Good Shepherd Sunday 10:30am

Apr 19, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Shepherd Who Grabs the Lion

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” He didn’t run when danger came. Unlike hired hands who abandon the flock, Jesus faced wolves and lions for His sheep. David knew this courage—he grabbed lions by the beard to rescue his lambs. Jesus went further, letting death grab Him to rescue you. [41:10]

The cross proves Jesus isn’t a hired hand. He owns you. He fights for you. When sin, fear, or death snarl, He stands between you and harm. His scars shout, “I paid everything to claim you.”

You matter more to Jesus than His own safety. When have you felt abandoned? When have you seen Him fight for you? Where is He calling you to trust His protection today?

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
(John 10:11, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for facing your deepest fears. Ask Him to show you His nearness in one struggle today.
Challenge: Write down one fear and place it under your Bible. Pray over it each time you see the Bible.

Day 2: The God Who Seeks the Straggler

Ezekiel 34 shows shepherds who fattened themselves while sheep starved. But God said, “I will seek the lost.” Jesus left the ninety-nine to find the one. He didn’t scold the straggler—He carried it home. The Shepherd’s heart races for wanderers. [36:26]

God hates half-hearted shepherds. But He is the Shepherd who bleeds for strays. Your doubts, failures, or shame don’t disqualify you. His pursuit isn’t pity—it’s passion. You’re His trophy of grace.

Many of us hide our wandering. We pretend we’re still in the fold. What part of your heart have you walled off from His seeking love?

“I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed.”
(Ezekiel 34:16, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area you’ve wandered. Ask Jesus to carry you back.
Challenge: Text someone who’s struggling: “Jesus is seeking you. How can I pray?”

Day 3: Green Pastures and Soul Naps

Sheep won’t rest without feeling safe. So the Good Shepherd “makes me lie down in green pastures.” He forces naps. David wrote this after years of running from Saul. Even in chaos, God said, “Stop. Breathe. Let Me feed you.” [42:45]

Jesus restores souls through forgiveness. At His table, He says, “Take and eat—this is My body for you.” The Shepherd prepares a meal while enemies still prowl. Your worth isn’t in productivity but in His provision.

When did you last let Him make you rest? What task or worry do you need to release to taste His peace today?

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”
(Psalm 23:2–3, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to interrupt your hurry. Thank Him for rest that’s not earned.
Challenge: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Sit still, eyes closed, repeating: “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Day 4: The Voice That Unmixes Flocks

Sheep know their shepherd’s voice. At crowded wells, three flocks drink together. When a shepherd calls, only his sheep follow. Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice.” In life’s noise, His Word cuts through—clear, kind, commanding. [44:13]

The world shouts lies: “You’re unloved. Behind. Broken.” Jesus’ voice declares, “Mine. Forgiven. Home.” Test every voice: Does it align with His scars, His cross, His empty tomb?

Whose voice have you let drown out His? What lie is He replacing with truth today?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life.”
(John 10:27–28, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to silence competing voices. Listen for His Word in one Bible verse today.
Challenge: Read Psalm 23 aloud twice. Circle the phrase that speaks loudest to you.

Day 5: Pursued by Goodness and Mercy

David ends Psalm 23 with “goodness and mercy shall follow me.” But the Hebrew says “pursue.” God’s love isn’t a shy follower—it’s a warrior chasing you down. Even in failure, His kindness hunts you. [47:13]

Jesus proved this on the road to Emmaus, in Peter’s restoration, at Thomas’ doubts. He pursues rebels, deniers, and skeptics. Your worst moment can’t outrun His mercy.

Where do you feel un-pursuable? How might His relentless grace surprise you this week?

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
(Psalm 23:6, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for chasing you. Ask Him to open your eyes to one sign of His pursuit.
Challenge: Write “Pursued” on your hand. Each time you see it, whisper, “Thank You, Shepherd.”

Sermon Summary

The text unfolds the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd who actively seeks, protects, and provides for the flock. It contrasts faithless leaders who exploit and abandon the people with the shepherd who lays down his life, pursuing the lost until they are found. Scripture from Ezekiel, the parables, and Psalm 23 shape a pastoral theology: God knows each sheep by name, leads them to rest and refreshment, restores the soul through forgiveness, and guides them along righteous paths for his name’s sake. The shepherd’s care includes both tender provisions — green pastures, still waters, anointing — and corrective tools — rod and staff — that discipline and redirect when needed.

