. Your clothes are all over. Your books area spread out on the floor. You can’t even walk through it without stepping on something. It’s a great big mess!
• Some people’s lives are also great big mess. Sometimes they don’t know it’s a mess. But they are feeling lost and lonely, hurt and sad. Unlike the mess in the room, they can’t clean up their lives on their own. They need Someone to come and help them. To take out the garbage, to disinfect and arrange everything back neatly. They need a fresh and brand new start.
• Jesus is that Person who can do all that for us. He gives us new life and His right way of living. 

• Psalm 23
• In Psalm 23, David talks about our Good Shepherd who provides everything we need and invites us to rest in Him.
• Do you remember what the first 2 verses of the psalm are? <revise with actions>
• Psalm 23:1-2 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 

• He then goes on to talk about how the Good Shepherd gives us new life.
• Psalm 23:3
  He refreshes my soul.
  He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 

• He refreshes my soul 
• Sometimes sheep get tired and dirty and messed up. They have thick curly wool that makes it difficult for them to get up if they fall over on their side. Then they’re stuck there, with their legs in the air, bleating and crying. 
• The shepherd has to then restore the sheep, by turning the sheep over, lifting it up, massaging its legs and helping it find its balance. <demonstrate for kids>
• When we have fallen and are bogged down by sin and sadness, our Good Shepherd is there to help us. He lifts us by His grace, holds us and reassures us — He refreshes our soul!
• More than just cleaning up our mess, our Good Shepherd gives us a brand new life! It’s not just patched up and repaired. But completely brand new. We become brand new creations with refreshed souls!

•  He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake 
• When He cleans us up, our Good Shepherd doesn’t just leave us on our own to find our way.
• No. He guides us. Along the right paths. Along His way. Not the way that leads them off the cliff where they would fall and hurt themselves. Not the way the traps them and makes them fall down and get injured. His way. The best way. When we follow the Good Shepherd, we will never get lost!
• Why? For His name’s sake. He is Good Shepherd. He wants to take the best care of his sheep. When people see His sheep, they know who their Shepherd is.

• So today, we learn that:
• Our Good Shepherd cleans us up and gives us new life.
• He leads us on the right paths. The best paths.
• When we follow the Good Shepherd, we know that He is always there to help us when we fall, and to guide us in the right way to go.

2. Suggested Activities:

• Memory Verse with actions: 
• Psalm 23:1-3 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 paths for his name’s sake.