"Catch Me If You Can"

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
- Psalm 23:1-5

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23: 6

As we follow the Lord, His goodness and mercy follows us

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
- James 1:17

Not everything you go through is good, but God will always bring good things out of what you go through.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

Radaph - to pursue with extreme energy; to chase; to run after

Jesus says My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.
- John 10:27

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- Psalm 23:6

God is good in this life and the next

Jesus says I am the good shepherd, He laid his life down for his sheep. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can be assured that we will continue to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- John 10:11 

In the Battle

5 You prepare a table before me...
- Psalm 23:5

Life is interrupted by battles.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
- Psalm 23:5

Most of us want to leave our battles.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 
- 1 Samuel 17:11

God wants us to receive in our battles!

Three Ways We Can Receive in Our Battle:

1. God can bless us in our battles.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
- Psalm 23:5

2. God prepares us in our battles.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil…”
- Psalm 23:5

36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 
- 1 Samuel 17:36

3. God can use us in the battle.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
- Psalm 23:5

We receive in the battle when we resolve to follow God forward.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…
- Psalm 23:6

"God’s Presence in the Valley"

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4

Valleys are temporary

God’s divine presence is always with you

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20

We have assurance in God’s guidance and protection

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4

"Mother's Day"

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God’s Grace is Sufficient

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
- James 1:2-3

Mothers are made perfect “IN” God’s grace

God turns your weakness into strength

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
- James 1:12

"Project: Restoration"

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
- Psalm 23:3

HE RESTORES MY SOUL

“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” 
- George Macdonald 

OUR SOULS ARE PRONE TO FAIL

 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
- Psalm 23:3

 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
- Psalm 23:3

THE LORD TAKES OWNERSHIP OF YOUR WELL BEING

"Living Backwards"

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  
- Psalm 23:2

“In pastures green He makes me to lie down Beside the waters still He leads me.”
-Psalm 23:2, written from right-to-left as it was in Classical Hebrew.

God designed us to begin from a place of rest.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 1:1

24 … you loved me before the foundation of the world.
- John 17:24

And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
- Genesis 1:5

We’re trying to navigate a restless world with our restless hearts.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  
- Psalm 23:2

A Cycle of Works

1. Work

2. Significance

3. Sustenance

4. Acceptance

Jesus lived in our restless world with a rested heart.

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Matthew 11:28-29

Jesus restores us to God and the way He designed us to live.

A Cycle of Grace

1. Acceptance

2. Sustenance

3. Significance

4. Work

"Is God your Guide or Your Ride?"

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- Psalm 23:1

THE LORD

Jehovah or Yahweh - the self revealing God

Rohi - To feed; to lead.

the Lord IS

Is - Present tense. God is with you right now

the Lord is MY 

David’s relationship was personal and intimate 

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
-  Luke 15:4

The Lord is my SHEPHERD

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not WANT

My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.
- John 10:27

"The Sign of the Promise"

The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
- Exodus 12:13

The blood of the lamb was a sign of their faith

Belief + Action + Confidence = Faith

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
- James 2:17

The blood of the lamb was a sign of promise for their future

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- John 1:29

"Fear Doesn't Belong Here!"

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
- 2 Timothy 1:7

How do we recognize the spirit of fear?

The Spirit of Fear produces the opposite effects of the Holy Spirit of God.

1. Power: Service vs. Self-Preservation

2. Love: Upward and Outward vs. Inward

3. “Self-Control”: Peace vs. Panic 

We reject the spirit of fear by replacing it with the Spirit of God.

13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
- 2 Timothy 1:13-14

• Faith

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
- Hebrews 11:6

• Love

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
- Mark 12:30

• Christ Jesus

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
- 1 John 4:13-15

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…
- 1 John 4:18

"Carriers"

3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3-8

Four Evidences of a Carrier of Faith:

GOD CHOSE THEM

5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5

IMITATE GODLY PEOPLE

6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:6

MODEL YOUR FAITH TO OTHERS

7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:7

FAITH SPREADS EVERYWHERE

8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:8