The narrative emphasizes the communal and sacramental means by which that care reaches people. The Eucharistic words and absolution appear as instruments of restoration, feeding the flock with body and blood so faith endures and life in Christ persists beyond death. The image of sheep knowing the shepherd’s voice stresses relational identity: the flock follows the true shepherd because of intimate recognition, not mere behavior. Even amid the valley of the shadow of death, the shepherd’s presence removes fear and supplies courage, while God’s goodness and mercy pursue the flock throughout life. Practical touches — a children’s song, everyday anecdotes, and intercessory prayers — bring these theological truths to life, showing how worship, word, sacrament, and prayer form a single pastoral rhythm that gathers the scattered, tends the weary, and promises eternal dwelling in God’s house.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ lays down his life The shepherd’s sacrifice is not metaphorical sentiment but decisive atonement: laying down life to secure the flock’s safety and reconcile transgressions. That act removes the final barrier between the sheep and God, establishing a shepherd-flock bond grounded in substitutionary love. It reframes vulnerability as the basis for trust and ultimate deliverance. [30:32]
2. God pursues the lost relentlessly Divine pursuit values the single wanderer above the comfort of the many; God actively seeks the stray, not as a managerial inconvenience but as an expression of covenantal fidelity. This pursuit reorients ministry from maintenance to mission, privileging restoration over convenience. The rejoicing at recovery reveals God’s economy of grace: one restored life reshapes the whole community. [38:31]
3. Sheep recognize and follow voice Spiritual identity arises from relational familiarity, not mere rule-following; the flock responds because the shepherd’s voice communicates knowing and being known. This mutual recognition resists imitation and imposture, calling for attentiveness to the authentic call. Following becomes an act of trust rooted in personal relationship rather than moral performance. [44:58]
4. Means of grace restore souls Forgiveness and the sacraments operate as real instruments of spiritual restoration, not optional extras. Bread and cup, and the proclamation of absolution, function to re-form the heart, re-establishing faith and enabling the sheep to rest and be led. These means anchor assurance amid weakness and prepare the flock for life and death under the shepherd’s care. [43:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:56] - Invocation & Opening Song
[06:18] - Confession and Absolution
[13:28] - Sanctus and Eucharistic Praise
[16:24] - Communion Thanksgiving
[30:32] - Gospel: The Good Shepherd
[32:54] - Children's Message: "I Just Wanna Be a Sheep"
[36:06] - Ezekiel: Faithless Shepherds
[38:31] - Parable of the Lost Sheep
[40:26] - Psalm 23: Provision and Rest
[43:10] - Means of Grace and Restoration
[44:58] - Recognizing the Shepherd's Voice
[45:18] - Valley of the Shadow of Death
[47:59] - Prayers, Intercessions, and Thanks
[53:01] - Announcements and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 10:11-16 (ESV)
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Psalm 23:1-6 (ESV)
1 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. 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.

Ezekiel 34:11-16 (ESV)
11 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness… 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak…

Observation Questions

In John 10:11-16, what specific actions does Jesus use to describe himself as the "good shepherd," and how do these contrast with a "hired hand"?
Psalm 23 mentions a "rod" and "staff." What purposes do these tools serve for a shepherd, and how might they reflect God’s care for us? [46:00]
According to the parable of the lost sheep (referenced in the sermon), what does the shepherd prioritize, and what does this reveal about God’s heart? [38:31]
Ezekiel 34:11-16 describes God seeking the lost, binding up the injured, and strengthening the weak. How does this connect to Jesus’ role as the Good Shepherd?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus emphasize that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11), and how does this differ from a metaphorical or symbolic sacrifice?
Psalm 23:4 says, "I will fear no evil, for you are with me." How does the shepherd’s presence remove fear, even in the "valley of the shadow of death"? [45:18]
The sermon mentions that "sheep recognize the shepherd’s voice" (John 10:4). What does this imply about the relationship between believers and God, and how does this resist imitation or superficial faith? [44:58]
How do the sacraments (like communion) and forgiveness function as "means of grace" to restore and strengthen believers, according to the sermon? [43:10]

Application Questions

The Lord "makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23:2). Where in your life do you struggle to rest or trust God’s provision? What practical step could you take this week to prioritize spiritual rest?
The parable of the lost sheep shows God valuing the one over the ninety-nine. When have you felt "pursued" by God’s grace in a time of wandering? How might this change how you view others who feel distant from God?
The sermon highlights recognizing the shepherd’s voice. What distractions or "other voices" compete for your attention daily? How could you create space to listen more intentionally to God’s guidance?
Communion and forgiveness are called "instruments of restoration." How does regularly participating in these practices deepen your trust in God’s care? What hesitations, if any, do you need to surrender?
"Goodness and mercy shall pursue me" (Psalm 23:6). Where have you seen God’s relentless pursuit of you in the past month? How might this truth encourage you in a current challenge? [46:50]
The sermon contrasts "faithless shepherds" who exploit others with Jesus’ sacrificial love. In your relationships, work, or community, how can you reflect the Good Shepherd’s selfless care for others?

