During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name.
Psalm 23:3
When we choose the right path, we honour the name of Jesus. There are times people try to lead us down wrong paths. This could be obvious, such as being asked to hurt someone or sell something that could put people in danger. But sometimes these wrong paths disguise themselves as being okay or even good. Honouring the name of Jesus means making the right choices even if that means doing what is difficult or unpopular.
Think of a time when you had to decide between doing what was right and doing something you knew was not. Did this decision disguise itself as something good by offering honour to another person? Was there an obvious right choice? When you pray and ask God for His wisdom, He can help you to navigate decisions between right and wrong. While it may sometimes be difficult to choose the right path, trust that doing so will please God and honour His name!
Encourage families to talk about the importance of honouring others. Ask them to talk about ways they can honour God. Encourage the families to continue to read Psalm 23 with the children every night before the children go to sleep.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome the children and as they enter and ask them to stand in a line.
I am so glad you are all here today! I am also glad you followed my instructions and stood in a line. Instructions are important in all of life. Both children and adults need to follow instructions.
Children follow instructions in school so they can learn. Children also follow instructions at home. Adults follow instructions at home also. Following instructions at home helps family members to get along. Adults follow instructions at work as well. If an adult does not follow instructions on a job, that adult might lose that job.
Let’s play a game to help us learn to listen to instructions. I will be the shepherd and you are the sheep. I will give you instructions. You must listen carefully because you will only follow the instructions when I say, “Shepherd says” to do something. For example, if I say, “Shepherd says” touch your head, you touch your head. If I say, “Touch your head” without first saying, “Shepherd says,” then you will not touch your head. Your hands should stay still and not move if I do not say “Shepherd says.” I will always do the action, so you cannot follow my actions. You must listen carefully and only follow my instructions when I say, “Shepherd says.” Let’s try it.
You will lead the game by saying an instruction and doing the action. Remind the children as needed to only do the action if you say, “Shepherd says” before it. Some statements you can use are listed below. Or you can think of your own statements. Play the game for about 5 minutes.
In our game, you had to listen carefully to know when to follow the instructions and when not to. Today we will learn more from Psalm 23 in the Bible about how God is our Shepherd.
The last time we met, you learned about the first 2 verses of Psalm 23. Let’s review these.
Read these verses directly from your Bible.
The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need. He lets me lie down in fields of green grass. He leads me beside quiet waters.
Psalm 23:1–2
Shepherds take good care of their sheep and provide for their needs. Sheep learn to recognize their shepherd’s voice so they can follow his instructions. Today you will learn why it is important to listen to God’s instructions so He can guide you. Listen to the next verse of Psalm 23:
He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name.
Psalm 23:3
How do you think God can guide you in the right paths to honour His name?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
The Bible gives you instructions to guide you in the right path. As you learn what the Bible says, you learn to listen to God’s instructions. The Bible is God’s Truth that gives instructions for living a life that pleases God.
God is your Shepherd. When a shepherd sees a sheep that is wandering off the path, he uses his staff to gently nudge the sheep back in the right direction. God does this with us. Here is a Bible verse that explains how God guides us.
Here is what I want you to know in your hearts. The Lord your God guides you, just as parents guide their children.
Deuteronomy 8:5
God helps us to know how to live when we are not sure what to do. For example, let’s pretend you are really hungry and you want to take food from someone who also does not have much to eat. You could look at the Bible and find verses about not wanting what others have. Or God might guide you to a place where people are giving food to those who are hungry so that you do not steal from someone else.
God the Holy Spirit knows the truth and wants to guide you to do what is right. However, when the Holy Spirit speaks, you need to be listening to hear what He has to say.
You had to listen carefully in the game at the beginning of class to hear the instructions. That is how you knew if you should move or not. God will help you to choose the right path, or way of living, if you listen carefully to His instructions. When you listen to God, it brings honour to Him.
Let’s do something fun to help us understand what is honouring to God and what is not. I will read some situations. If you think the situation honours God, come stand by me. If it does not honour God, stay at your seats.
As you saw in our examples, sometimes honouring God means not doing what everyone else is doing. Instead, honouring God means doing what He would want you to do. Let’s listen again to today’s verse from Psalm 23 to find out how God helps us to make these difficult decisions to walk on the right paths.
He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name.
Psalm 23:3
God gives us strength! God gives you strength! When you feel like you cannot walk a right path by yourself, know that you do not need to do it alone. God is with you, and He gives you strength. God is your shepherd. This means that when you are not able to walk the right path alone, you can pray for His help. He will come beside you and help you go the right way. If you are tired and cannot continue walking, He will give you new strength. God will help to guide you on the right path!
Let’s play a game to help us to learn to respond to what God wants us to do. I will read an action that someone may choose to do. You will decide if this action keeps you on the right path based on whether or not it honours God. If this honours God, show 1 finger out in front of you. If this does not honour God, hold 2 fingers out in front of you. Let’s practice.
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, create groups of 2–4 children. Give each group 1 small object for each player as the children tear or cut the playing cards from their pages. Read the instructions for the game to the students and allow 5 minutes for them to play the game.
Sometimes people give you the wrong instructions because they want you to go down a wrong path. Jesus always gives you the right instructions. The Good Shepherd will give you strength to choose the right path. The memory verse this week says God is your Shepherd.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need.
Psalm 23:1
End class by saying this blessing, based on Psalm 23:3, over the children.
Blessing: May you allow God to guide you on the right path. May you receive strength to choose the right path to honour God.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
