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The Lord Is Our Shepherd

Kids (ages 4-8) · Psalm 23; John 10:11-15 · Standard ·35 minutes

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Objective: Children explain how the shepherd picture shows God's guidance, provision, and presence.

Read: Psalm 23

Opening: Show a simple shepherd picture and ask: What work does a good shepherd do?

Say:

Ask:

Do: Use the Shepherd Path to move through Rest, Guidance, Valley, Table, and Home.

Close: Pray: Lord, guide us, remain with us in hard places, and teach us to trust Your care.

Materials: Bible; Shepherd Path cards or a drawn path

Standard outline · 35 minutes

  1. 4 minConnect. Use the opening prompt and invite two or three brief responses.
  2. 4 minContext. Introduce the passage setting, speaker or main characters, and genre in age-appropriate language.
  3. 8 minRead and observe. Read Psalm 23 slowly, naming each picture and allowing children to point to the matching path card. Ask: Which images show provision and rest? What changes when the poem reaches the valley?
  4. 7 minDiscuss. Match Rest, Guidance, Valley, Table, and Home with what each image communicates about God's care. Ask: Why is shepherd a metaphor? How can we respond when someone is in a hard place?
  5. 8 minActivity. Complete the Shepherd Path activity and review what it demonstrates. Activity: Shepherd Path. Printable: K1-L14-P01-shepherd-path.
  6. 4 minRespond. Review the objective, repeat the take-home line, and pray.

Activity details

Shepherd Path · 9 min

Materials: Five image cards; String or drawn path

  1. Place Rest and Water.
  2. Add Right Path.
  3. Add Dark Valley and say God is present there.
  4. Add Table and Home.
  5. Retell the psalm as a journey of trust.

Low-resource option: Draw five symbols on a board.

Closing

Memory verse: Psalm 23:4

Prayer: Use one image from Psalm 23 as a prayer for guidance, provision, presence, or welcome.

Take-home line: The Lord guides, provides, and stays with His people.