Sermon Clips

44s

#FearNoEvil

“to be led in his paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Then it says, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. This is a reality for all sheep. It's a reality for all of us as well, that we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. None of us has promised tomorrow. We don't know when the day of our death is going to happen, but we do know that it will happen. Right? But no matter what, the lord is our shepherd. We fear not death. Why? Because he lives. We also will live in him.”

34s

#RestoredSoul

“makes me lie down. Sometimes we just move and move and move, and we don't know when to slow down until sometimes we just need to be told. Our good shepherd does that for us. It's time to rest. And it's okay. He restores my soul. How does the Lord restore our soul? He does so through the means of grace, through hearing those words of proclamation that you are forgiven. To hear those words, take and eat.”

42s

#CelebrateTheLost

“He says, will he not leave the 100, leave the 99 in the open field and then go and find the lost sheep? And when he finds it, he'll celebrate. He'll bring the sheep back and invite others to come and celebrate. Behold, this lamb was lost and now it's found, was dead, and now is alive. And he began to celebrate. And he says this about that. That it's more important that one person repents then for 99 righteous people that don't need to repent.”

41s

#FaithlessLeaders

“You read through the beginning of Ezekiel chapter 34 and it talks about the shepherds of Israel, which meant the leaders of Israel. The leaders of Israel were not caring for the people. They were caring for themselves. They were fattening themselves up on other people's gain. They were not looking for the lost. They were completely self focused. The pastor said, well, you're bringing the law today. Right? Yeah. Because sometimes we need to hear that.”

42s

#GoodShepherdSaves

“What's he talking about there? He's talking about laying down his very life on the cross for you and for me. But he calls himself the good shepherd which means that there are probably other shepherds, right? Bad shepherds. In our Old Testament lesson for today, Ezekiel 34, it talked about the lord being a good shepherd, being a one who would come and to seek and to save the lost, that he would look for the strains, that he would go after them and honestly, this is the most positive section of Ezekiel chapter 34. They skipped all the negative parts.”

36s

#RestInGreenPastures

“This is not talking about your wants. This is talking about your needs. The shepherd is the one who provides for all of our needs and cares for us in all the ways that he can. Then he moves on. He says he leads me beside still waters. Oh, hold on. No. I missed part of it, didn't I? He makes me lie down in green pastures. He says, take a nap. Any of you guys need to hear that? Taking a nap is good. He makes me rest,”

27s

#SheepIdentity

“How many of you like the idea of thinking about yourself as a sheep? I sing this song to the kids every week in preschool, and I mean, they all sing it. I just wanna be a sheep and sing it at the top of their lungs, and I kind of I'm like, wondering, when do when do they first get to the point and they're where they think, okay. Do I really wanna be a sheep? I mean, what does it mean to be a sheep? Most of the time, when you think about being a sheep, it's kind of a negative connotation, isn't it?”

36s

#ShepherdGathers

“It's a great news in Ezekiel 34 is that god says, you failed. But guess what? I'm coming. I'm going to be your shepherd. I'm going to be the good shepherd. And he comes to gather his sheep. It's a great imagery. He even uses it in one of his parables, the parable of the lost sheep where it describes the kingdom of heaven like a man who had a 100 sheep and one of them wanders off.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Trinity Family of Faith Lutheran Church - Basehor, Kansas This sermon · AI assistant

What distinguishes the good shepherd from false shepherds

How does Psalm 23 describe God's provision and care

In what ways does the shepherd restore our soul

Good Shepherd Sunday 10:30am

Devotional

Day 1: The Shepherd Who Grabs the Lion

Day 2: The God Who Seeks the Straggler

Day 3: Green Pastures and Soul Naps

Day 4: The Voice That Unmixes Flocks

Day 5: Pursued by Goodness and Mercy

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Good Shepherd Sunday 10:30am

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