SMC
Aril 19, 2026
  • Holy Is The Lord
  • I Know A Name
  • How Great Thou Art
  • Introduction
    Numbers 10:33
    CONNECTION
    When left to our own devices, we may be inclined to rush forward when presented with “green pastures" and to resist moving forward when comforted by “still waters".
    TAKE HOME
    A deeper sense of well-being emerges as we refine our ability to discern the Shepherd’s guidance.
    MESSAGE FOCUS
    Yahweh’s provisions
    Discerning when to progress or when to remain
    Scripture Introduction
    Psalm 23:1 ESV
    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    Who would sign up for all that we referenced last week with his role as a shepherd, yet Yahweh has taken that task on for you.
    Next few weeks, the places Yahweh leads us
    Yahweh’s Provisions
    Motivation: How the meaning comes to life
    Psalm 23:2 ESV
    He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
    He is feeding you (nourishment)
     I will again and again need provision
    how long my supply will last
    leads me to the next
    Know where to go
    Create good out of the rough travels
    Psalm 23:2 ESV
    He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
    Rushing waters would be intimidating and loud.
    As our shepherd, He know the location of the things we need.
    You don’t know the location, so you can’t drink
    You have to acknowledge your need for what He provides
    You have to partake in what He provides
    I shall not want. When I need green pastures, he feeds me there. When I need still waters, He refreshes me there.
    Yahweh guides us through a variety of circumstances.
    We must trust what He provides enables me to bear the best fruit that fulfills His will. Which is the essence of success.
    He puts things into the appropriate perspective for us.
    *APPLICATION
    He continually caring for my needs.

    Staying Where You Are

    Psalm 23:2 ESV
    He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
    Staying
    Sometimes you need to stay where he has brought you
    Rest
    It is hard for us to slowdown
    Think of your prayer time. Are you able to stay focused on listening for God’s voice when in prayer. Not speaking to him, but listening.
    We don’t find rest by focusing on rest. We get the benefits when we focus on God.
    I can rest (enjoy where I’m at and take in what God has for me) since I’m being taken care of by my creator and savior.
    Health
    Appreciation
    Finances
    Safety
    *IMPLEMENTATION
    It takes trust.
    Trust He is properly performing His role as shepherd. Supplying my needs for this leg of the journey of my life.
    Our assessment is our current resources don’t meet our current needs.
    Trust that He knows my vulnerabilities
    Trust He understands my needs better than I do and will move me on if there is a change that is necessary.
    Why must I stay in this phase of my life when there might be something better elsewhere?
    Unicorns in New Zealand
    Church
    Marriage
    Vocation
    Market-Driven
    Grass is greener elsewhere
    All we notice is the weeds and we are oblivious to the greenery around us.
    From a distance, you can’t see the weeds
    *REFLECTION
    What is motivating you to seek something new?
    Are your reasons based on negatives? Are your reasons based on positives?
    Negatives- (the weeds)
    Positive (greener grass- from a distance)
    *IMPLEMENTATION
    Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
    Trust He know my vulnerabilities as I rest and will protect me from assured threats.
    Sabbath rest for fields every seven years.
    Stop running! It seems such a simple thing, yet we struggle to make this choice. Why are we so driven to run all the time?
    We run because of feeling overwhelmed.
    We run because of fear.
    We run because of stress.
    We run because of pressure to perform.
    We run because of failure.
    We run because of disappointment.
    We run because of lack of direction.
    Most of all, We run because everyone else seems to be running!
    - A. D. Westbrook,
    Psalm 23:2 ESV
    He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
    It is about provision, not so much compulsion.
    It is about what God does and us yielding our resistance to His will.
    “I can’t . . .”

    Moving as He Leads

    Psalm 23:2 ESV
    He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
    He sometimes shepherds me to lie down and sometimes to walk.
    He goes ahead and faces everything before I ever encounter it.
    We don’t need to know where we are going or understand why we are going. We only need to trust His leading and recognize He is with us in the mundane, as we meet each challenge, and in the joys.
    Even in a specific circumstance, there may be times of rest and times of movement.
    Emerald Crossing, Digging Deeper, Outreach, & what’s next.
    Still waters
    What you need when moving through the arid landscape is a assured supply of water. Here the shepherd leads us so we have what we need available to us.
    *APPLICATION
    It takes trust.
    Trust He is bringing me to what is best for His will
    Trust He enables me to produce fruit
    Trust He understands my needs better than I do and will move me on if there is a change that is necessary.
    You don’t have to have all the answers.
    You don’t have to figure out your five year plan.
    *IMPLEMENTATION
    John 10:3–4 “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
    You only need to know your shepherd’s voice, hear Hm when he calls, and follow Him
    Being led by our shepherd goes beyond simply “feeling a leading” or merely “sensing him speaking to us.”
    Guiding values & principles
    Countenance
    Our countenance is not infallible, but with the indwelling Spirit, it is worth paying attention to.
    Godly Advice
    They don’t share the same biases, perceptions, or desires as we do.
    Kingdom & righteousness Mt 6:33 (is this consideration about God or me)
    Summary
    When left to our own devices, we may be inclined to rush forward when presented with “green pastures" and to resist moving forward when comforted by “still waters". A deeper sense of well-being emerges as we refine our ability to discern the Shepherd’s guidance.
    Reflection

      • Psalm 23:2ESV

      • Numbers 10:33ESV

      • Psalm 23:1ESV

      • Psalm 23:2ESV

      • John 10:3–4ESV

      • John 10:3–4ESV

      • Matthew 6:33ESV

  • This Is My Father's World
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