Facing Our Fears

1. How have anxiety and fear shown up in your life?

2. In what ways have they impacted your thoughts, relationships, or decisions?

God as Our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1 + 1 Samuel 17:34–37)

3. Read Psalm 23 all the way through. Then focus on verse 1: “The Lord is my shepherd.”

• What does it mean for God to be a shepherd? (See 1 Samuel 17:34–37 for help.)
• Why is it so powerful that David says my shepherd, not just the or our shepherd?
• What does this reveal about how God personally relates to us?

Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11–18 + Luke 22:43–46)

4. Read John 10:11–18.

• What makes Jesus the “Good Shepherd”?
• How do you see Jesus stepping into fear, stress, and sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane? (See Luke 22:43–46.)
• Why does it matter that Jesus understands what it feels like to be overwhelmed?

Trusting God's Provision (Psalm 23:1b)

5. Psalm 23:1 says, “I shall not want.”

• What does that mean?
• Do you believe this is true for your life right now? Why is it hard to believe that because God is our shepherd, we lack nothing?

Living Out the Truth of Psalm 23:1

6. If you truly believed Psalm 23:1 was true—deep in your heart—how would your life look different?

7. What would it look like to encourage one another with this truth in daily life?

8. What’s one practical step you can take this week to root yourself more deeply in the truth that God is your shepherd?

Caring for One Another

9. How can we be praying for each other this week as we seek to trust God with our fears and needs?